Chicken Marsala is an incredible easy recipe made with a rich, earthy mushroom sauce. It is an impressive, easy recipe that is perfect for entertaining dinner guests or a family meal at home.
Most people think that Chicken Marsala is a complicated dish to make at home. But that is not the case at all! This easy chicken dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes with very little prep work! And thanks to a special technique using dried mushrooms, this recipe for homemade Chicken Marsala rivals any restaurant’s version.
Serve with this Chicken Marsala with Twice Baked Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, Oven Roasted Asparagus, or a Strawberry Spinach Salad.
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish made from chicken cutlets, mushrooms, and Marsala wine.
And it happens to be one of my most favorite meals ever.
Most people reserve Chicken Marsala for dining out at Italian restaurants, but it is actually an easy dish to make at home. It is one of my go to meals for a quick, fuss-free, yet impressive, homemade meal, as it comes together in under 30 minutes and delivers restaurant quality results.
Made with tender chicken cutlets that have been lightly breaded and then served with a rich, decadent mushroom sauce, this is one chicken recipe that is packed with flavor! The chicken is so tender it can be sliced with a fork. The sauce is so good and so rich, you may be tempted to drink it! It is a meal that feels rich, and indulgent, but yet it is easy enough for any night of the week.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts–It is best to use thin chicken cutlets for this recipe, as that will help the chicken to stay super tender and cook up fast. You can purchase chicken cutlets or prepare your own using full chicken breasts.
- Mushrooms–The secret to the BEST Chicken Marsala is to use dried wild mushrooms. They can be found in tiny bags in the produce section at the grocery store. We will use the dried mushrooms to create a rich mushroom broth as well to use in the sauce–it is what makes this recipe stand out from all the others!
- Marsala Wine–Be sure to get real Marsala wine, NOT cooking Marsala wine–there is a HUGE difference in flavor.
- Fresh Thyme–It is really best to use fresh thyme if you have access to, if not use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. It will an earthy quality that just can’t be topped.
- Flour–The chicken cutlets are coated in flour, as this gives the chicken some texture and helps to thicken the sauce If you need this to be Gluten-Free, use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour blend, for the dredging of the chicken. I have tried this with success several times. Instant Pot Chicken Marsala is also Gluten-Free.
Secret to making the Best Chicken Marsala Recipe
I have a secret tip to make the BEST Chicken Marsala, and this is something you do NOT want to skip.
Use Dried Mushrooms!
The key to a really good Chicken Marsala recipe is the Marsala sauce. But the key to the sauce is more than just the Marsala wine. Mushrooms stock also plays a huge role in creating perfect flavor in the sauce.
To save money and to create a rich homemade mushroom broth, I always start my Chicken Marsala with a pack of dried wild mushrooms, which are so much more flavorful than button mushrooms or even baby portabella mushrooms–plus by re-hydrating the dried mushrooms, you are left with an incredibility rich mushroom stock.
How to Make Chicken Marsala
Step One: Re-hydrate Mushrooms
- Cover dried mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups hot water and let soak anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight (overnight creates a much more flavorful mushroom stock, but if you forgot to plan, just soak long enough to soften mushrooms). Reserve the soaking liquid and mushrooms to use in the chicken marsala.
Step One: Prepare Chicken
- Place flour into a wide shallow dish, such as a pie pan and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Coat each chicken cutlet in flour and shake off excess flour.
Step Two: Pan Fry Chicken
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken on each side for 3-4 minutes, until browned.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and place onto plate.
Step Three: Prepare Marsala Sauce
- To the same pan that chicken was pan-fried in, carefully add in Marsala wine and scrape up any browned bits in skillet. Remember Marsala is alcohol and may flame up–it is fine, but if that makes you nervous, remove pan from heat before adding the wine.
- Boil for 3 minutes, to evaporate the alcohol.
- Add the mushrooms, stock from the hydrated mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme. Return the chicken to the same pan and pour in any drippings on the pan to the skillet as well.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step Four: Thicken Marsala Sauce
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid from the pan and whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.
- Allow the sauce to cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
More EASY Chicken Breast Recipes
- Homemade Chicken Tenders
- Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Skillet Chicken with Green Beans and Tomatoes
- Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
Skip the wait and the expensive prices at the restaurant and make your own Chicken Marsala at home! And be sure to leave a comment below telling me how much you enjoyed this meal–I love hearing from you!
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1 oz wild dried mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pound of chicken cutlets or chicken breasts, pounded thin
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small shallot finely minced
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme removed from stem and chopped--about 2 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Submerge the mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. (Do not discard the liquid).
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Dredge the chicken cutlets into flour that has been seasoned with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour.
- Sear the chicken on each side for 3-4 minutes, until browned.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Add butter to skillet. Once butter is melted, add in shallot and saute for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften, but not browned.
- Add the Marsala wine to the skillet and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, while scraping off the browned bits of chicken.
- Add the mushrooms, stock from the hydrated mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, seared chicken and thyme. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove 2 tablespoons cooking liquid and whisk in cornstarch with the liquid. Whisk cornstarch mixture back into pan along with butter (if using). Stir until sauce is thickened, 2-3 minutes.
- Serve the chicken with the Marsala Sauce.
Notes
- Use additional olive oil in place of butter to keep this dairy free.
- Use 1:1 Gluten Free Flour Blend to keep make Gluten Free Chicken Marsala.
- If you can not find chicken cutlets, use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead. Slice large breasts in half lengthwise and then place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a gallon size bag with a tablespoon of water. Seal bag and pound chicken breasts thin with meat mallet, or bottom of a heavy pan.
Hi Kristen!
This sounds really good! We are not big mushroom fans (my wife usually puts them on my plate). Any alternative suggestions to enjoy this without the mushrooms? I know we can just drink the wine! 😉 I love your comments and your photos also!
Hi John! Thank you for the compliment on photos! I am going to let you in on a BIG secret–I make this sauce all the time and often put my mushrooms on my husband’s plate. They add flavor, but I am not a huge fan of the texture. You can certainly omit the mushrooms altogether, but the sauce would not be as rich. However, if you both do not like mushroom flavor, I suggest giving that a try. You may want to add in 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire or Soy sauce for some earthy flavor.