Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish that has been around since the 19th century when the recipe was brought to Sicily by the English.
The main ingredients in this dish include chicken, which is lightly breaded and sautéed, and a creamy marsala sauce made with marsala wine, heavy cream, garlic and mushrooms along with other spices.
The chicken is coated in the sauce and typically served alongside pasta.
The dish is a variation of scaloppina, which is simply a thin piece of meat coated in flour and added to a sauce. There are many Italian dishes that follow this method and chicken marsala is no different.
It is a widely popular recipe and can be found on most Italian restaurant menus.
If you’d like to make this dish for yourself, follow the steps below!
Recipe
- Place the flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken to the bag; seal bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.
- Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan, shaking off any excess first, and cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden and just barely cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the shallots, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the broth, Marsala, heavy cream, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by about half, slightly thickened, and darkened in color, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded ¼-inch thick (see note), or chicken tenderloins
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 (8-oz) package pre-sliced bella or button mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots, from 1 medium shallot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 2/3 cup dry Marsala wine
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for serving (optional)
