This flavorful, easy Chicken Marsala recipe is rich, earthy, and complex, with double the mushrooms in a creamy Marsala wine sauce. Serve Chicken Marsala over a bowl of creamy polenta with a leafy green salad, and dinner is ready. Includes a Video.
This chicken marsala recipe was one of the most requested chicken recipes in our catering business and I’m so excited to share it with you!
What is Chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-inspired dish from the town of Marsala, Italy, where Marsala wine was created. Tender chicken breast is bathed in a creamy mushroom sauce infused with Marsala wine. Chicken Marsala is tradionally served over a bowl of creamy polenta, which can be made in the Instant Pot while cooking the chicken. You can also serve it with buttery egg pasta, mashed potatoes, risotto, mashed cauliflower or roasted spaghetti squash.
This Chicken Marsala recipe takes about 45 minutes from start to finish- a very doable weeknight dinner or special enough for Sunday Super. 35+Best Chicken Breast Recipes
Ingredients for Best Chicken Marsala Recipe
- All-purpose flour (or sub-gluten-free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill)
- Salt and black pepper
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts (chicken thighs can be used but may be too rich)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Unsalted butter, more as needed
- Fresh mushrooms– cremini mushrooms, button mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, or a mix
- Fresh Garlic and shallot (or red onion)
- Fresh Herbs: fresh oregano or fresh thyme (or use both) and fresh parsley for garnish
- Chicken Stock -or broth or bullion cubes or paste.
- Dry Marsala Wine -or Sweet Marsala wine (or in a pinch, sherry wine will work too)
- Heavy cream – or half and half
How to Make This Recipe for Chicken Marsala
Step one: In a bowl or zip lock bag, mix all-purpose flour with salt and pepper- see recipe card for exact measurements.
Step two: Cut the large pieces of chicken in half widthwise. You want pieces that are no thicker than 1/2 inch. Alternatively, if they are smaller pieces of chicken to begin with, you can alternatively pound into 1/3-inch thin, chicken cutlets.
Step three: Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake them off.
Step four: In an extra-large skillet, begin searing each side until golden. Don’t worry about cooking them through here- just focus on getting the crust, beautifully golden.
Step five: While the chicken is searing, slice the mushrooms dice the shallots, garlic and herbs. Once the chicken is golden, set it aside and cover.
Step six: Saute the mushrooms in the same pan, adding a little olive oil or butter.
PRO TIP: Here we are doubling the mushrooms, so it will take a bit more time. Add the shallots thyme and season with salt and pepper. After the mushrooms release their liquid, be sure to let this cook off and they will begin to caramelize. Be patient and wait for this… this is where the flavor is!
Once the mushrooms are golden, add the Marsala wine, the broth, and the cream to the mushrooms.
Reduce this down, letting it simmer and thicken a little, about 12 minutes.
Step six: Nestle the chicken back into the pan, and gently simmer 5-6 minutes uncovered until the chicken is heated and cooked all the way through.
Step seven: Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and serve over a bowl of creamy polenta.
How to Store Marsala Chicken
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.
What to Serve With Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
Pick a starch, a veggie and a salad for a well rounded meal!
- Creamy Polenta: Serve Chicken Marsala over a bowl of creamy polenta, which is a classic and delicious combination. The creamy texture of the polenta complements the rich and savory flavors of the Marsala sauce.
- Pasta: Another popular option is to serve Chicken Marsala with pasta. You can choose spaghetti, fettuccine, or any other pasta you prefer. Toss the pasta with a bit of olive oil or butter and sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino cheese.
- Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes are always a comforting and satisfying side dish. They provide a smooth and creamy contrast to the tender chicken and flavorful Marsala sauce.
- Rice or Risotto: Steamed rice, creamy risotto, or even a fragrant pilaf can be a great accompaniment to Chicken Marsala. The mild flavor of rice allows the flavors of the sauce to shine.
- Vegetables: Serve Chicken Marsala with a side of veggies! Blanched green beans, roasted asparagus, roasted Brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli, or roasted spaghetti squash would all be excellent choices.
- Leafy Green Salad: A crisp leafy green salad with a light vinaigrette can help balance the richness of the Chicken Marsala. We love it with peppery Arugula salad.
Best Chicken Marsala Recipe FAQs
Yes. In our catering business we would substitute tofu “filets” dredged in the flour mixture pan-seared the same way. Instead of chicken broth, substitute veggie broth. A decadent vegetarian dinner! This can easily be made vegan with plant-based cream.
The signature ingredient in Marsala Chicken is the Marsala Wine. When making Chicken Marsala, it is recommended to use dry Marsala wine, which adds a savory and subtly tangy flavor to the finished dish, complementing the richness of the creamy mushroom sauce. However, if you don’t have dry Marsala on hand, you can use sweet Marsala as a substitute, although the flavor will be slightly more sweet.
Yes, chicken marsala can easily made ahead. Make the Marsala Sauce and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Prep the chicken ( just cut and pound into cutlets) and store. On the day of the event, reheat the sauce in shallow baking dish in the oven. Dredge and pan-sear the chicken until golden, then nestle it in the marsala sauce, keeping the oven at 300F until chicken is cooked through (160F). Once cooked through, lower oven temp to 150F until ready to serve ( covered). Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
More Favorite Chicken Recipes
- 35+ Chicken Breast Recipes
- Chicken Piccata
- Chicken Tagine
- Chicken Adobo
- Gorgonzola Chicken with Mushrooms & Sage
- Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Grapes and Shallots
- Tarragon Chicken with Asparagus, Lemon and Leeks
I hope you enjoy our “double the mushroom” Chicken Marsala recipe, and be sure to look to the recipe notes for a yummy vegetarian version! Let me know in the comments below. xoxo
Hope you are having a great week.
Chicken Marsala Recipe | 60-sec video
Best Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: main, chicken, poultry, dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Chicken Marsala recipe is made with tender chicken breast in a rich Marsala wine sauce with double the mushrooms! Easy and flavorful, can be made in 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour (or sub GF flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 3/4 pounds chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter, more as needed
- 1 lb mushrooms- cremini, portobello, shiitake, button – sliced
- 1 large shallot, finely diced (or sub 1/2 a red onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme (or use both)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
- Flat-leaf parsley for garnishing
Serve over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower or roasted spaghetti Squash!
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl (or place in a large zip lock bag).
- Cut the chicken in half widthwise, so each piece is no thicker than 1/2 inch thick. You can also pound the chicken down to under 1/2 thick, then cut in half. (see photo)
- Heat oil and butter in an extra-large skillet over medium-high heat. Cast-iron works great here. Dredge each piece of chicken, shaking off excess, and carefully place in the hot skillet, searing each side until beautifully golden, 3 minutes on each side. Don’t worry about cooking the chicken through, just focus on getting a nice golden crust. Set aside on a plate.
- Lower heat to medium. Add one more tablespoon of olive oil and butter to the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute 5-6 minutes. Add the shallot, garlic, oregano, thyme and season with a five-finger pinch of salt and pepper. Keep sauteing until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown slightly.
- Add the chicken broth, Marsala wine and heavy cream, scraping up any browned bit. Simmer gently uncovered for 12-15 minutes, over med or medium-low heat, letting it thicken and reduce, deepen in color. It won’t be thick sauce- just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste- about another 5-finger pinch of each. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. For extra richness, add more cream, or for a looser sauce, add more broth.
- Nestle in the chicken to the Marsala sauce and simmer another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Sprinkle with flat-leave parsley and serve over a bowl of creamy polenta.
Notes
The key ingredient in Marsala Chicken is Marsala Wine. While there two kinds -sweet Marsala and dry Marsala, either can be used. I personally prefer the taste of dry Marsala, which keep in mind, is still sweet, just a little less sweet. If sweet Marsala is what you have, just use it. Sweet Marsala works fine too. Regular red wine, will not work the same here.
VEGETARIAN OPTION: In our catering business, for vegetarians, we would substitute tofu “filets” dredged in the flour mixture, pan-seared the same way. Instead of chicken broth substitute veggie broth. A decadent vegetarian dinner!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 ounces chicken
- Calories: 469
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 677.6 mg
- Fat: 20.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.1 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 49.9 g
- Cholesterol: 169.4 mg
I have made this recipe maybe three times now. My husband doesn’t care for mushrooms but the first time I made it he declared to our adult children, “Mom made dish with mushrooms that was really good!” He also told me it was better than a restaurant. It is one of those recipes you just sometimes crave. Very rich but oh so good.
Love it Joy! Thanks for taking the time to write and let us know!
Perfect meal 😋 my only regret is not making more.
Great to hear Alma!
This was amazing! My husband and I are empty nesters and love cooking together. Instead of going out we often come here to grab a recipe, head to Central Market, and then feast at home. Thank you!!
What a great way to spend time together! So happy you enjoyed. Thanks Karee. 🙂
Delicious dinner! Made exactly as written!
Glad you enjoyed Claire!
Great!
So yummy! Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed this!
I would like to make this recipe, if possible, in a two step/day process for a dinner party of 10. Any recommendations?
Hi Debra- this is one of those recipes that really tastes best made the day of. I would just get everything really prepped ahead- cut the mushrooms, prep the chicken, measure and line up all the ingredients and have them ready to go. 😉
My new go to Masala recipe! So flavorful!
Thank you!
so happy you enjoyed this Linda!
Sylvia! I bought a lot of boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale and was wondering how to use these! I opened your email this morning and found this recipe! Fantastic! I made this easy to follow recipe and served it with roasted carrots and brown rice. DELICIOUS!!
Thank you for saving my evening!
Great timing Christine!
Would the Marsala cooking wine work just a good as the Marsala wine?
Yes, that is fine!