Try this delicious Italian-American favorite dish, creamy chicken marsala. The chicken is smothered in a mushroom sauce, made from scratch. The sauce is so creamy and flavorful.
This creamy chicken marsala is an Italian-inspired dish made from chicken breast and dry Marsala wine.
Creamy Chicken Marsala with Mushroom Reduction Sauce
The chicken is braised in a Marsala mushroom reduction sauce, made with dry Marsala wine, mushrooms, broth, aromatic herbs, and spices. The sauce has a perfect consistency and is loaded with flavors.
It's creamy, buttery, mushroomy and garlicky.. so yummy!
Chicken Marsala is part of traditional Italian scaloppini (Scaloppine) dishes, that is originated in Sicily, where Marsala wine is produced. Marsala wine is commonly used in cooking to create earthy and nutty rich flavors in sauces.
Now, let's talk about the ingredients.
Creamy Chicken Marsala Ingredients:
In this recipe, I used whole chicken breasts that I sliced in half, then pound (or flatten) them into thin, even pieces.
By pounding the chicken breast, It will help the chicken breasts cook faster at an even rate. It also tenderizes the meat, making them tender and cooked to perfection.
Here's how I pound or flatten the chicken breasts:
- First, I trim the excess fat from the breasts with a sharp knife.
- Second, I cut the breast in half.
- Third, I put each slice of the breast into an individual zip lock. I press the air out of the ziplock and seal the bag.
- Last, I will pound the chicken thin with a special meat mallet. As an alternative, you can also use the back of a small skillet, rolling pin to pound the chicken. Be sure to flatten the chicken into an even thickness, about ¼ inch each.
Marsala Wine
Marsala wine is a fortified wine that originated from the Italian city of Marsala, in Sicily. The wines have been fortified with a distilled spirit such as brandy. It comes in a dry and sweet version, suitable for cooking but is one that can also be enjoyed as a drink.
To make this chicken marsala recipe, I used a dry Marsala to create a nutty flavor and to caramelize the meat. I've tried using the sweet marsala on this recipe and found it a bit too sweet to my liking.
You can purchase Marsala wine at Trader's Joes. They sell both the dry and sweet Marsala wine at an affordable price ($3.99 per bottle in my area).
Spices:
Italian food is known for its savory flavor. The use of herbs and spices in Italian cooking is key in almost every recipe. In this marsala recipe, I used a combination of thyme, basil, garlic, and shallots to help bring out those aromatic and savory flavors.
Creamy Marsala Sauce:
I added heavy cream to add the right amount of creaminess to the sauce.
I also used a generous amount of broth and wine to make a good amount of the sauce, so you can have enough to serve the chicken marsala with some pasta on the side using the same great flavor.
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe. Don't forget to rate, comment, and share this recipe. 🙂
📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken breasts, (cut the chicken breast horizontally to make 2-4 fillets, depending on the size of it).
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Creamy Marsala Sauce:
- 10 oz mushrooms
- 3 sage leaves, (chopped)
- 1½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoon minced shallots
- ¾ cup broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup dry Marsala wine
- ½ teaspoon salt, (add more according to your liking)
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, (equal ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- black pepper, (to taste)
- chopped fresh parsley , (to serve)
Instructions
- Put the chicken fillets side-by-side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about ¼-inch thick.
- Place flour, salt, and pepper in a zip lock bag or large bowl. Add the chicken into the bag and coat the chicken evenly with the flour.
- Heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the flour-dredge chicken fillets into the pan. Be sure to shake off the excess flour.Work in batches, cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden. Transfer the chicken into a large platter. Set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. Use the same pan with the remaining chicken grease. Melt 2 tablespoon of butter then cook mushrooms and sage for about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and shallots, keep stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and wine. Simmer for a few minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Add heavy cream, dried basil, fresh thyme, and salt. Simmer gently until the sauce is thickened and reduced by about half.
- Add the chicken back into the pan, lower the heat to low and simmer for about 4-5 minutes or just until the chicken is heated and cooked through. Serve with chopped parsley and enjoy.
Kristine Nicole Alessandra says
This is always the dish my husband orders when we dine at a restaurant.
melissa chapman says
I have never made chicken marsala but it looks like a great dish. I know this would be a great way to make chicken in a new way.
Amber Myers says
I love this dish!
Theresa says
Now is such a perfect time to try new recipes since we're pretty much confined to the house anyway. I can't wait to give this a go!
Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers says
This chicken looks amazing. I like tenderizing chicken as well. The last time I bought chicken, I totally forgot to do this and should have cut them in half because the breasts were huge. I'll have to give this a try.
Catalina says
Deliciousness! Such a fancy dinner!
Terri Steffes says
I love mushrooms and this looks divine. I am needing a date night dinner this week and I think this one is it!
Marysa says
That marsala sauce looks amazing! I will have to try your recipe. This sounds like a good recipe for feeing a crowd.