This one pan meal is restaurant-worthy but so easy to make!

Chicken Marsala has tender chicken breasts simmered in a mushroom Marsala sauce for an easy meal in about 30 minutes!

plate of Chicken Marsala with mushroom sauce

What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American classic chicken, mushrooms, and seasonings cooked in a creamy Marsala wine sauce.

  • It looks and feels fancy but is easy to make in about 30 minutes.
  • It uses a handful of staple ingredients and Marsala wine.
  • You’ll need just one skillet—easy cleanup!
chicken, mushrooms, shallot, flour, oil, wine, butter and seasonings to make Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe with labels

Ingredients for Chicken Marsala

  • Chicken: I use boneless chicken breasts, but boneless chicken thighs or cutlets are great too.
  • Marsala: Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily. Be sure to choose a dry Marsala wine and not the sweet variety, which is best used for making Italian desserts. It can be replaced with sherry, port, or Madeira.
  • Sauce: This Marsala sauce is made with chicken broth, butter, shallots, and thyme thickened with flour.
  • Mushrooms: Use any variety of mushrooms. I love baby Bella (aka cremini mushrooms), but white mushrooms or portobellos are also great options.

Variations

  • Flavor: Add garlic along with the mushrooms. You can replace shallot with red or white onion.
  • Creamy: While it’s not traditional, for a creamier sauce, whisk in about ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream at the end of Step 2.
  • Vegetables: Add chopped asparagus, spinach, or peas for more texture and color.

How to Make Chicken Marsala

  1. Cook seasoned chicken filets in oil and set them aside.
  2. Prepare the Marsala sauce, simmering until thickened.
  3. Return chicken to the pot and simmer until heated through (full recipe below).

Garnish with parsley and serve as desired.

Save it and Savor It

Keep leftover chicken Marsala in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop on medium heat.

Freeze cooled portions in zippered bags for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on medium heat.

What to Serve with Chicken Marsala

Did you make this Chicken Marsala Recipe? Leave a rating and comment below!

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plate of Chicken Marsala with mushroom sauce
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Chicken Marsala

This easy chicken marsala recipe combines tender chicken with a savory mushroom and Marsala wine sauce, for a cozy, restaurant-quality meal at home.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts 5 to 6 oz each
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Sauce

  • ¾ cup chicken stock or chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1 small shallot diced, or onion
  • 8 ounces mushrooms white or brown, sliced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup dry Marsala wine
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish

Instructions 

  • Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound to ¼-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
  • In a large skillet, preheat the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

To Make the Sauce

  • In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, thyme, and shallot and cook over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ 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.

Video

Notes

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 adding ¼ cup of heavy cream to the sauce.
Leftovers: Keep leftover chicken marsala refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop.
4.97 from 157 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 429 | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 683mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 386IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

    1. You could leave them out or try replacing with fennel, eggplant, or roasted cauliflower for a similar flavor Angela.

  1. My husband kept telling me that it was the best meal I’d ever made and he’s not even that fond of chicken! He also said that it was “restaurant quality” and to “hold on to this recipe”. When I do make this again, I will increase the amount of sauce I make with it. It “probably” would have been enough without the pasta, but if serving serving with pasta, you will definitely want more sauce. Also, I did not have the Marsala wine. Using the dry white and brandy combination was perfect for us. Thank you, Holly!

  2. Every bite my husband said….”this is so good”. Used half the amount of chicken breast but full amount of sauce. He told me to tell you!5 stars

  3. Every thing was as advertised. My restaurant go to for Chicken Marsala closed over a year ago. This is every bit as good and takes no time. Thank you!5 stars

  4. Hi Holly,

    I prepared your Marsala Chicken for supper this evening and it was delicious! I would definitely double the sauce the next time I make this and increase the wine a little. Thank you for sharing your lovely delicious recipes. I really appreciate and love all your recipes.

    Barb5 stars

  5. So yummy and easy as written. I really wanted more mushrooms and sauce so next time I am doubling that. Thanks for a great and clearly written recipe!4 stars

  6. This was a very flavorful recipe. I will make this again. I also only used 2 chicken breasts with the required mushrooms; I used 4 stalks of fresh thyme but it was not enough. Also, used 3/4c masala and 1/2 chicken broth. Also, next time, I will not add the 1 1/2T of flour. It made the sauce too thick once it was cooked down the 5 minutes. This is definitely a keeper!5 stars

  7. Love this recipe! We like a lot of sauce so even though we only had 3 breasts we made the sauce as if we had 4. This recipe is a keeper!5 stars

    1. So glad to hear that Cindy! Personally I think the sauce is the best part – having extra of that is perfect!

      1. thank you so much for all the delicious and easy recipes. i’ve made so many of them and all have been a hit with the family. love what you’re doing.

  8. Goodmoring Holly I see that you have recipes in e-book but I would rather have it in an actual book. Not good with computers. So can you send me the book on it instead. Thank you for your time.

    1. I don’t have a book available at this time Gloria. Please enjoy my recipes on Spend With Pennies!