Whole30 Chicken Marsala

I love mushrooms, which is why Chicken Marsala is a dish that I just love. The savory mushroom sauce is packed with Italian flavors, with a little sweetness from the marsala wine; however, I gave the dish a Whole30 makeover, so the sweetness in my dish comes from a little sherry vinegar. Quite frankly, this Whole30 Chicken Marsala turned out heavenly, and you should put this on your dinner rotation!

Marsala is a traditional Italian Scallopini dish, which is thinly sliced meat (typically veal or chicken) dredged in flour then simmered and reduced in a delicious sauce. Coming from an Italian family, my mom used to make this dish often so I knew I needed to create a Whole30 rendition! While I made my original version years ago when I first started my blog, I thought it could use a little update based on all of the Whole30 (and cooking) learnings I’ve had through the years. And if you like this recipe, be sure to try my Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata.

Ingredients:

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt and Pepper
• Cassava Flour
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ghee
• Garlic
• Diced Shallot
• Sliced Mushrooms: I use button, cremini, or baby bella mushrooms!
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Sherry Vinegar
• Low-Sodium Broth
• Coconut Milk
• Fresh Thyme Leaves
• Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Whole30 Chicken Marsala step-by-step:

step one: prep the chicken

To start, cut each chicken breast in half to form two thin pieces. You’ll have a total of 8 thinly cut chicken breasts. Next, slightly pound the chicken then season with salt and pepper. After seasoning, dredge each piece of chicken with cassava flour. This gives a slight breading to the chicken and also helps the sauce thicken!

step two: brown the chicken

Once the chicken is prepped, cook the chicken in a large skillet until golden brown on both sides. You will want to work in batches as to not overcrowd the skillet so the chicken gets a nice browned crust. Also, the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce so does not need to be cooked through at this stage!

Step Three: Make the Sauce

Remove the browned chicken from the skillet and add to a plate. Use the same skillet to make the sauce, starting with sauteing the veggies. Add the chicken back into the skillet with the sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Step Four: Finish the Skillet

Cook until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve however you prefer! Suggestions are below.

Recipe FAQs:

I hope you all love my updated Whole30 Chicken Marsala! Comment below once you try this recipe and share what you served it with.

For another Whole30 take on a classic Italian chicken dish, try my Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata!

4.67 from 3 votes

Whole30 Chicken Marsala

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Grain-Free

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cassava flour
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ ½ cup finely diced shallot, or 2 medium shallots
• ▢ 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (button, cremini, or baby bella)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional, or more to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (sub balsamic vinegar, see note if wanting to use marsala wine)
• ▢ 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (blended so that it is smooth and no longer separated)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or 1/2 lemon

Instructions 

Prepare the Chicken:

• Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces, also known as cutlets. You’ll have 8 thinner chicken pieces.
• Cover the cutlets with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform ¼-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken breast with the salt and pepper.
• In a shallow bowl, add the cassava flour. Dredge each piece of chicken into the flour so that they are evenly coated, shaking off any excess.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches so as to not overcrowd the pan, place the chicken into the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be cooked through as it will finish baking in the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Make the Sauce:

• Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium-low. Add the ghee and let it melt. Add the garlic, shallot, mushrooms, crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the sherry vinegar and stir, scraping up the browned bits in the pan, until reduced by half, about 1 minute (if using Marsala wine, this will take about 3 minutes).
• Add the broth, coconut milk, thyme and stir to combine. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a light simmer (you want the sauce bubbling, but not rapidly bubbling). Cook, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.

Finish:

• Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper, if desired.

Notes

Serving Suggestion: If I am doing a Whole30, I like to serve this with roasted potatoes and asparagus. If I am not, this is great over brown rice pasta!

Substitute Notes: If you are not Whole30 and want a more traditional Chicken Marsala, here are the substitutes you can use:

• Sub all-purpose flour for the cassava flour 

• Sub heavy cream for the unsweetened coconut milk

• Sub 2/3 cup dry marsala wine for the vinegar and lemon juice

• Sub butter for the ghee

 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass

Servings: 4

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