Balsamic Fig Chicken Marsala
Balsamic Fig Chicken Marsala is seared brown, cooked in a sweet wine, fig, and mushroom sauce, then drizzled with a little reduced balsamic. It's pretty enough for a special dinner party yet easy enough to make during the week.
Friends who have husbands who have friends who have a fig tree with a million figs are the best kinds of friends to have. The texts went something like this:
S ā Do you guys want a bunch of fresh figs?
Me ā Yes. All the figs. As many as are offered. š
S ā Be careful what you ask for.
Be careful of how many figs I ask for? It made no sense until a 5-gallon bucket full of fresh green figs was handed to me. Seriously, 5 freaking gallons. I could barely lift the thing it was so heavy.
I took half and passed the rest to a friend (hi, Sally!) and spent the next week making everything from Vanilla Whiskey Fig Jam to Fig Smoothies to Coconut Fig Bars to this Balsamic Fig Chicken Marsala.
And thank you thank you THANK YOU for all the figs, Shantel! I've got a jar of the fig jam coming your way. š
So this chicken. This pan of chicken marsala deliciousness. Will you promise me you'll make it?
You're going to start by crisping some bacon in a pan. Yes, bacon. We're doing this the right way. Next, you're going to sear the chicken in all the delicious, smoky bacon fat. Yes, bacon fat. As I said, we're doing this the right way.
Then the mushrooms get a quick sear before the figs and marsala make an appearance. You're going to pop the chicken back in the pan and let it bubble away until the figs are soft and the chicken is cooked.
And just to confirm your suspicions: the balsamic fig sauce is delicious spooned over some rice, or in my weirdo self's case, cauliflower rice.
If you're serving this to guests, nestle in a few fresh figs and sprinkle a little parsley on top. They really help to pretty up the pan. on
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More Easy + Delicious Chicken Dinner Recipes:
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry
- Julia Child's Coq au Vin
- Crispy Garlic Butter Chicken + Brussels Sprouts
- Italian Braised Chicken with Tomatoes + Olives
Balsamic Fig Chicken Marsala
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs
- 10 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered (about 4 large handfuls)
- 4 fresh green figs, chopped small
- Ā½ cup marsala wine
- 2 tablespoons reduced balsamic vinegar, plus extra to serve
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Fresh cracked pepper, figs, and parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and add the chicken, skin side down. If you're using skinless, place the chicken in the pan on the side where the skin used to be. Cook the chicken until it is medium brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and drain off all but a thin layer of the oil.2 slices thick-cut bacon, 8 bone-in chicken thighs
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are brown, about 10 minutes. Add the figs to the skillet and stir constantly until they just start to soften, about 1 minute. Add the marsala and reduced balsamic vinegar and scrape all the delicious brown bits off the bottom of the skillet.10 ounces crimini mushrooms, 4 fresh green figs, Ā½ cup marsala wine, 2 tablespoons reduced balsamic vinegar
- Pour in the chicken stock and bacon and stir. Place the chicken back in the skillet, skin side up, and let it cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.1 cup chicken stock
- Serve with some fresh cracked pepper, a few fresh figs, a little sprinkle of parsley, and a drizzle of reduced balsamic.
I made this but was disappointed. First things first, you were not instructed to season the chicken with salt and pepper (per usual). I didn’t think about this until after I had finished making the dish and realized that it lacked real flavor. Were I to make it again, I would season the chicken generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Second, I used four good sized green figs but by the end of the cooking time you hardly knew they were there. Finally, I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that the reduced balsamic vinegar was the same as balsamic glaze. I did not notice a strong balsamic flavor either. Overall, I don’t think I would make this recipe again.
Great recipe – helped to use up a rather bumper harvest of green figs in Mallorca
I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe!
I just discovered your blog and I’m so excited to make your recipes now! This fig chicken looks to-die-for! I can’t wait to give it a try for the upcoming Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah!
You’re so sweet! Thank you so much!
My boyfriend made this for me tonight and it was good, but we both noticed the fact that while Balsamic is in the title and mentioned all over the blog post, you didn’t include it in the ingredients or as part of the recipe. Balsamic Fig sauce sounds amazing and he was really looking forward to that part of it, but it wasn’t until we finished dinner that he noticed it wasn’t even there. And he was maybe a little outraged, rightfully so.
I know the post itself is a few months old by now, but could you provide a quick edit to it for the people who want to make this in the future? Can’t keep missing out on that Balsamic Fig sauce, it sounds great!
I bet he was outraged! Agh … I’m so sorry for missing this. I have updated the recipe now so no one else has to be disappointed.
Please tell your boyfriend that I apologize for making him miss out on the balsamic part of the balsamic fig chicken marsala!
Wow, this is gorgeous! That crispy chicken with the sweet figs is making my mouth water. Pinning now!
Thank you so much!!! š
Wowzers. I just discovered your blog this morning. Holy cowzers – everything looks so delicious! I think I could cook a recipe from your blog every night and never get bored. I’m going to start with this one, as I am obsessed with figs.
Oh Emily, you just put a big smile on my face! Thank you!!
Hi Kristen- I don’t think I’ve ever commented, but I LOVE your recipes and this one reached out and grabbed me! Just wanted to say hello. Now I have to go find some figs….
Hi Heather! I’m so happy you said hello. It’s wonderful to ‘meet’ you!
Send some of those figs my way! Haha! I love figs!! I feel like they are still so underrated, but they are absolutely glorious!
Virtually sending handing fistfuls of fresh figs your way!