In less than 30 minutes you can have homemade Instant Pot Chicken Marsala that is worthy of restaurants. With a few tricks, the Instant Pot creates an incredibly flavorful, rich chicken dish that is sure to become a favorite!
While I love my recipe for classic Chicken Marsala, this Instant Pot version is a perfect stand in to speed up the process or to prepare a gluten-free version of the classic. The chicken is tender and juicy and the sauce is incredibly flavorful. It is delicious with a side of roasted asparagus, Zucchini and Squash Saute, or mashed potatoes.
A few weeks ago, a reader asked me if I had a recipe for Chicken Marsala for the Instant Pot. She had tried another recipe and was not wowed by the flavor, but loved my recipe for Classic Chicken Marsala, so she was hoping I could create a version for the Instant Pot.
Challenge accepted.
I’ll admit I was a bit nervous to mess with perfection, but after a few attempts, I had success. I was blown away to see that one of the secrets that make my traditional Chicken Marsala so incredibly rich and good, could be implemented in the Instant Pot in less than half the time.
I have always used dried mushrooms when making my Chicken Marsala. I let the mushrooms soak in hot water for at least a couple hours, if not overnight. The mushrooms soak up the liquid and become soft and tender, while they create a delicious mushroom broth that I use in my Marsala Sauce.
Guess what? No pre-soaking is required when using dried mushrooms in the Instant Pot. Simply throw them in and the pressure cooker works it’s magic. And friends, those dried mushrooms are the secret to the BEST Chicken Marsala. The mushroom broth and flavor from wild mushrooms are unbeatable.
Notes on Key Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets are best for this recipe.
- Dried Mushrooms: I love using dried mushrooms, in this Chicken Marsala Recipe, as they are the key to the incredibly flavorful sauce. However, if you can’t find dried mushrooms, you can use sliced baby bella mushrooms and saute along with the shallots. Be sure to rinse your dried mushrooms before adding to your sauce, to remove any grit, sand, or dirt from the wild mushrooms.
- Marsala Wine: Be sure to use a good quality dry Marsala Wine, not cooking Masala wine for the best flavor.
- Beef Stock: I use beef broth to add extra flavor to the Chicken Marsala sauce, but you can use chicken stock if you’d like.
How To Make Chicken Marsala in the Instant Pot
Steps One: Prepare Chicken Breasts
For tender Chicken Marsala, you want to have thin chicken cutlets or boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been pounded thin.
- Either purchase boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (sometimes labeled thin sliced)
- Or 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.
Step Two: Sear Chicken Cutlets in Instant Pot
- Heat your instant pot by hitting the Saute function and waiting until Instant Pot reads, Hot.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the inner pan of the pressure cooker.
- Season chicken breast cutlets generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear chicken breasts 2 to 3 at a time for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Remove browned chicken breasts to plate.
Step Three: Make Chicken Marsala Sauce
Once the chicken is seared, it is time to make the sauce for the Chicken Marsala.
- Add in a dash more oil to the inner pan of Instant Pot if no oil remains after searing chicken.
- Add in a diced shallot to the Instant pot.
- Add in the Marsala wine and deglaze the pan, by scraping up any browned bits of shallot or chicken off the bottom of the pan.
- Add in beef broth and the dried mushrooms.
- Return browned chicken back to Instant Pot and submerge in sauce.
Step Four: Pressure Cook Chicken Marsala
Place lid on the pressure cooker, turn the valve to sealed and set Chicken Marsala to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
Step Five: Thicken Chicken Marsala Sauce
- Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 5 minutes (this helps to keep the chicken from getting tough.)
- Release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.
- Remove chicken breasts to serving platter.
- Turn off Instant Pot and then turn back to Saute.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together 2 tablespoons beef broth (or water) with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Whisk well to get out all lumps before adding to Chicken Marsala Sauce.
- Whisk in a cornstarch slurry and stir constantly, until sauce is bubbly and thickened–about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour sauce over chicken cutlets.
- Serve Chicken Marsala
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Roast Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
People are always impressed with this Instant Pot Chicken Marsala Recipe, but it is seriously incredibly easy to make. You can just keep that our little secret and wow your friends with this impressive chicken recipe!
Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil more if needed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 shallot diced
- 1/3 cup Dry Marsala Wine
- 1 cup beef broth (plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 ounce dried mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat your pressure cooker by hitting the Saute function and waiting until Instant Pot reads, Hot.
- Add tablespoon olive oil to inner pan of pressure cooker.
- Season chicken breast cutlets generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear chicken breasts 2 to 3 at a time for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove browned chicken breasts to plate.
- Add in a dash more oil to inner pan of Instant Pot if no oil remains after searing chicken.
- Add in a diced shallot to the Instant pot, saute for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add in the Marsala Wine and deglaze the pan, by scraping up any browned bits of shallot or chicken off bottom of the pan.
- Add in 1 cup beef broth and the dried mushrooms.
- Return browned chicken back to Instant Pot and submerge in sauce.
- Place lid on the pressure cooker, turn valve to sealed and set Chicken Marsala to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes (this helps to keep the chicken from getting tough). Then release any remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken breasts to serving platter.
- Turn off Instant Pot and then turn back to Saute.
- Whisk together cornstarch with 2 tablespoons reserved beef broth.
- Whisk in a cornstarch slurry and stir constantly, until sauce is bubbly and thickened--about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour sauce over chicken cutlets.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- 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.
- In place of dried mushrooms, you can use sliced baby bella mushrooms and saute along with the shallots. If you use FRESH mushrooms, decrease beef broth from 1 cup to 1/2 cup as the fresh mushrooms will give off more liquid than dried mushrooms.
- Be sure to rinse your dried mushrooms before adding to your sauce, to remove any grit, sand or dirt from the wild mushrooms.
- Be sure to use a good quality dry Marsala Wine for this Chicken Marsala recipe--not a cooking marsala wine you find in the spice isle of your grocery store.
- I use beef broth to add extra flavor to the Chicken Marsala sauce, but you can use chicken stock if you'd like.
- Feel free to finish your Chicken Marsala with a tablespoon or two of butter to make the sauce even richer--just remember it will no longer be a Dairy-Free recipe.
Hi Kristen! Hope you all are well!
Excited to try this. Dumb question since its in the title but can I sub anything if i don’t have wine? Can I do more beef broth in its place or is that a bad idea. I know the wine is probably a big part of the flavor but not something I usually have….and not during quarantine : )
Just thought I’d ask.
Thanks, Susan
Hi Susan! You can certainly make this without Marsala (and for those that are reading this that DO have alcohol, Sherry is a good substitute), I would use beef stock. It won’t be as a rich, but should be still delicious!
It was yummy with the beef broth sub for wine and everyone thought it was great….even the one who thinks he doesn’t like mushrooms….and isn’t even a sauce fan….and he ate lots! And I didn’t even get those yummy mushrooms chopped up to hide them. Thanks for the help!
YAY! I love hearing how much everyone enjoyed–mushrooms included.
I had some of the yummy sauce left. Do you think it would freeze ok to use later as a sauce or add it to a soup, etc? (It has the yummy mushrooms in it, & no wine. )
Absolutely! I love adding it to beef stew, vegetable soup, or even rice. So yummy!
If you double the recipe do you need to increase the time?
Hi Jayanti! The cook time will remain the same, but it will take a bit longer to come to pressure! I hope you enjoy!
Hi! I just purchased an IP Mini. Would this recipe fit into my pot? Or do I need to half it?
Hi Tiffany! This should fit perfectly in the mini. Always be sure to not fill more than 2/3rd of the way full. You may want to check out my Instant Pot Tips before you get started 🙂
Thank Kristen. I have gone over your tips several times. Unfortunately I seemed to have blown the fuse after Step 9 and my IP no longer turns on. Is there anyway to salvage the chicken marsala? I am a novice cook and would prefer not to throw away the whole lot. Thanks.
Hi Tiffany–oh how frustrating! I am so sorry! I would place in a skillet on the stove and simmer over medium heat until the chicken is cooked thorough. Then remove chicken from sauce and whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook until sauce has thickened. Serve over chicken. I hope that helps!
Thanks again. It really helped and I am quite happy how it turned out.
Yay! So glad it helped out!
Hi. Is there a particular variety of dried mushrooms that you recommend?
Hi Chantel! I love using dried porcinis 🙂
Would love to make this! Can you double the recipe or will it be too crowded in a 6qt instant pot?
Hi Jennie–You will have to brown chicken in batches, but it will fit perfectly in the 6 quart when doubled. Enjoy!
How much fresh mushrooms do you use.
Hi Gail! I would use 8 ounces of fresh mushrooms. I hope you enjoy!
This was a fantastic hit with my family! My 15yr old said I could cook this every day.
Oh I love hearing that Gail! So glad you and your family enjoyed.
This was delish! Didn’t have shallots so used 1/2 sweet onion and chicken broth w fresh mushrooms. Only thing not suggested by you was added a pat of butter as I always do with chicken masala.. definitely going to use again. One thing, recipe doesn’tsay to saute onion, my new to cooking son wouldn’t know to do that. Nicely done, looking forward to trying other of your recipes!
I am so glad you enjoyed Jerei! I did note in recipe notes to add butter if desired for richer sauce–I agree it finishes the dish well. I hope you enjoy many more recipes here 🙂
Tried to watch the video but Ads literally interrupted every 5 second. I don’t mind an ad here or there, I get it. . But literally …every. Five. Seconds.
I will contact my ad company about that. Sorry!! That should not be playing ads that often.
Absolutely delicious! The kids and I devoured it
YAY!!! I love hearing this! Thank you for taking the time to let us know how your family enjoyed!
This recipe was delicious and simple to make. I did use 2.5 lbs of chicken so changed the proportions and added more beef broth to make more sauce. I used shitake dried mushrooms which absorbed the sauce beautifully. Thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed 😍
I could never get my sauce to thicken with the cornstarch. I have a feeling I should have reduced the amount of beef stock I added because I didn’t use dried mushrooms (I imagine they absorb a bit of the extra liquid). I will use maybe 1/4-1/2 cup of stock next time. Something to consider if you also use fresh mushrooms 🤷🏻♀️
Ah yes Tiffany, that would account for it for sure–those fresh mushrooms do let off a lot of moisture. I will update my notes to warn people of that. In the future, 1/2 cup would probably be a good starting point. If you struggle to thicken again, take out a few tablespoons of the liquid and whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch, then whisk that mixture back into your instant pot and let cook until thickened.