Chicken Marsala

You are going to love this Italian-American classic! Homemade Chicken Marsala with juicy pan-seared chicken breast, mushrooms, and the most amazing sauce is just a quick 30 minutes away and cooked in one single skillet.

What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-inspired dish featuring pan-seared chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a savory, creamy sauce flavored with rich Marsala wine.

Marsala wine is a fortified wine that comes from Sicily. It has a deep golden color and a rich flavor, especially when it’s used in cooking.

This chicken in Marsala wine recipe is a classic restaurant dish, maybe you’ve ordered it from the Olive Garden before! You don’t need to go out for Chicken Marsala though, it’s simple to make at home. You can cook this easy chicken dinner in under 30 minutes, using just one pan!

I made your Chicken Marsala with your recipe, but added a little dried smoked paprika, Oh SO GOOD!! Thanks

Doug

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Why You’ll Love It

The cooking method used here is one of my favorites because it’s so quick and easy! Chicken cutlets are cooked in no time on the stove, and are always juicy and delicious. The sauce is cooked in the same pan, and all in less than a half hour!

It’s just like my Marry Me Chicken, Lemon Rosemary Chicken, and Creamy Garlic Chicken. I have several others made using this same easy one-skillet method, and they’re all delicious.

If you’d rather make Marsala chicken a different way, try my Instant Pot Marsala Chicken recipe instead!

Ingredients In This Chicken Marsala recipe

Here’s what you need to make this delicious and easy chicken dinner:

• Chicken: For this recipe, I’m using three large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to create thin cutlets that are quick to cook.
• Flour: Before searing the chicken in the pan, dredge it in flour. This gives the chicken a lovely crust and helps to thicken the pan sauce. Make this recipe gluten-free by leaving out the flour, or replacing it with gluten-free flour.
• Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms (aka baby bellas or chestnut mushrooms) are my favorite, but regular white button mushrooms work too.
• Olive Oil and Butter: To saute the chicken until it’s golden brown. I love the flavor that comes from using a little bit of both.
• Garlic: 3 cloves of garlic, freshly minced.
• Marsala Wine: Look for a dry Marsala wine at your grocery store or wine store. It should be fairly easy to find, but in case you can’t, try this recipe with dark sherry instead.
• Heavy Cream: This is known as double cream if you’re in the UK. This makes the marsala sauce nice and creamy. The cream also helps to balance the strong flavor of the marsala wine. Omit it (and the butter) if you prefer to make the recipe dairy-free.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Chicken Marsala

1. Season the Chicken: Season the chicken breast cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge them through flour to coat. Shake off any excess.
2. Pan Sear: In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt one tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165°F/74°C with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm.
3. Cook the Mushrooms: In the same skillet, melt a bit more butter, add the mushrooms, and season with salt. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 3 minutes or until tender.

4. Make the Sauce: Add the garlic to the mushrooms and saute just until it’s fragrant. Add the marsala wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a spoon. Simmer and reduce the wine by half. Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
5. Serve: Return the chicken to the marsala sauce. Cook for 1 more minute to re-warm it, then remove from the heat. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with your favorite side dishes.

Recipe Tips

• Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Overcooked chicken is dry and tough. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the cutlets as they’re cooking, and remove them when they’ve reached 165°F/74°C.
• Deglazing the pan is key to the big, rich flavor in this dish. All of those brown bits at the bottom of the pan are packed with deliciousness, and you don’t want to leave them out of the marsala wine sauce.
• Use a stainless steel or ceramic-coated skillet to make this recipe. Cast iron is not ideal for reducing sauces like this one, as it can hold on to previously cooked flavors.

Storing Tips

Leftovers of this chicken marsala recipe will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. You can reheat in the microwave or a small saucepan over low heat.

This recipe doesn’t freeze well, due to the cream in the sauce.

What To Serve With Chicken Marsala

Serve this chicken with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice. The sauce is wonderful over any of these starches. Cauliflower rice is a great lower-carb alternative too.

Recipe FAQs

What can I use instead of Marsala wine?

Marsala wine is the very thing that gives this dish its rich flavor, but if you can’t find it, you can try a substitute. In a pinch, Madeira or sherry will also work.

Is chicken marsala an Italian dish?

This chicken recipe is an Italian-American one. Maybe not exactly something that would be made in Italy now, but a chicken dish that was inspired by Italian cooking and of course Italian wine!

Can I make chicken marsala with chicken thighs?

You definitely can, but you may find that they take a bit longer to cook. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that they are fully cooked before moving on to the next step in the recipe.

More One Pan Chicken Dinner Recipes

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Easy Cream Cheese Chicken

Creamy Chicken Lazone

All Chicken Recipes →

This Chicken Marsala recipe is a restaurant-quality meal that you can make at home! You’re family is going to love this one, so be sure to save it for later.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 22 votes

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Chicken Marsala

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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Chicken Marsala with juicy pan-seared chicken breast, mushrooms, and the most amazing sauce cooked in a single skillet in less than 30 minutes.

4 Servings

Chicken Marsala with juicy pan-seared chicken breast, mushrooms, and the most amazing sauce cooked in a single skillet in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt divided
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 6 tablespoons (50 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
• ▢ 8 ounces (225 g) cremini mushrooms sliced thick
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ¾ cup (180 ml) Marsala wine
• ▢ ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)

Instructions

• Season chicken with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly.
• Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside
• In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter, add the mushrooms and season with ½ teaspoon salt, cook and stir regularly for 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and saute for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the marsala wine, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer and reduce the wine by half.
• Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Return the chicken to the sauce to rewarm it, cook for 1 more minute then remove from heat. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve.

Notes:

• Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Overcooked chicken is dry and tough. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the cutlets as they’re cooking, and remove them when they’ve reached 165°F/74°C.
• Deglazing the pan is key to the big, rich flavor in this dish. All of those brown bits at the bottom of the pan are packed with deliciousness, and you don’t want to leave them out of the marsala wine sauce.
• Use a stainless steel or ceramic-coated skillet to make this recipe. Cast iron is not ideal for reducing sauces like this one, as it can hold on to previously cooked flavors.
• Leftovers of this chicken marsala recipe will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. You can reheat in the microwave or a small saucepan over low heat. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 490kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 120mg, Sodium: 701mg, Potassium: 676mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 857IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen