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A much-loved chicken recipe popularized by Italian-Americans, chicken marsala is tender chicken breasts bathing in a rich and glossy marsala wine sauce with golden mushrooms. A restaurant quality dish, worthy of white tablecloths, that can be put together in 25 minutes and enjoyed by the whole family.
If you don’t cook with wine but love a chicken and mushroom flavour combination, my chicken with garlic mushroom sauce will deliver! Just check the recipe notes to make the wine substitution.
Marsala wine is the standout ingredient in this recipe, so if you don’t cook with alcohol, this one is probably not for you! Although wine is obviously alcoholic in its store-bought form, the alcohol evaporates during cooking so there is no bitter boozy taste.
Only the wine’s flavourings remain, and it is safe for children. This recipe has always gone down well with mine!
What is Chicken Marsala?
The dish consists of tender chicken breasts swimming in a slightly sweet and deliciously savoury Marsala sauce with a distinct earthy flavour of chestnut mushrooms.
The dish is a combination of French techniques and Italian ingredients, notably the Marsala wine, which comes from a Sicilian city of the same name. French residents of Sicily wanted a dish they recognised, and chicken marsala was created to meet this need.
That was a couple of centuries ago, though, and the dish is now mostly associated with Italian-American cooking. Brought over and popularised by the many immigrants from Sicily, it is now a mainstay found in countless restaurants.
Although a bit retro, it’s a dish worth rediscovering. We all love a tender piece of chicken, which is only improved by the hearty, rich Marsala sauce. It packs a flavourful punch that’s hard not to love.
Chicken in marsala wine
Just to be clear, we are talking Marsala wine, not masala spice! That’s a whole other blog! Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily, its roasted nuttiness and toffee notes are what give this Italian chicken recipe its unique, unforgettable flavour profile.
Adhering to the traditional method, the best chicken marsala recipe will tenderise chicken breasts with a meat mallet for melt-in-the-mouth softness. It will then seal them by lightly frying inside a flour coating for ultimate succulence.
The sauce is made with sweet shallots, earthy mushrooms and of course, Marsala wine. The result is an oaky, burnt caramel-flavoured gravy in which to further simmer the chicken.
Flavour making tips
Marsala wine is both sweet and acidic, so the addition of mushrooms roots the dish in earthiness. I’ve used chestnut mushrooms in this recipe as they were available to me at the time.
However, be daring! Get wild with your mushrooms and choose something you wouldn’t usually, it will bolster the flavour impact.
You can stick with chestnut, like me, or packs of mixed mushrooms can be bought from big supermarkets. Or select one or two interesting looking ones; fruity chanterelles and woodsy porcini are my absolute favourites and contrast beautifully.
I’ve used delicate shallots in place of onions. I find they bring a welcome hint of garlic, you’ll notice that there isn’t any in this recipe as it clashes with the wine.
Marsala wine might be tricky to track down, but you can substitute with any other sweet and syrupy, fortified wine. You could use Madeira wine or an amber-coloured sherry, which will be neither too dry not too sweet.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I cut the chicken breasts in half lengthways and then pound them with a meat mallet. The thinner cutlets cook quicker and more evenly resulting in a super tender bite.
- Traditionally, the chicken breasts are dredged in flour. The coating does 3 things; turns the chicken a pleasant golden colour when fried; seals in the meat’s juiciness; creates a smooth consistency to the sauce.
- That being said, feel free to skip that step if you’re pushed for time.
- For caramel-coloured, slightly crisp mushrooms, don’t overcrowd the pan. Too many mushrooms cooking at once will steam them and leave them soggy and flavourless.
- Experiment with mushrooms! Be adventurous and try a new variety or two, mixing it up will greatly enhance the complexity of this dish.
- If you can’t source Marsala, don’t panic! You can easily substitute with Madeira (another fortified wine), or even a sweetish sherry.
- The original chicken marsala recipe doesn’t include cream and I haven’t in this one, but you totally can! 120ml / 1/2 cup will double the indulgence of this luscious dish.
Serving suggestions
Any of your favourite carbs will accompany chicken marsala; pasta, rice or mashed potatoes, herb and garlic mashed potatoes, especially. I like this dish with crunchy green vegetables too; lemon butter green beans or roasted Tenderstem broccoli with lemon garlic vinaigrette.
Or if you’re feeling fancy, honour your dinner guests with a decadent Italian multi-course meal:
Antipasto – bruschetta recipe trio
Primo – pasta e fagioli soup
Secondo – chicken marsala
Dolce – salted caramel affogato
Storage and leftovers
For the most succulent chicken and perfectly silken sauce, eat on the day. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a little water to loosen the sauce.
The simplest way to reheat the any leftovers is in a microwave, but I prefer using the stovetop. Add it to a pan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or stock to keep the sauce loose.
Cover with a lid or foil so it doesn’t dry out and let it heat for approximately 15 minutes or until it is hot enough to enjoy.
More recipes with marsala wine
- Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce
- Filet Mignon with Mushroom Marsala Sauce
- Meatballs with Marsala Cream Sauce
- Turkey Marsala Pot Pie
- Strawberry Marsala Cobbler
Best Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 1/2cup / 60g flour
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 3 small shallots, chopped
- 1 cup / 100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml marsala wine
- 1 cup / 250 ml This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Cover the chicken breasts with a cling wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until they are no thicker than 1/2 inch. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in flour.
- Fry in olive oil until golden over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes. Do not over cook as the chicken breasts will be quite thin and will cook fast. Remove to a separate plate and set aside.
- To the same pan add chopped shallots and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, then add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes, then add 1 tbsp of flour, stir and cook for a minute longer, then add marsala wine and turn the heat up to medium, add chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and return the chicken to the pan, let it heat through in the sauce, simmer for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken to a desired consistency.
- Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and a side dish of your choice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Unbelievably easy and delicious ! My husband said it was “restaurant quality”. I’m definitely going to make this again! Thank you
You are very welcome, Michelle. Thank you for such amazing feedback.
Made this tonight for dinner and it was a hit.
Very easy to make. The next time I make this dish, I think I would add another 1/2 cup of Marsala wine. BTW, I used dry Marsala wine. I also added 1tabkespion if h y cream. Overall, great recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your feedback, Janice. I am so pleased you enjoyed my recipe!
I want to make this a day ahead for about 35 people. Do you have any suggestions on how to make it ahead and reheat etc? It sounds like an amazing recipe!
Hi Shirley, I haven’t made this for so many people but good news is this type of a dish becomes even more flavourful the following day, however when you reheat something saucy you lose quite a bit of the sauce, so I would make sure I made extra.
have you ever made it ahead for a smaller group? I was wondering would you suggest cooking the chicken and then the sauce but instead of returning to the pan leave it separate to store and then combine the next day to heat in the oven? or add the chicken back in and store in the sauce overnight and reheat in the oven? what do you recommend?
I would suggest following the recipe instructions, otherwise it won’t be as flavourful, just double the sauce and yes, reheat in the oven until the chicken internal temperature registered at 160F.
I would appreciated your thoughts on freezing this recipe for a week away?
Thank you!
Hi Shirley, you can absolutely freeze this chicken marsala.
Hello- I am making this tonight. We do like more of a gravy sauce to pour over the pasta. Do you think I should double everything regarding the sauce (double the Marsala wine, chicken stock, and olive oil etc) Thank you! I can’t wait to try it.
Hi Felicity, yes I would recommend doubling everything but the olive oil.
Can you use chicken thighs for this recipe?
I am sure you could but you will need to modify the recipe. Are you thinking bone-in chicken thighs or boneless? The boneless ones would be easier to adapt the recipe for.
This was so easy and elegant, as good or better than any other recipe I have used. I served it with riced cauliflower for a low carb delishious dinner!
Thanks for your feedback, Mandy!! I am planning on trying it with cauliflower rice myself.
I made this last night and it was SO yummy. I used three medium shallots because I just love the flavor and 2 cups of stock instead of one because my husband wanted some “gravy” to put on his potatoes too. Even with the minor changes this recipe is superb!
Thanks for your feedback, Kristen! I am so thrilled you loved it!
I bought dry Marsala wine? Would that taste okay still since you used sweet Marsala wine?
I can’t answer that question I am afraid. I’ve never bought or tasted dry Marsala wine.
I made it with dry Marsala and it was outstanding!
Great! Thanks for letting us know, Gail!
I’ve used both sweet and dry – now preferring dry. But both work – it just depends on your personal preference.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I’m a very amateur cook and even I found this easy to make. I used baby bellas because I couldn’t find brown mushrooms and they tasted great with the sauce. I let it simmer longer until the sauce was the perfect thickness to put over mashed potatoes. SO YUMMY! Thanks!
That is such an encouraging comment, Kristan! Thanks for letting me know!
When you dredge it in the flower do you put it in egg first?
Hi Christine, I do not as the recipe indicates.