Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe

You won’t believe how incredibly easy this chicken marsala recipe is!

Tender chicken breasts are simmered in a creamy mushroom marsala wine sauce that’s easy enough for every day, but also elegant enough to impress guests!

No need to go out to a fancy expensive Italian restaurant when you can make chicken Marsala at home that’s every bit as good!

Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe cooking in the pot

What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is a Sicilian dish made of thinly sliced chicken filets (AKA escalopes) cooked in a Marsala wine sauce. The wine tenderizes the chicken as it simmers and creates a savory mushroom sauce that’s great served over pasta or rice.

Why We Love This Recipe

One of the more popular menu items at Olive Garden, but like most dishes, we love the homemade version!
Chicken Marsala can be made at home in 30 minutes or less!
It is actually easy to make using a few ingredients and a few short steps.
Replace the pasta with cauliflower rice for a low-carb entrée!

chicken, mushrooms, shallot, flour, oil, wine, butter and seasonings to make Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe with labels

What’s in Chicken Marsala?

Marsala – Marsala is a fortified wine made in Sicily and it’s available in most liquor stores. For this recipe, choose a dry marsala wine, not a sweet marsala. These wines have full-bodied flavors, as well as acids that tenderize the chicken as they reduce into a savory sauce. See below for substitutions.

Chicken – I use smaller 5 oz chicken breasts for this recipe as they thin out quite a bit when pounded with a tenderizer. If you’d prefer, use 8 pre-sliced chicken filets or chicken cutlets. Chicken thighs work well in this recipe too.

Mushrooms – Basic white or brown mushrooms are the perfect addition to this sauce and add robust flavor. Morels, shiitakes, or a combination of mushrooms give a more rustic look and woodsy tones to this dish.

Substitutions for Marsala Wine

Marsala is the main ingredient in this dish so swapping it out will change the flavor.

Try a dry Madeira or sherry, or even a dry white wine. As with any dish calling for wine, choose a wine you’d drink instead of a ‘cooking wine’.

If you’d like to skip the wine, I would suggest a dish that doesn’t rely on it for so much of the flavor. Try creamy chicken and mushrooms.

Chicken marsala ingredients in a bowl with liquid being poured in

How to Make Chicken Marsala

Pound chicken with a rolling pin. Dip the chicken breasts in flour and shake off any excess.
Brown the chicken in a large skillet (per the recipe below) and set aside.
Cook the onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer until thickened.
Return chicken to the pan and cook through. Serve over pasta.

Cream is not traditional in a marsala sauce but it can be added if you’d like. Swap out ⅓ cup of chicken broth for the same amount of heavy cream or half and half.

What to Serve with Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala tastes fantastic on spaghetti or sturdy pasta shapes like penne, rotini, or bowtie. Feeling adventurous? Try it on homemade egg noodles!

It’s also great on mushroom rice or mashed potatoes.

For sides, add an Italian-inspired salad like this Caprese, and a thick slice of garlic bread for soaking up the sauce.

Storing Leftovers

Keep leftover chicken marsala in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop. Chicken marsala can be frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat the chicken and sauce on the stovetop before combining them again over freshly made pasta.

Other Savory Chicken Main Dishes

Did you make this Chicken Marsala Recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!

4.99 from 70 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Easy Chicken Marsala is more delicious than any version from an Italian restaurant, and so much less expensive too! Prep, cook and serve in 30 minutes.

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Pound chicken to ¼” thick (you can cut them in half if they’re very large). Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
Preheat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook chicken in batches, 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken and place on a plate.
In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, thyme and shallot. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour 1 ½ tablespoons flour and cook 1 minute more.
Add Marsala wine and broth and simmer about 3 minutes, until thickened and bubbly.
Place chicken back into the pan and simmer 2-3 minutes or until hot.
Garnish and serve over pasta.

Dry marsala works best in this recipe, sweet marsala wine can make the final dish too sweet.
Chicken breasts can be swapped for 8 thin chicken cutlets.
A creamier chicken Marsala can be made by switching out one-third cup of chicken broth for the same amount of heavy cream or half & half.
Keep leftover chicken marsala refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop, not the microwave.
Chicken marsala will retain its quality and flavor in the freezer for up to 6 months.

4.99 from 70 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Slow Cooker

Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean

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