Easy Chicken Marsala
This Easy Chicken Marsala is creamy, one-pan, and ready in about 30 minutes with tender chicken cutlets, mushrooms, and a rich Marsala-style sauce. Use dry Marsala wine for the classic version, or try dry sherry, Madeira, chicken stock, or balsamic vinegar if you need a Marsala wine substitute.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 457kcal
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
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, pressing lightly so it coats both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the floured chicken and brown on both sides. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- 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 they begin to brown. Add the onion, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Add the Marsala wine or substitute and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let it simmer until slightly reduced.
- Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, parsley or thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, uncovered, and cook until the sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F. Taste, add more salt if needed, and finish with additional herbs if desired.
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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1130IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg
