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.
- 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.
- 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.
Pro Tip:
To test for doneness and prevent overcooking, use an instant-read thermometer and cook until the chicken breast reaches a safe internal temperature of 165˚F.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Ingredients
- 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
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Huge hit!! My boyfriend said it was the beat he has ever had and same here.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Hope!
Hello there! I am wanting to triple this recipe, what times do I need to tweet to make this perfect?
Hi Hope, if you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. I hope that helps!
My family love , love all your recipes. chicken Marsala , I make it like every month.
Thank you Natasha for all your recipes 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Hello Martha, I’m happy to know that you all love my recipes. I hope you and your family will love all the recipes that you will try for them!
I made this for dinner. It was Soooooo good. Wish I had more sauce. Everyone loved it! Thank you!!!!
Glad to hear that the recipe was a hit, Val! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Again your recipe is outstanding. So delicious! My sauce could have been thicker, but it still was great!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Debra! Thanks for sharing your review with us.
I’ve made the chicken Marsala a few times & we enjoyed it, however my husband likes more sauce. How can I make extra?
Hi Debbie, I assume that would work to make more sauce. Let me know how it goes if do give it a try!
This is one of my favorites. I also like a little more sauce, so I use 1 cup dry marsala wine and 1 cup chicken stock instead of 3/4 cup called for each in the recipe. In addition, I increase the heavy whipping cream by 1/8 cup. This doesn’t affect the seasonings but adds just the right amount of sauce for us.
Hi Elaine! I’m so glad to hear you love this recipe!
I just made the chicken marsala for dinner, we love it. I find the dry marsala wine works fine. Its delicious.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I have a family of 6 to cook for this recipe & all the recipes I have made of urs, which are alot of them, the whole family luvs, from shrimp tacos go feta bake ( we put chicken & asparagus), we luv plus I luv u videos, thank u for all ur time & delicious recipes
P.s.thank ur mom for the best peirogi’s, made them in mass for family & friends, alot of peirogis let me tell u, but fun & delicious!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Megean!
Might be a silly question. I’m not a big fan of wine. I made chicken Madeira before but I added a pinch of sugar. I’m wondering if I’d prefer the sweet wine vs dry.
Hi Jess, we prefer the sweet wine over the dry sauce. Reading through the comments it looks like our readers prefer the same.
Is there a non alcoholic substitute for Marsala wine that will provide close to the same flavor?
Hi Richard, if alcohol is a concern, most of the alcohol is cooked out in the pan so you just get the added flavor and the sauce ends up with an insignificant amount of alcohol. If you are looking to make it wine-free, you could just use more broth and boil that down, but the flavor profile wouldn’t be quite the same.
Hi, We had a family business that was 5 star and our chef Roberto was trained in france and made veal marsala using Sweet Marsala wine from Italy. I would buy it by the case and have it shipped. I really like sweet marsala better then the dry. Have you ever tried it with Sweet Marsala. Love your cooking . Thanks so much. God Bless you and your family.
Thanks for sharing, John. Sweet Marsala is meant to be used for dessert recipes and won’t work well so I usually use dry.
Thanks, if you get a chance please try the sweet, it is a much richer taste and let me know. Roberto made veal marsala with the sweet. not a lot so it is not over powering.
God Bless and thanks so much.
Joh, I have to agree with Natasha. I’ve eaten it at several restaurants, and they all use dry marsala with the exception of one, and I did not care for it at all. I would never make it with sweet marsala, but we all have different tastes and are all entitled to our opinion. Natasha’s chicken marsala is my favorite.
Hi Natasha – just a question. Why Dry and not Sweet Marsala?
Sweet Marsala is meant to be used 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.
I just made your Chicken Marsala for dinner! All I can say is fantastic! It was as good as I have ever had in a restaurant 🙂
Sounds perfect! That just made me smile, thanks for your good review, Michaela.
Can I use Holland House Marsala wine (cooking)? Its in the grocery store aisle by the oils and such. I Love all your recipes that I have tried and I’ve tried a lot!! Thank you so much!
Hi Beth, I haven’t tested that but I don’t typically recommend using anything labeled “cooking wine” since it can have preservatives and add-ins that can give an off-flavor. We source ours in Idaho at the local liquor store but some areas have them in grocery stores also, depending on your location.
Thank you so much for your response. I will buy a bottle of Marsala from our local liquor store or publix, thanks again for all of your amazing recipes!!
I love your cooking. Everything is so easy and delicious . Chicken Marsala is tonight’s dinner. Thank you Natasha.
I love so many of your recipes. Chicken Marsala is a wonderful recipe but the best have ever eaton was at the Villa Nova restaurant in Newport Beach California, the flavor was incredible, best ever using Sweet Marsala wine. I will never make it with the dry again.
Hi Terrie, I’m happy to know that you’ve been enjoying my recipes. Thanks for your good comments and feedback, I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try!
How would you increase this chicken marsala to serve 7 people?
Hi Pam, The serving size can be found at the beginning of the print-friendly recipe card (located at the bottom of the recipe post). Click on the red number of servings and slide it to the right to adjust for how many people you plan on serving.
Natasha, I made the Chicken Marsala for the first time last night. Your video was a great support. It was fun to cook with you. We’ve had it a few times in a restaurant and loved it. This turned out perfectly. Will be adding it to our favourites. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome Linday! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What kind of meat thermometer do you use?
Hi Karen, this is our go-to thermometer HERE. We absolutely love it!
Hello. So far I have made 3 of your recipes. All have been added to family meal planning. Thanks for the video. It makes it so much easier to do. You are a fabulous cook
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
How important is it that the wine is dry marsala? Would other dry whites work as well?
Hi James, it is very important. If you are not able to find Marsala wine, a Madeira wine would also work. If alcohol is a concern, most of the alcohol is cooked out in the pan so you just get the added flavor and the sauce ends up with an insignificant amount of alcohol. If you are looking to make it wine-free, you could just use more broth and boil that down, but the flavor profile wouldn’t be quite the same.
Natasha – thanks for your reply. I live in the UK, where dry Marsala is not easy to find; it is not carried by the biggest supermarket chain. So I used a dry sherry (a Spanish fortified wine that is much more common here). I served the dish with fresh tagliatelle and broccoli. The family and I loved it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, James!
Is there a non alcohlic substitute for Marsala Wine?
Hi Richard, if you are looking to make it wine-free, you could just use more broth and boil that down, but the flavor profile wouldn’t be quite the same.