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 e fagioli, eggplant parmesan, penne alla vodka, and lasagna.
Table of Contents
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
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of golden pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine sauce.
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
- 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.
- 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
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- 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
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 made this with what I had on hand: red table wine with a dash of balsamic vinegar, coconut milk, and vegetable broth in place of the marsala, cream, and chicken broth; leeks and a few mushrooms. It may not have been very authentic but it sure turned out tasty! I used boneless chicken thighs which I love in most recipes in place of chicken breasts. They don’t need to be pounded and they’re moister and have more flavor.
I first tried chicken marsala at the cafe at my work. I loved it and wanted to share with my family. First try was a different recipe and turned out okay but not what I was trying for. Your recipe was spot on! I’ve made several times and am making again today. 🙂 I’m not much of a cook, so your thorough, easy to understand and follow instructions are very much appreciated. Now I have a dish I would be comfortable cooking for friends
I would absolutely cut bacon the cream. I think it cut the marsala too much.
I made the recipe as exactly written (except used dried thyme instead of fresh), and although it was okay, it was too rich and I found the heavy cream diluted the flavors. I usually make chicken marsala without cream so the next time I try this particular recipe, I will omit the cream and use fresh thyme.
Wonderful recipe! I’m a big lover of pork……was thinking how this might be with thin pork cutlets ? Have you ever tried it? Nancy
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tried it with pork but I think it would work nicely. Please LMK how it turns out if make it! 🙂
I’ve made Marsala with pork tenderloin medallions and this recipe and it’s even more tender and delicious.
Hi, Jenn, I made this a couple days ago for company. It was so good!! The four of us just lapped it all up with a side of mashed potatoes and your roasted green beans and garlic recipe. My friend asked for the recipe, that’s when I noticed that I had used sweet Marsala wine instead of dry. Will pick up a bottle of the dry and make another batch. Looking forward to tasting it with the correct wine. Just love all your recipes. PS If anyone out there hasn’t already purchased a copy of Jenn’s cookbook, you need too. Fantastic!!
Thanks Marion!! 🙂
This was a wonderful recipe. The only substitutions I made were sweet marsala and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, as those were what I had on hand. My boyfriend said this was the best chicken marsala he’s ever had. I served it over angel hair pasta because that was the only starch I had readily available and even though it wouldn’t be my first choice of pasta, it worked.
Unbelievable recipe. Tastes like it was served up at an expensive restaurant. It is key to slice or pound that breast thin.
Any recommendations for making this recipe ahead of time for a crowd?
Hi Eden, I really think this dish is best served right after it’s prepared. That said, if you’d like to give it a try, one reviewer 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.
Delish, with no cream!
On the note of preparing ahead, I would also like to prepare this recipe for a small (-ish) crowd that I would with whom I’d like to spend time, and not be locked in the kitchen. So….how about cooking the chicken first, keeping it and the pan with the bits and pieces, etc, at room temperature and then just make the sauce and finish the dish when we’re ready?
Yes, Anita, I think that should work.
Delicious. My husband loved it especially the sauce. Will definitely make it again. Great recipe for guests. Thanks for recipe.
Perfect ingredients! I used half and half instead of heavy cream and it was perfect. Served over Penne pasta with a mixed green salad! ❤️