Chicken Marsala
intro
Tender pan-seared chicken cutlets smothered in a rich, umami-packed Marsala wine and mushroom sauce, a beloved Italian-American restaurant staple easy to recreate at home.
Ingredients
Steps
Pound and Season the Chicken
Place each boneless, skinless chicken breast between two sheets of parchment paper, and use a meat mallet or heavy rolling pin to pound to an even 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) thickness. Season both sides evenly with 1 teaspoon (6g) kosher salt and all measured black pepper. Dredge each cutlet lightly in the all-purpose flour, shaking off all excess to leave only a thin, even coating; set cutlets aside on a clean plate for 5 minutes to let the flour coating adhere.
Add Butter and Scrape Fond
Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is foamy and just starting to turn pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add floured chicken cutlets in a single layer (cook in 2 batches if needed to avoid crowding) and sear for 3 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crisp on the outside, reaching an internal temperature of 63C (145F). Transfer seared chicken to a clean plate, and tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Reduce Marsala by Half
Lower the stovetop heat to medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter to the same skillet, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all browned, flavorful bits (called fond) from the pan bottom. Add thinly sliced cremini mushrooms and the remaining 0.5 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt, cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep golden brown and have released all their moisture. Add finely diced shallots and cook for 2 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in minced garlic and fresh thyme, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant (take care not to burn the garlic).
Return Chicken to Sauce
Pour the dry Marsala wine into the skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a gentle, rolling simmer. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring often, until the wine is reduced by half and smells deeply nutty and aromatic. Stir in the low-sodium chicken broth, return to a simmer, and cook for another 3 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated, then let the sauce simmer for 1 additional minute to meld flavors.
Return the seared chicken cutlets
Return the seared chicken cutlets and any accumulated savory juices from their resting plate back to the skillet, nestling each cutlet into the sauce. Spoon a generous amount of sauce and mushrooms over the top of each cutlet, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes to warm the chicken through and let it absorb some of the sauce flavor. Turn off the heat, and garnish the dish with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley before serving immediately, spooning extra sauce and mushrooms over each portion.
Tips
2.Never crowd the skillet when searing chicken: if cutlets are packed too tightly, they will steam instead of developing a crisp, golden crust. Cook in 2 batches if your pan is not large enough to hold all cutlets in a single layer with space between them.
3.Pounding chicken to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness is critical for even cooking: uneven cutlets will have dry, overcooked thin sections and undercooked thick sections. The short rest in warm sauce at the end will bring chicken to a safe, juicy 74C (165F) internal temperature without drying it out.
OMG this was the BEST chicken marsala I’ve ever made at home! The pan sauce is absolutely insane — I used a dry Marsala like the recipe said and it was so rich and earthy, not too sweet. My husband and two kids devoured it, even my picky 7 year old who usually turns up her nose at anything with mushrooms. Served it over buttered egg noodles for our Sunday family dinner and everyone asked for seconds. Game changer for weeknights too since it only takes 35 minutes total!
Made this last night for potluck at work and people were literally coming up to ask me for the recipe all morning. Only note is I pounded the chicken a little thinner than the recipe suggested so it cooked faster, and that worked perfectly. I did skip the extra cream some marsala recipes call for since this version doesn’t mention it, and honestly it didn’t need it at all — the Marsala and butter and pan drippings are enough for that perfect silky sauce. 10/10.
This was solid! I meal prepped a batch on Sunday and ate it for lunches all week, and the sauce actually held up way better than I thought it would reheated. Next time I’ll add a little more garlic because I’m a garlic fiend, but otherwise super straightforward even for a medium difficulty recipe.
Wait, hold up — I made this last week and my sauce turned out way too sweet? Did I buy the wrong Marsala? I grabbed the first bottle I saw at the grocery store that said Marsala on it, I think it was the cooking wine from the vinegar aisle.
My three teenage boys ate this so fast I barely got a bite myself. SO good. I served it with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus, and it felt like a restaurant meal for a fraction of the price. Will absolutely be adding this to our regular dinner rotation!
Decent recipe, but I wish it had a little more guidance on how long to simmer the sauce so it thickens properly. I ended up having to add a tiny cornstarch slurry because mine was super runny, even after letting it cook for the time listed. Still tasted great, just took a little troubleshooting.
I was intimidated because I thought chicken marsala was fancy restaurant food that was super hard to make, but this was so doable on a random Tuesday night after work! The steps are straightforward, nothing weird or hard to find at the regular grocery store, and the whole thing came together in exactly 35 minutes like the recipe said. 10/10, will make for date night this weekend too.
Pro tip from someone who’s messed this up before: don’t overcrowd the pan when you’re searing the chicken! I did two batches instead of cramming all four cutlets in at once, and got that perfect golden crispy crust on every piece instead of sad, steamed chicken. The sauce came out perfect too, I deglazed the pan really well to get all those little brown bits off the bottom — that’s where all the flavor is!
I made this with chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts because that’s what I had in the fridge, and it was INCREDIBLE. The thighs stay so juicy, and the little bit of extra fat made the sauce even richer. Don’t @ me if you’re a breast purist, but the thigh version slaps.
Great recipe for small kitchens too! I only have one tiny frying pan and I still pulled this off without a hitch, just did the chicken in batches like the recipe notes. I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used dried, and it still tasted totally fine for a weeknight dinner. Will make again when I can get fresh herbs to see the difference.
Tried this for my partner’s birthday dinner and it was a total hit! We had it with a side of garlic bread and a Caesar salad, and he said it was better than the version we get at our favorite Italian spot downtown. I will say, I wish the recipe noted how long to let the chicken rest after searing? Mine lost a little juice when I cut into it, but it was still delicious.
I made this a couple months ago and it was chef’s kiss, but can I prep parts of it ahead for a dinner party I’m hosting on Saturday? I don’t want to be stuck cooking the whole time my guests are over, but I also don’t want the chicken to get soggy. Would love any tips!