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Chicken Marsala

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By Jenn Segal
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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.

how to make chicken marsala

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 e fagioli, eggplant parmesan, penne alla vodka, and lasagna.

What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Marsala

Marsala ingredients including mushrooms, heavy cream, and chicken broth.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.)

How To Make Chicken Marsala

Person slicing a chicken breast with a large knife.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.)

Sliced chicken breast on a cutting board.

Once you’ve got four flat filets,  pound them each to an even 1/4-inch thickness.

Person pounding a chicken breast with a meat mallet.

Place the flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a ziplock bag.

Seasonings in a bag.

Add the chicken to the bag; seal the bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.

Seasoned chicken in a bag.

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.

Seasoned chicken in a skillet.

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.

Partially-cooked chicken in a skillet.

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.

Mushrooms in a skillet.

Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.

Cooked mushrooms with other ingredients in a skillet.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

Skillet of cooked mushrooms.

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.

Cream with mushrooms in a skillet.

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).

Skillet of creamy mushrooms.

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.

Skillet of chicken marsala.

Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.

Plate of chicken marsala.

Video Tutorial

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Chicken Marsala

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of golden pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine sauce.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded ¼-inch 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Note: If your chicken breasts are large (like the ones in the photos that are about ¾ lb. each), it’s best to first cut them horizontally to form four flat fillets, then pound them to an even ¼-inch thickness. If you pound large chicken breasts without first halving them, they’ll be huge. Of course, you could also pound them thin first and then cut them in half vertically; the only drawback is that they’ll lose their natural shape (which, admittedly, is not a big deal!).

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Calories: 537
  • Fat: 32 g
  • Saturated fat: 16 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 43 g
  • Sodium: 877 mg
  • Cholesterol: 203 mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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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Comments

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  • I love chicken marsala and have made a lot of times. Your recipe is more complicated than the ones I used in the past. BUT IT TURNED OUT GREAT Thank you.

    • — Albert edward Binks
    • Reply

  • This turned out to be the BEST chicken marsala that I have ever made. In fact, it may have been the best that I’ve ever eaten! I am so happy that I found this recipe because this is one of my all time favorite dishes. Thank you so much!

  • Can I freeze this? Would love to make this ahead of time for a vacation.

    • Unfortunately, I don’t think it will freeze well — sorry!

      • It may work if the chicken breasts are breaded and sautéed and then frozen. Then prepare mushrooms and sauce when ready to serve. Just an idea.

  • Hands down the BEST Chicken Marsala recipe I’ve come across. I followed the recipe exactly with no modifications and it was perfect. The shallots and fresh parsley were such a nice touch. I’m trying two more recipes this week and just ordered the cookbook on amazon. This blog has completely changed the way I cook and I am so glad I stumbled upon it!

  • Fantastic recipe. Followed exactly. I’m not normally a fan of chicken breast but this was by far the best chicken breast recipe ever. I appreciate your detailed instructions and visuals. Love your recipes…made quite a few and have never been disappointed.

  • Loved the recipe, perfect sauce! Did not have heavy cream so I used sour cream instead and it was yummy.
    This website is my go to now for recipes, like the fact that recipes have been tested and retested in her kitchen first.

  • I made this last week and it was fabulous!!
    I loved the sauce and was wondering if I double the sauce should I double the mushrooms as well

    • Hi Janice, Yes, I would.

    • Awesome recipe!! This is the first time I’ve tried making Chicken Marsala, and it turned out great. It was easy and relatively quick. This one’s a keeper.

  • Best chicken
    Marsala ever! Easy to prepare and so delicious! Restaurant quality!

    • — Staceymariewallace
    • Reply

  • Family loved it! Said it was restaurant quality and there were not any left overs to be had! Will make again!

  • Absolutely delicious! My boyfriend licked the plate. Follow as is, doesn’t need anything more, anything less. Served it with mash potatoes

  • This is the best chicken marsala I have ever had, by far!!!

    Thanks so much, Jenn!!

  • I am super picky – this is THE best chicken marsala recipe I have ever had! Your instructions are clear, photos are helpful. The flavors are perfect. I paired it with mashed potatoes and haricot verts (before I saw that you recommended same!) Thank you so much – I will keep this recipe for years to come!

  • Best ever chicken marsala!!! Even better than anything we have ever tasted at any restaurant. Outstanding!!!

  • This recipe is a HOME RUN!

  • Hi, I’m making your Chicken Marsala recipe tonight using 8 chicken breast. Was wondering how much should I double up on the ingredients. Any assistance you can provide is appreciated.

    • Hi Tina, How many pounds of chicken is it?

  • Delicious. I can’t believe I’ve never made Chicken Marsala before. I am not sure I would change anything in this recipe. The only thing I did differently was use half & half because I didn’t have heavy cream. It turned out fine. Awesome recipe and easy to follow.

  • Unbelievable! We love Italian food and have been to so many fine Italian restaurants, but this IS the best! We were craving Chicken Marsala and I trusted Jenn’s recipe as she’s never failed me. Follow the instructions to a tee and be surprised with an authentic experience. I served it over linguine (tossed with olive oil) and it was remarkable!

  • Great recipe! Ingredients/portions were spot on and recipe instructions were easy to follow.

  • Directions were very easy to follow and I made my first chicken Marsala dish tonight for supper. Everyone thought it was delicious and thinks Im such a good cook. I think it tasted Devine And I’ll be making it again. Thanks again b

  • We made this last night and it was wonderful. I used a 12″ cast iron skillet and had no problem getting the sauce to thicken. I used chicken tenders which I flattened slightly. I served it over grits. The only thing I did differently was I finely minced the parsley stems and and some fresh rosemary (about 1/4 teaspoon) and added to the fresh thyme. That was because I hate wasting fresh herbs. I picked to much rosemary the night before for a snapper dish. This will be a regular addition to our monthly menu.

    • — Donna Scruggs Schultz
    • Reply

  • This looks wonderful. Do you have any tips for making ahead of time? My son is leaving for college and this will be out last family meal for awhile so Id like to spend more time with the family and less in the kitchen. Would you make as written and just reheat or keep the sauce separate and then add together the next day and reheat? Thank you

    • Hi Jeanne, this dish is definitely best served right after it’s prepared. That said, if you’d like to give it a try, one reader commented that she prepared this ahead, stored the sauce and chicken separately, and reheated it briefly before serving. Please LMK how it goes if you try it.

  • We are gluten free and really have a hard time finding great recipes that look like the pictures and really do taste good. So we check out a lot of places on the internet. My husband found your web site. The first recipe I tried was the Chicken Marsala. I like how you show a picture of all the ingredients and then follow through on directions. My dish not only looked liked yours but was delicious. Thank you for putting all this information of your training and the secrets of making food taste good again. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  • I substituted this recipe for the one I forgot at home. It was even better than mine. I often substitute fresh caught fish for the chicken, and used fresh caught mahi-mahi this time. I will be sharing this recipe with my dinner guests and family. Thank you.

  • This is one of the best dishes I have ever made.

    • — Alexandra Cawley
    • Reply

  • Wonderful! Boy, those Madera-soaked mushrooms are addicting!
    Thank you for the yummy recipe, Jenn. Easy. Lisa

    • Could you use chicken stock instead of chicken broth? Would you suggest salt reduced?

      • Chicken stock would be fine here with no other modifications needed. Hope you enjoy!

    • This was a marvelous recipe, my husband said you can’t get any better at any Italian restaurant!

  • This was delicious and a big hit with my grandsons! How can I add more sauce to compliment the pasta?

    • Glad everyone liked this! You can make 1.5 times or double the sauce, but keep in mind that the color will be different (you’ll have fewer pan drippings to contribute to the darker color of the sauce). Hope that helps!

  • Made this recipe tonight. I did not have shallots so I used green onions. It was fabulous.
    My husband said be sure to make this recipe a keeper.

  • I don’t usually write reviews; however, I just had to write one for this one, as this dish came out outstanding! My first time at making chicken marsala and so glad your recipe came up first in my Google search. I will be making this dish again and again! My husband loved it as well; however, he suggested I add shrimp next time. Thank you for sharing it! 😊

  • Hi Jenn, this looks amazing. What kind of noodles would you recommend pairing with this dish?

    Thank you!

    Lindsey

    • Hi Lindsey, I think this would be good over thick egg noodles (but honestly any shape will be nice). 🙂

      • Hi! Yum. Oh, my! Sublime. ‘Nuf said.
        Grazie for posting this and bringing me back to my now 95 years young Aunt Rose’s small but magical galley kitchen! Blessings! 😋🕊

      • I want to make this recipe for company. If I use dried thyme. How much would you recommend.

        • Hi Heather, I’d use a generous half teaspoon. Enjoy!

  • So good! I’ve made this twice so far and each time it’s DELICIOUS! I’m so glad I found your blog! Thank you 🙂

  • incredible recipe! i made it exactly as instructed, and it was phenomenal. my husband said it was better than any restaurant chicken marsala he’s had, and couldn’t stop talking about how good it was….and it was so easy to make! Definitely adding this to my regular rotation.

    Do you have other recipes that use a similar method for the chicken? it was really easy and tasty and I imagine the technique could lend itself to other types of sauces.

    Thanks as always for the best recipes!

    • Hi Raquel, So glad this was a hit! You may want to give my chicken piccata recipe a try. Hope you enjoy if you make it! 🙂

  • Hi Jenn. Could this recipe work with shiitake mushrooms by any chance?

    • Sure (just keep in mind that the dish will have a stronger mushroom-y taste).

  • Hi Jen,
    I love your recipes and have recommended your site to so many people, all who have become loyal followers! I have been dying to try this recipe but there is no Marsala where I live. What would be the best substitute – would brandy work? I was thinking of trying red wine but read online that this would not work because it’s not sweet enough.
    Thanks in advance!
    Anna

    • So glad you like the recipes! You could give Madeira a try — it likely will taste a bit different but should still be good. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!

  • I have cooked this twice now and this evening will be the 3rd time. Comes out great and looking forward to dinner tonight! Great job on this one Jen! Great stuff..

  • This was so delicious! I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms, but I actually loved these- they had so much of the yummy sauce flavor! I loved how easy it was, we used chicken tenders so we wouldn’t have to cut and pound them. Came out perfect! Will definitively be making again, and doubling it when having family over (three people ate it all and we had even used a bit more chicken then it called for). Thank you!

  • I made this last week and it was incredible. Very different from other Marsala recipes I have made. What would you suggest as a substitute for the heavy cream if someone is dairy intolerant?

  • Amazingly delicious!!

    • — Kimberly Weber
    • Reply

  • This is the first time I have made Chicken Marsala. My husband took one bite and exclaimed ‘just excellent’. I will be making this again. Thank you for the recipe.

    • — Hannelore Pritchard
    • Reply

  • AMAZING! Easy easy recipe. Use actual marsala wine, not “cooking wine”! I used Taylor Marsala, it was on sale for 7.99…THE BEST I HAVE EVER MADE.

  • Well, this was a HUGE hit…. My son had never had Chicken Marsala before, and he ate 4 pieces! 🙂

  • Another WINNER!!!
    Easy, not expensive ingredients and VERY GOOD!!!
    I probably should have used more fresh thyme tho….I had some in my fridge wasn’t THAT fresh…but still usable. I only had maybe 1.5 teaspoons instead of 2. 😕 Next time👍🏾

  • The best dinner I’ve made in a very long time! Followed the directions exactly. Flavor was amazing. Served over egg noodles.

    My question is we needed more sauce. Once it’s reduced by half there isn’t enough sauce.
    How do I double the sauce? Do I just double all the liquids?

    Can’t wait to try another recipe! Honestly, you are the first chef I have ever left a comment to.

    Thanks so much for all the hard work you do!

    • Glad you liked this! You can double the sauce, but keep in mind that the color will be different (you’ll have fewer pan drippings to contribute to the darker color of the sauce). Hope that helps!

    • When I double sauce for Marsala I start the chicken with a little extra olive oil and butter. Then double the liquids and reduce as usual. But before you put the chicken back in, add just a little flour and boil until it thickens a tad more (it gets a bit tougher to reduce to desired thickness with extra oil). Turns out wonderfully!!

      • — Kimberly Weber
      • Reply

  • Hey! While I haven’t tried this yet, I really want to. The only question I have is if there is an alternative to the wine. I know it’s a long shot but for various reasons alcohol is a no go and I don’t even want to put it in cooking.

    • Hi Tseng, Unfortunately, in this recipe there is no good alternative to the wine. I’m sorry!

  • Not sure if I reviewed this in the past, but I finally made it with Marsala. Wow!!! Amazing! Definitely go get the Marsala, and make it. Next level good!! I usually put in a little fresh rosemary too since it is growing outside my kitchen.

  • I went out and got the marsala and made it enough to send home with my son for his family. Since then I made it again and again – so delish for such an easy dish. Marti Molwitz

  • This has entered into our weekly rotation now for the past 2 or 3 months… It’s absolutely delicious. But it every time I make it it takes at minimum double the amount of time called for to reduce the sauce. My significant other can confirm, follow the recipe to a T. We always end up giving up and resorting to corn starch slurry at the end, still turns out delicious. The only difference we can pin point is we use cast iron. We don’t find ourselves running into this problem with other recipes. Any feedback? We seriously feel we can’t be the only ones facing this issue.

    • Hi Matthew, So glad you enjoy this! I know you said you follow the recipe to a T, but any chance you are doubling the sauce? What size is your cast iron pan?

    • FYI, I usually end up thickening the sauce a bit too. Also use cast iron.

  • I just followed your recipe to the letter. FANTASTIC! My husband said it was the best marsala he’s ever had and I agree! Restaurant quality. I served it with roasted garlic and parmesan green beans. Nothing left over for the kids.

  • This recipe turned out delicious. I followed it pretty closely. Just added more broth and thickener because i like the sauce so much. Did not have a chicken tenderizer so i used a hammer and paper bag..worked ok.

  • Chicken Marsala recipe is the best. Yum from all of us! Thank you Jenn

  • Hi Jenn!
    I’m a huge mushroom fan, But unfortunately no one else in my house with eat them. There are so many recipes that I end up not making because of the addition of mushrooms. I think if I could hide them somehow that the family would enjoy most of the dishes, but the second they see them it would be over. Any suggestions for dishes like this amazing Marsala that I’ve been dying to make? is it possible to maybe add liquid to a food processor before adding the chicken back into the pan to blend the mushrooms into the sauce? Any advice you can give me would be wonderful and so very appreciated.

    • Hi Kia, You could try making the recipe as is, and then puréeing the sauce and mushrooms in a blender, but I think the flavor of the mushrooms will be noticeable. Maybe just omit the mushrooms?

      • Thanks for the suggestion Jenn! I am going to definitely try putting the sauce in the food processor.

        • I have guests that I have cooked this dish for that despise mushrooms. After sautéing the mushrooms I remove them
          From the pan with a slotted spoon, and put them in a separate bowl covered with foil… and serve them as a side. Anyone that wants mushrooms can add them to their dish.

      • I have several other cooking type alcohols and I hate to buy another one. Instead of Marsala, could I use vermouth, Madeira, Brandy, or dry sherry?

        • Hi Maxine, I’d go with the Madeira – it should work well. 🙂

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