Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe

Chicken Marsala is incredibly easy to make.

Tender chicken breasts are simmered in a creamy mushroom marsala wine sauce for a meal that’s easy enough for every day, but elegant enough for 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-Peasy Chicken Marsala in 30 Minutes

Skip Olive Garden and satify your cravings at home!
This Chicken Marsala recipe is ready in just 30 minutes.
While it seems fancy, it’s really easy to make and it needs just a handful of ingredients.
If you love Italian cuisine, it’s a must-try and it reheats well.

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

Ingredients for Chicken Marsala

Marsala – Marsala wine is the star of the show! It is a fortified wine originating from Sicily. When shopping, choose dry Marsala – not sweet marsala. This wine packs full-bodied flavor and has some acidity that helps tenderize the chicken. If Marsala is unavailable, other fortified wines like

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 Breasts – Smaller 5 oz chicken breasts are perfect for this recipe. Feel free to substitute, use 8 pre-sliced chicken filets or chicken cutlets. Chicken thighs are also a good alternative.

Mushrooms – White or brown mushrooms make a hearty addition to the sauce, giving it a robust flavor.

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 dry 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.

Marsala provides the key flavor in this dish, so replacing will change the flavor but it will still be delicious.

Replace marsala with a dry Madeira, dry 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 meat mallet or rolling pin.
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 is great over any kind of pasta of course! Chicken Marsala tastes fantastic on spaghetti or sturdy pasta shapes like penne, rotini, or bowtie. rnrnHere are other favorites to serve on the side.

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.

More Quick Chicken Favorites

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

4.98 from 92 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Easy Chicken Marsala is more delicious than any version from an Italian restaurant, and so much less expensive too!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound to ¼-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
Preheat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, thyme, and shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1½ tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute more.
Pour in the Marsala wine and stock or broth and simmer until thick and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
Add chicken back into the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
Garnish and serve over pasta.

Marsala: Choose dry marsala wine for this recipe. Sweet marsala wine will make the final dish too sweet.
Chicken breasts: If they’re very large, they can be cut in half horizontally. Replace chicken breasts with 8 thin chicken cutlets.
Sauce: 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.
Leftovers: Keep leftover chicken marsala refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop.

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

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala, a dish featuring thinly sliced chicken filets (aka escalopes), is a taste of Sicily. The chicken in this marsala recipe is simmered in Marsala wine, which tenderizes them and creates a savory mushroom sauce that’s delicous drizzled over pasta or rice.