So I have decided to (try) to complete the 52 Weeks of Cooking Challenge. (Try) being the key parenthesis in that sentence. I missed the first week because, well, frankly I completely forgot. I guess that would technically make this the 51 Weeks of Cooking Challenge – but lets not dwell on that because I’m already behind on Week 4.

ANYWAYS… I know Marsala wine is a pretty liberal interpretation of “Alcohol” since I don’t think I’ve ever actually drank the stuff outside of the sauce that I pour over my chicken. Not to mention the ‘wine’ used is actually cooking wine, so you wouldn’t drink that anyways! And yep, ‘drank’ is the correct verbiage to use for both the wine and the sauce. But I digress…

Chicken Marsala is surprisingly simple and quick to make (provided you don’t stop to take pictures every step of the way, because then it’s neither of those things).

As someone who loves to cook, I’m always looking for new and exciting recipes to try out in the kitchen. One of my all-time favorites is a basic Chicken Marsala recipe that never fails to impress. It’s a classic Italian dish that’s easy to make, yet packed with flavor.

To make this dish, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients, including chicken breasts, mushrooms, butter, olive oil, Marsala wine, and cooking sherry. The chicken is pounded thin and then sautéed in a mixture of butter and olive oil until it’s golden brown. The mushrooms are then added to the pan, along with the Marsala wine and cooking sherry, and everything is simmered until the sauce is thick and rich. The end result is a delicious and satisfying meal that’s perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

When it comes to making a delicious Chicken Marsala, it’s all about the ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make my basic recipe:

Chicken – skinless, boneless chicken breasts that have been pounded to a 1/4 inch thickness
Mushrooms – sliced cremini mushrooms (or button mushrooms if preferred)
Garlic – fresh garlic that has been minced
Onion: – small onion that has been diced
Marsala Wine – a fortified wine that comes from Sicily and has a rich, nutty flavor
Chicken Broth – adds depth to the sauce
Unsalted Butter – for sauting
All-purpose Flour – used to coat the chicken and thicken the sauce
Salt & Pepper – to season the chicken and sauce to taste

These simple ingredients, when combined and cooked properly, will result in a delicious Chicken Marsala dish.

First things first, beat the crap out of that chicken! Using a meat mallet, or if you’re feeling crafty, a frying pan, flatten the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a plastic bag.

Then prep your flour with a considerable amount of salt, pepper, and parsley flakes. I believe I also added a touch of lemon pepper because flavor. Then lightly coat the chicken breasts.

It’s a RECIPINCEPTION – A recipe within a recipe

Ingredients:

Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2ish (depending on your love for asparagus and willingness to share)

1/2 bunch Asparagus
3 tbsp minced garlic
drizzle of olive oil
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp butter (optional if you’re actually dieting or whatever)

This asparagus side is seriously simple and only takes a few minutes to complete. The key, I believe, is the glass pan. While other pans will work, it becomes too crispy on the tops for me. Generally, I will make this first and pop it into the oven at 350F for the amount of time it takes me to complete the rest of the meal – so about 20-25 minutes.

Back to the thing!

After about 5 minutes, flip your chicken in the pan and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until deliciously golden.

Remove the chicken from the pan, but don’t clean it! Toss in the bacon to soak up some of the flavor instead.

While your bacon fries, clean and chop your mushrooms. When your bacon’s crispy, take it out and crumble it on a paper towel. Then in go the mushrooms!

To finish off the sauce, add the last part of flour to the pan and stir until the mushrooms are covered. Then quickly add the Marsala wine, the chicken broth, and the crumbled bacon and stir until smooth.

And there you have it!

Pour some of the Marsala sauce over your chicken, remove the asparagus from the oven, and microwave your baggie of rice! Fast, cheap, AND COMPLETELY DELICIOUS!

Basic Chicken Marsala

The Starving Chef

Chicken Marsala is surprisingly simple and quick to make

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Equipment

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts flattened 1/2 inch thick
10 white mushrooms sliced
½ cup Marsala wine
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup flour
1 tablespoon parsley
4 tablespoons butter
2 slices bacon optional
1 lemon juiced

Instructions

In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with a generous amount of salt, pepper, and chopped parsley leaves.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add approximately 2 tablespoons of butter. Bring to a bubble, but not quite browning.
Dredge the flattened chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, then transfer it directly to the skillet (if using a smaller skillet where the chicken won't fit side-by-side, do one breast at a time). Brown for 5 minutes per side, until golden and crispy.
Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Leave the drippings in the pan.
If using bacon, toss it into the skillet while you slice the mushrooms. When the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan and crumble it, but leave the grease in the pan.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and sauté until they have absorbed enough of the liquid and have started to brown.
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the mushrooms and stir constantly until they are coated in flour.
Pour in the Marsala wine, chicken broth, and lemon juice, and stir until smooth. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.
Plate the chicken and spoon the mushroom sauce over it. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, if desired, and serve.