Easy Dutch Oven Balsamic Chicken Marsala

One-Pot with a flavor shortcut…

As of late I have been working on a slew of new paleo sauces for my upcoming book, One Pot Paleo. These sauces often involve simmering for a while and sometimes an immersion blender. Understanding that not everyone has the time (or desire) to whip up their own paleo sauces, I reached out to Steve’s PaleoGoods to check out their PaleoChef line of paleo-friendly sauces and dressings. One of the first flavors I tried was the tomato balsamic dressing, which was beyond excellent on a basic garden salad. It tastes like fresh tomatoes and reminded me slightly of a good pizza sauce with a twist of balsamic. My visiting mother and sister both agreed, and they are both the type that have their refrigerator door lined with salad dressing bottles, making them salad dressing experts or something.

I immediately thought that this dressing would be a killer chicken marinade, and this quick-marsala recipe is the result of me playing around with it in the kitchen. For a super simple recipe I am quite impressed with how tasty this came out, and it only uses a half cup of the dressing as a flavor booster, making it cost effective as well. The dressing worked as intended, a quick flavor kick that saved prep time. Win.

*Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Steve’s PaleoGoods, this is not a paid advertisement, etc. I simply enjoyed the product and have admired the company from afar from some time. If you are not one to make your own sauces and are in the market to purchase pre-made stuff, you will most likely enjoy the product while also feeling good about supporting a small business and fitness program for at-risk youth. I didn’t have to write that sentence, but that’s just how I prefer to do things here

Tools Needed:

One 3 to 6 quart dutch oven.
One large ziplock bag for marinating.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken thighs.
1/2 cup of Steve’s PaleoGoods Tomato Balsamic dressing.
1 small package (2 to 3 cups) of sliced bella mushrooms.
1 medium white or vidalia onion, cut in half and sliced into medium strips.
1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh chopped tomato or tomato sauce.
1 tbsp of butter or ghee.
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced.
salt & pepper to taste.

How you make it:

Before cooking, place chicken thighs in your ziplock bag with 1/2 cup of the tomato balsamic dressing. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
Place your dutch oven on a stovetop burner, set to medium heat, and also turn your oven on to 350°F.
Add your butter and garlic to your dutch oven, stir and raise heat to medium-high.
Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and add to your dutch oven (with any remaining dressing from the bag) to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
Once browned, remove your dutch oven from the hot burner. Add your tomatoes.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the tomatoes and scrape the bottom of your dutch oven. That is where the flavor lies.
Add your onions and mushrooms to the top of your chicken and tomatoes, no need to stir in.
Cover and put into your 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
That’s it! This savory meal pairs well with a salad and olives, enjoy