This chicken marsala recipe has saved more Friday nights in our house than I can count. For the longest time, I couldn't get mine to taste as good as the versions we'd order out. Then I figured out two things: you've got to let the Marsala wine cook down properly, and that thin layer of flour on the chicken marsala recipe? It's not just for browning - it's what thickens the sauce and gives it that smooth texture. Now Max asks for this more often than pizza, which tells you everything.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This chicken marsala recipe has gotten me out of more last-minute dinner situations than I can count. Takes about 25 minutes from start to finish, but people always think you spent way longer. The wine sauce has real depth without being heavy, and the mushrooms give it that restaurant feel. I've served this to family members who claim they don't like mushrooms, and they've gone back for seconds without even realizing.
What makes this work for real life is how flexible it is. You can prep the chicken in the morning if that helps, leftovers reheat just fine, and it goes with whatever you've got on hand - pasta, potatoes, bread for mopping up the sauce. Max loves helping pound the chicken marsala recipe thin with the meat mallet because he thinks that's the fun part. This works whether it's a regular Tuesday or you've got company coming over. Either way, it looks and tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Chicken Marsala Recipe
- How To Make Chicken Marsala Recipe Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Tasty Variations for Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Equipement for Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Storing Your Chicken Marsala Recipe
- What is traditionally served with Chicken Marsala?
- Top Tip
- How My Neighbor's Dish Became a Household Staple
- FAQ
- Time to Cook Something Special!
- Related
- Pairing
- chicken marsala recipe
Ingredients for Chicken Marsala Recipe
The Chicken:
- Boneless chicken breasts
- All-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Butter
The Sauce:
- Marsala wine
- Sliced mushrooms
- Minced garlic
- Chicken broth
- Fresh parsley
- Heavy cream
For Serving:
- Pasta or egg noodles
- Mashed potatoes
- Crusty bread
Simple Tools:
- Measuring cups
- Large skillet
- Meat mallet
- Tongs
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Chicken Marsala Recipe Step By Step
Prep the Chicken:
- Pound breasts to even thickness
- Season both sides well
- Dredge lightly in flour
- Shake off excess
Cook the Chicken:
- Heat oil and butter in skillet
- Cook chicken 3-4 minutes per side
- Don't move it around too much
- Remove when golden brown
Build the Sauce:
- Add more butter to pan
- Sauté mushrooms until golden
- Add garlic briefly
- Pour in Marsala wine
Finish It Off:
- Let wine reduce by half
- Add chicken broth
- Return chicken to pan
- Simmer until sauce thickens
- Garnish with fresh parsley
Smart Swaps for Chicken Marsala Recipe
Protein:
- Chicken → Pork chops
- Breast → Chicken thighs
- Standard → Turkey cutlets
Wine:
- Marsala → Dry sherry
- Sweet → Dry Marsala
- Wine → Beef broth + balsamic
Thickener:
- Flour → Cornstarch
- All-purpose → Gluten-free flour
- Regular → Skip entirely
Dairy:
- Heavy cream → Half and half
- Cream → Skip for lighter version
- Butter → Olive oil only
Tasty Variations for Chicken Marsala Recipe
Creamy Style:
- Add heavy cream to sauce
- Extra Parmesan finish
- Serve over fettuccine
- Rich and filling
Baked Version:
- Brown chicken first
- Transfer to baking dish
- Pour sauce over top
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes
One-Pan Method:
- Cook pasta in same pan
- Add extra broth
- Everything together
- Fewer dishes
Grilled Twist:
- Grill chicken separately
- Make sauce on stovetop
- Pour over grilled cutlets
- Smoky flavor boost
Equipement for Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Large heavy skillet
- Meat mallet or rolling pin
- Tongs for flipping
- Measuring cups
Storing Your Chicken Marsala Recipe
Fridge (2-3 days):
- Cool completely
- Separate container
- Reheat gently on stovetop
- Add splash of broth if needed
Freezer (not recommended):
- Cream sauces don't freeze well
- Texture changes significantly
- Best enjoyed fresh
Make-Ahead:
- Pound and flour chicken ahead
- Prep mushrooms and garlic
- Make sauce fresh when serving
- Best results this way
What is traditionally served with Chicken Marsala?
Chicken marsala goes well with sides that soak up that wine sauce without competing with it. Pasta works great - we usually go with angel hair or fettuccine because they catch the sauce nicely. Mashed potatoes are another favorite at our house, especially the garlic kind. Rice works too if that's what you've got. The sauce is really the star here, so you want something that'll help you get every last bit of it.
For vegetables, keep it simple. Steamed green beans, roasted asparagus, or sautéed spinach all work without taking over the plate. A basic salad with vinaigrette cuts through the richness nicely. And honestly, crusty bread might be the best option - Max and I fight over who gets to mop up the leftover sauce with it. Some nights we skip the starch entirely and just do chicken marsala with bread and a big salad. That's actually how they serve it at a lot of Italian places, and it makes sense because you're not missing that sauce.
Top Tip
- My aunt makes Chicken Marsala Recipe that tastes deeper and richer than anyone else's, and for years she'd just shrug when we asked what made hers different. During one holiday dinner, I volunteered to help in the kitchen and caught her adding something unusual to the pan after the wine reduced.
- She'd been stirring in a teaspoon of tomato paste right before adding the broth. That tiny bit created this richness and color that made her marsala sauce taste like it had been simmering for hours instead of minutes. The tomato paste adds body without making the sauce taste like tomatoes at all - it just rounds out the flavors in a way that's hard to pinpoint.
- But her real trick came at the very end. Instead of regular butter, she'd finish the sauce with a tablespoon of the Chicken Marsala Recipe fat she'd saved from cooking the cutlets. That bit of rendered chicken fat added a savory depth that regular butter just can't match. "It's already there in the pan," she explained. "Why waste it?" Now I always save that golden fat and use it to finish my chicken marsala recipe. Sometimes the best ingredients are the ones you'd normally throw away.
How My Neighbor's Dish Became a Household Staple
My neighbor makes Chicken Marsala Recipe that somehow tastes better than mine ever did, and I couldn't figure out why for the longest time. We'd have block parties and her dish would disappear first while mine sat there looking sad. One summer evening, she invited me over to cook together, and I finally saw what she was doing differently.
Turns out she'd been stirring in a teaspoon of tomato paste right after the wine reduced. Such a small thing, but it created this richness and deeper color that made her sauce taste like it had cooked for hours. The tomato paste doesn't make it taste like tomatoes - it just fills out the flavor in a way that's hard to describe. Her other move? She'd finish the sauce with that golden chicken fat left in the pan instead of fresh butter. "Already paid for it when I bought the Chicken Marsala Recipe," she'd say with a laugh. That rendered fat adds a savory depth that regular butter can't touch.
FAQ
What are the ingredients for Chicken Marsala?
Traditional chicken marsala uses boneless Chicken Marsala Recipe breasts, Marsala wine, mushrooms, garlic, chicken broth, butter, and flour for coating. The dish relies on quality Marsala wine for its distinctive sweet-nutty flavor. Fresh parsley and sometimes cream finish the sauce, creating that signature rich, glossy look.
What are some common Marsala recipe mistakes?
The biggest mistake is not reducing the Marsala wine enough, leaving harsh alcohol flavor. Other issues include overcrowding the pan which steams rather than browns Chicken Marsala Recipe, using old mushrooms that get slimy, and adding too much flour which makes the sauce gloppy. Always pound chicken evenly so it cooks uniformly.
What is traditionally served with Chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala Recipe traditionally pairs with pasta, egg noodles, or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the rich sauce. Italian restaurants often serve it with roasted vegetables or a simple green salad. Crusty bread for mopping up extra sauce is always welcome at our table too.
What is marsala sauce made of?
Marsala sauce combines Marsala wine reduced with chicken broth, sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and butter. The sauce gets body from the flour coating on the Chicken Marsala Recipe and optional cream for richness. Good chicken marsala sauce should be glossy, slightly thick, and coat the back of a spoon.
Time to Cook Something Special!
Now you have everything to create restaurant-quality chicken marsala recipe at home - from proper pounding technique to that secret tomato paste trick. This Italian-American classic proves that simple ingredients handled well beat complicated recipes every time.
Craving more impressive dinners? Try our tender Easy Crockpot Chili Recipe, or master our The Best Baked Spaghetti Recipe that feeds a crowd easily. Need another quick elegant option? Our Pan-Seared Salmon with Healthy Chicken Lollipops Recipe but tastes like fine dining!
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chicken marsala recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pound chicken evenly, season with salt and pepper, and coat in flour.
- Cook chicken in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked through.
- Sauté mushrooms in butter, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Deglaze pan with Marsala wine, reduce by half, then add broth and cream.
- Return chicken, simmer to thicken sauce, finish with butter and garnish.
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