How to Make Chicken Marengo

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 29, 2019

Chicken marengo is a historic dish that's inspired by the flavors of Italy and France. It was supposedly made by Napoleon's chef and served to the emperor after a battle. Traditionally, chicken marengo is made by sauteing chicken with onions and mushrooms in white wine. Tomato is added and the whole dish simmers until it becomes tender. You can serve chicken marengo over rice and top it with a fried egg for an authentic touch. Make the classic version, a quicker chicken marengo, or one that you can cook entirely in a slow cooker.

Ingredients

Classic Chicken Marengo

2 skinless chicken breasts, each cut into two or three pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/3 cup (100 g) mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup (150 ml) dry white wine
2/3 cup (150 ml) vegetable or chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped for garnish
Cooked rice to serve
2 fried eggs to serve

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Quick Chicken Marengo

1/4 cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound (453 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2-inch (3.8-cm) chunks
3 ounces (87 g) prosciutto, torn into strips
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 cups (300 g) sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
1 can (14.5 ounce or 411 g) diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
1/2 cup (67 g) pitted, chopped kalamata olives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken Marengo

4 chicken thighs OR one whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
½ cup (50 g) shallots, chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine OR vermouth
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
¼ pound (113 g) mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Making Classic Chicken Marengo

1
Coat the chicken with flour. Take 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut each one into two or three pieces. Use paper towels to dry off the chicken pieces. Sprinkle one tablespoon of flour over the chicken, so the pieces are lightly coated.^{[1]
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- If you'd like extra flavor, you can also add a few shakes of paprika to the flour.
2
Saute the chicken. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a frying pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the chicken pieces once the oil is hot and let the chicken cook for about five minutes. Turn them once while they're cooking, so the pieces brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to a medium-sized saucepan.^{[2]
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- The chicken will finish cooking once you've added the rest of the ingredients.
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3
Saute the onions and mushrooms. Keep the skillet on the stove once you've removed the chicken. Finely chop one medium onion and add it to the skillet. Slice 1 1/3 cup (100 g) of mushrooms and add this to the onions. Stir the vegetables and cook them over medium heat for about 6 minutes.^{[3]
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- The onions should soften and the mushrooms will release some of their liquid.
4
Deglaze the pan. Scoop the sauteed vegetables into the saucepan with the chicken. Turn off the heat to the empty skillet and pour in 2/3 cup (150 ml) of dry white wine. Stir the wine, so bits of the cooked vegetables and chicken from the bottom of the skillet are stirred into the wine. Pour the wine into the saucepan with the chicken.^{[4]
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- For the white wine, consider using chardonnay, pinot grigio, or a sauvignon blanc.
5
Add seasonings and heat the chicken marengo. Place the saucepan with the chicken marengo mixture on the stove. Stir in 2/3 cup (150 ml) of vegetable or chicken stock, 2 crushed garlic cloves, and 3 tablespoons of tomato purée. Turn the heat on to medium-high, so the mixture begins to boil.^{[5]
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6
Simmer the chicken marengo. Turn the heat down to medium-low, so it bubbles gently. Put the lid on the saucepan and simmer the chicken marengo for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and let it simmer for 30 more minutes, so the liquid evaporates and the dish thickens.^{[6]
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- If the liquid is evaporating quickly, you may need to reduce the cooking time or turn the heat down.
7
Serve the classic chicken marengo. Once the marengo has almost finished simmering, cook a pot of rice to serve with it. You can also fry up a couple of eggs to serve with the dish. To serve the chicken marengo, scoop some of the cooked rice into a serving dish, top with the chicken marengo, lay a fried egg on top of it and sprinkle it with a little fresh parsley.^{[7]
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- You can also serve the chicken marengo with cooked noodles or crusty bread, if you prefer.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Making Quick Chicken Marengo

1
Toss the chicken with seasoning. Cut 1 pound (453 g) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch (3.8-cm) chunks. Place the seasoning into a large plastic bag, seal it, and shake it to combine the ingredients. Add the chicken pieces, close the bag, and shake it again. The chicken should be coated in the seasoning mixture. For the seasoning, you'll need:^{[8]
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- 1/4 cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2
Saute the prosciutto. Heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) of olive oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Tear or slice 3 ounces (87 g) of prosciutto into strips and add it to the hot oil. Saute the prosciutto for about 5 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to paper towels and set it aside.^{[9]
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- The prosciutto should become crispy once it's finished sauteing.
3
Cook the chicken. Take the seasoned chicken out of the bag and add it to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. The chicken should be browned on the outside and completely cooked on the inside. Transfer the chicken to another plate.^{[10]
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- If your skillet or pan is small, you may need to cook the chicken in batches, so they bake evenly and aren't crowded.
4
Saute the onion, garlic, and thyme. Slice 2 cups (300 g) of onion and add it to the empty skillet or pan. Cook the onion over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. The onion should soften and become translucent. Stir in 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme. Cook the mixture for one minute.^{[11]
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- Avoid adding the garlic when you start cooking the onions. Garlic burns easily which is why it's important to add it at the end of the cooking time.
5
Deglaze the pan and add the liquids. Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of dry white wine into the pan and stir well, so the bits of onion stuck to the bottom of the pan are mixed into the wine. Stir in 1 can (14.5 ounce or 411 g) of diced tomatoes in juice and 1 cup (240 ml) of chicken broth. Let the mixture come to a boil.^{[12]
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- For the white wine, consider using chardonnay, pinot grigio, or a sauvignon blanc.
6
Simmer the chicken marengo. Turn the heat to medium-low, so the liquids are simmering. Stir in 1/2 cup (67 g) of pitted, chopped kalamata olives, the crispy prosciutto, and the cooked chicken (along with any juices). Let the chicken marengo bubble gently for about 5 minutes with the lid off.^{[13]
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- The chicken marengo will thicken as it simmers and liquid evaporates.
7
Serve the quick chicken marengo. Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and taste the chicken marengo. Add salt and pepper according to your taste. Spoon the chicken marengo over cooked rice, pasta, or crusty bread.^{[14]
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- Consider garnishing the chicken marengo with lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Making Slow Cooker Chicken Marengo

1
Cut the produce. Wash 3 ripe tomatoes and 1/4 pound (113 g) of mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms and chop the tomatoes. Place them in a 4-quart slow cooker. You'll also need to chop 1/2 cup (50 g) of peeled shallots. Put the shallots in the slow cooker with the vegetables.^{[15]
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- If you don't have shallots you can substitute one peeled white or yellow onion.
2
Combine the ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the rest of the seasonings to the crock pot and stir the mixture together. You'll need to add:^{[16]
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- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine OR vermouth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
3
Add the chicken and turn on the slow cooker. Put 4 chicken thighs into the slow cooker and turn them over, so they're coated in seasoning. Put the lid on and turn the slow cooker on to LOW for 6 to 7 hours. Or you could turn it to HIGH for about 4 hours.^{[17]
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- If you want to use a whole chicken instead of just the thighs, cut the chicken into serving-sized pieces.
4
Serve the slow cooker chicken marengo. Insert a digital thermometer into a thick piece of chicken to see if it's finished cooking. The chicken should be at least 165 degrees F (70 C). You can serve the chicken marengo with cooked rice, pasta, or crusty bread.^{[18]
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