Dairy-Free Chicken Marsala (Printable)

Tender chicken in rich mushroom Marsala wine sauce, made without butter or cream in one skillet.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Dredging Mixture

02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free flour if needed)
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Vegetables

05 - 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
08 - 3/4 cup dairy-free chicken broth

→ Fats

09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

# How-To:

01 - Place each chicken breast between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound with a meat mallet to an even 1/2-inch thickness throughout.
02 - In a shallow dish, combine the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly mixed.
03 - Lightly coat each pounded chicken breast in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking off any excess to ensure a thin, even coating.
04 - Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dredged chicken breasts and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil.
05 - Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Sauté the sliced mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply browned. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
06 - Pour the dry Marsala wine into the skillet, scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the liquid reduces by half.
07 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to begin reducing.
08 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet, spooning the mushroom sauce over the top. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce gets its velvety texture entirely from reduction and the natural juices of the mushrooms, no cream required.
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means the chicken picks up every bit of flavor from the browned bits left behind.
  • Cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy for a dish that tastes like you spent twice as long cooking.
02 -
  • Do not rush the mushroom browning step because mushrooms release moisture first and only start caramelizing after that moisture cooks off.
  • If you skip pounding the chicken evenly, the thick parts will be raw when the thin parts are already overcooked and tough.
  • Dry Marsala and sweet Marsala are completely different products and using the wrong one will change the entire character of the dish.
03 -
  • Let the chicken rest for two minutes after removing it from the skillet the first time so the juices redistribute and do not run out when you slice it.
  • A splash of extra Marsala added right before serving wakes up the flavor in a way that no amount of salt can replicate.

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