So, you're in the mood for a Chicken Marsala dish that's elevated and restaurant quality, yet one pan and easy. I will share this fabulous recipe and variations including Chicken Marsala without wine, Marsala wine substitutes, and how to make Chicken Marsala without cream.
You may also love my gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce, chicken breasts stuffed with stuffing, ravioli and marinara.
Quick Look: Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
- ⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
- ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe: It's a creamy classic recipe for a reason. And that it comes together and in one pot, bonus!
- 🍪 Main Ingredients: chicken, chicken stock, Marsala, cream, mushrooms, and garlic.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
- 🧑🍳 Why This Chicken Marsala Recipe Works
- 👩🍳 Key Ingredients
- Best Marsala Wine Substitutes
- 👩🍳 Substitutions
- Chicken Marsala FAQ
- Expert Tips:
- Fettuccine Chicken Marsala- A fabulous Marsala Pasta dish.
- What to Serve with Chicken Marsala
- Other Creamy Dishes you may love
- Easy Chicken Marsala (no Marsala wine option)
🧑🍳 Why This Chicken Marsala Recipe Works
✅ It's a one-pot meal that's perfect for weeknight meals yet fancy enough for Entertaining.
✅ It only uses a few ingredients
✅ It's great own its own with an easy dinner salad or with Garlic Parmesan Potatoes.
✅ It's quick to put together in under 30 minutes!
And if all this sounds good, you'll love my Creamy Parmesan Chicken, Pork Marbella, and my one-pot Penne Pasta Bake
👩🍳 Key Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Use large boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut them in half horizontally so they cook quickly, or substitute 6 boneless chicken thighs.
- Mushrooms Slice them to a medium thickness (roughly ½ inch), so they soften but do not turn too mushy.
- Onion: White, yellow or Shallots for a milder flavor.
- Chicken broth or stock: Homemade or add a little Better Than Bouillon to canned stock for more flavor.
- Marsala wine or substitutions in notes
- Heavy Cream or whipping cream, or for a chicken marsala recipe without cream, see the substitutes below.
Best Marsala Wine Substitutes
Marsala wine substitutes include
Dry Sherry (Best Swap), the closest flavor match. Madeira, another fortified wine - excellent depth. Dry White Wine + Splash of Brandy, or for Chicken marsala without wine, use Beef or Chicken Broth. For alcohol-free: Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to mimic depth. If you're avoiding wine completely, you may also enjoy my Creamy Parmesan Chicken.
👩🍳 Substitutions
- Chicken Breasts: Substitute boneless, skinless thighs.
- Mushrooms: Substitute the Cremini (Baby Bella) Mushrooms forwhite button for a mild mushroom flavor, Shiitake for a more intense meaty flavor, or a combination of different types for a more complex flavor. Or leave them out if you'd like a chicken marsala without mushrooms.
- Onion: Use white, yellow or even Shallots for a milder flavor.
- Heavy Cream or whipping cream, or for a chicken marsala recipe without cream, see the substitutes below.
Chicken Marsala FAQ
How to make Chicken Marsala recipe without cream?
1️⃣ Half-and-Half: Use an equal amount.✔ Slightly lighter✔ Still creamy
➜ Simmer a little longer to thicken.
2️⃣ Whole Milk + Butter: For 1 cup cream →¾ cup whole milk¼ cup melted butter➜ Whisk together before adding.
3️⃣ Greek Yogurt (Best High-Protein Option)
Use ½-¾ cup Stir in at the end on low heat ✔ Tangy but rich
4️⃣ Cream Cheese: 2-3 tablespoons whisked into sauce ✔ Thick and luxurious ✔ Works beautifully in mushroom sauces
5️⃣ Coconut Cream (Dairy-Free) ✔ Slight sweetness, ✔ Best in mushroom-heavy versions.
A simple mixed greens salad balances the richness of Chicken Marsala. And Crusty bread to soak up the Marsala sauce.
Use dry marsala rather than sweet marsala, which is more commonly used in desserts.
The mushrooms are traditional, but they are not required for the sauce to work. The real flavor comes from the Marsala wine reduction, pan drippings, and cream.
🌿 Optional Mushroom-Free Add-Ins
If you still want texture: Spinach (stir in at the end) or artichoke hearts (very good with Marsala)
Expert Tips:
It's easy to keep Marsala wine on hand. Because this wine is fortified, it has a higher alcohol content than non-fortified wines. This translates to a longer shelf life, making it ideal for storage and cooking.
Fettuccine Chicken Marsala- A fabulous Marsala Pasta dish.
My favorite way to serve Chicken Marsala is over fettuccine. It's also budget-friendly because it spreads out the chicken and the sauce and pairs perfectly with pasta.
First, spoon a generous portion of the cooked pasta onto a plate or shallow bowl. (If you're feeling saucy, toss the fettuccine with butter and garlic salt first. Then place the sautéed chicken cutlet on top of the fettuccine, and then ladle the mushroom-Marsala sauce over everything. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or grated Parmesan for added flavor and presentation. And for you pasta lovers, be sure to check this Sausage Pasta Bake recipe. One-pot deliciousness.
What to Serve with Chicken Marsala
- fettuccine
- mixed greens salad
- garlic parmesan potatoes
- crusty bread
Other Creamy Dishes you may love
If you make this Chicken Marsala Recipe, I'd love to know! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @Lauren_Lane_Culinarian - I always reshare your creations.
Easy Chicken Marsala (no Marsala wine option)
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts Cut in half horizontally, or 6 boneless skinless thighs.
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 8-oz package of pre-sliced bella or button mushrooms
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup dry Marsala wine or substitutions in notes
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley and or thyme. more for serving if desired
Instructions
- Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Coat while pressing chicken in the flour. Set aside.
- Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the floured chicken in the pan and cook, turning after one side is lightly browned and barely cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the onions, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Add the broth, Marsala, heavy cream, parsley or thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper; scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid.
- Bring the liquid to a low bubble, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced and just slightly thickened, About 10 minutes. If you want your sauce thicker, keep simmering until desired thickness. (see note)
- Add the chicken back to the pan and any juices accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is warmed through. Sprinkle with additional thyme or parsley if using. Taste, add more salt if needed, and serve.
Notes
- This recipe makes a lot of sauce because, quite frankly, I like a lot of sauce, especially if I'm serving the chicken over mashed potatoes or fettuccine.
- But if you'd like to start off with a thicker sauce, simply reduce the cream and stock in the Marsala to half a cup each.
- It might be worth getting a bottle of Marsala to keep on hand. Because this wine is fortified, is has a longer shelf life, making it ideal for storage and cooking. After opening, Marsala wine will usually maintain its best quality for about 4 months or longer.
- For Marsala without cream, substitute: Cream Cheese: 2-3 tablespoons whisked into the sauce or Coconut Cream (Dairy-Free) for the cream.
- Marsala wine substitutes include: Dry Sherry (Best Swap), the closest flavor match. Madeira, another fortified wine - excellent depth. Dry White Wine + Splash of Brandy, or for Chicken Marsala without wine, use Beef or Chicken Broth. For alcohol-free: Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to mimic depth.
Lauren Lane says
One of my favorites! So so good! I hope you try it