With what to accompany the chicken marsala?

Chicken marsala is a dish that combines chicken, wine, and a few tasty ingredients to create a dish that is decadent and rich, but at the same time looks like your mom’s home cooking.

It’s hard to imagine a dish like this could be bettered, but the sides you choose for your chicken marsala can make all the difference.

So what should you serve with the chicken marsala?

The best pairings for chicken marsala are foods with a high moisture content. These include dishes such as mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, salads, and steamed vegetables.

All of these options can be easily seasoned with ingredients that pair well with the semi-sweet flavors of Marsala wine. But keep in mind that the garnish should not dominate the main dish.

In today’s article, we’ll take a look at what chicken marsala is, how to make it more unique, and how to choose the best side dishes.

Chicken marsala

Before we dive into garnishes and how to pair this with that, let’s first look at what exactly chicken marsala is. In the most basic of descriptions, chicken marsala is made with chicken schnitzels and a marsala wine sauce.

Marsala wine is an Italian fortified wine from Marsala (Sicily). It can be dry, sweet, or a balance of both, depending on the winemakers’ methods. This means that the type of marsala wine you use will translate directly into the sauce.

Let’s see the different ways to prepare this dish.

First, an schnitzel is a boneless piece of meat that has been crushed using a mallet, rolling pin, or various other methods to break up the tough fibers.

Since the meat is much thinner, there is a greater chance that it will cook too quickly and become dry. This is very important to take into account when choosing a garnish.

Once the meat is processed, it is coated and cooked. The method of coating and the method of cooking depend on the recipe you are making. In most cases, the chicken is battered in flour and sautéed in butter.

After the chicken is cooked, any remaining butter left in the pan becomes part of the sauce. A new, clean pan can also be used.

In either case, add the marsala wine to the pan and simmer until reduced to almost syrupy consistency.

You can also cook the chicken in butter and wine afterwards. Whichever method you choose, they will all be equally delicious.

With an almost blank canvas to work from, it’s quite easy to pair food with chicken marsala. However, if you want a more intricate dish with simpler pairings, here are some ideas.

How to make the recipe unique

As we just mentioned, chicken marsala is a very basic and versatile recipe when it comes to choosing the accompaniments.

Garlic is often the key ingredient for flavoring chicken marsala, but why not try using some rosemary, sage or thyme? Herbs bring subtle changes to chicken that can make a big difference in the end result.

You can also try adding some nuts. This is by no means traditional, but aren’t the rules supposed to be broken? Our favorites are the toasted almond flakes and the dried raisins.

Both are very basic add-ins that add texture and flavor, especially the raisins.

If you don’t have access to Marsala wine, you can try any other fortified wine, such as port or sherry; both will work fine. Just keep in mind that the taste of the wine directly affects the flavors you can pair with your chicken marsala.

For this article, we will be using the traditional chicken marsala recipe for the flavor pairing.

With what to accompany the chicken marsala

This is where the fun part comes in. Now that you’ve spent time with your chicken marsala, it’s time to choose a side dish. Chicken has always been a very easy ingredient to combine with other flavors.

It’s the addition of ingredients and spices that usually make it more difficult. However, the biggest consideration will be based on texture.

Because chicken can dry out very easily, you should choose sides that are moist or juicy. That means no breads and definitely no dry roasted vegetables.

Keep in mind the ingredients of the seasonings you choose for the garnishes, as you don’t want the rich flavors of the marsala to dominate.

Pasta

Our number one choice as a side dish is pasta. Being an Italian dish, it is logical that we combine them.

The pasta should not be dry at all and can easily be served as is (perhaps with a little Parmesan on top) or as a whole dish.

With chicken marsala specifically, we would go for one of the following:

• Penne pasta drizzled with olive oil with baby roasted tomatoes or sundried tomatoes and sprinkled Parmesan
• Basic mac and cheese with authentic Italian cheeses
• Cut the chicken marsala into pieces and mix with the cooked pasta, then drizzle with the sauce
• Broccoli and Cauliflower Spaghetti with Garlic Butter

These are just a few of our personal favorites, but you can mix and match however you like. Just keep in mind the flavors. You don’t want an overly complicated side dish that dwarfs the main dish, nor a side dish that mixes poorly with the chicken marsala.

Noodles

In our opinion, this is a very clever and unique accompaniment. Noodles are becoming an increasingly popular side dish. You can try serving simple buttery ramen with your chicken marsala.

You can also use egg noodles, vermicelli noodles, or really any kind you can find. These noodles serve more as a serving container and to add interest and moisture to the dish.

You also have the option of using spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles, if you want to avoid gluten or cut calories.

Rice

Rice may seem very forgettable, but believe us when we say that it goes perfectly with chicken marsala. Rice doesn’t always have to be plain.

Why not opt for a rice seasoned with turmeric and cumin? These two spices combine easily with most ingredients and make rice that much more palatable.

Another favorite in our house is making risotto. Before you say no, hear us out. The risotto will probably take longer to cook than the main course, but it is certainly worth the wait.

If you decide to make a mushroom risotto, for example, the texture will be irresistibly smooth and creamy, the two main things a side dish for chicken marsala should have.

Of course, you can choose many different risotto flavors, and pretty much all of them will work, just don’t forget the cheese!

Potatoes

No meal would be complete without some potatoes, and what makes them even better is their versatility.

Potatoes can be adapted to any dish. If you have something very dry, which can sometimes be chicken, try making a smooth, cheesy mashed potato.

They are always the best option to try if you have a dry or bland food. You can flavor mashed potatoes in many ways with spices, herbs, and other ingredients.

Another form of potatoes that you can try are the ones that are cooked twice. This basically means that the potatoes are first boiled in water and then fried. This method creates a very soft and fluffy interior, while the outer shell is nice and crunchy.

You can cut these potatoes in any shape, from skinny fries to wedges or quarters, whatever best suits the meal and the occasion.

If you don’t like potatoes much, try using sweet potatoes instead. They can be used in much the same way as potatoes, but taste sweeter and less starchy.

Vegetables

Vegetables are incredibly diverse ingredients. Each type has a unique flavor, and most vegetables can be easily mixed and matched.

Vegetables are also very easy to spice up in different ways to suit your main course. For chicken marsala, we recommend flavoring the vegetables with non-hot herbs and spices.

Stay away from chili, curry powder, cloves, and other strong flavored spices unless you know how to use and incorporate them well.

Your goal at the end of the day is to have a well-balanced meal. You don’t want a side of vegetables to overload your chicken.

We know we just said that you shouldn’t use roasted vegetables, but this rule can be broken with chicken if you accompany it with some type of liquid.

You can marinate the vegetables before grilling to create a nice juicy sauce, or you can make a light dressing for them. However you choose to incorporate moisture, make sure the vegetables are not dry.

We love steamed vegetables, as they retain their beautiful color and nutrients, and taste pure and fresh.

However, this might be a bit boring for your taste, so why not try something similar, but different? Try steaming vegetables in a method called “en papillote.”

Place vegetables and other aromatics like garlic, herbs, and spices in a parchment packet, seal, and bake. Steam will form inside and cook the vegetables. Thus, they are basically infused and steamed vegetables, rather than plain.

A baked vegetable casserole is also a good idea. Mix pasta, sauce and vegetables and bake them with a little cheese on top. Simple, straightforward and very versatile.

You can mix and match however you see fit and also use what you already have available in your kitchen.

Salads

Salads really go with everything. Since they have become such a versatile food category, and side dishes in particular, the days when they just had to be Greek are long gone.

A nice, refreshing garden salad isn’t a bad idea to go with chicken marsala. However, there is much more you can do. Sticking with fresh ingredients, why not mix and match to create a more interesting salad?

For example, arugula mix, red onion, mozzarella, a four-seed mix, baby Mediterranean tomatoes, and pickled carrots.

Another favorite of ours is a peach salad with roasted peaches, gem lettuce, halloumi cheese, and sunflower seeds.

For a more wintery salad, you can try a roasted vegetable salad with butternut squash, carrots, zucchini, couscous, and feta.

There are endless possibilities, and what makes salads great is their versatility. You can customize them to fit exactly the environment you want to create.

Salad dressings can also be added to enhance the flavor, but again, keep in mind that they should not clash with the already sweet marsala sauce.

Use more vinegar-based salad dressings to help cut the sweetness, not to add more to the overall meal.

How to Incorporate Chicken Marsala into Other Dishes

Serving Chicken Marsala on its own and with side dishes is not the only way to serve it. Today, fusion cuisine is taking the world by storm.

Although this is an Italian dish, try to be more creative and give it some Mexican influence.

For example, making burritos, tacos and quesadillas is very easy, since the filling is the flavor. You can simply chop up your chicken marsala and add it to a starch base (inside a taco, in a wrap, etc.).

With this type of recipe, you will need to use a lot less sauce, since in a burrito it will run all over the place and just be too much. You can marinate the chicken in it before cooking, or make a very thick reduction for basting.

This is a fun way to make something delicious and decadent a little more casual.

As we have already mentioned, you can also make an appetizing pasta with your chicken marsala. The process is the same as with the tacos.

The beautiful marsala sauce replaces the regular pasta sauce and serves to add a punch of flavor and an extra dash of moisture.

Our last idea to turn chicken marsala into a different food is to make a gourmet sandwich. Just toast a slice of sourdough or ciabatta and add a little arugala and feta.

You can also make a toasted cheese sandwich with the shredded chicken marsala in the filling. This meal can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and is also the perfect snack for a picnic.