Chicken Marsala

Tender delicious chicken cutlets braised in a slightly sweet and rich marsala wine and mushroom sauce

When we asked my Mom, Doris,  what she would like for her birthday dinner, her response was immediate

Chicken Marsala!

Well Happy Birthday Grandma MeMar!

Chicken Marsala coming right up!

This is such a classic Italian favorite

I don’t think I have met anyone yet who doesn’t like this dish

Here is Simply Sunday’s take on an all time favorite

We are starting with 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Trim any excess fat and sinew from the chicken

Next we will need to filet these thinly (or you can have a butcher do it)

I typically get 3-4 cutlets per breast depending on how thick it is

This job is much easier to do if you’re using a super sharp knife.  Our favorite knives are by Zelite and we keep their edges super sharp with the Zulay Kitchen knife sharpener

Repeat with the rest and lay them out on a cutting board

Next we are going to pound out the chicken with a mallet to help tenderize it

Place the cutlets on a cutting board and cover with cling wrap

The cling wrap will help keep bits of chicken and chicken juice from flying around your kitchen

Flip and tenderize the other side

Be careful not to over tenderize them, you don’t want the chicken to fall apart or tear

Next we will need 2 cups of flour for dredging

Add 2 teaspoons each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder into the flour

Mix to combine

I like to use a large sheet pan as a dredging station to help keep the mess to a minimum

Start dredging the cutlets by dipping them into the flour and shaking them off

Only flour the amount of cutlets that will fit into the pan, otherwise they will sit around and become gooey

Next add 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a non stick pan over medium heat

Heat until the butter is bubbling nicely

Add in a few cutlets at a time being careful not to over crowd them

Cook 3-4 minutes then turn and cook another 2-3 minutes until lightly brown and a fork slips into the cutlet easily

Remove them to a rack to drain excess oil

Sprinkle with a little kosher salt

Repeat until all of the chicken is done

Once they are all browned pour off some of the excess oil from the pan

Now it’s time to take our Chicken Marsala up another level

I like to add in sundried tomatoes for a nice pop of color and flavor

We will need three tablespoons of sliced sundried tomatoes in their oil and 6 garlic cloves sliced

Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes to the pan

Cook 4-6 minutes or until the garlic is softened

Next we will need 10-12 ounces of  Baby Bella mushrooms

What are baby bella mushrooms?

Baby bella mushrooms, also known as brown creminis are just small portabella mushrooms

I like these in marsala because of their earthy meatiness and texture

Clean off any excess dirt with a dry paper towel and slice the mushrooms

Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir to incorporate all of the ingredients

Cook around 2 minutes

Now let’s discuss the Marsala wine

Can I use supermarket Marsala cooking wine?

Though you can make this dish using Marsala cooking wine from your local supermarket, I will have to urge you to go a little further to your local wine shop and look for a quality Italian Marsala wine

Marsala can be sweet or dry and gets its name from the city of Marsala in Sicily, we typically use the dry version which is better in savory dishes

This dish is named after the wine which is the most prominent flavor

The reason I’m saying this is because not all Marsala is created equal

Let me tell you, using good wine makes all the difference

We will need about 3 cups of Marsala

Add the Marsala to the pan

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes

To thicken the sauce whisk together 1 tablespoon of Marsala and 1 tablespoon of flour and stir into the pan

Dip the chicken cutlets into the sauce to coat then nestle them into the pan

Simmer the chicken for 10-12 minutes

We love to finish a dish with some fresh herbs

We are using 1 tablespoon each of fresh basil and parsley

Give this a nice chop

Sprinkle the herbs over the chicken and serve with pasta or crusty bread!

Enjoy!!!

Tools used to make this recipe

Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood

Mini Prep Glass Bowl

Pyrex Bakeware Scalloped Pie Plate

Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece

Baker’s Secret Cooling Rack

ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch

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