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Chicken Marengo

Chicken thighs are simmered to tender perfection in a tomato sauce loaded with green peppers, onions and mushrooms! Serve over rice for a fabulous dinner!

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A once-popular dish, Chicken Marengo, used to be the trendy dinner option across Europe. Why not relieve history with this classic, super varied chicken dish with all kinds of interesting flavors in it?

For more great chicken recipes, why not make this recipe for Jerk Chicken? Or make some Buttery Garlic & Herb Chicken and Potatoes instead? Or, try Chicken Bog, a delicious blend of chicken and rice!

chicken Marengo in a white dish

Chicken Marengo

Chicken Marengo was supposedly created in the wake of the battle of Marengo to feed Napoleon after his victory.

However, most people know it is primarily because of its slightly weird array of ingredients, as well as its appetizing appearance.

Unfortunately, it has a bit of a reputation as a sort of old-fashioned dish that isn’t worth ordering.

This recipe brings back this classic chicken dish and holds true to many of its frankly very weird yet surprisingly tasty ingredients. 

chicken Marengo ingredients

Chicken Marengo Ingredients

Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts so that you know exactly what to buy for this recipe.

ā€¢ Chicken thighs, bone-in with skin on

ā€¢ Salt & freshly ground black pepper

ā€¢ all-purpose flour

ā€¢ Vegetable oil

ā€¢ Onion

ā€¢ Pitted black kalamata olives

ā€¢ Green pepper

ā€¢ Mushrooms

ā€¢ Chopped tomatoes

ā€¢ tomato paste

ā€¢ White wine

ā€¢ Chicken broth

ā€¢ Butter

ā€¢ Red pepper flakes and garlic powder

chicken Marengo in frying pan

How To Make Chicken Marengo

ā€¢ Wash and dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel

ā€¢ Season the chicken with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder, to taste, and lightly dredge in flour, shaking off any excess

ā€¢ In a large sautĆ© pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add in the chicken

ā€¢ Brown on both sides until golden, about 3 minutes per side

ā€¢ Remove from the pan and set aside

ā€¢ Add in the mushrooms and onions, cooking over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, remove and set aside

ā€¢ Turn up the heat, and add the wine to deglaze the pan and let it reduce for 2 minutes

ā€¢ Add the chicken broth

ā€¢ Add back in the mushrooms and onions, followed by the tomatoes, tomato paste, green peppers, olives, and garlic, simmering for another 3 minutes

ā€¢ Add the chicken to the pan, cover, and cook for 25 minutes or until they reach 185 Fahrenheit

ā€¢ Season to taste with salt & pepper

ā€¢ Turn the heat off and stir in the butter to help form a gentle emulsion and serve

chicken Marengo thigh on a spoon

Why Cook The Chicken To 185 Fahrenheit?

This recipe, like so many others that involve chicken thighs or any other dark meat, recommends that you cook the chicken until it reaches 185 Fahrenheit.

This might sound strange to many people that are familiar with cooking chicken because the safe temp of chicken is only 165 Fahrenheit. This is the temperature that salmonella is completely destroyed at, so why cook it anymore?

Well, unlike chicken breasts or other cuts of white meat, dark meat is filled with tasty fat and some not-so-tasty connective tissue. However, once heated long enough and hot enough, the connective tissue turns into gelatin and falls apart.

This is why chicken cooked to 185 Fahrenheit produces such a fall-apart texture; it is almost like barbeque! It goes super well in this dish or any other stewing, slightly wetter chicken dishes.

chicken Marengo in a white dish

Why Does This Dish Contain So Many Varying ingredients?

The first thing that many people will probably think about seeing this recipe is how strange the ingredients are.

Peppers and olives? Wine, peppers, mushrooms, and chili flakes?

Well, be thankful it stops before it gets too traditional; it used to be even weirder!

The original recipe for Chicken Marengo contained, alongside the apparent olives and tomatoes, a multitude of crayfish and was topped with fried eggs!

Supposedly, this was a result of the fact that Napoleon, who had just won the battle of Marengo, was starving and wanted a quick dinner.

Seeing as a big battle had just happened, there wasnā€™t exactly a lot of good quality food sitting around for his chef to play around with.

So, being the enterprising fellow he was, he rounded up what he could and made this slightly strange concoction. Napoleon loved it so much, he insisted on being served it after all his battles!

In fact, the wine in this recipe is a recent addition ā€“ when the chef later tried to add wine to the recipe when the supply issue was resolved, Napoleon refused! He said it would be bad luck.

Not to worry in our case, though; the wine is a great addition of flavor, sweetness, and acidity, and we don’t have to worry about winning any more battles in the morning!

chicken Marengo in a white dish with checkered tablecloth

Looking for more delicious Chicken Thigh recipes? Try these out:

ā€¢ Lemon Garlic Chicken

ā€¢ Chicken Paprikash

ā€¢ Crispy Old Bay Grilled Chicken Thighs

Enjoy! I really hope that you’ve never heard of this and have a great new chicken dish to try!

Love,

Karlynn

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Chicken thighs are simmered to tender perfection in a tomato sauce loaded with green peppers, onions and mushrooms! Serve over rice for a fabulous dinner!

Chicken Marengo

Chicken thighs are simmered to tender perfection in a tomato sauce loaded with green peppers, onions and mushrooms! Serve over rice for a fabulous dinner!
3.75 from 4 votes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Course
Main Course
Cuisines
French, Italian
Servings
6
Calories
360
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 6-8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 1/2 cup pitted black kalamata olives
  • 1 green pepper seeds removed and cut into strips
  • 1 pound mushrooms sliced
  • One 14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter
  • pinch red pepper flakes and garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towel.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic powder, to taste, and lightly dredge in flour, shaking off any excess.
  • In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the chicken.
  • Brown on both sides, until nicely golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. You may have to do these a few at a time, that's ok.
  • Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, remove and set aside.
  • Turn up the heat, and add the wine/wine to deglaze the pan and let it reduce for 2 or 3 minutes.
  • Add the chicken broth.
  • Add back the mushrooms and onions. Then add tomatoes, tomato paste, green pepper, olives, and garlic; simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the chicken to the pan, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes or until they reach 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Turn the heat off and stir in the butter. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 360kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 391mg, Potassium: 634mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 317IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

Iā€™m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Donna White says

    I made this last night and everyone loved it. Did add minced garlic to it as well. I will be making this next time we are having guests over…it’s that good.

  2. Louisette says

    Thanks so much for this recipe, it was so good and tasty . I made a few changes: didn’t have green pepers so I used a yellow one, my hubby is not fond of olives so I omitted these and I had freshly picked tomatoes so I used these instead of the canned I wanted to make a 1 pot meal so I added 1 1/2 to 2 cups (I rarely measure) chicken broth and about 1 cup rice. I hesitated between the rice or pasta and it was great with rice but next time I will try short cut pasta. You should try this recipe, I’m sure you will make it again.

    PS: Should also be good with cubed potatoes. Another way to try it šŸ™‚ Thanks again for sharing Karlynn, from beautiful Quebec

  3. Shelagh Ryan

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    says

    It reminds me, very much, of Chicken Cacciatoreā€¦.which I make regularlyā€¦minus the olives. Mind youā€¦ when I cook I tend to throw in stuff that I likeā€¦and never mind the recipe! Love reading your recipes though as they inspire new ideas!

  4. Gjylije Sylejmani

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    says

    Such a delicious recipe5 stars

  5. Angel says

    The recipe is wayyyy off! Firstly, there are usually no olives in chicken Marengo. And also, your supposed to use chicken breasts.1 star

  6. Sandra Kane says

    I made this last night, and it was very good. I added 2 cloves of minced garlic, since garlic was mentioned in the procedure but not in the ingredient list. I used four very large thighs, since there are only two of us in the house. I do have a suggestion, though. It is very helpful to list the ingredients in the order they are used in the cooking procedure. Also, next time I will drain the diced tomatoes. It had too much liquid when the cooking was finished. However, that might have been because I reduced the number of thighs I used. I will definitely make this again. My husband and I both enjoyed it. I served it with a Mediterranean orzo salad.4 stars

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