This Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American classic. This easy recipe of chicken escalopes (thin cutlets) in Marsala wine sauce is a variation of traditional Italian scallopina dishes.
Slices of chicken breast are coated in flour, briefly sauté and then removed from the pan, which is then used to make a Marsala wine sauce. Packed full of delicious flavors, my version includes brown bottom mushrooms, golden pan-fried chicken in a creamy Marsala wine sauce.
What is Chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala (Italian: Scaloppine di pollo al Marsala) is an Italian-American dish that you’ve seen on the menu of so many restaurants and probably order a few times. What you don’t know is how incredibly easy to make at home and it’s ready in just 30 minutes. That is much easier and faster than going to a restaurant isn’t it?
The best part about this dish is how easy and satisfying it is. This Chicken Marsala pair well with almost everything you can imagen.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE?
- It’s done in 30 minutes
- Easy weeknight dinner
- Amazing flavor
- Simple and affordable ingredients
- Add any type of pasta to make it even more decadent – spaghetti, linguini, fettuccine, etc.
You don’t need to travel to Italy to have delicious dish for dinner, nor need to go to fancy restaurant either. You can have this mouthwatering ,heavenly good dish at the comfort of your home.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS AND TECHNIQUES
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, so the chicken can get crispy
- This pairs perfectly with blander side dishes like baked potatoes because of the delicious sauce!
- Use chicken broth to make the sauce more flavorful
- Use good quality Marsala Wine
- After adding the Marsala wine, make sure you allow it enough time to cook off the strong alcohol flavor, so that it doesn’t overpower the dish.
- You can substituted the Marsala Wine with Madeira, fortified wine, dry Sherry, Port or Pinot Noir
- For non alcoholic version use non alcoholic wine or balsamic vinegar with plums or grape juice.
Can I use Chicken Things?
You can actually make this dish with boneless skinless chicken thighs as well. But I would still go through the process of pounding the thighs between two pieces of parchment paper so that they’re all the same thickness. This will ensure even cooking.
What can I serve Chicken Marsala with?
- Quick and Easy Minestrone Soup
- Spinach and Strawberries Salad with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Mustard Vinaigrette
- Fall Salad with Cranberries, Walnuts, Feta Cheese and Dijon Vinaigrette
- Arugula and Fennel Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Caesar Fondue Salad
- Kale, Quinoa and Orange Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
This chicken dish is perfect served over some buttered noodles, rice or any kind of pasta you like .
Chicken Marsala
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts - boneless and skinless
- 1 cup all-purpose flour - for dredging chicken
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 6-8 oz. mushrooms - sliced
- 3/4 cup Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth - low sodium
- 3/4 cup heavy cream - optional
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
- If you're using 2 large chicken breasts, cut them in half lengthwise, no need to pound them thinner. If using smaller breasts, place the chicken breasts in between plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet so that they're about 1/2 inch in thickness. Make sure not to break the meat.
Dredge the chicken:
- Add the cup of flour to a shallow plate, add salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and mix well. Dredge each piece of chicken breast through flour and set aside.
Cook the chicken:
- I like to season the chicken breast as well with a little salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powder. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil with 1 tbsp. butter. Add the chicken to the skillet, and cook until they starts to brown, about 3 minutes per side. It's ok if it's not cooked through completely. Remove chicken and put it aside.
Make the base of the Marsala wine sauce:
- In the same skillet add the other tbsp. of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 -4minutes or until they start to brown slightly. Add garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of flour over the mushrooms and stir. Add the wine, chicken broth to the skillet and stir and make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in the heavy cream, if using. Taste the sauce and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Let the sauce simmer for about 3 minutes. The sauce will start to thicken a little.
Complete the dish:
- Add the cooked chicken back to skillet and cook for another 5 minutes until sauce reduces and thickens a bit more. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- While the recipe call the use of Marsala wine to obtain the delicious sweet taste for your chicken, there are quite a few substitutes you can use for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic dietary needs. You can substitute the Marsala wine with Madeira, fortified wine, dry Sherry, Port or Pinot Noir or non alcoholic wine or juice- such as grape juice, balsamic infuse vinegar.
- Make sure after adding the Marsala wine, make sure you allow it enough time to cook off the strong alcohol flavor, so that it doesn’t overpower the dish.
- Keep the chicken warm while making the sauce
- Always opt for a low sodium chicken broth, this way you can control how salty your dish is.
- You store leftovers for up to 3 days in a tight-lid containers or freeze it up to 3 months.