Easy Marsala chicken braise
I’ve always loved chicken Marsala, but recipes I’ve used have always been so cumbersome (I don’t want to bread the chicken, fry it, AND make a sauce - who has the time?), and there’s never quite enough sauce.
And of course, the allergens.
Here’s how I’ve been making chicken Marsala that’s top 9 free and requires very little time at the stove.
Easy Marsala chicken braise
Ingredients:
1 lb. cremini or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and rough chopped
3 TBS flour (for wheat-free, omit flour and see note at the bottom)
2/3 cup dry Marsala wine
1-1/2 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, each thigh cut into 3 pieces
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Neutral oil
2 TBS safe butter
1/2 tsp Balsamic vinegar (optional)
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Place rack in the center of the oven; Preheat to 275 degrees F.
Heat a Dutch oven on the stove on medium heat with 2 TBS oil. When the oil is hot, drop in the mushrooms and saute until they start to lose water (it will start steaming), about 3-5 min.
(Skip this step for wheat-free) Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes until flour is heated through.
Pour in Marsala wine and stir immediately to combine contents of the pot smoothly. Continue to boil mixture until alcohol has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes.
Add chicken stock, salt, fresh thyme sprigs and chicken pieces. Bring to a boil.
Place a tight-fitting, oven-safe lid onto the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven into the oven and cook for 30 minutes to one hour. Chicken thighs are very forgiving; Cooking for 30 minutes will yield fully cooked and soft chicken. Cooking for 60 minutes will make the chicken pull-apart soft.
Remove pot from the oven.
Remove thyme sprigs. Add salt to taste. Optional: Add balsamic vinegar to add brightness.
Serve with favorite safe pasta, top with parsley.
Note
For wheat-free, create a corn starch slurry by combining 2 tsp cornstarch and 5 TBS water in a small bowl and add it in step 8 of the recipe. The cornstarch will clump when not immediately stirred, so make sure it’s combined just before adding it to the sauce so that it incorporates into your sauce smoothly.
Why cornstarch or flour? This helps to thicken your sauce, which will make it stick to your pasta better.
