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Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is a restaurant-style Italian-American chicken dish with golden pan-fried cutlets and a silky Marsala wine mushroom sauce. You’ll simmer mushrooms, shallots, and wine into an intensely flavored gravy, then finish with cold butter for a glossy sheen.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 630
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Marsala
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally into 8 thin cutlets.
  • 0.5 tsp salt Season cutlets to taste.
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper Season cutlets to taste.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For dredging; shake off excess.
  • 3 tbsp olive oil For pan-frying.
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided: 2 tbsp for frying, 2 tbsp cold for finishing the sauce.
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms Sliced.
  • 3 shallots Minced.
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 0.75 cup dry Marsala wine Use to build the sauce base.
  • 1 cup chicken broth Added after Marsala reduces and bubbles.
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream Added with the chicken broth for a silky sauce.
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves Stir in at the end.
  • 0.5 fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and dredge
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste. Keep them in an even layer so they cook uniformly.
  2. Dredge each cutlet in all-purpose flour, shaking off the excess. The coating should look thin, not clumpy.
Pan-fry the chicken
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. The butter should foam lightly when ready.
  2. Pan-fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Remove to a plate when the surface looks crisp and cooked through.
Build the mushroom Marsala sauce
  1. Add cremini mushrooms and shallots to the same pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until golden. Stir occasionally so the mushrooms brown instead of steaming.
  2. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Cook just until fragrant, not browned.
  3. Pour in dry Marsala wine and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes. Scrape up browned bits from the pan as it reduces.
  4. Add chicken broth and heavy cream, then simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Finish and serve
  1. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce is glossy, then stir in fresh thyme leaves. The sauce should look smooth and shiny.
  2. Return the cutlets to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

For the glossiest sauce, use cold butter at the end and swirl it in off the heat (or at very low heat) so it emulsifies smoothly. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth. Freeze cooked chicken Marsala for up to 2 months, though the sauce may slightly thin after thawing. For a dairy-light option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce butter to 1 tablespoon to finish.