Chicken Marsala
This chicken Marsala features ultra-tender chicken and buttery, browned mushrooms in a satiny Marsala wine cream sauce. The iconic dish may seem retro, but this recipe is so dreamy, it’s worth adding to your regular dinner rotation, especially because it’s easy, family-friendly, and ready in about 25 minutes.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
What is the origin of chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala is a marriage of the classic French pan sauce technique and Italian ingredients, namely Marsala wine from Sicily. Seems French residents and chefs living in Sicily in the 19th century combined Italian-style chicken scallopine with a French-style pan sauce reduction, and the sauce was made with local fortified wine (Marsala wine). Today, the dish is more closely associated with Italian-American cuisine because the formula was brought to America by Sicilian immigrants.
Ingredients needed for chicken Marsala
- Chicken. This recipe calls for 4 thin chicken breasts, and you can choose how to purchase the chicken. I like to buy thin-sliced chicken breasts that are about 4 ounces each. Once home, I pound the chicken thin, to ¼-inch thickness, to ensure even cooking. If desired, you may purchase two larger chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each) and halve them through the middle to create 4 thin cutlets. I suggest you still pound each piece to ¼-inch thickness to guarantee that it cooks evenly from end to end.
- Flour. A light dusting of all-purpose flour on the chicken creates a beautiful browned crust once pan-seared. The flour also acts as a thickener when the chicken is added back to the pan to simmer in the sauce.
- Seasoning. A simple sprinkling of salt and black pepper is all you need to season the chicken.
- Olive oil and butter. Both olive oil and butter are used to sear the chicken, and butter is used to sauté the mushrooms. Butter adds great flavor and the olive oil has a higher smoke point; the high smoke point means you can cook the butter at a higher temperature without scorching it. Pro tip: You may use salted or unsalted butter, but choose a good quality product for the best flavor.
- Mushrooms. I prefer cremini mushrooms for this recipe because they have a deeper, richer flavor when compared to button mushrooms. When shopping, cremini mushrooms may also be labeled baby bella, baby portobello, or Swiss brown. If desired, you may use button mushrooms instead.
- Shallot and garlic. Shallot and garlic are used as the aromatics in this dish, and they add savory elements to the sauce.
- Chicken broth. Chicken broth makes up one third of the sauce, so choose one with good flavor. You may use regular or reduced sodium.
- Marsala wine. Marsala wine is a fortified wine from the Marsala region of Sicily and it delivers unrivaled sweet, nutty, and caramelized notes to the sauce. Its flavor is unmatched and, because it’s not too dry and not too sweet, it’s quite popular for culinary applications. That said, if you need a substitute for it, try Madeira wine or an amber-colored sherry. Pro tip: I strongly suggest buying dry (secco) Marsala wine from the wine section of your favorite retailer. The Marsala cooking wine sold in the condiment section of the grocery store will not deliver the same complex flavors and may, in fact, ruin the dish.
- Heavy cream. Heavy cream transforms the liquids in pan into a rich, velvety sauce. If desired, you may substitute half and half.
- Parsley. Fresh parsley adds a pop of color and fresh flavor and is used as a garnish before serving. If desired, you may use fresh thyme leaves or chopped fresh basil instead.
Pro tips for this chicken Marsala
- Make sure your chicken is thin. Thinner chicken breasts cook quickly and more evenly. Whether you use thin-sliced chicken or chicken breasts that you have halved, pound the pieces to an even ¼-inch thickness before cooking.
- Use a stainless-steel pan if possible. Stainless steel pans produce the best color for this chicken as they ensure adequate browning. A nonstick pan will work, but you may not achieve the same caramelization of the chicken and mushrooms.
- Don’t crowd the pan. For nicely browned chicken and mushrooms, use a large skillet so the food isn’t crowded in the pan. If the pan is overcrowded, the chicken and mushrooms will steam instead of sear.
What should you serve with chicken Marsala?
This chicken and mushrooms in this dish are braised in a luxurious Marsala cream sauce. The sauce is so flavorful and satiny, you’ll want to enjoy every drop. For that reason, I suggest serving the dish with something to soak up the sauce, and great options include rice, polenta, mashed potatoes, pasta, buttered noodles, and couscous. Adding warm bread on the side is also a nice accompaniment, and great choices include artisan loaves of sourdough, French, and Italian. Round out the meal with a crisp green salad and/or steamed or roasted vegetables.
Storage and leftovers
Once cool, transfer your chicken Marsala to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It’s possible to freeze leftover chicken Marsala in an airtight container for up to 3 months, just note that the mushrooms may soften and the sauce may separate slightly. It’s still a fine meal to eat, but the texture may change. When frozen, thaw chicken Marsala overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat chicken Marsala, transfer the chicken and sauce to a large skillet and reheat over medium-low heat, covered, until hot all the way through, adding a little water or broth if necessary to loosen the sauce. You may also reheat chicken Marsala in the microwave, checking often to prevent overheating and uneven hot spots.
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 4 4-ounce thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts halved through the middle to make 4 cutlets
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 8 ounces mushrooms, preferably cremini
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallots, about 1 large or 2 small shallots
- ⅔ cup chicken broth, regular or reduced-sodium
- ⅔ cup dry (secco) Marsala wine
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the chicken cutlets between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, parchment paper, or in a gallon freezer bag, in a single layer.
- Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken to an even thickness, about ¼-inch thick, being careful not to smash the chicken.
- Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Coat the chicken with the flour and shake off excess flour.
- Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches to prevent crowding, add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate (the chicken does not need to be cooked through; it will continue cooking in the sauce).
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan and set the pan over medium-high heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and cook until soft and browned (using a large skillet will prevent the mushrooms from crowding and they will brown better).
- Add the shallot and garlic cook for 3 minutes, until soft.
- Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper.
- Add the broth and Marsala wine to the pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the cream.
- Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, darkens, and reduces by about half, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices on the plate.
- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly more, about 3 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.