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Bring the Italian restaurant favorite to your table with this Chicken Marsala recipe that’s so delicious, you won’t have to order in again.
Chicken Marsala is popular Italian-American dish made with lightly breaded, pan-fried chicken cutlets in a rich Marsala wine and mushroom sauce. Although it’s commonly a restaurant dish, it’s really simple to make homemade. This one pan dish can be ready to eat in under an hour. The recipe makes a fantastic, rich sauce that is delicious over pasta, rice pilaf, or mashed potatoes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Pan frying pounded chicken breasts ensures tender golden brown crust.
- Pancetta gives extra depth of flavor.
- Marsala wine gives the sauce the richness and true restaurant flavor.
- Finishing with butter gives the sauce a velvety finish.
The Best Chicken for Marsala
Traditional Chicken Marsala is made with thin chicken breast escalopes (cutlets). You can buy them pre-sliced, but it’s much cheaper to buy and slice whole breasts and then pound them down. Pounding the chicken results in a much more tender cutlet.
How to Pound Chicken Breasts
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Then, using a meat mallet, pound them flat until they are about a quarter-inch thick. If you don’t have a mallet, a rolling pin works well as it covers more of the meat and takes less time.
How to Make Chicken Marsala
Remove the chicken from the fridge 20-30 minutes before you plan to cook, and season well with salt. Leave to come to room temperature.
Dredge both sides of the chicken pieces in flour seasoned with salt and pepper and shake off any excess.
Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet or frying pan. Add the pieces to the pan and fry until golden, flip, and repeat on the other side.
Do this in batches to keep from overcrowding the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.
Lower the heat to medium, add the Pancetta to the same pan, and cook until crisp.
Remove the pancetta from the pan onto a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon.
Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned, and their moisture has evaporated.
Add the garlic and cook another minute—season with salt and pepper and coat in 1 tablespoon of flour.
Add the Marsala wine to the pan, bring to a boil and cook down for a minute to cook out the alcohol.
Add the chicken stock and simmer for another minute to thicken the sauce slightly.
Stir in the butter and parsley. Return the chicken and Pancetta to the pan; simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to heat the chicken through.
Taste for seasoning and season with salt as needed before serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Breast meat is traditional. You can buy them pre-sliced, but it’s much cheaper to buy and slice whole breasts and then pound them down. Pounding the chicken results in a much more tender cutlet.
- Mushrooms – I use brown mushrooms such as Cremini, Porcini, Baby bells, chestnut, or Shiitakes as they have the most flavor. Alternatively, white mushrooms work well too.
- Wine – Marsala wine is a sweet wine that is hard to find in some places. If you can’t get it, you can replace it with sherry or brandy.
- Pancetta – I use pancetta lardons, but bacon or prosciutto are both good alternatives.
Erren’s Top Tips
- When pan-frying the chicken, don’t skimp on the oil. You need enough oil to get a golden-brown crust.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook. This helps the chicken to cook evenly.
- Keep the heat at a steady, high temperature when pan-frying the chicken. This limits how much the flour absorbs the oil, which will cause a soggy finish.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding causes the chicken to steam instead of fry. It’s better to fry in batches instead.
- If the Pancetta releases a lot of fat, drain the pan of all but a tablespoon before moving on.
- If you prefer a creamy sauce, add a half cup of heavy cream when you add the stock to the pan.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions
Making Ahead: To make ahead, follow the recipe and then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions: Add to a freezer-safe, airtight container, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge.
Leftovers & Reheating -Add to a freezer-safe, airtight container, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge.
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Recipe
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken breast cutlets (skinless & boneless, pounded to ¼-inch thick)
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for dredging)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more as needed)
- 4 oz Pancetta (medium, chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 8 oz brown mushrooms (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
For The Sauce
- 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sweet Marsala wine
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- flat-leaf parsley (chopped )
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 20-30 minutes before you plan to cook and season well with salt. Leave to come to room temperature.
- Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet or frying pan. When the oil is hot, dredge both sides of the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and add to the pan.
- Fry until golden, flip and repeat on the other side. Do this in batches to keep from overcrowding the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the Pancetta to the same pan and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the Pancetta from the pan onto a plate lined with paper towels.
- Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper and coat in 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Raise the heat to high. Add the Marsala to the pan, bring to a boil and cook down for a minute to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and cook for another 3 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Stir in the butter and parsley. Return the chicken and Pancetta to the pan; simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to heat the chicken through.
- Taste for seasoning and season with salt as needed before serving.
Tips
Sweet Marsala is the key to classic flavor; dry Marsala changes the dish completely.
If your sauce thickens too quickly, splash in a bit more chicken stock.
If it tastes flat at the end, it usually needs more salt. Variations & Add-Ins Creamy Marsala
Stir in a splash of cream at the end to make the sauce velvety and rich. Herb Version
Add a few sprigs of thyme while the sauce simmers and remove them before serving. Mushroom Lovers’ Version
Use a mix of mushrooms—shiitake, cremini, and oyster—for deeper flavor. Gluten-Free
Use a gluten-free flour blend for dredging and thickening. Storage & Freezing Refrigerate:
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Freeze:
Chicken Marsala freezes well for up to two months. The sauce may thicken slightly when reheated—just add a splash of stock to loosen it. Reheat:
Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat to keep the chicken tender.
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