Chicken Marsala comes together in less than 30 minutes and is a family favorite! Made with marsala wine sauce, plenty of mushrooms, and chicken breasts, this recipe is fantastic over pasta or potatoes!

An image of creamy chicken marsala in a pan.

What is chicken marsala?

Chicken marsala is an Italian-American recipe that has been popularized by chains like Olive Garden or Carrabbas. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s even more delicious made at home! Plus it costs a lot less and takes less than 30 minutes!  It’s an impressive dish to make for company but also great for a weeknight meal! Chicken marsala is similar to another dish called chicken madeira. Both are restaurant favorites made with chicken and mushrooms in a wine sauce, except the wines used have different flavors and chicken madeira has cheese melted on top. You are definitely going to want to try them both!

What is a good side dish for chicken marsala?

I served this chicken marsala with angel hair pasta and an Italian salad, but it’s also wonderful with oven roasted asparagus. Many people enjoy chicken marsala over rice or Mashed Potatoes in place of the pasta.

 

chicken marsala

How to make chicken marsala

  1. Flatten your chicken breasts. If they are large, you may need to slice each chicken breasts in half horizontally and pound thin to about 1/4″ thickness. This not only helps tenderize the meat and allows it to cook evenly, but it also gives a better ratio of sauce to chicken when serving. If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, you can get away with just pounding them and not slicing them in half.
  2. Dredge chicken breasts in seasoned flour mixture. Shake off any excess or it will fall off and burn in the pan while the chicken cooks. The flour protects the chicken while sauteing so that it stays tender. It also helps thicken the sauce later.
  3. Heat butter and oil in a pan and saute the chicken until browned on both sides and barely cooked through, about 5-6 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.
  4. Saute mushrooms and onions until soft and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Be sure to scrape up any leftover browned bits from the bottom of the pan because they add amazing flavor to the sauce!
  5. Add marsala wine and cream, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The cream is optional, as it isn’t included in traditional chicken marsala, but I love the rich flavor it adds to the sauce.
  6. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is hot again.
  7. Serve over angel hair pasta or homemade mashed potatoes with mushrooms and sauce spooned over the top.

A collage of images showing how to make a seasoned flour mixture for dredging chicken cutlets to fry in a pan. A collage showing the steps for how to make chicken marsala.

Where can I buy marsala wine?

Most grocery stores that I have been to have marsala wine available, although you may need to go to an actual liquor store for it if you can’t find it where you usually shop. There may be options to purchase dry or sweet marsala wine, in which case I recommend going with the dry option for this savory chicken dish. But if sweet is all you can find, that will work just as well in this recipe.

What kind of mushrooms should I use?

You can use almost any type of mushroom you like in this recipe! Crimini mushrooms (also called baby bella mushrooms) or white button mushrooms work well and they are always available at any grocery store.

But you could also use porcini mushrooms (my favorite!) or chanterelles if you find some at a farmer’s market or grocery store. They tend to have a stronger, earthier flavor than the crimini or button mushrooms.

pan of chicken marsala

 

Enjoy!

5 from 8 votes

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala comes together in less than 30 minutes and is a family favorite! Made with marsala wine sauce, plenty of mushrooms, and chicken breasts, this recipe is fantastic over pasta or potatoes!
 
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients 

Chicken

  • 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thickness (or 2 large ones, sliced in half horizontally and pounded to 1/4" thickness)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter

Sauce

  • 16 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Combine the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to coat all over.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When butter has melted and the pan is hot, shake excess flour off the chicken breasts and lay them in the pan. Cook chicken until light brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from pan and set on a plate. Keep warm.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add the mushrooms and onion and mushrooms. Saute until soft, about 7-8 minutes, then add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
  • Add the wine, chicken broth, and cream, stirring to combine and using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with the additional salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.
  • Once the sauce has cooked, add the chicken back to the pan and spoon sauce over the top. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.
  • Serve over angel hair pasta or mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 516kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 200mg, Sodium: 1228mg, Potassium: 1380mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 849IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 2mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
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Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this tonight. And it was amazing! Served over mashed potatoes with a side of roasted broccoli. OMG we were licking our plates. This recipe is going into the rotation!

  2. 5 stars
    OMG now I am drooling over here! That looks so good and easy to make. Will totally have to try your recipe.

  3. I always love this dinner when we eat out. I am realizing that I have never made it at home! This looks delish!