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.
