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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I didn’t realize there was such a wide range of sweetness levels of Marsala. I purchased a bottle of Sperone with a sugar content of 36g/L and yours (Colombo) is only 20g/L. Will mine be too sweet for this dish?
Hi Kevin, it may be on the sweater side but it should still work well!
Do you think brandy could be substituted for Marsala?
I’ve made this before & wasn’t impressed with my results
Hi Steve, I have not tested that, but it may work! Here’s what one of my readers wrote: “Tip – rather than using Marsala you can substitute it as Marsala is basically a wine/brandy combo; use 3/4 cup dry white wine and 4 tsp brandy instead of Marsala.” I hope this helps.
This came out so delicious!! I could have drank the sauce alone.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely delicious! I wasn’t sure how it was going to taste since I am not a wine drinker and thought oh my goodness this one will probably overpower this dish but surprise surprise it does not at all. Easy Peezy to make and the brown mushrooms are absolutely delicious, this is the first time I have ever eaten brown mushrooms for sure on a scale of 1 to 10. This is got to be easy 12. I love your recipes and use them a lot in my cooking. I know the next dinner party I hold this is going to be my dish . Thank you so much.
Hi Candice! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for trying my recipe (as written). I am so glad you loved it.
Do you use the red Marsala? I’ve made it with the red and found it quite delicious, but thought perhaps you used the lighter color, as it’s drier (I think)….?
Hi Bev, we used dry marsala wine (not sweet). I have a photo of the exact wine in the recipe post.
Thanks so much! I usually just skip to your recipe and didn’t see that! Your dishes are worthy of licking the plate when finished!! 💞
I made this for my family and it was a hit! My son has requested it again for his birthday. I have tried several of your recipes and they are all delicious! Thank you!
Hi Colleen! I’m so glad you love my recipes. Thank you for sharing.
Love this recipe. Added chopped spinach and served over chicken fried rice. Turned out really good. Love all your recipes as they are easy to follow and taste wonderful.
Sounds delicious, Mary! I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
Thanks for another great recipe Natasha!! This Chicken Marsala is super easy to make and the taste is amazing!! I learned from my first trial that you definitely need to let the wine reduce or else your sauce is too runny, still good tho! lol I enjoy your posts & videos very much! Cheers to you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Renee! You’re so nice!
I’m too lazy to pound chicken. Can I just buy the thin chicken fillets at the grocery store and use that? And then continue to cook in the same method you mentioned? Or will cook time be different?
Hi Daisy, yes, if you’d like to, you can do that. To test for doneness and prevent overcooking, use an instant read thermometer and cook just until the chicken breast has reached a safe internal temperature of 165˚F.
Love this recipe! So much flavor. I added some homemade noodles and called it dinner.
Sounds delicious, Mia! Thank you for sharing with us.
Thank you again for a wonderful recipe. My wife and I tag team to make many of your recipes. It is so much fun working together. I will say again how your husband helps make your videos so amazing. You too are a GREAT team.
Hi Gary! You’re very welcome. I’m glad you enjoy them. Thank you for the kind words. 🙂
Hi Mrs. Kravchuck! When I made this it did not thicken as much as we would like it once it cooled down. Is there anything I could add next time to make it thicker?
The sauce shouldn’t be thick, but you can cook it down more to thicken it! I hope you give this another try soon!
Yum! Not one of your recipes has disappointed! Every single one I’ve made (and my mom too) has been exceptional. Beyond restaurant quality, so a huge praise to you!!
I want to make your chicken Marsala soon. I’ve bought the Marsala wine you used in the video, but I am wondering what you recommend serving it with. I’ve had many Chicken Marsala’s over the years and I’ve had it served with pasta, a side of pasta and marinade, mashed potatoes and roasted potatoes, but I’d like to know what your preference is for serving with your recipe. Thank you in advance!! ❤️
Hi Brooke! Thank you, that is so kind. This goes great with so many sides, but I sure do love this with mashed potatoes! 🙂
Could boneless pork chops be substituted for the chicken? I have made this with the chicken breasts and loved it and believe using pork would be just a good. Thanks
Hi Bob! That will work! Here’s what one of my readers wrote: “The very best Chicken Marsala I have had. Better than an Italian restaurant. I also have made this with thin sliced Veal and a Pork Tenderloin. AMAZING!!! One of my all time favorite dishes. Thank you so much Natasha!!”
Hi thx u for sharing your tasty recipes pls tell me what can I replace the wine with thx u
If you are not able to 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 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.
Looks delicious will definitely make it. All your recipes are worth trying. I enjoy watching you cook.
Thank you, Carol! So glad to hear that.
I don’t use any alcohol in my cooking. What can I use instead if the marsala?🙂
Hi Judy! Without it, it won’t taste the same. It’s what makes the recipe. You could try more broth/stock.
The alcohol cooks off just leaving the wonderful flavor of the marsala. It absolutely makes the dish.
Looks Delish!!!What dairy free milk can I use for the instead of cream?
Hi Rikki, I have not tested an alternative. You’ll have to experiment but you may be able to use a dairy-free heavy cream alternative such as coconut cream, or other. You could also leave it out and use a little more chicken stock if needed.
This is my go-to recipe for this chicken! I can’t mess it up! It always turns out delicious! My kids are going to be enjoying it tonight! Thanks for posting.
Hi Julia! I’m so glad this is a favorite. We love this recipe. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Simply the best chicken marsala recipe out there! So easy and delicious!
Hi Jamie! That’s great to hear. I’m so glad you love it.