Weeknight, Dinner Party Chicken Marsala

This fabulous Chicken Marsala with super tender, pan-seared chicken, caramelized mushrooms and a succulent, silky sauce is a delicious way to make a weeknight special and elegant enough to serve for a fancy dinner party!

I've been making this Chicken Marsala for several months now, always to rave reviews. Several guests have said that they were tempted to forego their manners and lick the bowl clean. I have to admit, I have that same thought every time I get to the end of my portion of this delicious Italian-American entree.

I've made it just for Scott and myself for a special treat (and wonderful leftovers), but I've also doubled the recipe for larger dinner parties. I love that it can all be prepped before the guests arrive then simply warmed when we're ready to dine.

What is Chicken Marsala?

While you'll often find this dish on the menu at Italian restaurants here in the States no one knows for sure where Chicken Marsala actually originated. Or who dreamed it up. The dish dates to the 19th century, and some sources say that it may have originated with English families who lived in western Sicily. Other historians believe that the dish bears a strong French influence thanks to the French chefs who migrated to Italy during the 19^th century.

It's surmised by others that Chicken Marsala is the result of Italian immigrants to America who tried to re-create a traditional dish with the ingredients they had available in their new country. This could explain why this classic dish is far more popular in Italian restaurants here in the States than it is in Italy.

With all this mystery, there is a known fact about Chicken Marsala. Marsala wine, one of the essential ingredients in this recipe, was originally made exclusively in and around the town of Marsala in Sicily. These days, you can also find decent Marsala wine that's made in California too.

Another thing about Chicken Marsala that is uncontestable is that it is incredibly delicious with tender chicken, golden mushrooms and an amazing silky sauce!

What does Marsala wine taste like?

Marsala is a golden-hued wine that has a deep, intense flavor. Some Marsala wine is labeled sweet and some dry, although I've found that it's often simply labeled Marsala wine.

What kind of Marsala wine should I use for this recipe?

Cooking Light, in an article about Marsala wine says, "Used in the context of a savory recipe, where a Marsala is used to create pan sauce, for example, the flavor distinction between sweet and dry will be so slight that substituting one for the other is really no big deal.

If you study different recipes for Chicken Marsala, you'll find that some call for dry Marsala, some for the sweet version, but many don’t specify. The truth is that all Marsala wine is sweet, with the dry being slightly less sweet. So the answer to the above question? Either will work!

Where do I find Marsala wine?

Most larger grocery stores with a wine aisle will carry Marsala. It might be in a section labeled "Italian" or in a section labeled "Fortified Wine" which is the same area where you'll often also find Sherry, Port, Madeira and Vermouth.

How to make this Chicken Marsala

Unlike most recipes for Chicken Marsala, this one starts out with preparing the delicious Marsala mushrooms. The mushrooms are simply combined in a large sauté pan with chicken broth, a pat of butter and a splash of Marsala. Bring this mixture to a boil and just let it go until the mushrooms release their water and all of the liquid evaporates. Then the magic begins. Just turn down the heat a bit and let them caramelize and turn a deep golden brown.

While the mushrooms are cooking, you can prepare the chicken and flavorful "dredging" mixture which includes flour, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and paprika. The recipe calls for chicken cutlets which are simply thin chicken breasts. You can either purchase chicken cutlets already prepared or easily do this yourself by slicing each chicken breast in half horizontally.

Remove the mushrooms and set them aside for now. In the same pan, combine butter and olive oil and heat until the mixture is bubbly and fragrant. Transfer the flour mixture to a large ziplock bag and shake to combine, then add the the chicken cutlets, seal the bag and shake to coat. Transfer the flour-coated chicken to the hot pan and cook for a few minutes until golden then flip and cook for just a bit longer. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover while you prepare the delicious sauce.

The sauce comes together quickly starting with a 2-minute sauté of a finely chopped shallot and a few cloves of garlic. The Marsala comes next and is reduced for a few minutes to intensify the flavor before adding chicken broth and finally a splash of heavy cream combined with a bit of cornstach. At this point, the chicken and mushrooms are returned to the pan along with a scatter of fresh thyme leaves. Then it's a quick gentle simmer to finish cooking.

What to serve with this dish

I love to serve Chicken Marsala with pasta, a fresh green salad and some warm, crusty bread. It's also delicious with mashed potatoes, rice, risotto and polenta. If you like to keep things a little simpler (and lower in carbs) serve it with roasted asparagus or steamed French green beans.

Whatever you decide to serve this Chicken Marsala with, put it on your must-make-soon list.

As mentioned above, it makes a fantastic dinner party entree, but also will make an ordinary weekday seem very special without a ton of effort! Bon Appetit! Or perhaps I should say that in Italian... Buon appetito!

Café Tips for making this Weeknight, Dinner Party Chicken Marsala

• This recipe calls for chicken cutlets. What is a chicken cutlet? It's simply a regular chicken breast that's been sliced horizontally to make two thinner pieces. Because chicken cutlets are thinner, they cook quicker and more evenly. Most larger grocery stores sell chicken cutlets along with the other cuts of chicken. They can be more expensive though and it's easy to do it yourself.
• To make your own chicken cutlets, place a skinless, boneless chicken breast on a cutting board. Place your non-dominant hand on top of the breast and, using a sharp knife, slice horizontally into the thicker side of the breast. Keep cutting until you've reached the other side, producing two nice chicken cutlets.
• I like to use Crimini (also called Bella) mushrooms for this chicken Marsala. I think Crimini mushrooms get a deeper golden brown when they're sautéd but regular button mushrooms will also work.
• This recipe serves 6 average servings. With pasta and a salad it's been plenty for us and for our guests, but if you're feeding some with really hearty appetites, plan on this recipe to serve 4.
• To prep this meal up to an hour before guests arrive, just prepare the recipe though the end of making the sauce. Add the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan with the sauce. Cover, but do not cook anymore at this point. About 10 minutes before dinner, uncover and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes then turn off the heat and allow the chicken and sauce to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• I like to reserve about ¼ of the mushrooms to use as a garnish when serving this Chicken Marsala along with some extra fresh thyme leaves.
• No thyme? I've also made this dish with fresh rosemary with delicious results.

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Easy Weeknight or Dinner Party Chicken Marsala

This fabulous Chicken Marsala with super tender, pan-seared chicken, caramelized mushrooms and a succulent, silky sauce is a delicious way to make a weeknight special and elegant enough to serve for a fancy dinner party!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Chicken Marsala

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Servings: 6

Calories: 368 kcal

Ingredients

For the mushrooms:

• 12 ounces Crimini, Bella or button mushrooms sliced about ¼-inch thick
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ teaspooon kosher salt

For the chicken:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets or whole chicken breasts cut in half horizontally to create two thinner fillets
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

For the sauce:

• 1 medium shallot finely chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves finely minced
• 1 cup Marsala wine
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

To finish:

• fresh thyme leaves for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the mushrooms:

1. Combine the mushrooms, chicken broth, Marsala wine, butter and salt in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until almost all of the broth mixture has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and spread the mushrooms out to a single layer. At this point, you want to start stirring every 1-2 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to brown in between. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are a nice golden brown then transfer to a plate while you cook the chicken.

For the chicken:

1. Combine the flour, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and pepper in a gallon size ziplock bag. Pat the chicken cutlets dry with a paper towel and add them to the bag. Seal the bag and shake, turning the bag from side to side until all of the chicken is nicely coated with the flour mixture.

2. In the same large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until bubbly and fragrant. Pull the chicken breasts from the bag, one at a time, shaking off any excess flour and placing them in the pan in a single layer.

3. Cook for 2 minutes then turn each breast to the opposite side and cook for another minute. Remove the chicken to a clean plate. (If your chicken breasts are large, you may need to do this in two batches, adding a little extra oil to the pan for the second batch, if needed.)

For the sauce:

1. Reduce the heat to low. If the pan seems dry, add a small amount of extra olive oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add the shallots to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 20 seconds.

2. Add the Marsala wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Scrape the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the chicken broth and salt, return to a boil and cook for another 5 minutes to reduce the broth slightly.

3. Lower the heat slightly and slowly add the cream to the simmering broth, stirring continuously. Return the mixture to a low simmer. Combine the water and cornstarch and stir until smooth. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce and stir to combine.

To finish:

1. Add half of the mushrooms and the fresh thyme to the pan and stir to combine. Add the chicken then cover the pan and simmer gently for 3 minutes to finish cooking the chicken (5 minutes if your chicken breasts are large). Scatter the remaining mushrooms over the top, cover and turn off the heat. Allow everything to rest for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! Garnish with more fresh thyme leaves.

2. To prep this meal up to an hour before serving, just prepare the recipe though making the sauce. Add the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan with the sauce. Cover, but do not cook anymore at this point. About 10 minutes before dinner, uncover and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer and allow the chicken to rest as directed above in the last step.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Calories 368kcal

Fat 17g

Saturated fat 8g

Trans fat 1g

Polyunsaturated fat 1g

Monounsaturated fat 6g

Cholesterol 110mg

Sodium 985mg

Potassium 769mg

Carbohydrates 13g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 5g

Protein 29g

Vitamin A 648%

Vitamin C 4%

Calcium 44%

Iron 2%