I’m going to come out and say it right away – I am aware that this recipe can’t technically be called “chicken Marsala” because it doesn’t actually use the Sicilian fortified wine. It is, however, made in the same style and lacks for nothing – and it doesn’t require you to go out and buy a bottle of alcohol you’ll only use for one recipe!
This recipe is surprisingly simple, is made in one pan and can be ready in about 30 minutes. It feels fancy, but is quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal – which is my favourite type of recipe!
How to Make Chicken “Marsala” Without the Wine
I like to start with fortifying a bit of chicken stock with some gelatin. This adds to the mouthfeel of the finished sauce and also aids in thickening it. I follow a similar process in my beef stew recipe.
All you need to do is sprinkle some powdered gelatin over some (unsalted!) chicken stock and set it aside until you need it.
If you have a really collagen-rich homemade stock, you can go ahead and skip this step, but this is a good workaround if you’re using store-bought stock.
Now go ahead and prep the chicken. I like using boneless-skinless chicken breasts. Use a mallet (or the back of a heavy pan) to pound the breasts into an even thickness of about one centimetre.
Pat the chicken dry with some paper towels, season it with salt and pepper and dredge the breasts in flour, shaking off any excess.
Now, moving to the stovetop, add some oil to a skillet (don’t use non-stick!) and set it over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken (be careful not to overcrowd) and cook for about 3 minutes per side – you want the chicken to release easily from the pan and to be nice and brown.
Set the chicken on some paper towels to drain and move on to building the sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium, add a bit more oil to the skillet and add in some sliced mushrooms. We’ve browned mushrooms about nine thousand times in my recipes (see my mushroom pasta bake or buckwheat risotto), and this is no different.
Cook the mushrooms until they release their moisture and they begin to take on a deep golden brown colour – this generally takes about 10 minutes and I urge you not to cut corners and skip this step!
Once your mushrooms are browned, go ahead and add a diced shallot and cook this for another couple of minutes, just to soften it.
Then, stir in some garlic, thyme and a touch of miso paste (this ups the umami of the sauce).
Cook this for a minute or two and then deglaze the pan with your stock and gelatin mixture, making sure to scrape up any browned bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan.
Bring the stock up to a simmer and then, whisking constantly, add in a couple of pats of cold butter to emulsify the sauce.
To finish, stir in a splash of sherry vinegar and – to up the umami even more – some fish sauce.
Now, all you need to do is add the chicken back into the sauce just to warm it through completely. Then, you can go ahead and serve and enjoy!
Chicken Marsala Without Wine
Ingredients
- 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock (see note 1)
- 5 g (1 ¼ tsp) powdered gelatin
- 350 g (12 ⅓ oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even 1cm (½in) thickness
- 125 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 200 g (7 oz) crimini mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme minced
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
- 2 tsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp fish sauce (see note 3)
Instructions
- Add the stock to a small bowl or measuring jug and sprinkle the gelatin over the top of it. Set aside until needed.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the flour to a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it, making sure it's completely covered, before shaking off the excess.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet (see note 2) and set over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the chicken breasts. Cook on one side until golden and the chicken releases easily from the pan, about 3 minutes, before flipping and cooking on the other side. Remove from the pan and set the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook the mushrooms until they've reduced significantly in size and are deeply golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until it's softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and miso paste and cook for 1 minute longer, just until fragrant and the miso is incorporated.
- Pour over the chicken stock and gelatin mixture, scraping up any browned bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer. Whisking constantly, add the butter one piece at a time, ensuring that it's fully melted before adding another piece.
- Stir in the sherry vinegar and fish sauce. Add the chicken back into the pan and cook just to warm it through. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I use unsalted chicken stock in all my recipe development as it allows me to control the amount of salt going into the dish.
- Ideally do not use a non-stick pan for this recipe as fond collection is necessary for a proper pan sauce.
- An equal amount of soy sauce can also be used
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This Italian-American classic is super simple to make alcohol-free. This recipe has all of the same flavours as one that uses Marsala, without you having to use a drop of wine!
Are you after a great chicken Marsala recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
