Chicken Marsala
Ready to be wowed by a dinner recipe that seems fancy but is secretly so easy to make? Meet Chicken Marsala!
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish made with chicken cutlets that are lightly floured, browned and cooked in a Marsala wine sauce. Mushrooms are often added, bringing extra flavor to the sauce. The chicken is pounded thin to help it cook quickly and to make it especially tender. This chicken marsala is one of the best chicken recipes I’ve tried!
Chicken marsala is the perfect meal for serving to company or enjoying on a weeknight. You’ll love this recipe because:
- The flavor is outstanding.
- You can have it on your table in just over 30 minutes, making it ideal for a weeknight.
- It’s simple to make but the resulting dish will impress everyone at your table!
For more Italian favorites, try my Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken Piccata and Chicken Parmesan recipes next.
Chicken Marsala Recipe Ingredients
The ingredient list for this chicken marsala recipe is short and simple!
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: You will need either 4 small or 2 large chicken breasts. My grocery store sells thin-sliced chicken breasts, which are perfect. If using large chicken breasts you will need to slice them in half horizontally to make thin chicken cutlets.
- Salt & Pepper: To season the chicken.
- All-Purpose Flour: The chicken is lightly dredged in flour to create a golden brown crust. The flour also helps to thicken the sauce.
- Olive Oil & Butter: Olive oil is used to brown the chicken. Butter adds richness and flavor to the sauce.
- Cremini Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms are best in this dish. You can use white button mushrooms if that is all that you have on hand, but they will be a bit less flavorful.
- Garlic: For flavor!
- Marsala Wine: Marsala wine is a fortified wine from the Marsala region in Sicily. It can be dry or sweet. Dry Marsala wine is commonly used in savory dishes such as this chicken marsala, while sweet Marsala wine is used in Italian desserts. I highly recommend buying a bottle of Marsala wine to make this chicken marsala. You can substitute white wine, but the flavor of the finished dish won’t be quite the same.
- Chicken Broth: The broth is used along with the wine to make the sauce. I recommend using a low sodium chicken broth so that you can better control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Fresh Thyme: The flavor of fresh thyme pairs wonderfully with the mushrooms, garlic and Marsala sauce.
Recipe Variation
To make creamy chicken marsala, substitute heavy cream for half of the chicken broth in this recipe.
How to Make Chicken Marsala
Here is an overview of the steps to making chicken marsala. Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
- If your chicken breasts are large, slice them in half horizontally to make thin chicken cutlets. Pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. It is best to start with very thin chicken cutlets, so that they cook through quickly.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Then coat them with flour.
- Brown the chicken breasts in olive oil in a large skillet and then remove them to a clean plate.
- Add the butter and mushrooms to the pan. Cook until softened and golden brown. Then stir in the garlic.
- Stir in the Marsala wine, chicken broth and thyme. Simmer the sauce, stirring it often, until it reduces by almost half.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes to heat it through. The sauce will thicken up a bit more due to the flour on the chicken.
Then serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Chicken Marsala
Serve the chicken and Marsala sauce over mashed potatoes, polenta or pasta. On the side, I like to serve a fresh vegetable such as Roasted Green Beans, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Broccoli. An Italian Salad or Kale Salad also goes well with this easy dinner recipe.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftover chicken marsala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or place chicken and sauce in a covered dish and reheat in a 350° F oven until hot.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Baked Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 small (6 ounce) breasts or 2 large (12 ounce) breasts
- salt and black pepper
- â…“ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- â…” cup dry Marsala wine
- â…” cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- If using 2 large chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally to get 4 chicken cutlets. Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound to ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Coat each piece of chicken with the flour, gently shaking off any excess flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides, about 5-6 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through to 165° F. Remove chicken to a clean plate. If desired, tent with foil to keep warm.
- Add the butter and cremini mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the Marsala wine, chicken broth and thyme. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce reduces by almost half, about 3-4 minutes. (The sauce will thicken up more when you add the chicken back to the pan because of the flour on the chicken.)
- Return the chicken to the pan for about 2 minutes to warm through. Serve chicken with sauce, over mashed potatoes, pasta, polenta, or as desired.
Notes
- If your grocery store sells thin sliced chicken breasts, they are perfect for using in this recipe.
- To make the sauce creamy, substitute heavy cream for half of the chicken broth in this recipe.
- Store leftover chicken marsala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or place chicken and sauce in a covered dish and reheat in a 350° F oven until hot.
We absolutely love this recipe… The measurements are spot on! Of course I doubled the sauce to go over the pasta… I’m so happy I found your website, I plan on trying more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing.