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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I love Chicken Marsala but I’m always disappointed when I order it at a restaurant or try to make it at home. Not anymore!! This is the best Chicken Marsala I’ve ever had!!🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Jenn I have been following your blog for so many years, and I have never made anything from your website or cookbook that I haven’t absolutely loved! We are foodies in my house, and your recipes are always my keepers. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to your emails and perusing through your beautiful cookbook. My other favorites are “boy bait”, sausage and cheddar bread pudding, supernatural brownies, chicken picatta, your Mediterranean kabobs, Caesar dressing, cornbread muffins, make ahead creamy mash potatoes, and slow baked bbq skort ribs! I cook from your recipes every day and could go on and on. Thank you for sharing your life’s work with us to enjoy. You are not only brilliant in the kitchen but just the kind of friend I’d want to have coffee with. You have a kind and gracious spirit too…
God bless you and your family 💗 xo
❤️
Family loved this meal! I added more shallots and used half and half and it was still creamy and good. Served with egg noodles, a last minute choice because sauce seemed so luscious. Chicken came out very tender, which i sometimes a problem with breast meat. Will become a staple!
I made the chicken marsala this past Sunday. It was soooo delicious. I love the flavor the marsala wine gives the sauce. This recipe is not complicated and all will enjoy! I had leftover last night and it was even more flavorful.
This dish is amazing. My family was so impressed and said they had never had a chicken dish as delicious as this at any restaurant. The recipe directions were simple and super easy to follow. I have already made the recipe multiple times – it is a crowd pleaser and an impressive plate for sure!
Amazing, Amazing, Amazing! Such a scrumptious recipe. I have tried several Chicken Marsala recipes, but this one is the BEST!! I have shared with several friends who say the same thing. Your recipes are amazing!
Thank you!
OMG This is absolutely so delicious. My husband declared it restaurant quality which is his highest praise. This meal came out absolutely perfect. The chicken was nice and crisp. The sauce was rich and decadent. One of the things I have noticed in Jen’s recipes is that she is spot on in terms of the amount of salt needed for a dish which is very helpful. This is one of our go to meals when we want to be a bit “fance”.
This recipe is AWESOME! It was easy to follow and came out perfect! My son loved it. He requests it often and because I love it too, I now make it often. I would be proud to make this for guests over for supper! It’s a winner and a WOW! Served it with white rice. Thank you so much!
True restaurant quality Chicken Marsala!! So, so good!! Everyone I have given this recipe to has loved it as well! Definitely a staple in our home now.
Love this recipe! So easy, quick and delicious! I tweak the recipe to add less heavy cream (I use closer to 1/3) and add a little more masala wine since I love that flavor and chicken broth as I like a lot of sauce. I pair this with a small side of pasta and hmm hmm. Definitely recommend trying this out.
I have made this several times. It comes together really quick and it is delicious.