The Best Chicken Marsala (Whole30, Paleo, AIP)

This chicken marsala has all of the flavors of the classic but is made to be paleo, whole30, and AIP compliant!

This dish is one that I haven’t had since I was eating at Italian restaurants regularly, and with January whole30 in full swing, I decided to remake this classic to be whole30, AIP, and paleo. No flour, and no alcohol!

The Ingredients for the Chicken Marsala

Chicken Cutlets
You can easily buy chicken cutlets at the butcher counter, or you can just slice chicken breasts down the middle to make your own.

Arrowroot starch
Arrowroot is used to “bread” the chicken and make it crispy. I would not suggest substituting tapioca starch here as it’s a lot gummier and less crispy in recipes like this.

Sherry Vinegar
Marsala wine is what makes chicken marsala. Generally speaking, alcohol will cook off in a recipe like this. However, in the spirit of whole30 and AIP we’re using sherry vinegar for that wine flavor instead of the marsala wine. Of course, if you can tolerate the alcohol, by all means, add 2 tbsp – 1/4 cup to this recipe in place of the sherry vinegar. But the sherry vinegar is a good substitute to keep this complaint.

Chicken broth
You can use homemade or a good neutral tasting brand that you like.

Baby bella mushrooms
Mushrooms add nice rich umami to chicken marsala. You can buy pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms to cut down of the prep time.

Ingredients:

• 3–4 tbsp olive oil (substitute avocado oil)
• 1 lb chicken cutlets
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Using a large deep pan, heat 3 tbsp of oil on medium heat.
2. Add the salt and pepper to the chicken cutlets on both sides and dredge in arrowroot starch until fully coated.
3. Drop the chicken cutlets into the hot oil and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until crispy and internal temperature reads 165 F. Set the chicken aside.
4. Using the same pan, add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add more oil if needed along with the mushrooms and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until softened.
5. Pour in the chicken broth and sherry vinegar and bring to a low simmer.
6. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
7. Top with parsley and salt further to taste.