This chicken marsala recipe starts with cutlets pounded to ¼ inch so they sear gold before the middle dries out, then I reduce dry Marsala on its own until it smells nutty instead of like raw alcohol. Cream stays out of the pan; the flour on the chicken and that reduction are what thicken the sauce so it tastes like wine and mushrooms, not a cream gravy. I spoon it over creamy mashed potatoes, and when I want lemon and capers from the same pounded-cutlet start I make chicken piccata.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large)
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, divided
• 8 ounces (225 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ cup (180 ml) dry Marsala wine (secco, not cooking wine)
• ¾ cup (180 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

• Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken dry. Slice each breast in half horizontally to make 4 cutlets. Place them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness.
• Season and dredge: Mix the flour with ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper on a shallow plate. Lightly coat each cutlet in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside in a single layer.
• Brown the chicken: Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 minutes on the second, until golden. Transfer to a plate; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Cook the mushrooms: Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until their moisture has cooked off and the edges are browned. Add the shallot, garlic, thyme, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for 1 minute.
• Make the Marsala sauce: Pour in the Marsala and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced by about half. Add the chicken broth and simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
• Finish the chicken: Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the skillet. Spoon some sauce and mushrooms over the top and simmer gently for about 2 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with golden garlic bread for the extra sauce.

Cream, veal, and mushroom swaps

• If you want a cream version, stir in 3 tablespoons of heavy cream off the heat after the sauce already coats a spoon. A full ⅔ cup of cream mutes the Marsala and you get mushroom Alfredo, which is a different dish.
• Veal cutlets, pounded to the same ¼ inch, swap in 1-for-1 for the chicken. They cook faster, about 2 minutes per side, so pull them sooner or they dry out in the reduction.
• Turkey cutlets work the same way. Don’t use thick turkey breast steaks; they dry out before the sauce is ready.
• Cremini mushrooms are the default here. A handful of shiitake mixed in adds more chew without turning the pan into a steam bath, as long as you still don’t crowd them.
• Bone-in chicken is the wrong cut here. The reduction is short, and the meat won’t cook through before the Marsala is done.
• If you want a breaded, saucy cutlet instead of a wine reduction, make chicken parmesan from the same split-and-pound start.

Storage

Cool leftovers and refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours. They keep 3 to 4 days. Reheat a portion in a skillet over low heat with a spoon of broth until the chicken is hot, not boiling, so the cutlets don’t tighten. I wouldn’t freeze this; the mushrooms go rubbery and the sauce splits on thaw. USDA leftovers and food safety covers the 2-hour cooling window and the 165°F (74°C) leftover reheat target.

FAQ

Can you make chicken marsala without cream?

Yes, and this version is written that way on purpose. Traditional chicken marsala is a Marsala-and-stock reduction thickened by the flour on the cutlets, not a cream sauce. If you want it silkier, add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream off the heat at the end, after the sauce already coats a spoon. More cream than that covers the wine.

What is the difference between dry Marsala, sweet Marsala, and cooking wine?

Buy a bottle labeled dry or secco Marsala (Florio and Pellegrino are the common ones). Sweet, or dolce, Marsala is for desserts and makes the pan sauce cloying against the mushrooms. The cheap ‘Marsala cooking wine’ on the vinegar aisle is salted and preserved; it never reduces clean and the sauce tastes metallic. If you can’t find dry Marsala, dry Madeira is the closest swap. Don’t use red wine or white wine and expect the same nutty finish.

What can I use instead of Marsala wine?

Dry Madeira is the substitute that still tastes like a fortified-wine pan sauce. Dry sherry is next, though it’s a little sharper. Skip grape juice plus vinegar hacks; they reduce to candy. If you need a no-alcohol pan, use the same amount of chicken broth plus 1 teaspoon of sherry vinegar at the end, and know it won’t taste like Marsala. Call it chicken with mushrooms and don’t pretend otherwise.

This Mexican street corn recipe gives you smoky, charred kernels coated in a creamy lime and garlic sauce, then finished with salty Cotija cheese and chili powder. Cooking the corn in a hot skillet instead of boiling it helps the kernels brown and keeps the surface dry enough for the creamy coating to actually stick.

The sauce combines mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime, chili powder, and smoked paprika, while Cotija goes on at the end so it stays crumbly rather than disappearing into the sauce. Serve the corn hot alongside homemade chili, classic coleslaw, sloppy joes, or baked beans for an easy cookout side with much more flavor than plain buttered corn.

Ingredients

• 6 ears fresh yellow corn, husked and silks removed
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sour cream or Mexican crema
• 1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
• ½ teaspoon chili powder, plus more for finishing
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (60 g) crumbled Cotija cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Mix the coating: Stir the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic paste, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt in a small bowl until the mix looks even and thick enough to sit on a spoon without running. Taste it: you should get garlic and lime, not a thin sour dressing. If it looks loose, add another spoon of mayonnaise instead of more lime. Set the Cotija and cilantro in separate bowls so they are ready the moment the corn comes off the heat.
2. Heat the skillet: Set a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until a drop of water sizzles and vanishes. Rub the husked ears with the oil so they are filmed, not dripping. A pool of oil in the pan will fry the kernels and spit; the thin coat on the corn is enough to brown them.
3. Char the first batch: Lay 3 ears in the skillet in a single layer. Leave them alone for 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside shows brown blistered spots and the kernels look a little wrinkled. Turn with tongs and repeat until all sides have color, 8 to 10 minutes total. The corn is ready when a kernel pressed with a thumbnail is tender and the cob smells sweet and toasty, not grassy.
4. Char the second batch: Move the first 3 ears to a platter. If the skillet looks wet, wipe it out so the next batch doesn’t steam. Repeat with the remaining 3 ears, same heat and turning, another 8 to 10 minutes. Crowding all 6 at once traps steam, and wet kernels won’t hold the mayo later.
5. Coat the ears: Work while the corn is still hot enough that you need a towel or tongs to hold it. Brush or smear a thin, even layer of the mayo mix over every side; you should still see kernels through it, not a white blanket. Press the crumbled Cotija onto the wet coating so it sticks in a crust. If you dump the ears into a bowl of sauce and roll them, the cheese melts into a paste and most of it ends up on the platter.
6. Finish and serve: Dust with a pinch more chili powder and the cilantro. Put lime wedges on the side and squeeze them at the table, not over the whole platter in the kitchen, so the juice doesn’t thin the coating you just put on. Serve while the ears are still hot; if an ear sat long enough for the mayo to look dull and wet, give it a fresh pinch of Cotija before it goes out.

What I set this corn next to

• A pot of homemade chili – the lime and chili powder on the corn cut through the beef and beans without adding another starch.
• Sloppy joes on a cookout table, when you want a side that isn’t another bun and can be eaten standing up.
• Baked beans, because the sticky-sweet pan needs something salty and charred next to it, not more brown sugar.
• A bowl of classic coleslaw for cold crunch against the hot, creamy cob.

Char now, coat at the table

• The mayo mix can sit covered in the fridge up to 24 hours; stir it before you use it, because the lime settles to the bottom.
• Husk the ears in the morning and keep them wrapped in the refrigerator, and don’t salt them ahead or they weep onto the towel.
• Char the ears close to serving, because dressed corn weeps as it sits and the crust goes slack.
• If the skillet is busy, grill husked ears over medium-high heat, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until blistered, 8 to 10 minutes, then coat the same way.
• If you have to hold the corn, wrap the charred ears in a towel and dress them at the table so the mayo doesn’t sit on hot cobs for half an hour.

Storage

Let leftover dressed ears cool, then refrigerate them in an airtight container within 2 hours; they keep about 3 days in the fridge. Eat them cold, or cut the kernels off the cob and warm them in a skillet over medium heat until they are steaming hot. Mayo and dairy put a clock on a cookout platter, so don’t leave the ears out through a long afternoon. USDA leftovers and food safety has the 2-hour rule.

FAQ

Can you make Mexican street corn without a grill?

A heavy skillet over medium-high heat gives you the same dry char without a grill, and it keeps the grate free for meat. Film the ears with oil, cook 3 at a time, and turn when you see brown spots, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch. The coating sticks the same way as long as the kernels are dry and blistered, not boiled.

Can you use canned or frozen corn?

Canned corn turns this into an off-the-cob skillet salad, not ears you can hold. Drain it, pat it very dry, and toast it in a hot pan before you stir in the mayo, the same dry-heat idea as the cobs. Frozen corn on the cob stays watery as it thaws, so it steams instead of browning and the coating slides. Fresh ears are what this method is built on.

What can I use instead of Cotija?

Finely crumbled feta is the closest swap: salty, dry, and it presses into a crust. Use the same ½ cup and press it on while the mayo is still wet. Parmesan will work in a pinch, but it’s nuttier and less crumbly, so use a little less. Skip shredded melting cheese; it turns greasy on hot corn and won’t give you that sandy crust.

Orange madeleines are lovely with nothing more than powdered sugar, but this version has a lot more going on. Brown butter gives the crumb a warm, toasted flavor, while fresh orange zest keeps it bright. If you enjoy delicate French bakes, my French macarons are another good weekend project, although these madeleines are far less fussy.

Inside each madeleine is a soft caramel made with reduced orange juice and a real vanilla bean. A thin orange glaze and crunchy pistachio praline finish them off, giving you buttery cake, gooey caramel, and crisp nuts in every bite. The same brown butter, orange, and pistachio combination also works beautifully in my pistachio carrot cake, only in a soft layer cake with cream cheese frosting. There are a few parts here, but each can be made ahead and assembled once the madeleines have cooled.

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 18 madeleines
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French-inspired

Ingredients

For the orange madeleines

• 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
• 1½ tablespoons finely grated orange zest
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

For the orange and vanilla bean caramel

• ½ cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or glucose
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the pistachio praline

• ¾ cup (90 g) roasted unsalted pistachios
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• Pinch of salt

For the orange-vanilla glaze

• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• Pinch of salt
• 1½ to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Instructions

1. Brown the butter

• Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking and swirling the pan until the butter smells nutty and the milk solids turn deep golden brown.
• Pour it into a bowl, including the browned bits, and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Make the batter

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. In a separate bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together, then add the eggs and honey and beat for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and thickened.
• Fold in the dry ingredients. Stir the orange juice into the brown butter, mix in about one-third of the batter, then fold this mixture back into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3. Make the orange-vanilla caramel

• Simmer the orange juice until reduced to ¼ cup (60 ml). Heat the cream with the vanilla seeds and pod until steaming, let it sit for 10 minutes, then remove the pod.
• Cook the sugar, corn syrup, and water without stirring until amber. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the warm cream and reduced orange juice. Return to low heat and cook to 230°F (110°C). Whisk in the butter and salt, then cool and refrigerate until pipeable.

4. Make the pistachio praline

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook the sugar, water, and corn syrup without stirring until golden amber. Stir in the pistachios and salt, then immediately spread over the parchment. Cool completely and break into small clusters.

5. Bake the madeleines

• Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter and flour the madeleine pan, then chill it for 15 minutes. Fill each mold about three-quarters full with cold batter.
• Place the pan in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers spring back when touched. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

6. Fill with caramel

• Once the madeleines are completely cool, pipe about 1 teaspoon of caramel through the thick end or flat side of each one. Stop before the caramel pushes back out or the cake begins to split.

7. Glaze and finish

• Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, salt, and 1½ tablespoons of orange juice together. Add a few more drops of juice if needed to make a thin dipping glaze.
• Dip the ridged side of each madeleine into the glaze and top immediately with a pistachio praline cluster. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes before serving.

Tips for the Best Orange Madeleines

• Keep the batter cold. The temperature difference between the chilled batter and hot oven encourages the madeleines to rise in the center.
• Reduce the orange juice for the caramel. Using unreduced juice adds too much water and produces a weak orange flavor.
• Watch the caramel’s color closely. A pale caramel will taste mostly sweet, while an overly dark one can overpower the orange and vanilla.
• Fill only after cooling. Warm madeleines absorb the caramel instead of holding it in the center.
• Do not overfill the molds. The batter needs room to rise without spilling over the edges.

Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions

The assembled madeleines are best eaten the same day, while the praline is crisp and the cake is fresh. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

The caramel can be refrigerated for up to one week. Store the pistachio praline in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Unfilled madeleines can be frozen for up to one month, then thawed before filling and glazing.