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Chicken Marsala—a creamy, dreamy mushroom sauce with golden, juicy chicken breasts that rivals restaurant quality, all made right at home! This recipe is one of the most sought-after Italian inspired dishes alongside French Mustard Chicken and Chicken Cacciatore.
The best part? It’s incredibly quick and easy to whip up in your own kitchen. This tantalizing Italian Chicken Marsala recipe features extra sauce to generously coat your chicken and sides. Ideal for both weekend feasts and weeknight dinners, this is one chicken recipe you’ll find yourself making time and time again.
What Sets This Chicken Marsala Apart
This Americanized version of the traditional Italian Scaloppine is irresistibly addictive, making it a top choice in restaurants! It features golden, crispy, pan-fried chicken smothered in a creamy Marsala wine sauce filled with mushrooms and a punch of garlic. Every bite is a perfect blend of deep, robust flavors with a hint of sweetness, offering an unforgettable dining experience. Chicken Marsala isn’t just a meal; it’s a symphony of taste that promises to elevate your palate to new heights.
Creamy Chicken Marsala: Key Ingredients
It’s the harmony of key ingredients that brings this Italian-inspired classic to life. Let’s dive into the essential components that make this dish so special, similar to how the perfect blend of flavors makes Chicken Marsala a favorite.
- Marsala Wine: Marsala wine, a fortified wine from Sicily, is the heart of Chicken Marsala. Its deep amber hue and complex flavor profile add unparalleled depth and richness to the sauce. Go for dry Marsala for a savory taste, or sweet Marsala for a touch of dessert-like charm.
- Chicken Breasts: Select high-quality, boneless, skinless chicken breasts for that tender, juicy bite. Pound them thin for even cooking, season generously, and dredge in flour before pan-frying to create a golden crust that perfectly complements the rich Marsala sauce. For another delicious chicken dish, check out my Creamy Chicken With Herbs, which also features tender chicken breasts cooked to perfection.
- Cremini or Brown Mushrooms: Cremini (baby bellas) or brown mushrooms provide an earthy, robust flavor that pairs beautifully with Marsala wine. Their firmer texture and intense taste add depth and a satisfying bite. They’re so delightful they could easily stand alone as a dish, much like these Garlic Mushrooms. Slice them thin and sauté until golden-brown to enhance the sauce’s richness.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Chicken Marsala, flexibility is key. If you don’t have Marsala wine on hand, don’t worry—there are plenty of delicious alternatives that can keep the flavors vibrant and satisfying:
- Dry Madeira Wine: A cousin to Marsala, Dry Madeira Wine offers a robust flavor and a touch of sweetness that will elevate your sauce beautifully.
- Sherry: Dark sherry brings a rich, nutty essence to the dish. It’s a fantastic substitute that mimics the depth of Marsala.
- Port (1/2 cup): For a sweeter twist, try using Port. Its fruity profile adds a unique dimension to the sauce. Remember to use sparingly to maintain balance.
- Red Vermouth: Red vermouth introduces a blend of botanicals and slight sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the earthy mushrooms.
- Dry White Wine With Brandy: Mix 3/4 cup of dry white wine with 2-3 teaspoons of brandy. This combination replicates the depth and complexity of Marsala, with a warm finish.
Chicken Marsala: Step-By-Step
Ready to create a luscious Easy Creamy Chicken Marsala? Follow these simple steps with images to guide you through the process. You’ll achieve a rich, velvety chicken dish with the deep, savory flavors of Marsala wine and mushrooms that’s sure to impress and comfort.
- Mix the flour, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off excess.
- Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry each chicken breast until golden-brown (3-4 minutes per side). Transfer to a warm plate, cover with foil, and keep warm.
*Pro Tip: We use a combination of oil and butter to fry the chicken, ensuring the best golden-brown results and delicious flavor.
- Melt some more butter in the same pan with the remaining pan grease from the chicken. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 2-3 minutes until browned, scraping any leftover chicken bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir frequently to prevent burning and evenly distribute the flavor throughout the mushrooms. The aroma will indicate it’s ready. This step builds a robust, aromatic base for the sauce.
- Pour in the Marsala and the broth and simmer until reduced by half and starting to thicken (about 10-15 minutes).
- Pour in the cream and return the chicken to the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens (about 3 minutes). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. The sauce will continue to thicken off the heat.
*Pro Tip: Cook the sauce in the same pan used for the chicken. Don’t discard any chicken bits left in the pan—they add loads of flavor to the sauce! Scrape them up while the mushrooms release their liquid.
If you’re craving more Italian-inspired recipes, we’ve got you covered! How about trying the Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Piccata or diving into a bowl of Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp Alfredo? Both dishes are packed with rich, delightful flavors.
Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with an all-time favorite: Mama’s Best Lasagnas or classic Chicken Parmigianas. These evergreen recipes will satisfy your Italian cuisine cravings any day of the week.
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely! While cremini and brown mushrooms are ideal for their robust flavor, you can use white button mushrooms as a substitute. They have a milder taste but will still work well in the dish.
To keep the chicken tender, pound it to an even thickness for consistent cooking. Avoid overcooking, and tent it with foil to keep warm and moist until serving.
Definitely! You can use a non-dairy creamer as a substitute for heavy cream. Just keep in mind that this might slightly alter the flavor of the sauce.
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Chicken Marsala Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 2 boneless chicken breasts skinless, halved horizontally to make 4 fillets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
Marsala Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter as needed
- 8 ounces brown mushrooms or Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or stock
- 3/4 cup heavy cream thickened cream, evaporated milk or half and half may also be used
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off excess.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch pan or skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry 2 of the chicken breasts until golden-brown on both sides (about 3 to 4 minutes per side). Transfer to warm plate, tent with foil and keep warm. Repeat the same with the remaining 2 chicken breasts.
- In the same pan with remaining pan grease leftover from the chicken, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms and for 2-3 minutes until browned, scraping away at any of the leftover chicken bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the Marsala and the broth and simmer until reduced by half and starting to thicken, (about 10-15 minutes).
- Pour in the cream and return the chicken back into the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens (about 3 minutes). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. (The sauce will continue to thicken off the heat.)
- Serve over cooked angel hair pasta (or pasta of choice), rice, potatoes, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles, if desired.
Notes
- You will need 4 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless). Place one chicken breast in between sheets of plastic wrap (or in a ziplock bag) and use a flat side of a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound and flatten to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Set the flattened chicken breast aside and repeat with remaining breasts.
- **If using half and half, be careful not to bring your sauce to a rapid boil or it may curdle.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow! Tried it tonight … with Sherry instead of Marsala. The whole family loved it. Thank you for the great recipe! 🙂
through the photos I find them delicious recipes, but is it recommended for sports? when?
I just made this and it turned out amazing. I used half and half but it didn’t quite thicken up to my liking. I whisked some flour with broth and added it before I added the chicken to the sauce and it was perfect.
This dish came out amazing. I’ve made chicken Marsala in the past but this is by far the BEST recipe. Takes little time also. Will make again!!!
Amazing recipe thanks! I used white mushrooms and it was still as yummy!!
do you think the sauce could be frozen and applied to freshly cooked chicken?
This is a very easy and very delicious recipe. I served over cauliflower rice. I feel silly commenting because my absolute *biggest* pet peeve is when people comment on a recipe by saying all the things they did differently or substituted. It’s like… “just make the freaking recipe as written first!” Haha! But here is my hypocrisy: In my case I am newly allergic to wheat, so I didn’t dredge the chicken, but just sprinkled it with salt, pepper and garlic salt before frying. Other than that – I followed it exactly and it was perfect. Thank you so much for a DETAILED recipe with all needed info and time frames. I appreciate how thorough you are with instructions. Nothing worse than a vague recipe! 😀 A++
Loved it, though maybe not Quite as much as your creamy sundried tomato and parmesan chicken! Next time I’ll only add the pepper at the end, to taste, and I found I had to add a bit of cornflour to thicken the sauce even after adding the chicken back in.
Only thing I’d say is that slicing the chicken fillets doesn’t have the same tenderising effect as pounding chicken.
I used the rest of the flour mixture from the chicken breading to thicken the sauce. If you stir it into the mushroom sautee mixture after the mushrooms are cooked, you can slowly add the chicken brother and it makes a nice smooth thicker sauce.
I did the same exact thing and the sauce turned out perfect!
This is a perfect recipe! Chicken Marsala at restaurants is way over priced and I rarely order anymore. The cream sauce is amazing. I’m horrible at cooking chicken and the recommendation to split the breast made the chicken edible from this cook. I am allergic to mushrooms so I substituted with beef broth and shallots. I want to try making with shrimp instead of chicken and onions as another mushroom substitute. The cost was about $6 in ingredients and it was easily two meals.
OMG OMG I just made this recipe!!!!!!! This recipe is so GOOD!!! My words wouldn’t even explain it properly. This will be a dish I’ll be taking to all the pot lucks.
Can this be put into a crock pot??
I Would not recommend that the chicken breast will dry up and not be as tender. It will become more like pulled chicken, like pulled pork in crock pot.. The crock pot won’t give same effect of taste quality as you have when on stove top. Most recipes you can get away with in a crockpot. I’ve tried it out of curiosity lol. I’m picky when it comes to certain Italian dishes and this one def don’t entertain it in a crock pot you will be majorly disappointed lol. As for those questioning about using sour cream it changes entire flavor resembling a little that of stragonof however, the Marsala wine will throw it off in flavor. I’d. Honestly follow the recipe exactly as written and you can always thicken the sauce as you go to your liking. I use this recipe constantly and it’s my absolute favorite nothing else has come close to this. I’m Italian and there are many variations to this dish this one is easier and better in taste. You just can’t go wrong with this recipe!
This recipe was absolutely delicious! Made it for a thanksgiving get together. Will definitely be making it again!
Thanks for this! My son in law loves this dish so much so it was one of the protein options at his and my daughters wedding needless to say it was just awful just chicken and mushrooms no sauce at all! The caterer said she forgot it OMG really! Well I made this for him last night and he loved it!! Thanks so much!
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