Chicken Marsala is one of those classic dishes everyone should have in their back pocket for an impromptu date night. Tender chicken, a silky mushroom sauce, and a kitchen that smells unbelievable. But most recipes blow it in the same three places… The wrong wine, crowded mushrooms that get soggy, and a sauce that ends up tasting like flavored heavy cream. We’re fixing all of it.
Sweet Marsala turns your sauce into something that belongs on pancakes, not chicken. Mushrooms crammed into a pan steam into a sad gray pile instead of browning. And cream dumped in too early buries everything instead of finishing it. This recipe uses dry Marsala, gives the creminis room to get golden, and deglazes every bit of that chicken fond before the cream goes in at the very end — just enough to make it velvety without drowning the flavor.
Forty minutes, one skillet, and a plate of food that makes $28 Italian restaurant chicken Marsala look like a waste of money. Grab the good parmesan and some crusty bread — you’re going to want to get every last drop of that sauce.
If you’re building a solid weeknight rotation, this sits right alongside our Chicken Alfredo and herb-roasted chicken.
🔪 Ingredients for Chicken Marsala
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin cutlets: Slice horizontally so you get even pieces about ½-inch thick. If one end is thicker, pound lightly so it cooks evenly. Uneven chicken = dry edges.
- Kosher salt: Season in layers, some on the chicken before searing, some in the sauce to balance it.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour: A light dusting only. This isn’t breaded chicken; the flour helps to brown and lightly thicken the sauce. We use the same method with our veal marsala.
- Avocado or Olive oil: For high-heat searing without burning.
- Unsalted butter: Adds flavor and helps brown the mushrooms properly.
- Cremini mushrooms: These brown better than white buttons and hold their texture. Slice evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Fresh garlic: Add after the mushrooms brown so it doesn’t scorch.
- Dry Marsala wine: Use dry. Sweet Marsala makes the finished sauce noticeably sugary.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Lets you control seasoning as the sauce reduces.
- Heavy cream (optional but classic in American-style Marsala): Rounds the wine and gives the sauce body.
- Fresh parsley and grated Parmesan, for garnish
Equipment
- Large stainless steel or cast-iron skillet
- Tongs
- Instant-read thermometer
- Shallow dish for dredging
📝 How to Make Chicken Marsala (Without Overcooking)
1. Prep the chicken.
Pat the chicken completely dry. Moisture prevents browning. Then, season both sides. If cutlets are thicker than ½ inch, gently pound to even thickness.
2. Dredge lightly.
Coat in flour and shake off excess. You want a thin coating; too much flour can turn the sauce pasty. Similar to how we prep chicken for Veal Piccata or light pan sauces, this is just enough flour to help the sauce cling.
3. Sear the Chicken for a deep color.
Heat oil and butter over medium-high until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and leave it alone for several minutes. You’re looking for a deep golden crust.
Flip and cook until the internal temperature reaches 155–160°F.
Remove from the pan. It will finish cooking later to 165°F, the USDA-safe temperature. If you cook it fully now, it will dry out in the final simmer.
4. Brown the mushrooms properly.
Add more butter if the pan is dry and it’s needed. Spread mushrooms in one layer and let them sit before stirring. They should brown at the edges and release moisture that cooks off.
If they immediately flood the pan, the heat is too low. Once browned, add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
5. Deglaze and reduce.
Pour in Marsala wine and scrape up browned bits to deglaze the pan (don’t skip this step, it’s where real flavor builds).
Let it reduce until slightly syrupy, and the sharp alcohol smell softens. If it still smells harsh, it needs more time.
6. Build the sauce.
Add broth and simmer until it coats the back of a spoon. When you drag a finger through it, the line should hold briefly. Stir in the cream if you’re using it.
7. Finish gently.
Return chicken and any juices to the skillet.
Spoon sauce over and simmer gently – not boiling – until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the sauce clings to the chicken.
If the sauce tightens too much, loosen it with a splash of broth.
Best Wine for Chicken Marsala
Use dry Marsala wine for savory cooking. Dry Marsala reduces into a balanced, slightly nutty sauce. Sweet Marsala will make the finished dish noticeably sugary and heavy.
If you can’t find Marsala, a dry sherry is the closest substitute — but the flavor won’t be identical.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken thighs: Cook to 170–175°F for best texture.
- No cream: Skip for a lighter, more traditional version.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free flour blend or skip flour and reduce sauce longer.
- Thicker sauce: Simmer longer uncovered or whisk in a small cornstarch slurry at the end.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Use stainless or cast iron, not nonstick. You want real fond. That browned layer is what gives Marsala its depth when you deglaze.
- Reduce the wine before adding broth. If you dilute too early, you mute the nutty, caramel notes Marsala is known for.
- Slice mushrooms thick enough to hold structure. Paper-thin slices collapse and disappear in the sauce.
- Finish with cold butter if you skip cream. Swirling in a small knob off heat gives gloss without heaviness.
- Let the chicken rest 3–5 minutes before serving. Even cutlets redistribute juices — slicing too soon leaks moisture into the sauce instead of staying in the meat.
🍽️ What to Serve with Chicken Marsala
This is a sauce dish. Give it something to catch it.
- Mashed potatoes
- Buttered noodles or fettuccine
- Creamy polenta
- Roasted green beans or broccolini
If you’re building out your go-to chicken recipes, this one earns permanent rotation.
🧊 Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerate up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of broth.
- Avoid high heat — it overcooks the chicken and can cause the sauce to separate.
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Chicken Marsala Recipe
Recommended Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet or Large stainless steel skillet
- Shallow dish for dredging
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts about 1½ lb, cut into 4 halved horizontally
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup dry Marsala wine
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Grated parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off excess.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high.
- Cook the chicken 3–4 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tbsp butter.
- Sauté mushrooms 5–6 minutes until browned.
- Then add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour in Marsala and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add broth and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer for 4–6 minutes until lightly thickened.
- Reduce the heat to medo=ium-low, stir in the cream and simmer for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the skillet; spoon the sauce over and simmer for 1–2 minutes to warm through.
- Top with parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Pair with fettuccine noodles to enjoy.
Notes
- Pound the chicken evenly. Aim for about ½-inch thick so it cooks evenly and stays tender instead of dry on the edges and raw in the center.
- Dry the chicken before dredging. Moisture kills browning. Pat it dry so the flour coating sticks lightly and forms a golden crust.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Work in batches if needed. Overcrowding steams the chicken instead of searing it.
- Let the mushrooms brown properly. Cook until they release their moisture and the pan looks almost dry before adding wine. That’s where the flavor builds.
- Use real dry Marsala wine. Not cooking wine. Sweet Marsala will make the sauce overly sugary. Dry gives you balance.
- Deglaze thoroughly. Scrape up every browned bit after adding the wine — that’s the backbone of the sauce.
- Simmer to reduce. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon before adding the chicken back in.
- Finish gently. Once the chicken goes back into the pan, keep the heat moderate. Overboiling can make the sauce greasy or cause it to separate.
- Internal temp target: 160–165°F in the thickest part of the chicken.
- Rest briefly before serving. 5 minutes helps the juices settle so the chicken stays tender.
Nutrition
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❓ FAQs
Chicken Marsala is done when the cutlets feel firm but slightly springy and the center is fully opaque with clear juices. If you slice into the thickest part, there should be no translucent or glossy areas. For accuracy, the internal temperature should reach 165°F.
The Marsala wine wasn’t reduced enough. Let it simmer until the alcohol smell has mellowed before adding the broth.
They were crowded or stirred too soon. Give them space and let the moisture cook off before moving them.
Yes. Cook chicken and sauce separately, then reheat gently together just before serving.
You can, but expect a noticeably sweeter sauce that changes the balance of the dish.
