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This chicken marsala recipe is an Italian-American classic! It has juicy pan-fried chicken smothered in a creamy wine and mushroom sauce. It’s a 30-minute dish that’s simple to master in your own kitchen.
For more restaurant favorites at home, try my Easy Chicken Piccata or Chicken Madeira.
Why you’ll love it
Many restaurants have chicken marsala on their menu, but why not replicate it at home? It’s actually really effortless and quick, so it’s ideal for everything from a dinner party for easy entertaining to a weeknight meal when you’re craving something a little special.
What’s surprising to a lot of people is how few ingredients you need to make homemade chicken marsala. All it involves is a few pantry essentials along with a variety of wine that’s easy to get your hands on, and that’s it!
What is marsala?
- Marsala is an Italian fortified wine, which means a spirit has been added to it, in this case brandy. It’s got a kind of nutty, caramelized flavor when used in sauces. I recommend using either semi-secco (semi-sweet) or secco (dry) marsala for this recipe. I used Cantine Pellegrino Fine I.P. Marsala here. Don’t use sweet!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using two boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut into 4 smaller cutlets
- Garlic powder, salt & pepper, flour – for seasoning and dredging the cutlets to get a good crust, and flour will thicken the sauce
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Mushrooms – I love cremini mushrooms for their earthy and rich flavor that perfectly balances with the flavor profile of the marsala wine
- Garlic – use even more if you’re a garlic aficionado
- Marsala wine – this gives our sauce its signature taste
- Heavy cream – the key to making the sauce luxurious
Pro tip
Want a standalone recipe for the sauce? Head over to my Easy Marsala Sauce recipe.
How to make chicken marsala
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Prep and season your chicken, and then sear it on both sides until golden in a cast iron skillet. Transfer it to a plate. Fry the mushrooms in the same skillet with the remaining butter.
Add the garlic and marsala wine, and let the sauce reduce for a couple of minutes. Stir in the cream, and add the chicken back into the pan. Cook for until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Tips for success
- If you prefer, you can pound the chicken so it’s thinner vs. cutting it in half lengthwise like I suggest. You may then want to use four chicken breasts and sear the chicken in batches. Making smaller cutlets so that it cooks faster and remains nice and tender is my favorite shortcut, though!
- This particular version of chicken marsala is meant to be cooked at a fairly high temperature throughout. To get the nice sear on the chicken and to quickly brown the mushrooms, it’s necessary that the pan is nice and hot!
- Only turn the heat down if it’s splattering like crazy or you’re using copper or cast iron cookware since they conduct heat much more than the regular stuff most of us use on a daily basis.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Be careful not to overcook it. If you’re in doubt, chicken is safe to eat at 165F as indicated by a meat thermometer.
- This is the skillet I use, and I mince the garlic with one squeeze of a garlic press.
- Butter is easy to measure out with this butter dish. It has measurement markings right on it.
Substitutions and variations
- Since this is chicken marsala, you probably don’t want to substitute the marsala for anything, but if you’re in a pinch, madeira or sherry will work.
- You can definitely use chicken thighs instead, but I recommend doing the searing step for a bit longer.
- I don’t recommend substituting the heavy cream with anything else. Half-and-half or milk will yield a thinner sauce. You may need to add more flour or cornstarch to thicken it up effectively. With that said, some readers have replaced the cream with extra chicken broth and had good results.
- On the other hand, if you love an extra creamy sauce, go ahead and increase the amount of heavy cream to 1 cup. Carpe diem!
What to serve with chicken marsala
- It’s delicious served over pasta. Try my Quick & Easy Garlic Butter Noodles. Also, Garlic Mashed Potatoes or my Stick of Butter Rice are equally tasty with the sauce.
- Serving it with this Easy Asparagus Recipe makes a great vegetable pairing.
- A slice of crusty bread, Garlic Bread, or a side salad with this Easy Italian Dressing would be fantastic as well.
Leftovers and storage
- This chicken will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- To reheat, place in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until it’s warmed through.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one because of the dairy in the sauce.
More restaurant-quality chicken recipes
I think it’s the absolute best chicken marsala recipe, but I’m maaaybe a little bit biased. Let me hear from you below if you made it! Tag me on Instagram with your S&L creations.
Easy Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced fairly thin
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 3/4 cup marsala wine see note
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner cutlets. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Coat each piece in flour.
- Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and sear it for 4-5 minutes/side or until golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside (it'll finish cooking in the sauce).
- Add the remaining butter and mushrooms to the skillet and cook them for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
- Add the minced garlic and marsala wine to the skillet and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cream to the skillet, and then add the chicken back in. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed. I added a little bit of chopped parsley to finish it off (optional).
Notes
- If you have smaller chicken breasts, there’s no need to cut them in half lengthwise, but you will need to cook them a bit longer.
- I recommend using either semi-sweet or dry marsala for this recipe. See blog post for more info.
- Chicken is safe to eat when it’s reached an internal temperature of 165F. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness.
- This recipe is also in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on December 9, 2015. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
EASY, DELICIOUS A DEFINITE REPEAT DISH. THANKS FOR SHARING.
You’re very welcome!!
I did not have any heavy or half and half. I used ORGINALalmond milk and mixed some Cornstarch to thicken. DON’T DO THIS. NO NO NO.
Fantastic recipe! I will definitely be following more of your recipes in the future! 😃
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Kaitlyn!! 😀 Let me know what else you try. Appreciate your review!
You didn’t explain properly how to make the sauce, to keep it from breaking, to bring it together properly. It definitely requires explaining within the recipe.
The wording of your comment is odd. Did you make the recipe and have trouble with it? Or are you just taking exception with the way it’s worded in general? The recipe is worded exactly how I make it. Are you reading the actual recipe card rather than the summary with the step-by-step photos? I believe you are the first person to have this complaint, and this recipe has been up since 2015 with many 5-star reviews. I also include tips in the blog post (subs & variations section) like to NOT sub the heavy cream for something lower fat precisely so the sauce does not break.
Made it tonight and my family loved it! Definitely something I will be making again. I love your recipes!
Aww thank you!! I’m thrilled to hear that! 😀 Appreciate your review, Lisa.
I used Cabernet Sauvignon wine since I didn’t have Marsala. Just as good as last time!!!
We love this very easy recipe served with mashed potatoes and a big salad.
Just like a restaurant meal!!
Wonderful! 😀 Thanks for your review, Diane!
Just made this for our dinner and omg! The flavors are amazing, quick and super easy to make. Served it with Angel hair and a small side salad and it was the perfect Italian dish! Even my boyfriend who always has something to say about my cooking had zero to say. He also hates mushrooms and actually loved these! Great recipe and can’t wait to check out more! Thank you!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!! 😀 Thanks for your review!
this was delicious! my husband talked about this meal for 3 nights in a row. cooked exactly as in recipe except used whatever sliced mushrooms i had (cremini?) . served with mashed potatoes and green beans. just as good on the second night with rice. looking forward to making it again.
Excellent!! Appreciate your review, Krista!
Made this tonight and it was so delicious!! The gravy with the Marsala was the best I have had🙌
That’s awesome!! 😀
Made this for dinner tonight- Awesome- very delicious!
Wonderful!! Thanks, Ron!
If I make day before would it best to let sauce cool. Then add the browned chicken when I reheat to cook through?
Hi! According to all the research I’ve read over the years, it’s not safe to refrigerate partly cooked chicken. You’d need to cook it through fully and then slowly reheat.