Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published February 29, 2020. Updated January 21, 2021

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Chicken Marsala with a creamy sauce! This classic Italian-American chicken recipe includes tender, perfectly pan seared chicken cutlets, and flavor enhancing browned mushrooms, and it’s all covered with a richly seasoned marsala wine, garlic and herb sauce.

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (1)

Who doesn’t love a dish like this that you can make at home and skip the $20+ restaurant price tag per serving?

This Chicken Marsala recipe is equally as good as what you’ll get at an Italian restaurant so it’s the perfect thing to make on your own, and of course a great dish to serve to guests.

And my version comes together quickly since you reduce the marsala wine separately while the chicken and mushrooms cook. I’m all about saving time.

The other great thing about this recipe is the addition of heavy cream. It really just improves the overall consistency, richness and flavor of the sauce. It helps balance out the acidity of the wine.

It’s a classic dish that does not disappoint!

Then with the leftover marsala wine why not make homemade cannoli? It would make for a dinner sure to impress anyone lucky enough to enjoy!

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (2)

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

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (3)

How to Make Chicken Marsala with Creamy Sauce

  1. Reduce marsala wine and broth: Add marsala wine and chicken broth to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat slightly and let gently boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.
  2. Prepare chicken cutlets: Meanwhile in season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.
  3. Cook chicken through in skillet: Melt 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and let sear until cooked through (165 in center), turning once halfway through, about 10 – 12 minutes.
  4. Set chicken aside, keep warm: Transfer chicken to a plate. Tent with foil.
  5. Saute mushrooms: Reduce burner temperature to medium heat. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil, add mushrooms. Saute mushrooms, just tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic during last 1 minute of sautéing.
  6. Add reduced liquids and seasonings, thicken sauce: Remove pan from heat then pour in marsala reduction, thyme, and oregano. Return to heat, bring to a simmer then stir in cornstarch chicken broth mixture. Stir until thickened.
  7. Stir in cream, season sauce: Off heat stir in heavy cream, season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Add sauce to chicken, garnish: Return chicken breasts to pan, spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (4) Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (5)

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

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (6)

Tips for the Best Chicken Marsala

  • Be sure to allow enough time for the marsala wine and chicken broth mixture to simmer so it cooks of the strong alcohol flavor, which could otherwise overpower the dish.
  • Stick with unsalted chicken broth, sauce is reduced quite a bit and you don’t want to end up with an overly salty dish.
  • Don’t use marsala “cooking wine”. It’s salted, has added preservatives, and just has an overall lower quality.
  • Use a medium-high heat to cook chicken for a nice pan seared browning (equating to great flavor).
  • Cover chicken with foil while you finish the sauce to keep it warm.
  • Don’t skip the flour. This encourages browning as well as gives the sauce something to cling to.
  • Don’t skip the cream. The best marsala sauce in my opinion is a creamy marsala sauce.

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (7)

More Delicious Chicken Recipes to Try

  • Baked Chicken Breasts
  • Caprese Chicken
  • Chicken Parmesan
  • Chicken Piccata
  • Creamy Garlic Herb Chicken
  • Creamy Lemon Romano Chicken

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (8)

5 from 32 votes

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Chicken Marsala

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This classic Italian-American chicken recipe includes tender, perfectly pan seared chicken cutlets, and flavor enhancing browned mushrooms, and it's all covered with a richly seasoned marsala wine, garlic and herb sauce.

Servings: 4

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook20 minutes minutes

Ready in: 35 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add marsala wine and chicken broth to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let gently boil until reduced to 1 cup**, about 15 minutes.

  • Meanwhile season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge each side in flour.

  • Melt 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and let sear until cooked through (165 in center), turning once halfway through, about 10 - 12 minutes.

  • Transfer chicken to a plate. Tent with foil.

  • Reduce burner temperature to medium heat. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil, add mushrooms.

  • Sauté mushrooms, just tossing occasionally (and increasing burner temp slightly as needed to encourage browning), until mushrooms have shrunk and are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic during last 1 minute of sautéing.

  • Remove pan from heat then pour in marsala reduction***, thyme and oregano.

  • Return to heat, bring to a simmer, while scraping up browned bits from the bottom, then stir in cornstarch chicken broth mixture. Stir until thickened****.

  • Off heat stir in heavy cream, season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken breasts to pan, spoon sauce over top.

  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

  • *If you want a more mild marsala flavor in the dish you can reduce marsala wine down to 3/4 cup and then increase chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups.
  • **If by chance it was accidentally reduced to less than 1 cup then just add more chicken broth to reach 1 cup.
  • ***Depending on the wine you may also want to add a pinch or two of sugar if it has no sweetness to it to balance the acidity.
  • ****If sauce seems a little thick add a splash of chicken broth, if its seems a little thin you can add in a little extra cornstarch mixed with broth.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Marsala

Amount Per Serving

Calories 448Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 133mg44%

Sodium 200mg9%

Potassium 944mg27%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 617IU12%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Chicken Marsala

Author: Jaclyn

Chicken Marsala Recipe {with Creamy Marsala Sauce} - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What is creamy Marsala sauce made of? ›

3/4 cup dry Marsala wine. 1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or stock) 3/4 cup heavy cream (thickened cream, evaporated milk or half and half may also be used)** 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley.

Is it better to use dry or sweet Marsala for chicken Marsala? ›

Most tasters found sweet Marsala more palatable when sampled straight. However, when we tried both styles in recipes for chicken Marsala, mushroom stuffing, and zabaglione, tasters preferred the dry style in all instances.

What kind of Marsala wine is best for cooking chicken Marsala? ›

Use dry marsala rather than sweet marsala which is more commonly used in desserts. Sub with port wine, sherry, or madeira. For non alcoholic version, better to make Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce! 4.

How do you thicken up Marsala sauce? ›

Flour plus fat (butter) = roux. A roux is used as a thickening agent in sauces. Sooo, with the butter from the pan and the butter the mushrooms have absorbed, plus the chicken cutlets coated in flour… This all means when the cutlets get added back to the sauce – that flour and butter combo is what thickens the sauce.

What is the difference between masala and Marsala sauce? ›

Marsala is sweet dessert wine, it is not typically used for drinking like a Chianti or Montepulciano, but cooking and marinades. Masala is a spice blend using in Indian cooking. It contains all brown spices: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and cumin.

Does the alcohol cook out in Marsala sauce? ›

The sauce is made with Marsala wine which is a dry and sweet wine which has a 15-20% alcohol content but don't worry, all of the alcohol will cook out of the sauce. The wine creates a nutty and rich caramelized sauce for the chicken.

Can you use regular Marsala wine for Chicken Marsala? ›

If added after fermentation, the wine will be dry. Should you use sweet or dry Marsala in your Chicken Marsala recipe? It doesn't make a huge difference, and either option will produce delicious results, but I would go for dry because the sweet Marsala has a bit too much sugar for such a savory dish.

Do you use red or white wine for Chicken Marsala? ›

Chicken Marsala is a traditional Italian dish that is made with chicken, white wine, and sweet marsala wine. Chicken Marsala is served with tomato sauce and creamy white sauce. The marsala wine used in this dish is a dry marsala.

Can I use red wine instead of Marsala for Chicken Marsala? ›

Sherry or Port are better substitutions for Marsala. Reed wine plus a little balsamic vinegar might be better than just red wine alone. Sort of. You'll want to add some sugar or honey or other sweetner though.

What is traditionally served with chicken marsala? ›

  • Rice. Rice is a classic, gluten-free side dish that pairs perfectly with chicken Marsala. ...
  • Risotto. For a classic Italian side dish, consider risotto, a creamier alternative to plain rice. ...
  • Egg Noodles. ...
  • Angel Hair Pasta. ...
  • Zucchini Noodles. ...
  • Polenta. ...
  • Mashed Potatoes. ...
  • Boursin Hasselback Potatoes.
Mar 17, 2023

Can I use balsamic vinegar instead of Marsala wine? ›

To make the perfect marsala wine substitute for chicken marsala, replace ½ cup of marsala wine with ½ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and one teaspoon of sugar. Mix the chicken broth mixture into your recipe exactly the same way you would add the marsala.

What does Marsala mean in Italian? ›

[ mahr-sah-luh; Italian mahr-sah-lah ] show ipa. noun. a seaport in W Sicily. a sweet, dark, fortified wine made near Marsala, or a similar wine made elsewhere.

Why is my Marsala sauce runny? ›

When the Marsala sauce has begun to boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer it. The liquid should reduce by half and thicken. If the Chicken Marsala sauce is not thick enough, you can combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (or arrowroot starch for gluten-free version) with 1 teaspoon of the sauce in a small bowl.

How long does it take for Marsala sauce to thicken? ›

Deglaze the pan by pouring in the marsala, and cook for about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium, stir in beef broth and port, and cook until sauce starts to reduce and thicken to your preference, 10 to 12 minutes.

How do you thicken creamy sauce? ›

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

What is Marsala wine sauce made of? ›

Add olive oil to heavy hot saucepan. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, saute until mushrooms are tender. Add flour and cook about 1 minute then deglaze pan with Marsala wine. Add beef stock and cook until thick and flavors are blended.

What is a substitute for Marsala sauce? ›

The best substitute for marsala wine is madeira, another kind of fortified wine with a similar flavour profile. Other alternatives include other fortified wines such as commandaria, sherry, vermouth, and port.

What is Chicken Marsala sauce made of? ›

Marsala Sauce
  1. 2 cups chicken broth.
  2. ½ beef bouillon cube.
  3. ¼ cup heavy cream.
  4. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
  5. ½ teaspoon onion powder.
  6. ½ teaspoon mustard powder.
  7. ¼ teaspoon dried thyme.
  8. 3/4 cup dry marsala wine, see notes.
Jan 2, 2023

How does Marsala sauce taste like? ›

Marsala tends to have a nutty, brown sugar flavor with notes of dried fruit and can be lightly sweet (dry) to very sweet.

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