Chicken Marsala
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Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of golden pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine sauce.
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of golden pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine sauce. It’s the most popular chicken recipe on this website, and though it’s a classic restaurant dish, it’s really easy to make at home. With just one pan, you can have it on the dinner table in 45 minutes. The recipe makes a lovely sauce that is delicious over pasta, polenta, rice, or Parmesan smashed potatoes.
If your family loves Italian food like mine does, once you master chicken Marsala, try your hand at other Italian restaurant favorites, such as chicken cacciatore, pasta fagioli, eggplant parmesan, penne alla vodka, and lasagna.
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Marsala
Marsala is a brandy-fortified wine from Sicily that is 100% worth adding to your pantry, if only to make this dish time and again. It will keep in a cool, dry spot for months.
I buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and pound them thin myself, as opposed to using the ultra-thin sliced cutlets sold at the supermarket, since pounding tenderizes the meat. This adds an extra step but you can save time by using pre-sliced mushrooms. (Or you can skip all this hassle by using chicken tenderloins, which are naturally tender.)
How To Make Chicken Marsala
If your chicken breasts are large, like the ones in the photo above, it’s best to first cut them in half horizontally. (If you pound them without first halving them, they’ll be ginormous and oddly shaped.)
Once you’ve got four flat filets, pound them each to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
Place the flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a ziplock bag.
Add the chicken to the bag; seal the bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.
Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Use a stainless steel pan for the best browning. Nonstick will work too, but you won’t get that nice golden color on the chicken.) Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan, shaking off any excess first.
Cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden and just barely cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
Add the broth, wine, heavy cream, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper; use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
Gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by about half, slightly thickened, and darkened in color, 10 to 15 minutes (you’re going for a thin cream sauce; it won’t start to thicken until the very end of the cooking time).
Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded ¼-in (6-mm) thick (see note), or chicken tenderloins
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 (8-oz) package pre-sliced bella or button mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots, from 1 medium shallot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup dry Marsala wine
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken to the bag; seal bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.
- Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Use a stainless steel pan for the best browning. Nonstick will work too, but you won’t get that nice golden color on the chicken.) Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan, shaking off any excess first, and cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden and just barely cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the broth, Marsala, heavy cream, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper; use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by about half, slightly thickened, and darkened in color, 10 to 15 minutes (you’re going for a thin cream sauce; it won’t start to thicken until the very end of the cooking time). Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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The recipe calls for dry Marasala wine, but is it red or white?
Hi Stewart, Typically Marsala is not classified as red or white, but rather dry or sweet. Dry Marsala is a rich caramel color. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jen,
The dish looks great and I want to try it. However I don’t use any alcohol, so should I substitute it with something else?
Thanks
Hi Najwa, You can omit the Marsala wine – it won’t be Chicken Marsala but it should still be delicious. You might consider a squeeze of lemon at the end for some bright flavor. 🙂
Hi, could this dish be made dairy free?
Hi Kate, This is a tough one to make dairy-free. You could try replacing the butter with olive oil and replacing the cream with more chicken broth, but the sauce wouldn’t thicken.
What if I used a cornstarch or cup 4 cup (just about the same thing!) slurry to thicken?
Good idea! I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it.
This looks fabulous but I don’t like mushrooms. Is there a substitute?
I’ve really gotten back into cooking in the last year and I love your site. Looking forward to your cookbook and some warmer weather this spring!
Hi Lisa, I think you could just leave them out – or thinly sliced bell peppers would be good.
I made this tonight with no mushrooms but followed all other directions and it was AMAZING!!! Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
In your notes, you specify using a stainless steel pan to brown the chicken. I use a cast iron pan virtually for all my cooking…can that be used as well in this recipe?
Hi Aron, As long as your cast iron pan is well seasoned, it should be just fine. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, We love your recipes! I’m wondering if you have any ideas on how to make this recipe dairy free as I don’t mix meat and dairy together?
Thanks, Sharon
Hi Sharon, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! Unfortunately, this recipe is very reliant on the cream, both to thicken the sauce and mellow the flavor. You could try replacing the butter with olive oil and replacing the cream with more chicken broth, but the sauce wouldn’t thicken.
Hi Jenn,
I’ve made quite a few of your recipes and love them all! I’ve preordered your cook book for all of my sisters. One for me, too, of course. I just wondered if I could make this recipe right before my guests arrive and keep it warm in the oven until we eat.
Hi Cindy, Glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I think that’d be fine as long as it’s not in the oven for too long, otherwise the chicken will overcook. You could also just hold it at room temp for 30 minutes or so, then reheat.
I think your photos are wonderful. Every step is clear. I must also add…delicious.
Thanks, Betsy – glad you like them! 🙂
Hi Jen,
Could you offer some advice for altering the recipe for people who can’t do dairy?
Hi Mimi, Unfortunately, this recipe is very reliant on the butter and cream, both to thicken the sauce and smooth the flavor. You could try replacing the butter with olive oil and replacing the cream with more chicken broth, but the sauce wouldn’t thicken.
What would you pair this with ?
This would pair nicely with French Green Beans with Shallots and Parmesan Smashed Potatoes. And just a heads up that I have a relatively new feature on the website– for all main dishes, I suggest one or two sides that I think would pair nicely with them. To see what I’ve suggested, scroll to the top of the recipe page and, immediately under the recipe title, you’ll see a bar with several options, one of which says “pair with.” If you click on this, you’ll see the sides I’ve suggested. Hope you enjoy!