With this Easy Homemade Chicken Marsala, you can make the Italian-American restaurant classic right in your own kitchen for a fraction of the cost and in only about 30 minutes!
Whether you want an easy weeknight dinner or a dish to impress guests, this Chicken Marsala has you covered!
Chicken breasts are lightly pan-fried and served with a super flavorful mushroom Marsala wine sauce…it’s a winner every time and one of my all-time favorite dishes!
Since we moved out to the country a few years ago, we don’t go out to eat very often because we live pretty far away from everything, including some of my favorite restaurants. It’s a trade-off we were willing to make to live where it’s peaceful, quiet, and surrounded by nature.
Chicken Marsala has always been one of my favorite Italian restaurant dishes, so I decided to learn how to make it myself. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it is really very easy and doesn’t have a ton of ingredients, yet you get restaurant-quality results.
This is one of those recipes that will make you feel like a kitchen rock star!
WHAT IS MARSALA?
First of all, it’s definitely not the stuff in the grocery store that’s called cooking wine. Walk away from that. A stop at the wine and spirits shop is in order.
Marsala is a fortified wine that comes from the town of Marsala in Sicily. Fortified means that a distilled spirit, such as brandy, has been added.
Marsala comes in two varieties: dry and sweet. When used in cooking, dry Marsala is used in savory dishes like Chicken Marsala, while sweet Marsala is used in desserts like zabaglione, tiramisu, or my Pound Cake With Marsala Mixed Berries.
Although most of us probably think of Marsala as a wine you cook with, it’s actually a wine that you drink as well – dry usually being served before a meal and sweet served as a dessert wine to sip on after dinner.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- Flour (all-purpose)
- Olive oil
- Fresh mushrooms (white button or cremini)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Marsala wine
- Chicken broth
- Butter
- Parsley (optional)
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN MARSALA:
TIPS & TIDBITS:
- Smaller 4-ounce chicken breasts can sometimes be harder to find these days. You can take two 8-ounce breasts and halve them horizontally to make two smaller pieces (halve them before pounding them out). Or you could buy chicken cutlets and skip the pounding step altogether.
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness of ½ inch helps to ensure the pieces cook evenly and quickly. It also helps tenderize the meat.
- Chicken Marsala is all about the sauce! Use a Marsala wine that you would enjoy drinking. You can usually get a decent bottle for less than $10, so it won’t break the bank.
- I use and recommend dry Marsala for this dish, but some people prefer using sweet Marsala. I have tried it with sweet Marsala, but it turned out a little too sweet for my taste. Use what you like!
- If you’d like a creamy sauce, add some heavy cream right before you add the chicken back into the pan and gently heat through.
- Don’t like mushrooms? You can make this dish without them, and it will still be really delicious (although you may just be able to convert some non-mushroom eaters with this one)!
I like to serve my Chicken Marsala with pasta (buttered with some Parmesan, please – Yum!) and a green vegetable like my Oven Roasted Broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. Mashed potatoes or rice would be also be good in place of the pasta.
The next time you have a craving for Chicken Marsala, try making it at home instead of going out to eat. It’s quick, easy, and delicious (and you’ll save a few bucks too)!
I hope you try this recipe for Easy Chicken Marsala and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Easy Homemade Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 4 (4-ounce each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 8 to 10 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced, I use white button or cremini
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoons butter
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and lightly pound them until they are evenly ½ inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Note: if you can only get larger chicken breasts, use two 8-ounce breasts and cut each in half horizontally before pounding to make 4 pieces.
- Place the flour in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and fry until they are lightly golden brown on both sides and just cooked through (165°F), about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate; set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Add the mushrooms and the onions to the skillet; saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, the mushrooms release their liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to lightly brown (about 4 to 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic; saute, stirring, for another minute.
- Add 1 tablespoon of flour; cook, stirring, for another minute.
- Add the Marsala wine and stir, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit (about 5 minutes). Note: the sauce is not intended to be very thick. Also, it will thicken a little more once taken off the heat, so keep that in mind.
- Add the butter and stir until it has melted. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, spoon some of the sauce over it, and simmer for a few minutes more just until the chicken is heated through.
- If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley; serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a Marsala wine that you would actually enjoy drinking. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It just has to taste good. Don’t use cooking wine.
- I use and recommend dry Marsala for this dish, but some people prefer using sweet Marsala. I have tried it with sweet Marsala, but it turned out a little too sweet for my taste. Use what you like!
- If you’d like a creamy sauce, stir in some heavy cream right before you add the chicken back into the pan and gently heat through.
- Don’t like mushrooms? You can make this dish without them, and it will still be really delicious!
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Lightened-Up Chicken Parmesan (One Pan)
- Chicken Milanese With Mesclun Salad
- Pound Cake With Marsala Mixed Berries
Karisty criswell
Amazing!
Michelle
Thanks very much, Karisty!!!