Chicken Marsala

Serves: 4 Ingredients • 0.5 cup (120 ml) tapioca or arrowroot flour • 4 (6 oz / 170g each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat • Sea salt and pepper • 4 tsp coconut oil • 8 oz (227g) white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin • 1 garlic clove, minced • 2 tsp minced fresh thyme • 1 cup (240 ml) Chicken Broth or Stock • 0.5 cup (120 ml) Marsala wine • 1 tbsp (15 ml) water • 1 tsp tapioca starch • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil Preparation 1. Prepare the Chicken: Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, season liberally with sea salt and pepper, then lightly dredge all sides in the flour, shaking off any excess. 2. Cook the Chicken: Heat the coconut oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through (registers 160°F / 71°C on an instant-read thermometer), about 6 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. 3. Cook the Mushrooms: Add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of sea salt to the fat remaining in the skillet. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are well browned, about 7 minutes. 4. Make the Sauce: Stir in the minced garlic and fresh thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the chicken broth and Marsala wine, scraping up any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer. 5. Thicken and Finish: In a small bowl, whisk the 1 tbsp (15 ml) of water and 1 tsp (5 ml) of tapioca starch together to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the simmering sauce and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the olive oil. Season the sauce with sea salt and pepper to taste. 6. Serve: Spoon the mushroom-Marsala sauce over the chicken breasts and serve immediately.  

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Chicken Marsala with a glossy mushroom-wine pan sauce — and not a grain in the dredge. Tapioca flour gives the chicken its golden crust and thickens the Marsala sauce in the same pan. It's the Italian restaurant classic, made entirely paleo.

Pro Tips

• Dredge the chicken lightly in the tapioca flour and shake off every bit of excess — a thin coat browns beautifully where a heavy one turns gummy.
• Cook the first side 6-8 minutes undisturbed until golden, then flip and finish on medium-low to 160°F. Moving the chicken early tears the crust.
• Give the mushrooms two stages: covered for 7 minutes to release their liquid, then uncovered on high for 7 minutes until well browned and dry.
• Scrape up the browned bits when the broth and Marsala go in — the fond is what makes the sauce taste like the pan it came from.
• Thicken with the water-and-tapioca slurry, then whisk the olive oil in off the heat for a silky, glossy finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Marsala wine?

A fortified Sicilian wine that gives the sauce its signature sweet-savory depth. It's the defining flavor of the dish, so use one you'd enjoy drinking.

Why dredge the chicken in tapioca flour?

It gives the cutlets a golden crust and leaves behind just enough starch to thicken the pan sauce as it simmers.

Can I skip the mushrooms?

They're half the dish — Marsala sauce is traditionally a mushroom sauce. Slice them thin so they cook quickly and mingle into every spoonful.

Why add the olive oil at the end?

Whisking it in off the heat emulsifies the sauce into a glossy, restaurant-style finish instead of a flat, oily one.

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