Chicken Marsala

Rich and full of flavor, this chicken marsala recipe is worthy of any restaurant! Creamy with a hint of sweetness from the marsala wine, this Italian American chicken dish is perfect when you want to impress!

Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe

Fancy food doesn’t get much easier than this chicken marsala, this is a serious dish that is a real crowd pleaser.

Perfectly creamy with umami flavors from the mushrooms and hints of smokey and sweet from the marsala wine and pancetta, this is a delicious dinner that’s not shy in the flavor department!

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How to make at Home

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1. Reduce the marsala wine, gelatin and shitake mushrooms.
2. Cut the chicken breast into cutlets and season.
3. Pass the marsala sauce through a sieve and bring to a boil and simmer.
4. Dredge the chicken in flour.
5. Cook the cutlets til browned and set aside.
6. Cook the pancetta til crispy.
7. Add in the mushrooms, cook and set aside.
8. Soften the shallot and mix in the tomato paste and garlic.
9. Add the marsala, sherry, lemon juice and herbs and simmer.
10. Remove the cutlets to a serving plate.
11. Whisk the butter into the sauce and add the mushroom pancetta mix.
12. Taste, season and pour over the chicken to serve.

What is marsala?

Marsala is a fortified Italian wine that is often used in cooking or enjoyed as an aperitif. It comes in both dry and sweet varieties and dry is best to use for this chicken dish.

If you can’t get marsala wine, madeira is the best substitution, or you can use another fortified wine like port. In a pinch, you can use regular white wine, though it will loose some of it’s complexity.

Can you make this with chicken thighs?

You can make this chicken marsala with chicken thighs if you have them, though I much prefer the flavor and texture of breasts as they really let the delicious sauce be the star of the show. If you use thighs, they will take a few minutes longer to cook through.

What do you serve it with?

This chicken marsala recipe is great to serve over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes. I especially like to serve it with angel hair pasta. Serve with a veggie side dish too if you like, sauteed asparagus and roasted broccoli both work great.

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This chicken marsala is sure to impress! Simple to make, but the results are quite literally mouthwatering! I just know you are going to love this one!

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Recipe Card

Chicken Marsala Recipe

4.82 from 11 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Author: Becky Hardin

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Fancy food doesn't get much easier than this chicken marsala, this is a serious dish that is a real crowd-pleaser.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Equipment

• Fine Mesh Sieve
• Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups dry Marsala wine
• ▢ 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• ▢ 3 ounces Shitake mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed (6-8 ounces each)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 13 teaspoons vegetable oil divided (¼ cup + 1 teaspoon)
• ▢ 3 ounces pancetta cut into ½-inch pieces
• ▢ 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms trimmed & sliced thin
• ▢ 1 shallot minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ ¼ cups dry sherry wine
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into sixths (⅜ stick)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions 

• In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups of Marsala wine, gelatin, and shitake mushrooms to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 7-9 minutes.
  2 cups dry Marsala wine, 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin, 3 ounces Shitake mushrooms
  
• While the sauce reduces, cut each chicken breast into 3 pieces: first halve the breast crosswise and then halve the fatter, remaining piece lengthwise. There should be 3 cutlets of similar size. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and pound each to ½-inch even thickness. Place all the cutlets in a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set aside 15-20 minutes.
  4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• Pour the Marsala sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Press on the remaining solids to extract as much liquid as possible and discard the solids. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan, add broth, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
  2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  
• Immediately reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until reduced to 1½ cups; set aside.
• Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge cutlets (one at a time) in the flour – be sure to shake off any excess flour. Place cutlets on the prepared wire rack.
  ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  
• In a 12-inch skillet, set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil just until smoking. Carefully, place 6 cutlets in the skillet and cook, without moving the cutlets, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the cutlets and cook until golden brown on the second side, another 2-3 minutes.
  13 teaspoons vegetable oil
  
• Set the cutlets back on the wire rack and repeat the process with 2 additional tablespoons of oil and the remaining 6 cutlets.
• Set the now empty skillet to medium-low heat and add pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is brown and crispy, about 4 minutes, scraping the pan often to loosen any tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  3 ounces pancetta
  
• Add the cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring and scraping the bits off the bottom, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown. Cook until the liquid evaporates, about 7-9 minutes.
  1 pound cremini or button mushrooms
  
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushroom/pancetta mixture to a small bowl; set aside.
• Set the skillet over medium-low heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and the shallot. Cook for about 1 minute to soften the shallot. Add the tomato paste and garlic, stir, and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom the garlic.
  1 shallot, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 clove garlic
  
• Add the reduced Marsala mixture, dry sherry, lemon juice, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Simmer for 3 additional minutes, flipping after 1½ minutes. Set the cutlets on a serving platter.
  ¼ cups dry sherry wine, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
  
• Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the butter. Add the parsley and cremini mushroom/pancetta mixture. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
  
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve over a bed of noodles or rice or mashed potatoes.
  

Video

Becky’s Tips

• Cut the chicken breast into similar-sized pieces and flatten them out to ensure they cook evenly and all the way through. Pounding them also helps to tenderize them.
• This recipe is best served as soon as it’s made, but you can make the marsala sauce and mushroom pancetta mix ahead of time.

Storage: Store chicken marsala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Calories: 616kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 44gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 728mgPotassium: 1112mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 277IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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