Upgrade your weeknight chicken dinners with this Chicken With Marsala Wine Sauce. It all starts with a delicious, easy marsala wine sauce that seeps into the chicken and is oh so tasty! And guess what? A stand mixer does all of the work for you!
Chicken with Marsala wine sauce is a quick and easy recipe. Juicy chicken thighs, prepared in a creamy and fragrant Marsala wine sauce and then topped with mushrooms and bacon.
Creamy Chicken Marsala
A traditional Italian American recipe that is creamy, fast, and delicious is chicken marsala. We love to serve the thick, delicious mushroom, marsala wine, and heavy cream sauce over a mountain of spaghetti or angel hair. It has a subtle sweetness from the marsala wine, which also lends it an addicting flavor. We make it three nights in a row because it’s the ideal weeknight meal and we don’t even feel bad about it. The fact that this dish comes together quickly is a major benefit.
Marsala is a type of wine, right?
A fortified wine, such as brandy or cognac, is added to wine to make it stronger. Marsala is a type of fortified wine from Sicily. Real marsala wine is preferable to the cooking wine you might purchase in the grocery store with the vinegar and oil, if you can find it.
Which Marsala should I use: sweet or dry?
Dry Marsala works best with savory foods. Dry Marsala, despite its name, still includes a tiny bit of sweetness, which will be just enough to keep the meal from being too sugary.
When I don’t have Marsala, what else can I use instead?
Vermouth, Madeira, dark sherry, or port are some other fortified wines you could substitute at the last minute. Even better, you might make your own Marsala by blending a tablespoon of dry white wine with cognac or brandy.
Is heavy cream required?
Despite not being the most conventional component, heavy cream is what really makes the sauce sing and keeps the chicken juicy. Plain milk won’t get quite as thick and creamy, but you can replace half and half or evaporated milk for a milder version.
Which breed of chicken makes the greatest Chicken Marsala?
The usual ingredient for this dish is boneless, skinless chicken breast since it cooks quickly and is lean, which helps counterbalance the sauce’s richness. The traditional method calls for pounding or halving the chicken breast before flouring and pan-frying it. We made the choice to omit that stage and complete the cooking of the chicken in the creamy sauce. The heat from the sauce helps heat the chicken through while the flour from the chicken helps thicken the sauce. Try boneless chicken thighs for a meal that is really delicious!
What more dishes go well with chicken marsala?
The traditional accompaniment for this saucy dish is pasta, but any food that will soak up the creamy sauce would be a terrific choice. Consider herby couscous, fluffy mashed potatoes, or even toasted crusty bread.
YIELDS:4 SERVINGS
PREP TIME:0 HOURS 10 MINS
TOTAL TIME:0 HOURS 30 MINS
INGREDIENTS
1 c.
all-purpose flour
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4
boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp.
butter, divided
1 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz.
baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2
cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c.
marsala wine
3/4 c.
low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c.
heavy cream
2 tbsp.
Freshly chopped parsley
Cooked angel hair, for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Season the flour with salt and pepper in a small bowl. Chicken should be floured.
- Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until browned on both sides. Place chicken on a clean platter after removing it from the pan.
- Melt the final tablespoon of butter in a skillet and add the mushrooms to make the marsala sauce. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until liquid has been released and mushrooms are golden (if the pan looks dry, add a splash of olive oil). After cooking the garlic until it is aromatic, add salt.
- Bring to a simmer after adding marsala, chicken broth, heavy cream, and parsley.
- Put the chicken back in the pan and cover the breasts with sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- If desired, serve over angel hair.
Chicken Marsala
A dash of Marsala wine adds a unique flavor to this straightforward chicken dish. Serve alongside fried potatoes.
Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, skin removed
- 40g/1½oz plain flour
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 160g/5¾oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 250ml/9fl oz dry Marsala
- 150ml/5fl oz chicken stock
- small handful chopped flatleaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap until they are about 5mm thick. On both sides, season with salt and pepper.
- Shake off any excess flour after lightly coating the chicken in it on a plate with the flour.
- Fry the chicken for two to three minutes on each side, or until golden brown, in a frying pan with the remaining butter and oil that has been heated to medium-high. Place aside.
- Use kitchen paper to clean the pan. The shallot and garlic are gently fried in the remaining butter and oil for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Cook the mushrooms for 2 minutes after adding them. Turn up the heat to high and then add the Marsala. Cook the liquid until it has roughly half the original volume. Reducing the heat to medium-low, add the chicken stock. For around 10 minutes, cook. Serve with parsley on top.
Chicken Marsala {with Creamy Marsala Sauce}
a creamy sauce with chicken marsala! This traditional Italian-American chicken dish features delicate, flawlessly grilled chicken cutlets, flavor-enhancing browned mushrooms, and a marsala wine, garlic, and herb sauce that is highly seasoned.
Who wouldn’t enjoy a dish like this that you could prepare at home and save paying $20 or more per serving at a restaurant?
This Chicken Marsala recipe is perfect to make on your own and, of course, a great dish to give to guests because it is just as good as what you’ll get at an Italian restaurant.
And since you reduce the marsala wine separately while the chicken and mushrooms cook, my version comes together quickly. I’m all for time-saving.
The inclusion of heavy cream in this dish is another another fantastic feature. It merely enhances the sauce’s overall richness, consistency, and flavor. It aids in bringing the wine’s acidity into harmony.
It is a traditional dish that is delicious!
Why not make homemade cannoli with the leftover marsala wine? Anyone who was fortunate enough to partake in the meal would undoubtedly be impressed.
Ingredients Needed to Make Chicken Marsala
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- all-purpose flour
- unsalted chicken broth
- dry marsala wine
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
- garlic
- fresh thyme, oregano and parsley
- heavy cream
- cornstarch
How to Make Chicken Marsala with Creamy Sauce
- Reduce marsala wine and broth: Fill a medium saucepan with marsala wine and chicken broth. Heat over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then, with the heat slightly reduced, gradually boil for 15 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup.
- In the meantime, season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Garnish with flour.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat to fully cook the chicken. Add chicken pieces and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, or until well done (165 in the center).
- Keep chicken heated and set aside:
- Placing the chicken on a plate. Wrap foil in a tent.
- Reduce the heat of the stove to medium to sauté the mushrooms. Add mushrooms to the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Mushrooms should be sautéed for about 8 minutes, stirring only periodically, until golden brown. During the final minute of sautéing, add the garlic.
- Seasonings and decreased liquids are added; thicken sauce.
- After turning off the heat, add the marsala reduction, thyme, and oregano. Stir in the cornstarch and chicken broth combination and turn the heat back on to a boil. Stir constantly until thick.
- Off the heat, mix in the heavy cream and season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
- Return the chicken breasts to the skillet and top with sauce for garnish. Serve immediately after adding parsley.
Can I Use Sweet Marsala Wine?
I don’t recommend using sweet marsala wine. There is a generous amount of wine here and it is reduced so it would only sweeten the sauce that much more. I’d stick with dry for best results.
Is There a Substitute for the Wine?
Unfortunately for this recipe without the marsala wine it wouldn’t be chicken marsala so I don’t recommend substitutes. Instead I’d recommend trying my creamy mushroom chicken.
What to Serve with Chicken Marsala?
- pasta
- roasted vegetables
- baked potatoes or mashed potatoes
- steamed asparagus
- cheesecake for dessert
Tips for the Best Chicken Marsala
- Make sure the mixture of chicken broth and marsala wine simmers for an adequate amount of time to boil out the alcohol’s strong flavor, which otherwise can overshadow the dish.
- Choose unsalted chicken broth instead of salted because the sauce is reduced significantly and you don’t want the meal to be overly salty.
- Avoid using marsala as a “cooking wine.” It’s salted, contains more preservatives, and is just of lesser quality overall.
- To cook chicken and achieve a good pan-seared browning, use a medium-high heat (equating to great flavor).
- To keep the chicken warm, wrap it in foil while you make the sauce.
- Never omit the flour. This promotes browning and provides the sauce with a surface to adhere to.
- Avoid skipping the cream. I think a creamy marsala sauce is the best kind of marsala sauce.