Poulet à la Marengo (Napoleon's Chicken Marengo)
Poulet à la Marengo (Napoleon's Chicken Marengo) is a intermediate French recipe that serves 4. 480 calories per serving.
Prep: 20 min | Cook: 50 min | Total: 1 hr 20 min
Cost: $14.85 total, $3.71 per serving
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Chicken legs and thighs (Bone-in, skin-on preferred; about 6-8 pieces)
- 100 ml Olive oil (About 7 Tbsp; use a good quality for best flavor)
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 0.25 tsp Black pepper (Freshly ground preferred)
- 2 whole Shallots (Peeled but left whole)
- 1 clove Garlic (Peeled, left whole)
- 1 whole Bay leaf
- 1 sprig Fresh thyme
- 1 bunch Fresh parsley (Small bunch, tied if possible)
- 40 grams All-purpose flour (About 1/3 cup)
- 500 ml Beef broth (About 2 cups; low sodium preferred)
- 150 grams Mushrooms (optional) (Button or cremini; for garnish)
Instructions
Prep the chicken and aromatics
Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Peel the shallots and garlic, leaving them whole. Tie parsley into a small bundle if desired.
Time: PT5M
Brown the chicken
Add all the olive oil to a large sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat. Place chicken pieces in the pan, skin side down, ensuring they do not overlap.
Time: PT2M
Temperature: Medium-high heat
Add aromatics and seasoning
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken. Add whole shallots, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley to the pan, nestling them among the chicken pieces.
Time: PT2M
Fry chicken covered (first side)
Cover the pan with a lid. Fry chicken for 10 minutes without disturbing.
Time: PT10M
Temperature: Medium-high heat
Turn chicken and fry (second side)
Remove lid, turn chicken pieces over, replace lid, and fry for another 10 minutes.
Time: PT10M
Temperature: Medium-high heat
Final fry uncovered
Remove lid, turn chicken once more, and fry uncovered for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through and golden.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: Medium-high heat
Remove chicken and aromatics
Transfer chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm. Remove shallots and large herb pieces; set aside for sauce.
Time: PT2M
Make the roux
With oil still hot, add flour to the pan. Stir constantly to form a roux, cooking for 2 minutes.
Time: PT2M
Temperature: Medium heat
Add aromatics back and cook roux
Return shallots and herbs to the pan. Continue stirring and cook for another 2 minutes until roux is golden brown.
Time: PT2M
Temperature: Medium heat
Deglaze and simmer sauce
Pour in beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
Time: PT2M
Temperature: Medium-high heat
Simmer and thicken sauce
Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes until thickened.
Time: PT10M
Temperature: Low heat
Strain the sauce
Pour sauce through a fine mesh strainer or chinois into a bowl, discarding solids.
Time: PT2M
Optional: Sauté mushrooms
If using, slice mushrooms and sauté in a small skillet with a little olive oil over medium-high heat until golden, about 5 minutes.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: Medium-high heat
Assemble and serve
Arrange chicken on a serving platter. Pour sauce over the chicken. Garnish with sautéed mushrooms if desired. Serve immediately.
Time: PT1M
Cleanup
Wash all used pans, utensils, strainer, and serving dishes. Wipe down stovetop and counters.
Time: PT10M
Nutrition Facts
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 32g
- Carbohydrates
- 12g
- Fat
- 32g
- Fiber
- 2g
Dietary info: Nut-free, Dairy-free, low-carb, high-protein
Allergens: Wheat (flour), Possible cross-contamination with mushrooms
Last updated: April 6, 2026






