Chicken Marengo, A Dish With History
Chicken Marengo, not the first thing you think of when you hear the name Napoleon, right? But the chicken Marengo original recipe was Napoleon's favorite dish. It’s a simple one pot meal that highlights some of Italy’s best ingredients–tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh herbs serve as the backdrop for this chicken and mushroom dish. For another classic chicken-and-tomato recipe, check out Chicken Parmesan.
Chicken Marengo Ingredients
It’s the summer of 1800, and you are Napoleon’s chef. Your authentic chicken Marengo recipe features specialties from the region. There’s olive oil, tomatoes, and herbs because this is Northern Italy. There’s also chicken, eggs, crayfish, and reportedly truffles made their way into this dish. Fast forward to The Modern Proper kitchen in 2023 and you’ll find our recipe for chicken Marengo contains:
Chicken thighs
Canned tomatoes and tomato paste
Olive oil
Mushrooms
Garlic and shallots
Herbs and seasonings
Dry white wine
Chicken stock and AP flour
Fresh orange Zest
How To Make Chicken Marengo
Brown the chicken in a large skillet, and then remove from the pan.
Cook the mushrooms and shallots until soft, and then add the herbs and seasonings.
Make the simmer sauce: Add the wine and cook, stirring, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom. In a small bowl, combine the bouillon, flour, and chicken stock; mix until smooth. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, orange zest, bouillon mixture, and remaining salt to the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Nestle the chicken into the sauce, and cook until the inner temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Serve! You can scoop this over rice or noodles, with crunchy bread on the side.
What Is Chicken Marengo?
Here’s one to put in your Jeopardy research files under Culinary History for $400. Alex Trebek voice: This iconic chicken and tomato dish was created by a French chef in a town in Northern Italy from ingredients he found in the countryside. Your finger is on the buzzer and you correctly respond: “What dish is named after a Napoleonic battle?” The full chicken Marengo origin story is a classic example of necessity being the mother of invention. When Napoleon, victorious and battle-weary, demanded a celebration meal after defeating Austrian troops near the town of Marengo, his chef scoured the surrounding area for ingredients. He returned with a chicken, tomatoes, herbs, eggs, and crawfish. The recipe has evolved over time, and we have pared down the original chicken à la Marengo recipe to suit the modern pantry.
What To Serve With Chicken Marengo
Chicken Marengo is delicious on its own, but we like to prepare a side of Garlic Bread for dipping into the savory tomato sauce. Marengo chicken is great over White Rice, pasta or egg noodles (check out our guide for How To Salt Water if you’re making pasta). We also suggest a side salad, like our Caesar Salad or Mediterranean Wedge Salad. If you’d like to venture out on your own salad journey, we have a roundup of all of The Best Homemade Salad Dressings. We also recommend vegetables to serve with chicken Marengo, like Creamed Spinach or Zucchini Bake, with our best chicken Marengo recipe.
Tools You’ll Need
Chicken Recipes For Any Occasion
Whether you’re celebrating a good day at school or a work win, this easy chicken Marengo recipe makes any meal feel special. Here’s some other great one pot meals for your weeknight dinner plans:
Chicken Marengo–For Winning Battles Or Hearts And Minds
We hope your family loves this Marengo chicken recipe. Share your dinner win with pictures and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
