Chicken Marsala
This Chicken Marsala is made with thin, golden chicken cutlets and plenty of mushrooms simmered in a rich Marsala cream sauce, then served with simple buttered pasta to soak up every bit of the sauce.
Chicken Marsala was easily one of my favorite dinners I made this week. The kids absolutely loved it too, and requested that I make it more often! It tastes amazing, makes you feel like a chef, and it’s actually pretty easy to make. The biggest thing I learned while making it is not to rush the sauce. Giving the Marsala, chicken stock, and cream plenty of time to simmer and reduce makes such a difference. The sauce becomes rich and flavorful, and when you add the chicken back into the skillet at the end, it soaks up all that goodness. I made a big batch because I would always rather have a little leftover than have anyone wishing there was more!
Main Ingredients & Swaps
- Chicken breasts: I slice the chicken breasts horizontally into thin cutlets and then pound them even thinner. This helps them cook quickly while staying tender.
- Mushrooms: This recipe uses a lot of mushrooms, and that’s intentional. They cook down quite a bit and add so much savory flavor to the sauce.
- Marsala cooking wine: This is what gives Chicken Marsala its signature flavor. It also helps loosen all the flavorful browned bits left in the skillet after cooking the chicken and mushrooms. Note: I used Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine, which contains added salt. If you’re using regular Marsala wine instead, you may need to add a little more salt to taste.
- Chicken stock: I use a generous amount because the sauce gets plenty of time to reduce. A flavorful chicken stock makes a noticeable difference here.
- Heavy cream: This makes the Marsala sauce rich and creamy without overpowering the other flavors.
- Fresh thyme: Thyme pairs perfectly with the mushrooms and creamy Marsala sauce.
- Fresh Parsley: Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over the finished dish for a garnish, it’s the perfect addition.
How I Make Chicken Marsala
First, I slice the chicken breasts horizontally and gently pound them to about 1/4 inch thick. Getting the chicken nice and thin helps it cook quickly in the skillet and keeps it tender. I lightly dredge each piece in seasoned flour and sear it in a mixture of butter and olive oil for just a few minutes on each side. You don’t need to completely cook the chicken at this point because it will finish cooking in the sauce later.
Since this is a large batch, I cook the chicken in batches and add more butter and olive oil whenever the skillet starts looking dry. If the butter gets too dark or starts burning, I wipe out the skillet and start fresh rather than letting that burnt flavor get into the finished sauce. Once the chicken is done, the mushrooms go into the skillet and cook over fairly high heat until they’re deeply browned. Then I add onion, garlic, and fresh thyme. Marsala goes in next, followed by chicken stock and heavy cream.
Now comes the important part: let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. I give the sauce plenty of time to reduce so it becomes concentrated, creamy, and flavorful. Once it has reduced significantly, I add the chicken back into the skillet and let everything simmer together until the chicken is cooked through.
For Serving
I like to serve this with Vermicelli or Angel Hair Pasta. This pasta from 3 Farm Daughters was truly spectacular with this dish. I cooked the pasta in salted water, then tossed it with 1 tbsp butter and drizzled extra Marsala sauce over each dish while serving.
Tips & Storage
- Pound the chicken fairly thin and evenly so every piece cooks at roughly the same rate.
- Don’t overcrowd your skillet. Cooking the chicken in batches gives you much better browning.
- Keep an eye on the butter while searing the chicken. If it starts burning, clean out the skillet before continuing.
- Give the sauce time to reduce. This is probably the biggest difference between a thin, bland Marsala sauce and one that tastes rich and concentrated.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently so the chicken doesn’t dry out, adding a small splash of chicken stock if the sauce has become too thick.
Watch Me Make It
You can watch me make this Chicken Marsala in my full week of meals video on YouTube. I walk through the entire process, including how thin I pound the chicken, how I cook it in batches, and what the sauce should look like once it has reduced.
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
Notes
- This is a large batch recipe and makes about 8 to 10 servings.
- The chicken only needs to develop a golden crust during the initial sear. It will finish cooking when it is returned to the sauce.
- If your skillet becomes too hot and the butter starts burning while cooking the chicken, wipe it clean and start again before cooking the next batch.
- Don’t rush the Marsala sauce. Allowing the stock, wine, and cream plenty of time to simmer and reduce gives it a much richer flavor.
- A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette is a great side for this meal.
Method
- Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into thin cutlets. Place the chicken in a plastic bag or between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly dredge each piece of chicken in the flour and shake off the excess. Place the floured chicken on a rack over a sheet pan to keep it dry while you prep the rest.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stainless steel skillet over medium high to high heat. Working in batches, sear the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked yet. Transfer to a platter and continue with the remaining chicken, adding additional butter or olive oil as needed. If the butter begins to burn, carefully wipe the skillet clean and start fresh before continuing.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet, followed by the mushrooms. Cook over fairly high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are deeply browned. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened. Add the garlic and fresh thyme and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the Marsala and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes, then add the chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or longer, until the sauce has reduced significantly and become rich and flavorful. Taste and add additional salt if needed.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes, spooning the sauce over the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Serve the chicken with buttered vermicelli pasta and spoon plenty of mushrooms and Marsala sauce over both the chicken and pasta.
Video
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