Simple yet elegant, rich and flavorful, Chicken Marsala is a delicious dish for family or guests.
If you are looking for a spectacular dish that looks and tastes luxurious but is simple to make, you’ve come to the right place. Chicken Marsala, a classic dish served across the U.S.A., is a favorite of home cooks because the preparation is easy, but the flavors (umami!) and textures (velvety sauce, crispy cutlets) check all the boxes of a restaurant-quality entrée.
Although it was invented in Italy, Chicken Marsala is rarely served there now and is considered an Italian-American dish. But given its rich wine-based sauce, it’s no surprise to learn that its origins include a strong French influence. Like a lot of classic dishes, the actual history of Chicken Marsala is a bit murky, but most historians agree on two things: First, French families living in Sicily in the 1800s were missing the dishes from their homeland that were made with gravy (versus southern Italian tomato-based sauces). The second part of the theory is that a Sicilian chef living with a French family created Chicken Marsala to honor the request; the dish has also been traced back to English families living in western Sicily (where Marsala wine is produced) during the same time period. Eventually, Sicilian immigrants brought the dish to the U.S., where it achieved great popularity.
It’s going to be really popular in your house, too. The thinly pounded chicken cutlets are dredged in flour and then pan-fried in butter and olive oil to achieve a wonderful flavor and a golden brown crust. Then, the mushrooms are cooked in the same pan, picking up the browned bits from the chicken and bringing the deep, earthy, umami flavor that only mushrooms can bring. And then the star—Marsala wine—provides the depth and the element of sweetness that characterize this dish. The addition of heavy cream at the end creates the richness this sauce is famous for and as the chicken warms in that sauce, it becomes perfectly moist and tender. This dish is one of the best chicken recipes you’ll ever make.
Since Chicken Marsala was invented in Italy, we should serve it with pasta, right? Well, sure, serving it over spaghetti is traditional, and delicious, but I’ve discovered that Baked Rice is a great base for this dish, too. Or whip up a batch of Garlic Rolls and don’t be shy about using them to sop up every last bit of incredible sauce.
What is Marsala Wine?
Marsala is a type of fortified wine, meaning that additional alcohol—usually brandy—is added during the wine-making process to give it a higher alcohol content and a longer shelf life. If the alcohol is added before fermentation, the Marsala will be sweeter; if it is added after, the Marsala will become drier, like the one we are using in our recipe for Chicken Marsala.
The best version of this dish uses the dry Marsala, but if you don’t have any, don’t despair! You can achieve a very similar flavor profile using Madeira or dry Sherry, both of which are also fortified wines. And if you don’t have those, you can use other wines that will give you a slightly different flavor profile. Try either a Pinot Noir, which is a lighter red and works really well with the mushrooms, or a full-bodied white, like a Chardonnay. But all that said, it’s worth it to purchase a bottle of dry Marsala because you can also drink it as an aperitif (before a meal to stimulate the appetite) or a digestif (after a meal (to aid in digestion). Because even dry Marsala brings some sweetness, you might even want to add it to some of your other favorite sauces, too.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
How to Make Chicken Marsala
Step 1: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.
Step 2: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside.
Step 3: In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until they are browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in the Marsala wine and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the heavy cream and return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Serve the chicken and sauce hot, garnished with additional herbs if desired.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Cooked and cooled Chicken Marsala can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (allow frozen Chicken Marsala to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating).
Is there a vegetarian version of this dish?
You can certainly make one! The easiest way to do this is to simply omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth (if you want even more umami, use mushroom bouillon dissolved in 1/2 cup of boiling water); sprinkle the sliced mushrooms with a bit of flour as soon as they hit the butter and olive oil in the pan, stir well to cook out the flour taste. Then just follow the recipe, and you’ll have a delicious mushroom marsala to serve over noodles or rice or whatever base you like.
Why do you have to use butter and olive oil?
Good question! The first answer has to do with the balance of flavor that is only achieved by using both. The second answer is that butter and olive oil have different smoke points: butter’s is lower than olive oil’s, which means it can burn faster. However, when you combine the two, you get the flavor from butter and the ability to cook the chicken at a higher heat without scorching.
Serving Suggestions
A dish like Chicken Marsala, which is so elegant and richly flavored, is also a beloved comfort food (thank you, Marsala sauce!). So, I love to serve it on top of other comfort foods, like Creamy Polenta or these Baked Mashed Potatoes, which add a wonderful tangy taste from the cream cheese. Plus, the crunchy top crust adds another layer of texture. Some of the best veggie sides to serve with this meal include simple Sauteed Broccoli or crunchy Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Italian restaurant menus are often organized according to the standard progression of courses, and it is really fun to recreate this tradition at home, too. Starting with the Antipasto, open your meal with Italian Fried Artichoke Hearts; for the Primo, or First Course, which is usually carbohydrate based, try this light and flavorful Pea and Lemon Risotto. Of course, your Secondi, the second course, is going to be showstopper Chicken Marsala (and Secondi often comes with a vegetable—Grilled Green Beans work beautifully here). Finally, the Dolce—dessert! Here, you can go light with something like Roasted Summer Berries or over the top with this spectacular Tiramisu Cake. Buon Appetito!
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until they are browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the Marsala wine and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Serve the chicken and sauce hot, garnished with additional herbs if desired.
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