Creamy Chicken Marsala Recipe
This Creamy Chicken Marsala Recipe is juicy pan seared chicken breast and tender mushrooms in a flavorful creamy Marsala wine sauce. It’s a restaurant quality dinner that’s so easy to make, and it’s ready in about 30 minutes!
I love recreating dishes that I order out at restaurants. As much as I enjoy eating out, there’s really nothing like a home cooked meal, and it’s nice to be able to customize recipes according to my own taste.
Chicken piccata is an example of a restaurant quality dish that I make often, and the glory is that it’s extremely easy to prepare and it still feels fancy.
This Creamy Chicken Marsala recipe is my latest obsession. As much as I love ordering it out, I’m very picky about the Marsala sauce.
Oftentimes the sauce is too sweet and/or too thin for me, and it doesn’t include enough mushrooms (which is one of my favorite parts of the dish).
I worked hard to create the best Chicken Marsala sauce. It’s smooth and creamy, the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavor, and it doesn’t include any thickeners so it’s grain and gluten-free.
And of course it’s packed with mushrooms. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Restaurant quality. This creamy Chicken Marsala recipe is juicy pan seared chicken with mushrooms and a restaurant quality creamy Marsala sauce. It’s guaranteed to impress!
- Quick and easy. It takes about 10 minutes of prep time and it’s ready in about 30 minutes or so.
- Family friendly. It’s a family friendly dinner that everyone will love. Serve with your favorite sides!
- Gluten-free. The chicken is not dredged in flour, which saves you a step and it makes this chicken marsala gluten-free.
Recipe ingredients
Most of the ingredients below are included in classic Chicken Marsala recipes, with the exception of dijon mustard.
I’ve also opted to make this recipe without dredging chicken in flour for two reasons. First, pan seared chicken becomes beautiful golden brown and crispy when it’s not coated in flour. Secondly, flour can burn easily in the bottom of the pan, which lends a bitter flavor to your dish.
- Chicken. You’ll need 1.5 – 2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. For best results, allow the chicken breast to come to room temperature before cooking, and butterfly it and pound it to even thickness to ensure that it cooks evenly.
- Mushrooms. The mushrooms not only add savory, umami flavor and texture to the Marsala sauce, but they also release their liquids as they cook, which helps deglaze the pan and keep the fond from burning.
- Shallots and garlic. These aromatics add flavor to the sauce. The shallots are optional, but their mild onion flavor really complements the dish.
- Marsala wine. The Marsala wine is the star of the dish, so be sure to use a good quality. It doesn’t have to be super expensive, but it also shouldn’t be cooking Marsala. Dry Marsala, or Secco, is recommended for its nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Using semi-dry Marsala, or semisecco, will result in a slightly sweeter sauce that can overpower the dish.
- Chicken stock. Adds great flavor the sauce. Use my homemade chicken stock or your favorite store bought brand. I recommend using low sodium chicken stock to keep the sauce from being overly salty.
- Dijon mustard. This may be a controversial ingredient as it’s not included in a classic Chicken Marsala recipe. I love using it in my Marsala sauce because its savory flavor balances out the sweetness of the wine, and it helps thicken the sauce as well.
- Thyme. Fresh thyme adds great depth of flavor, and it also makes a great garnish for the finished dish as well. Sub with your favorite fresh or dried herbs, or omit entirely and simply garnish the dish with freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley.
- Heavy cream. The cream has two purposes in this recipe. It adds richness and creaminess to the sauce, and it helps thicken it as well.
How to make Marsala Chicken
This recipe goes very quickly, so be sure to have your ingredients prepped and ready to go. The chicken breast, mushrooms, shallots and garlic can be prepped up to a day or two in advance.
Pro tip: Be sure that your chicken breast is room temperature before cooking and that it is butterflied and pounded to even thickness in order for them to cook evenly.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Butterfly the chicken breast
If the chicken breasts are large, it will be necessary to butterfly them, then pound them to even thickness in order for them to cook evenly.
If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, you can simply pound them to even thickness.
- Butterfly the chicken breasts by cutting in half lengthwise.
- Once butterflied, cut the chicken breast in half.
- Place the chicken in a zip top bag to pound to even thickness. If your chicken breasts are smaller, there’s no need to cut them in half, simply pound them to about 1/4″ thickness. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Prepare the Marsala Chicken
- Cook the chicken in 2 tablespoons of oil until golden brown and it releases easily from the pan, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 160 degrees. Remove from the pan and place on a plate and cover loosely with foil.
- Cook the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until browned and the liquid has evaporated, and be sure to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to ensure that they don’t burn. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Add the chicken stock, Marsala wine, heavy cream and thyme to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a high simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced to about half and it coats a wooden spoon, about 10-15 minutes.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then add the chicken back to the pan along with any accumulated juices and simmer on low heat until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Marsala wine is fortified wine that originated from western Sicily, Italy around the city of Marsala. The wine is fortified with a distilled spirit, normally brandy, to increase its alcohol content and shelf life.
Marsala is available in a variety of styles based on color, sweetness and age, and it ranges in sweetness depending on whether its dry (secco), semi-dry (semisecco) or sweet (dolce).
See Vinepair’s article The Complete Guide to Marsala Wine for more information.
When cooking with wine, it’s best to use a drinkable quality as the flavor is the foundation of your dish. For this reason, I don’t recommend using cooking Marsala as it is far too sweet and you definitely wouldn’t drink it.
I recommend using a dry Marsala, or secco, as it has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that will result in a well balanced Marsala sauce.
Boneless skinless chicken breast is ideal for Chicken Marsala. If your chicken breasts are large, be sure to butterfly them according to the instructions below. If the chicken breasts are on the smaller side, simply pound them to even thickness.
Many recipes for Marsala Chicken include dredging the chicken lightly in flour to promote browning and to help thicken the sauce.
I prefer not to dredge the chicken in flour as the chicken browns beautifully when it is pan seared without it, and flour can burn easily on the bottom of the pan. If the flour burns, it will lend a bitter flavor to the dish.
This Marsala sauce recipe does not include any thickeners so it’s both grain and gluten-free. It is thickened naturally by simmering it until it reaches the desired thickness.
There’s no need to dredge the chicken in flour or add cornstarch or other thickeners — this Classic Chicken Marsala sauce is thickened naturally simply by simmering the sauce until it reaches the desired thickness.
The addition of heavy cream and a bit of dijon mustard naturally help thicken the sauce as well.
The Marsala sauce is done when it has thickened and reduced by about half. It should coat a wooden spoon. You can also test for doneness by running the tip of the wooden spoon through the sauce across the bottom of the pan. If the spoon leaves a momentary trail in the sauce, it is thick enough.
Serving suggestions
If you’re wondering what to serve with Chicken Marsala, I’ve got some delicious ideas for you below.
- It’s pure comfort food served with a side of pasta, yukon gold mashed potatoes, or Instant pot mushroom risotto.
- Serve with rosemary focaccia bread or your favorite crusty bread.
- For a lower carb option, serve with mashed cauliflower or a side of air fryer broccoli or roasted asparagus.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Be sure that the chicken is room temperature before cooking and that it is butterflied and pounded to even thickness to ensure even cooking.
- For best results, use a good quality dry marsala wine as it’s less sweet and has a more well balanced flavor. Cooking marsala is not recommended.
- Prep the chicken, mushrooms, shallots and garlic up to 1-2 days in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.
- I prefer not to dredge the chicken in flour as the chicken gets plenty golden brown and crispy just by pan searing it and it’s easy for the flour to burn. If you prefer to do this, simply dredge the chicken about 1/2 cup of flour, shake off any excess and proceed with pan searing.
- Store leftover chicken marsala in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More chicken breast recipes you’ll love:
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Creamy Chicken Marsala Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or up to 2 lbs.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced fairly thin
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3/4 cups dry marsala wine see notes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme plus leaves for garnish, optional
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to butterfly, then cut in half. Place in a zip top bag to pound to even thickness. If your chicken breasts are smaller, there's no need to cut them in half, simply pound them to about 1/4" thickness. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and it releases easily from the pan, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 160 degrees. Remove from the pan and place on a plate, then cover loosely with foil.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the additional tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until browned and the liquid has evaporated, and be sure to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to ensure that they don't burn. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.8 ounces cremini mushrooms, 1 small shallot, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken stock, marsala wine, heavy cream and thyme to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a high simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced to about half and it coats a wooden spoon, about 10-15 minutes.1 cup chicken stock, 3/4 cups dry marsala wine, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then add the chicken back to the pan along with any accumulated juices and simmer on low heat until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Be sure that the chicken is room temperature before cooking and that it is pounded to even thickness to ensure that it cooks evenly.
- For best results, use a good quality dry marsala wine as it’s less sweet and has a more well balanced flavor. Cooking marsala is not recommended.
- Prep the chicken, mushrooms, shallots and garlic up to 1-2 days in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.
- The sauce is done when it has thickened and reduced by about half. It should coat a wooden spoon. You can also test for doneness by running the tip of the wooden spoon through the sauce across the bottom of the pan. If the spoon leaves a momentary trail in the sauce, it is thick enough.
- I prefer not to dredge the chicken in flour as the chicken gets plenty golden brown and crispy just by pan searing it and it’s easy for the flour to burn. If you prefer to do this, simply dredge the chicken about 1/2 cup of flour, shake off any excess and proceed with pan searing.
- Store leftover chicken marsala in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
