October 25, 2023
Review RecipeThe Best Chicken Marsala
Perfect for a busy weeknight, chicken Marsala is easy to make in just a single skillet and reheats really well for another dinner later in the week.
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Table of Contents
Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian chicken dish that’s made with lightly-coated chicken filets, mushrooms, and Marsala wine. Coating the chicken in seasoned flour before cooking adds even more flavor to this tasty and fragrant dish.
The Best Chicken Marsala Ingredients
You’ll need:
- ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- 6 thin chicken filets or cutlets
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter
- 2 cups of brown mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup of shallots, finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons of garlic, minced
- 1 cup of chicken broth, low-sodium
- ¾ cup of dry Marsala wine
- ½ cup of heavy cream, 33%
- 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
Substitutions And Additions
CHICKEN FILETS: You can use chicken breasts sliced lengthways in half instead.
MUSHROOMS: The best mushrooms for chicken Marsala are brown cremini mushrooms because they have the most flavor, but you could always use white mushrooms if that’s what you have.
MARSALA WINE: Most of the alcohol evaporates during cooking.
If you want to make chicken Marsala without wine, you could use grape juice, three tablespoons of vanilla extract, and six tablespoons of sherry vinegar.
HEAVY CREAM: If you’re concerned about calories, you could replace the cream with a fat-free half-and-half.
How To Make The Best Chicken Marsala
STEP ONE: In a large Ziploc bag, shake together the flour, salt, and pepper. One at a time, place the chicken filets into the bag and shake until fully coated.
STEP TWO: Heat the olive oil and butter in a 13-inch frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
STEP THREE: In the same pan with the leftover butter and oil, add the sliced mushrooms, shallots, and garlic.
Cook over medium-high heat for two to three minutes until the mushrooms are browned and soft.
STEP FOUR: Turn the heat down to low-medium. Pour in the chicken broth and wine.
Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced in volume by about half.
PRO TIP:
When you add Marsala wine, scrape up those flavorful brown bits from the pan. This adds depth to your sauce.
STEP FIVE: Stir in the heavy cream and thyme.
STEP SIX: Add the chicken back into the pan and simmer over low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
STEP SEVEN: Sprinkle fresh parsley over the top before serving.
How To Serve
This chicken Marsala recipe is best served with a side dish such as fresh vegetables, cauliflower fried rice, or this tasty mashed potato casserole.
Chicken Marsala is only one of many tasty chicken dishes that we have to share. Try our lemon chicken and paprika chicken, too.
MORE CHICKEN RECIPES
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Chicken Marsala can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days.
IN THE FREEZER: This chicken dish is a great meal to make ahead as it can be frozen for up to three months.
Thaw in the fridge before reheating in a skillet over low heat for ten minutes.
You’ll Love This Recipe For Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala is one of the best Italian restaurant dishes to make at home because it’s just so simple. This easy version cooks in one pan for minimal mess and fuss.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Marsala taste like?
Marsala is a sweeter wine and tends to have a nutty, brown sugar flavor with notes of dried fruit.
What is chicken Marsala sauce made of?
Marsala sauce is made with a combination of onions, garlic, herbs, mushrooms, heavy cream, butter, chicken broth, and the key ingredient of Marsala wine.
What is the best wine to use for chicken Marsala?
When making your chicken Marsala recipe, choose a dry Marsala wine for the best results.
How do you thicken chicken Marsala sauce?
To thicken your Marsala sauce, combine one teaspoon of cornstarch or flour with one teaspoon of the sauce, and then add the slurry back into the pan.
Do you use sweet or dry Marsala for chicken Marsala?
A dry Marsala wine is the best choice for this chicken Marsala recipe.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Best Chicken Marsala
Perfect for a busy weeknight, chicken Marsala is easy to make in just a single skillet and reheats really well for another dinner later in the week.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 6 thin chicken filets/cutlets or two large chicken breasts cut lengthwise in half
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups brown mushrooms sliced
- ¼ cup shallots finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- ¾ cup dry marsala wine
- ½ cup heavy cream 33%
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a large sealable food storage bag, shake together flour, salt, and pepper. Place chicken filets, one at a time, into bag and shake well to fully coat.
- Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat in a 13-inch frying pan.
- Cook chicken until the internal temperature of 165°F is reached. Remove chicken from pan and set aside for now.
- In the same pan with leftover butter and oil, add the sliced mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms are browned and soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and wine. Cook over low-medium heat until the liquid appears to be cooked down to half the volume, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream and thyme. Add chicken back in and simmer over low heat 7 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Sprinkle fresh parsley over top before serving.
Notes
- When you add Marsala wine, scrape up those flavorful brown bits from the pan. This adds depth to your sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 694kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 1115mg | Potassium: 1308mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1039IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Gloria says
This is such a delicious and easy dinner!
Jennifer D says
Made this recipe last night – only omitted the mushrooms because at least half of us don’t really like them. The recipe was fantastic. Everyone loved the dish. Made it with roasted small potatoes and peas with shallots. Delicious
Jeannette Shields says
I know without trying this will be very good. All the recipes I’ve tried thus far have been! My question for you is What can I use instead of Marsala? I couldn’t find it in the grocery store and when I asked for help, the employee didn’t know what to look for either!!
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Jeannette – you can use a sherry, Moscato, or Port instead, enjoy!