This Quick and Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe is filled with tender, pan seared chicken breasts in a creamy and flavorful mushroom pan gravy.
Real Italian Chicken Marsala is best served with freshly cooked pasta, but we also love it with classic mashed potatoes or garlic parmesan rice.
Wow!! You’re going to be BLOWN AWAY by the flavors in this delicious recipe. I’m telling you, this is going to be better than spending a fortune at a nice Italian restaurant.
Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian-American dish that consists of lightly floured chicken breasts that are pan seared and then simmered in a luscious pan gravy made with Marsala wine and mushrooms.
The flavors all blend so well together and the whole recipe takes about 35 minutes to make, so it goes pretty quickly!
Ingredients Needed for Chicken Marsala –
(you’ll find a detailed list with measurements in the recipe card below)
- Chicken Breast – halved and pounded thin (you could also use chicken tenders)
- All Purpose Flour
- Garlic Powder
- Butter
- Oil
- Cremini Mushrooms – sliced (buy the pre-sliced mushrooms to save prep time)
- Diced Onion
- Garlic
- Chicken Broth
- Marsala Wine – use a dry Marsala wine, NOT sweet.
- Heavy Cream
- Parsley
How To Make Chicken Marsala From Scratch –
The first thing to do when making Chicken Marsala from scratch is to cut your chicken breasts in half, then pound chicken breasts to a nice and thin, even thickness.
Making sure your chicken breasts are thin and even thickness will help them to cook quickly and efficiently in the skillet. Don’t overcook your chicken or it will become dry and tough.
DREDGE CHICKEN IN FLOUR – dredging your chicken breast in flour will create a nice thin golden brown crust on the chicken when it’s seared in the hot butter/oil mixture. Simply add the flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper to a zip-close bag and then add in your chicken breast pieces. Shake off any excess flour. You’ll want to discard any leftover flour mixture.
SEAR CHICKEN – Heat a mixture of oil and butter in a large skillet and then sear the chicken breast halves for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set on a plate to keep warm.
SAUTÉ MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS – To the same pan, toss in a little more butter along with the mushrooms and cook until they’re browned and tender. Add in the onions and garlic and cook until tender and fragrant.
MAKE CHICKEN MARSALA WINE SAUCE – Once the mushrooms and onions are both tender, splash in the Marsala wine and scrap down the bottom of the pan to pick up any browned bits that you can. Those browned bits will add so much flavor and depth to the Chicken Marsala Sauce. Stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream* and let the mixture simmer for about 7 minutes, until it’s reduced and thickened nicely.
*Marsala Wine sauce traditionally does not include heavy cream, but we love how the cream cuts through the sauce and gives it a great mouth feel.
ADD CHICKEN TO SAUCE – Place the seared chicken back into the pan and in the sauce along with any of the juices on the plate. Let the chicken warm in the sauce and then top with freshly chopped parsley before enjoying.
My whole family licks their plates clean when we make this delicious Chicken Marsala. My husband loves to smother his chicken in the sauce and always wants seconds.
What Is Chicken Marsala Served With?
Ready to make Chicken Marsala but not sure what to serve with it? While this Italian-American dish is typically served with a side of freshly cooked pasta (Angel hair would be my preference), you can also serve it with Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Parmesan Rice. Here are a few more vegetable sides to pair with Chicken Marsala…
- Sautéed Zucchini
- Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Difference Between Chicken Piccata and Chicken Marsala?
Both Chicken Piccata and Chicken Marsala are cooked in nearly the same fashion, with a flour dredged chicken breast that’s pan seared and then finished in a sauce.
However, the flavor profiles are very different.
Chicken Piccata has a light lemon flavored sauce that’s studded with salty capers, while Chicken Marsala’s sauce has a rich & savory caramelized flavor with mushrooms and onions.
Which Marsala Wine is Best for Chicken Marsala?
Marsala Wine is a fortified wine and can be sweet or dry. For this recipe and for most cooking, you’ll use the dry version. Marsala wine should be kept in a cool dark place, but since it is fortified, it does not need to be refrigerated. It will also not go bad, or become unsafe to drink/use, the flavors will just fade over time.
This means you can buy a bottle of Marsala Wine specifically for making chicken marsala over and over again (which is what I do).
Marsala Wine Substitutes –
- Dry Madeira Wine
- Dark Sherry such as Oloroso
- Port
- Red Vermouth
NON-ALCOHOLIC VERSION? If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic version to Marsala Wine, technically you’re no longer making Chicken Marsala. But if this is you, here are some substitutions you can try…
- 1/2 cup red grape juice + 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth + 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Can You Make Chicken Marsala In Advance?
You can easily prep this recipe ahead of time and reheat just before serving.
If preparing in advance, store chicken and sauce separately in refrigerator. Reheat the chicken in the oven or air fryer to maintain that crisp outer texture and gently warm the sauce back up on the stove top. Add the warmed chicken to the sauce when ready.
PRO TIP: I love using these two compartment containers for meal prepping this recipe!
More Italian-American Recipes To Try –
- Chicken Piccata
- Classic Lasagna Recipe
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
- 2 Ingredient Dough Garlic Breadsticks
I hope you enjoy this Quick and Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe as much as we do!
Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally to form 4 pieces
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- ⅔ cup dry Marsala Wine
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cover the halved chicken breast with a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a cutting board and use a heavy rolling pin or meat mallet to pound chicken breasts to an even and thin thickness.
- Add the flour, ½ tsp salt, garlic powder and pepper to a zip-close bag and shake to combine. Add the chicken breasts one at a time to coat in flour mixture, then shake off any excess flour and set aside. Discard any remaining flour.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Once hot, sear the chicken breasts for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. You may have to do this in two batches if your skillet is smaller. Set the chicken on a plate and keep warm.
- To the same skillet you just cooked the chicken, add in the remaining 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms and cook until browned about 3 minutes. Add in the onion and garlic and season with more salt to taste. Cook until onions are tender, about 3 more minutes.
- Pour in the Marsala wine and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add in the chicken broth and heavy cream and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer and let sauce cook until it's reduced slightly and thickened, about 7 minutes.
- Add in the chicken breasts and any juices from the plate and heat chicken through. Top with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy right away.
Notes
Nutrition
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3 Ingredient Raspberry Lemonade Pie
Megan
All I can find is cooking Marsala wine, it isn’t true dry Marsala, would this work?
Shawn
I’ve never used the cooking Marsala wine, but it sounds like it should do the trick. You can always try your local liquor store and ask an attendant there for help.
Jessenia Villanueva
This is my husband’s favorite dish. I made it for the first time today for his birthday dinner and he loved it! It came out AMAZING!! Thank you for share this easy to make and follow instructions recipe.
laura Messina
my husband doesn’t like muchrooms ! can I leave them out or use something else????
Shawn
I would try making my Lemon Chicken Piccata recipe instead! It’s similar without mushrooms and a nice lemony sauce.
Tricia Michaels
Excellent easy recipe. We left off mushrooms as we did not have them and did not use fresh garlic or parsley yet it was great. Also used sour cream and no broth as again we did not have cream or broth, yet it was still great. I have made many times with another recipe, but I am switching to this one from here on. My sister who is an excellent cook made it and I assisted. She requested the recipe due to the ease and the few ingredients. No compromise on flavor!
joan albert
hi what is dry marsala? is it the sweet kind or the non sweet kind?
Tricia Michaels
Dry means not sweet…at least in wines.
Tammy Schmelzer
I made this recipe according to instruction with a few tweeks. I used 1/2 the amt of butter that was instructed and i added 1/2 of a red pepper diced small with the onions and garlic and about a teaspoon of rosemary sprinkled in the end when simmering on top of chicken.. I also thickened the sauce a little more with (2 teaspoons flour mixed with 1/4 cup of cold water shaken thoroughly together) add with heavy cream for thicker sauce. I served over medium egg noodles. Amazing
Jeff
First time I’ve ever made chicken Marsala, and I loved it. No adjustments to the recipe. The sauce was really soupy, so I let it reduce much longer than 7 minutes to let it reduce. I see that you suggest adding corn starch as a thickener. I’ll be making this again.
Missy Potter
I love your website and recipes! Could you post your recipe for lasagna again? I have lost it somehow. Thank you!
Shawn
You can find my Lasagna Recipe here: Classic Lasagna Recipe
Jim
Made this tonight and everyone loved it. I served this with pasta and added the sauce to the pasta and before I could look up everyone was finished. I’ve been making chicken Marsala for years but wanted to try a different recipe and this one was fantastic. Might try to thicken the sauce a bit more than I did tonight with a tad more corn starch but this was great. Highly recommend making this dish.
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jim!
Carol Heffner
What do you do if someone is lactose intollerant ?
Jeannette Shields
I think you can add coconut milk from a can; the creamy part. (It thickens if you chill it overnight in the fridge.) Coconut milk usually thickens things. Almond milk is too thin. Those are the only dairy free substitutes I know. I’m not sure if this will end up with a coconut taste after, but good luck.
Kym Bartlett
It was very good with easy to follow instructions. Common ingredients. My husband loved it and gave me an A+. I wish the sauce had been thicker. Maybe I didn’t stir enough and/or simmer hot enough? Any thoughts?
Shawn
Hey Kym, the sauce is on the thinner side, but if you would like it thicker you can always try adding in a little cornstarch slurry at the end. I would start with just 1 tsp of cornstarch + 1 tsp of water and stir this into the sauce. If you want it thicker add a little more. Hope that helps!
Judy
This Is just about exactly the way I make it. I lived in Budapest for a year and had something like it at a restaurant. I had to use what was available so I used different chicken parts including legs, etc. Now I use individually packaged breasts which I throw in the freezer and pull out the night before I want them. Also,Hungary being the land of sour cream, I Used sour cream, which I still use sometimes because my husband prefers it. It’s harder to mix though. When I returned to the states I started adding wine…a big plus!
Shawn
So glad you are enjoying the recipe Judy!
Mary Heidt
I made this recipe last night. We loved it. I did cut down the cream just a tad because of the fat. Turned out great. I like to buy chicken breast with the bones when they are on sale,then make my own stock from the bones and leftovers, I grill them mostly, but I cut the pointed shape off and pound the rest so they cook evenly. The pointed part was what I used last night. It was perfect. I will put this into my go to recipes. I especially appreciate the nutritional counts provided. As a diabetic, it is so much easier when they are provided. I am looking forward to making more of your recipes. I am new to this site and happy to have found it.
Richard Budden
I realize that the Marsala wine has a specific flavor for this dish but is there a non alcohic option for those who don’t drink?
Shawn
I go over the non-alcoholic options in the blog post. 🙂
Philomena A. Rogers
I have to say, this is my first visit and you’re website made me feel like I’m at visiting a best friend!
Great recipes, beautiful layout, love your sense of humor!
Thank you!
Ron Losinski
Just discovered your site. GREAT
Ron in Ontario
Susan
What if you don’t have heavy cream
Shawn
You can stir in sour cream or plain greek yogurt too.
cbsprings
don’t stir in sour cream or plain greek yogurt. You don’t want to ruin the recipe. You can use light cream or heavy cream. Just make a list of what you need and go shopping ahead of time.