You won't believe just how easy it is to make restaurant-quality Chicken Marsala at home! This simple Italian-American recipe is made with tender, pan-fried chicken, and a rich, creamy, mushroom sauce and comes together in under 30 minutes!
One of my all-time favorite recipes to order when dining at Italian restaurants is Chicken Marsala. From the tender chicken to the rich, earthy sauce that is kissed with marsala wine, it is a little bit of heaven.
And while you may think this restaurant favorite is complicated to make at home. Think again!
This recipe for chicken marsala, just like my recipe for Chicken Florentine and Chicken Piccata, comes together in less than 30 minutes, to deliver an insanely impressive and flavorful chicken dinner. It is a meal that feels rich, and elegant, yet it is easy enough for any night of the week.
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut and pounded into thin cutlets. If you do not want to slice the chicken yourself, you can opt to purchase thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets.
- Marsala Wine: Marsala is a fortified wine that adds nutty, rich, caramelized notes to the sauce. For best results, use dry Marsala wine, not a sweet Marsala, which is used in desserts, or cooking Marsala, which does not create an authentic tasting Marsala sauce.
- Mushrooms: For this recipe, you want to use cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, not button mushrooms, for a rich earthy taste. You can use fresh mushrooms or reconstituted dried mushrooms.
- Flour: To help thicken the sauce and create a crispy exterior on the chicken, you want to coat your chicken in all-purpose flour before pan-frying.
- Shallot: Instead of using onion or garlic, which can overwhelm the sauce, I suggest using a shallot which will add just a mild onion and garlic flavor to the dish without overpowering the chicken marsala. If you don't happen to have a shallot on hand, simply omit it.
- Broth: Use either low-sodium beef broth or mushroom broth, not chicken broth, as both beef and mushroom pair really well with the earthy flavors in the sauce. Using chicken broth or stock can result in a dish that is lacking in restaurant-quality flavor.
- Cream: Finishing the marsala sauce with heavy cream creates a rich, luscious sauce, but it is not classic in chicken marsala. If you don't want to use cream, use additional broth, for a lighter version.
- Thyme: A bit of fresh thyme leaves elevates this dish by adding a bit of floral, earthy notes to the sauce. While fresh thyme leaves are best, you can use dried thyme leaves in their place. Just don't use ground thyme as the flavor will quickly overwhelm the sauce.
Substitutions/Modifications
- Gluten-Free Chicken Marsala: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and ensure your broth is gluten-free.
- Dairy-Free Chicken Marsala: In place of the butter, use additional olive oil and instead of finishing the sauce with heavy cream, use additional beef or mushroom broth.
- Substitute for Marsala Wine: While Marsala wine is best for the most authentic flavor, you can use Madeira wine or sherry.
∗Money-Saving Tip ∗
It is often more cost-effective to cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into cutlets rather than purchasing thin cutlets.
- Trim off any fat from the chicken breasts and then cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces.
- Place the cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until the cutlets are even in thickness.
How to Make Chicken Marsala at Home
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dredge the Chicken Cutlets. In order to helps the chicken marsala have restaurant-quality texture, you want to coat them with flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Be sure to brush off excess flour so that the chicken does not become gummy.
- Sear the Chicken. When searing the chicken, you may need to work in batches to prevent overcrowding your skillet. I also recommend using both butter and oil to sear the chicken. The butter adds nice caramelized notes to the chicken and sauce, while the oil helps to prevent the butter from burning.
- Sauté Mushrooms and Shallots. To add depth to the marsala sauce, sauté the shallots and mushrooms in a bit of butter until softened and golden.
- Add Marsala Wine. Use caution when adding the marsala wine to the skillet. Alcohol is flammable, so use caution when cooking on a gas stovetop. I recommend removing the skillet from the pan, adding the wine, and carefully move the skillet back to the heat.
- Simmer Sauce. Once the wine has reduced, add the broth, heavy cream, and seasonings and and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat until the sauce is reduced by half, which will intensify the flavor of the marsala sauce and make it so much more flavorful.
- Finish Cooking the Chicken. Once the marsala sauce has reduced, add the chicken back to the pan, and simmer, spooning the sauce over the chicken, just to finish cooking the chicken.
What to Serve with Chicken Marsala
I recommend serving Chicken Marsala with something to soak up the creamy, rich sauce, like cooked pasta, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Red Potatoes, or Instant Pot Rice.
I also love adding a vegetable side dish like Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Broccoli and/or a Caesar Salad or Copycat Olive Garden Salad.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Leftover, cooled chicken marsala can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: I don't recommend freezing leftovers, due to the heavy cream in the sauce.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat Chicken Marsala is in a dry skillet over low heat. This will help the chicken to stay tender and moist. Feel free to take a shortcut and reheat it on a heat-safe plate covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave in 60-seond intervals until heated through.
More Easy Italian-American Recipes
- Chicken Piccata
- Pasta Puttanesca
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Italian Stuffed Shells
If you tried this recipe for Chicken Marsala, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Chicken Marsala
This recipe for Chicken Marsala is made with tender, pan-fried chicken, and a rich, creamy, mushroom sauce.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 373kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4 chicken cutlets
- kosher salt and pepper
- ½ cup flour
- 1 small shallot minced
- 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms see notes for substitutions
- ½ cup DRY Marsala wine
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Trim off any fat from the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces. Place the cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until the cutlets are even in thickness. Pay dry.
- Combine the flour with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a small shallow dish. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture to coat, shaking off excess flour.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Once melted, add the chicken to the pan, working in batches to prevent overcrowding your skillet. Cook the chicken cutlets for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on each side and just barely cooked through. Transfer chicken to a clean plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms and minced shallot and saute for 2-3 minutes to begin to soften and brown the mushrooms.
- Add the Marsala wine to the skillet and allow it to simmer and reduce for 1-2 minutes while scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the broth, heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and thyme to the skillet, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about half, stirring frequently.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, and simmer for 2-3 minutes just to warm through the chicken and to ensure it reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve immediately topped with fresh minced parsley if desired.
Notes
Mushrooms: In place of the baby Bella mushrooms, you can use sliced shitake, or soak 1 ounce of dried wild mushrooms in hot water for 1 hour. You can then opt to use that soaking liquid in place of the beef stock.
Marsala Wine: Be sure to use dry, not sweet, Marsala, and DO NOT use marsala labeled "cooking Marsala." And while marsala is best, you can use Madiera wine or sherry if you don't have a Marsala on hand.
Shallot: Feel free to omit the shallot if you don't have one on hand.
Dairy-Free Modification: In place of the butter, use additional olive oil and instead of finishing the sauce with heavy cream, use additional beef or mushroom broth.
Gluten-Free Chicken Marsala: Use 1:1 Gluten Free Flour Blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 677IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg
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Sharina
Sauce was a winner in this creamy chicken marsala. Plus the chicken was so tender and juicy! Another addition to our dinner rotation, thanks Kristen!
Kristen Chidsey
You bet! I love hearing this will be a regular feature on your dinner table.
Diane V
My first time making this homemade and yet it's my favorite to order at a restaurant! This was way better than anything I've had, loved it!
Kristen Chidsey
Love hearing that Diane! Thanks for sharing.
Anna
I love cooking with Marsala wine! This chicken dish is absolutely delicious! So easy yet so flavorful!
Nellie Tracy
Delicious recipe! Huge fan of chicken marsala!
Kristen Chidsey
So happy to hear you enjoyed Nellie!
Katie
This is one of those recipes that make it feel like you're having a fancy dinner in your own home! So delicious.
Kristen Chidsey
That is one of the reasons we absolutely love it Katie! I am glad to hear you enjoyed as well.
Susan
Hi Kristen,
I love your recipes and website. Lots of beautiful and healthy recipes. Can you please tell me if you sweet or dry marsala in your chicken marsala recipe? Thank you.
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you so much for your kind words Susan. I recommend dry marsala.
Gail
I love your website Kristen. It's so informative. Thanks for sharing your time and talents with us!
Kristen Chidsey
You are so welcome Gail! Happy to help!