By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 26, 2021
Rich and full of flavor, this chicken marsala recipe is worthy of any restaurant! Creamy with a hint of sweetness from the marsala wine, this Italian American chicken dish is perfect when you want to impress!
Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
Fancy food doesn’t get much easier than this chicken marsala, this is a serious dish that is a real crowd pleaser.
Perfectly creamy with umami flavors from the mushrooms and hints of smokey and sweet from the marsala wine and pancetta, this is a delicious dinner that’s not shy in the flavor department!
Why you’ll love this Chicken Marsala recipe:
- One Pan: All made in one skillet on the stovetop, even clean up is a breeze!
- Perfect for Entertaining: This is, of course, a great family meal, but if you are hosting guests, the complex flavors make this a real winner!
- So Delicious : This dish is seriously good you guys! It’s hearty and comforting, creamy and rich.
How to make at Home
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Reduce the marsala wine, gelatin and shitake mushrooms.
- Cut the chicken breast into cutlets and season.
- Pass the marsala sauce through a sieve and bring to a boil and simmer.
- Dredge the chicken in flour.
- Cook the cutlets til browned and set aside.
- Cook the pancetta til crispy.
- Add in the mushrooms, cook and set aside.
- Soften the shallot and mix in the tomato paste and garlic.
- Add the marsala, sherry, lemon juice and herbs and simmer.
- Remove the cutlets to a serving plate.
- Whisk the butter into the sauce and add the mushroom pancetta mix.
- Taste, season and pour over the chicken to serve.
What is marsala?
Marsala is a fortified Italian wine that is often used in cooking or enjoyed as an aperitif. It comes in both dry and sweet varieties and dry is best to use for this chicken dish.
If you can’t get marsala wine, madeira is the best substitution, or you can use another fortified wine like port. In a pinch, you can use regular white wine, though it will loose some of it’s complexity.
Can you make this with chicken thighs?
You can make this chicken marsala with chicken thighs if you have them, though I much prefer the flavor and texture of breasts as they really let the delicious sauce be the star of the show. If you use thighs, they will take a few minutes longer to cook through.
What do you serve it with?
This chicken marsala recipe is great to serve over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes . I especially like to serve it with angel hair pasta. Serve with a veggie side dish too if you like, sauteed asparagus and roasted broccoli both work great.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
72+ Chicken Dinner Recipes
See our Chicken Guide for all the best chicken recipes plus tips and tricks for juicy chicken every time.
Tips!
- Cut the chicken breast into similar sized pieces and flatten them out to ensure they cook evenly and all the way through. Pounding them also helps to tenderize them.
- This recipe is best served as soon as it’s made, but you can make the marsala sauce and mushroom pancetta mix ahead of time.
- If you prefer to use a slow cooker, follow this Crockpot Chicken Marsala Recipe for specific instructions.
This chicken marsala is sure to impress! Simple to make, but the results are quite literally mouthwatering! I just know you are going to love this one!
More Pasta & Chicken Recipes we Love
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- Chicken Florentine
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Chicken Piccata
- All Pasta Recipes
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 2 cups dry Marsala wine
- ▢ 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- ▢ 3 ounces Shitake mushrooms sliced
- ▢ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed (6-8 ounces each)
- ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 13 teaspoons vegetable oil divided (¼ cup + 1 teaspoon)
- ▢ 3 ounces pancetta cut into ½-inch pieces
- ▢ 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms trimmed & sliced thin
- ▢ 1 shallot minced
- ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
- ▢ ¼ cups dry sherry wine
- ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ▢ 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
- ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into sixths (⅜ stick)
- ▢ 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Video
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups of Marsala wine, gelatin, and shitake mushrooms to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 7-9 minutes. 2 cups dry Marsala wine, 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin, 3 ounces Shitake mushrooms
- While the sauce reduces, cut each chicken breast into 3 pieces: first halve the breast crosswise and then halve the fatter, remaining piece lengthwise. There should be 3 cutlets of similar size. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and pound each to ½-inch even thickness. Place all the cutlets in a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set aside 15-20 minutes. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Pour the Marsala sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Press on the remaining solids to extract as much liquid as possible and discard the solids. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan, add broth, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Immediately reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until reduced to 1½ cups; set aside.
- Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge cutlets (one at a time) in the flour – be sure to shake off any excess flour. Place cutlets on the prepared wire rack. ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- In a 12-inch skillet, set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil just until smoking. Carefully, place 6 cutlets in the skillet and cook, without moving the cutlets, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the cutlets and cook until golden brown on the second side, another 2-3 minutes. 13 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Set the cutlets back on the wire rack and repeat the process with 2 additional tablespoons of oil and the remaining 6 cutlets.
- Set the now empty skillet to medium-low heat and add pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is brown and crispy, about 4 minutes, scraping the pan often to loosen any tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 3 ounces pancetta
- Add the cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring and scraping the bits off the bottom, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown. Cook until the liquid evaporates, about 7-9 minutes. 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushroom/pancetta mixture to a small bowl; set aside.
- Set the skillet over medium-low heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and the shallot. Cook for about 1 minute to soften the shallot. Add the tomato paste and garlic, stir, and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom the garlic. 1 shallot, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 clove garlic
- Add the reduced Marsala mixture, dry sherry, lemon juice, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Simmer for 3 additional minutes, flipping after 1½ minutes. Set the cutlets on a serving platter. ¼ cups dry sherry wine, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
- Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the butter. Add the parsley and cremini mushroom/pancetta mixture. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve over a bed of noodles or rice or mashed potatoes.
Equipment
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Cast Iron Skillet
Becky’s Tips
- Cut the chicken breast into similar-sized pieces and flatten them out to ensure they cook evenly and all the way through. Pounding them also helps to tenderize them.
- This recipe is best served as soon as it’s made, but you can make the marsala sauce and mushroom pancetta mix ahead of time.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Chicken Marsala Recipe
Equipment
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry Marsala wine
- 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 3 ounces Shitake mushrooms sliced
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed (6-8 ounces each)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 13 teaspoons vegetable oil divided (¼ cup + 1 teaspoon)
- 3 ounces pancetta cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms trimmed & sliced thin
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cups dry sherry wine
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into sixths (⅜ stick)
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups of Marsala wine, gelatin, and shitake mushrooms to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 7-9 minutes. 2 cups dry Marsala wine, 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin, 3 ounces Shitake mushrooms
- While the sauce reduces, cut each chicken breast into 3 pieces: first halve the breast crosswise and then halve the fatter, remaining piece lengthwise. There should be 3 cutlets of similar size. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and pound each to ½-inch even thickness. Place all the cutlets in a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set aside 15-20 minutes. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Pour the Marsala sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Press on the remaining solids to extract as much liquid as possible and discard the solids. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan, add broth, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Immediately reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until reduced to 1½ cups; set aside.
- Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge cutlets (one at a time) in the flour – be sure to shake off any excess flour. Place cutlets on the prepared wire rack. ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- In a 12-inch skillet, set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil just until smoking. Carefully, place 6 cutlets in the skillet and cook, without moving the cutlets, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the cutlets and cook until golden brown on the second side, another 2-3 minutes. 13 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Set the cutlets back on the wire rack and repeat the process with 2 additional tablespoons of oil and the remaining 6 cutlets.
- Set the now empty skillet to medium-low heat and add pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is brown and crispy, about 4 minutes, scraping the pan often to loosen any tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 3 ounces pancetta
- Add the cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring and scraping the bits off the bottom, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown. Cook until the liquid evaporates, about 7-9 minutes. 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushroom/pancetta mixture to a small bowl; set aside.
- Set the skillet over medium-low heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and the shallot. Cook for about 1 minute to soften the shallot. Add the tomato paste and garlic, stir, and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom the garlic. 1 shallot, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 clove garlic
- Add the reduced Marsala mixture, dry sherry, lemon juice, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Simmer for 3 additional minutes, flipping after 1½ minutes. Set the cutlets on a serving platter. ¼ cups dry sherry wine, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
- Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the butter. Add the parsley and cremini mushroom/pancetta mixture. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve over a bed of noodles or rice or mashed potatoes.
Video
Notes
- Cut the chicken breast into similar-sized pieces and flatten them out to ensure they cook evenly and all the way through. Pounding them also helps to tenderize them.
- This recipe is best served as soon as it’s made, but you can make the marsala sauce and mushroom pancetta mix ahead of time.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
