Chicken Marsala Recipe (VIDEO)

Chicken Marsala is an Italian classic with juicy pan-seared chicken in a creamy and savory marsala wine sauce. You can easily re-create this restaurant-quality Chicken Marsala from the comfort of your own kitchen. You will only hope for leftovers after making this dish. This is a dish that my entire family loves!

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We love recreating our favorite restaurant recipes. Some of our best copycat recipes include Zuppa Toscana inspired by Cheesecake Factory, Chili’s-inspired Cajun Chicken Pasta and Monetery Chicken, and Shrimp Pasta from Olive Garden. They can be made at a fraction of the price, are often healthier, and are great crowd-pleasers. This Chicken Marsala recipe is no exception.

Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe

It’s easier than you think to re-create this classic Italian-American Chicken Marsala. It’s such a special dish for Valentine’s Day or a date night in, but it’s also a dish my children love.

This chicken marsala is great served up with some Creamy Mashed Potatoes or even pasta with a side of Roasted Asparagus or Caesar Salad. Serve this to your dinner guests and they will always be impressed. P.S. This recipe is easy to scale and can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. Watch the video tutorial below and you will be a pro in no time.

Chicken Marsala Video

I hope this Chicken Marsala recipe becomes a new favorite chicken dinner for you. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel to see all of our new videos.

What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is made of thin chicken cutlets that are pan-seared and served in a creamy and flavorful mushroom wine sauce. Marsala wine originated in western Sicily, Italy, back in the 1700s. While chicken marsala itself might not be found in many restaurants in Italy, it is an Italian-inspired dish. It can be found in many Italian restaurants here in the US. Traditionally, it’s made without adding cream, so it’s optional, but I love adding it.

Marsala Chicken Ingredients

This Italian-American dish is made with simple ingredients. Be sure to source the right Marsala wine (see tips below):

• Chicken breast – 2 large chicken breasts cut in half will make 4 cutlets (you can also substitute with 1 1/4 lbs of chicken tenders).
• Flour, salt, and pepper – for dredging the chicken
• Olive oil and butter – combining olive oil and butter adds rich flavor to the sauce and prevents the butter from burning since the oil has a higher smoke point.
• Mushrooms – give depth and flavor to the creamy sauce. I would argue that mushrooms are a key ingredient, but if you must substitute, you could sautee/ caramelize some sliced fresh onion instead to compensate for lost flavor.
• Onion powder and garlic – add great flavor while keeping the sauce smooth.
• Marsala wine sauce – is made up of dry marsala wine, chicken stock, and heavy whipping cream. The cream is optional, but it adds a lovely richness to the sauce. Also, make sure to use a DRY Marsala wine for authentic flavor (more on that below).

How to Make Chicken Marsala

You’ll love how this recipe comes together in one skillet. We call this the ‘dish factor,’ and I am all about washing fewer dishes.

1. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 even cutlets. Place between plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or heavy saucepan to pound to an even 1/3″ thickness. Season chicken all over with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, dredge in flour (shaking off the excess), then set aside.
2. Heat a large non-reactive pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Once butter and oil are hot, add dredged chicken in a single layer and saute until golden and cooked through; about 3-4 minutes per side (don’t overcook). Cook the chicken in batches if your skillet is too small. Set chicken aside and tent with foil to keep warm.

3. Add mushrooms and saute until excess liquid from mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms are golden brown (5 min). Stir in 1/2 tsp onion powder and 2 minced garlic cloves and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Add 3/4 cup marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Increase the heat and cook until mostly reduced down (4-5 min), then add 3/4 cup chicken stock, and while stirring, add 1/2 cup heavy cream in a steady stream. Lower the heat to keep at a simmer and continue to simmer the sauce for another 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season sauce with salt to taste. I added 1/4 tsp salt.
5. Return chicken to pan and sprinkle the tops with 2 Tbsp parsley. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and keep on the heat until heated through (about 2 minutes). The sauce will thicken more as it cools.

What is the Best Wine for Chicken Marsala?

Use dry marsala wine, NOT sweet marsala. Sweet Marsala is meant for dessert recipes and won’t work well. If your grocery store doesn’t sell liquors, you can find marsala at your local liquor store. The first time I made Chicken Marsala was with sweet wine, and I took a long pause from the dish after that, only to discover I was using the wrong wine! It’s surprising how many recipes don’t specify this critical detail.

Can I Substitute the Marsala Wine?

If you cannot find Marsala wine, a Madeira wine would also work, as we used in our Chicken Madeira. If alcohol is a concern, most of the alcohol is cooked out in the pan, so you get the added flavor, and the sauce ends up with an insignificant amount of alcohol. If you want to make it wine-free, you could use more broth and boil that down, but the flavor profile wouldn’t be the same.

Is it necessary to pound out the chicken?

It is important to pound the chicken cutlets for several reasons. Pounding your chicken to even thicknesses ensures they will get cooked evenly. It also helps break down the chicken’s fibers, making it extra tender. If you are protesting this step, you can save some prep time using chicken tenders instead.

Tips for the Best Chicken Marsala

When cooking with wine, the acidity and alcohol combined with cream may cause the sauce to clump or separate if you change the recipe or process. Follow these tips to help prevent that from happening to your sauce:

• Avoid light cream or “half & half,” which doesn’t play well with wine and can curdle.
• Use a non-reactive skillet when cooking with acidic ingredients. Some good options include enameled cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic-coated cookware.
• Stir the sauce while slowly adding the cream.
• Keep the sauce at a simmer after adding the cream and avoid a rapid boil.

Storing Chicken Marsala

Leftovers of Chicken Marsala keep well, and in general, anytime you have chicken in a creamy sauce, it reheats well without having that ‘reheated chicken flavor.’ After absorbing the flavors for a day or two, the chicken will taste even better.

• To Store – Once the dish is made, let it cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. According to the USDA, cooked chicken should be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
• Reheating – As a rule of thumb, you should reheat food using the same method it was cooked. Transfer the chicken to a skillet and reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warm. Do not boil, or the chicken will overcook, and the sauce may separate.

More Chicken Dinner Recipes

If you loved this Chicken Marsala recipe, you should check out some of our other delicious chicken dinners:

• Chicken Parmesan
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken
• Spatchcock Chicken
• Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Honey Garlic Chicken
• Greek Chicken Bowls

Chicken Marsala Recipe

4.98 from 535 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Easy restaurant-style Chicken Marsala made from the comfort of your own kitchen. This recipe features pan-fried juicy chicken topped with a creamy marsala wine sauce.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Servings: 4 people

• 1 1/4 lbs chicken breast, (2 large), or chicken tenders
• 1/2 tsp salt , or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 8 oz brown button mushrooms, halved or thickly sliced if very large
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup dry marsala wine, (not sweet)
• 3/4 cup chicken stock, reduced-sodium
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

• Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 even cutlets. Place between plastic wrap and pound until 1/3" thick. Season chicken all over with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, dredge in flour (shaking off the excess) and then set aside.
• Heat a large non-reactive, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Once butter and oil are hot, add dredged chicken and saute until golden and cooked through; about 3-4 minutes per side or just until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F on an Instant-read thermometer. Set chicken aside and tent with foil to keep warm.
• Add more oil to the pan if needed along with mushrooms and saute until excess liquid from mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms are golden brown (5 min). Stir in 1/2 tsp onion powder and 2 minced garlic cloves and saute another 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Add 3/4 cup marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat and cook until mostly reduced down (4-5 min) then add 3/4 cup chicken stock and while stirring add 1/2 cup heavy cream in a steady stream. Lower the heat to keep at a simmer and continue to simmer and reduce sauce another 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season sauce with 1/4 tsp salt or season to taste.
• Return chicken to pan and sprinkle the tops with 2 Tbsp chopped parsley. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and keep on the heat until heated through and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency (2 minutes). Keep in mind, the sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Nutrition Per Serving

449kcal Calories12g Carbs35g Protein25g Fat11g Saturated Fat140mg Cholesterol538mg Sodium817mg Potassium1g Fiber2g Sugar736IU Vitamin A6mg Vitamin C36mg Calcium2mg Iron

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Marsala Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

449

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

25

g

38

%

Saturated Fat

 

11

g

69

%

Cholesterol

 

140

mg

47

%

Sodium

 

538

mg

23

%

Potassium

 

817

mg

23

%

Carbohydrates

 

12

g

4

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

2

g

2

%

Protein

 

35

g

70

%

Vitamin A

 

736

IU

15

%

Vitamin C

 

6

mg

7

%

Calcium

 

36

mg

4

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: chicken marsala

Skill Level: Easy/Medium

Cost to Make: $$

Calories: 449