Golden chicken marsala cutlets in a rich Marsala wine and mushroom sauce, garnished with fresh parsley, served in a cast iron skillet

Creamy Chicken Marsala

Name: Creamy Chicken Marsala
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total), halved horizontally to make 4 cutlets; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine; 3/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium); 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried); 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

To make chicken marsala, pound chicken breasts thin, dredge in flour, and sear in butter and oil until golden. Deglaze the pan with Marsala wine, add chicken broth and sautéed mushrooms, then simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

Jump to Recipe

Restaurant-style Chicken Marsala is mostly a lesson in what happens when you stop moving food around long enough for it to brown. Thin chicken cutlets get dried, lightly floured, and seared until golden; sliced cremini mushrooms spend their first couple of minutes in the skillet undisturbed so they brown instead of steaming. Those two crusty little decisions create the fond that becomes the backbone of the sauce.

Dry Marsala wine loosens the browned bits from the pan, chicken broth reduces them into something savory, and heavy cream plus butter turns the whole thing glossy and rich. Garlic and thyme sit underneath the wine rather than competing with it. Give the sauce time to reduce until it coats the back of a spoon—minute three is often when it looks suspiciously thin and people begin reaching for flour. Resist the urge. The pan is not ghosting you; it is reducing.

Return the 165°F chicken to the sauce only long enough to warm through and pick up the Marsala flavor. Spoon it over pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread. The final dish is earthy from the mushrooms, slightly sweet and nutty from the wine, and rich enough to explain why restaurants keep charging good money for this.

Prep15 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total40 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

Servings

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total), halved horizontally to make 4 cutlets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
3/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1Pound the chicken cutlets to an even 1/4-inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Pat them completely dry with paper towels — this is not optional.
2Mix flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess so you have a thin, even coating.
3Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet (12-inch, stainless steel or cast iron preferred) over medium-high heat until the butter foams and the foam subsides.
4Add the chicken cutlets in a single layer — do not crowd the pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
5Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the same pan. Add sliced mushrooms in a single layer and let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes before stirring — this lets them brown instead of steam. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender.
6Add the minced garlic and thyme to the mushrooms. Stir and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
7Pour in the Marsala wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let the wine simmer for 2 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol.
8Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until it reduces by about one-third.
9Stir in the heavy cream and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened — it should coat the back of a spoon.
10Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate back to the pan. Nestle the cutlets into the sauce and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes just to reheat the chicken and marry the flavors.
11Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately over pasta, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

560Calories

43 gProtein

17 gCarbohydrates

31 gTotal Fat

14 gSaturated Fat

2 gFiber

2 gTotal Sugars

840 mgSodium

190 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Dry the chicken twice. Once when you take it out of the package, once after you pound it. Wet chicken steams in the pan and you will get sad, pale chicken instead of the golden crust that makes this recipe worth making.
Use dry Marsala wine, not sweet. Sweet Marsala is for desserts and for people who haven't tried this yet. Dry Marsala gives you a savory, complex sauce. Look for it in the wine or liquor section — most grocery stores carry it.
Don't rush the reduction. The sauce will look thin and suspicious around minute three and you will be tempted to add more flour or panic. Don't. Give it another two minutes and it will come together. The sauce knows what it's doing even when you don't.

Substitutions

Marsala wine → dry Madeira wine or dry sherry These are the closest in flavor profile if you can't find Marsala. In a genuine pinch, use 1/2 cup chicken broth mixed with 2 tablespoons brandy and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, though the flavor won't be quite the same.

heavy cream → half-and-half The sauce will be slightly thinner and less rich, but still very good. Full-fat coconut cream works surprisingly well for a dairy-free version.

cremini mushrooms → white button mushrooms or baby portobello mushrooms All three work well. Shiitake mushrooms will give you a more earthy, intense flavor — excellent if you like that direction.

chicken breasts → chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) Thighs are more forgiving and slightly richer. Pound them to an even thickness just like the breasts and add 1 to 2 minutes of cook time.

fresh thyme → fresh rosemary (use half the amount) Rosemary is more assertive, so use about 1 teaspoon chopped. It works well here but changes the flavor profile slightly toward more rustic Italian.

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce, which will thicken considerably when cold. Do not microwave on high — it will make the chicken tough. Not recommended for freezing, as the cream sauce can break upon thawing.

Make Ahead

You can make the Marsala sauce (through step 9, without the chicken) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Reheat the sauce over medium heat, sear the chicken fresh when ready to serve, then finish as directed. This improves the sauce flavor.

Build the plate