Gluten Free Chicken Marsala

If you’ve been searching for gluten free chicken recipes, bookmark this post! A comforting yet elegant dish, this gluten-free Chicken Marsala is a delicious combination of tender chicken and savory mushrooms in a flavorful creamy sauce ready to be served with your favorite gluten-free pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. 

Traditionally dredged in flour, this gluten free chicken marsala recipe omits this step but still delivers a fabulous taste and texture. Searing the chicken before you cook it with the cream and wine sauce locks in the juicy texture for a tender and flavorful dish. 

This Gluten Free Chicken Marsala Recipe Is…

• Easy:  This recipe for chicken marsala comes together quite easily, despite the number of steps, so don’t be discouraged. You’ll get soft, tender chicken in a rich savory umami sauce. 
• Versatile: Chicken marsala sounds like a fancy dish to serve to guests at a dinner party but it is simple enough to serve any night of the week and would be ideal for meal prep. 
• Compatible: Perfect to serve with your favorite gluten free grain, this chicken marsala goes with rice, quinoa, polenta or try it on top of mashed potatoes. 

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs: I used chicken thighs with the skin on because I like how juicy and tender they stay when sauteed in a skillet. It’s a simple way to add good flavor without having to add extra fats to your dish. If you prefer chicken breasts, you can use them instead but make sure to cook a bit longer.
• Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is best but any type will work.
• Marsala wine: Marsala wine adds a natural sweetness to the chicken and is essential to the classic recipe.  If you don’t have marsala wine you can substitute it with Pinot Noir or any other light-bodied red wine. 
• Mushrooms: I like using Baby Bella mushrooms. I find they have much more flavor than white button mushrooms. You certainly can experiment with a variety of mushrooms.
• Creamer potatoes: These are Yukon gold or red potatoes that are harvested while young and only measure about 1 inch in diameter. Use a combination of gold and red potatoes.
• Garlic cloves: Use large garlic cloves for the utmost garlic flavor. I highly recommend fresh garlic for the best flavor.
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream adds richness to this gluten free marsala sauce, making the sauce ultra creamy. You can also use half and half or whole milk but the sauce will be less rich and creamy.
• Basil leaves: Use large basil leaves as garnish for your final dish.

How to Make Gluten Free Chicken Marsala

1. Prepping the oven and pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and heat a cast iron skillet with a thin layer of olive oil on high to medium-high heat.
2. Searing the chicken. Sear the chicken skin side down for approximately 3 minutes. Be careful as splattering can occur then turn the chicken over and sear the bottoms.
3. Deglazing the pan: Lower skillet heat to medium or medium-low, and remove the chicken thighs and set them aside on a plate. Add ¼ cup of marsala wine to the skillet to deglaze the pan.
4. Adding the veggies: Place potatoes and mushrooms in the pan, stir to coat them while adding in hefty pinches of kosher salt and several grinds of peppercorn. 
5. Let the veggies simmer. Allow the potatoes and mushrooms to cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic and then more marsala wine. Stir and let simmer for a few minutes until a bit of wine has been reduced.
6. Creating the sauce. Add more heavy cream to the skillet, stir to mix well, and then add more marsala to coat the potatoes and mushrooms well.
7. Place chicken back in the pan. Move the mushrooms and potatoes aside and then place the chicken back in the pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
8. Cook in the oven. Place the skillet into a hot oven and let cook for approximately 20 minutes, then add ⅓ cup more heavy cream to the sauce.
9. Add the finishing touches. Stir more cream into the sauce until it is mixed well, moving the food around slightly. Sprinkle basil all over the sauce and mix to combine.
10. Finish cooking. Continue cooking for another 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and no longer pink inside.

Variations

• Dairy-Free: For a gluten free and dairy free dinner, use a plant-based cream or canned coconut milk for the richest texture and taste. You can also use dairy-free milk but the consistency will be less thick and creamy.
• No Alcohol: If you are not comfortable cooking with wine you can replace the Marsala wine with chicken or vegetable broth. The result will taste slightly different but will still taste great nonetheless.  
• Use Different Veggies: Feel free to swap the mushrooms and potatoes for different varieties if that’s what you’ve got on hand. 

Serving Suggestions

Start your chicken marsala meal off with a fresh green salad. Prepare white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, polenta, or quinoa to serve alongside the chicken.

You can also serve it over gluten free pasta or your favorite spiralized veggie noodles. Mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower would also go well and let the flavors of the chicken shine. 

Tips & Tricks

• Cleaning the Mushrooms. Gently wipe the mushrooms with a mushroom brush or damp cloth before adding them to the pan. 
• Use an Oven-Safe Skillet. Make sure to use a cast iron skillet as this type of pan can be used on the stove and in the oven as well. 
• Storing. Leftover chicken marsala can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. 

Gluten Free Chicken Marsala

Jennifer Reidy

If you’ve been searching for gluten free chicken recipes, bookmark this post! A comforting yet elegant dish, this Chicken Marsala is a delicious combination of tender chicken and savory mushrooms in a flavorful creamy sauce ready to be served with your favorite gluten-free pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 3 servings

Ingredients

  

• 3 chicken thighs skin on salted
• olive oil
• 1 cup marsala wine preferably sweet
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms chopped into fourths
• creamer potatoes gold and red, cut into fourths
• 2 large garlic cloves chopped
• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• kosher salt to taste
• ground peppercorn to taste
• 4 large basil leaves torn or lightly chopped for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a cast iron skillet with a thin layer of olive oil on high to medium high.
• Sear chicken thighs, skin sides down, for approximately 3 minutes. Be careful as splattering can occur.
• Turn chicken over and sear the bottoms for about 2 minutes.
• Lower skillet heat to medium or medium low, then carefully remove chicken thighs and set aside on a plate.
• Add about ¼ cup of marsala wine to the skillet to deglaze the pan.
• Place potatoes and mushrooms into the pan and move around to coat.
• Sprinkle hefty pinches of kosher salt over potatoes and mushrooms, as well as several grinds of peppercorn.
• Let potatoes and mushrooms cook for approximately 4 minutes, moving around in skillet frequently.
• Add chopped garlic to skillet and mix in and stir for approximately 1 minute.
• Then add ¼ cup more marsala to pan and stir around.
• Let simmer for approximately 3 minutes, or until a bit of wine has been reduced.
• Then add ⅓ cup of heavy cream to the skillet and stir to mix well.
• Add another ¼ cup of marsala and mix well, coating potatoes and mushrooms.
• Place chicken thighs back into pan and push aside mushrooms and potatoes, so they are not underneath the chicken pieces.
• Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper then place skillet into hot oven.
• Let cook for approximately 20 minutes, then add ⅓ cup more heavy cream to sauce.
• Evenly stir cream into sauce throughout pan until mixed well. You will be moving around the food slightly.
• Sprinkle basil all over sauce in dish and mix in.
• Continue cooking for another 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and no longer pink inside.
• Note: Oven temps and times may vary, as well as stove tops.

Keyword gluten free chicken marsala