Creamy Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala, a delicious yet surprisingly easy one-pot chicken dinner. An  Italian-American dish of golden pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine sauce. 

Creamy Chicken Marsala

Easy one-pot chicken dinner with chicken cutlets, mushrooms, and rich Marsala wine sauce.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Gallon zip-top bag
• Mallet or rolling pin for pounding chicken breast 
• Large skillet
• Spatula
• Baking dish or rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

  

• 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4)  pounded ¼-inch thick, or chicken tenderloins
• ½-1 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 8 oz. pkg pre-sliced portobello cremini or button mushrooms
• 1 medium shallot chopped small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅔ cup chicken broth, low sodium 
• ⅔ cup dry Marsala wine
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp dried thyme or fresh chopped thyme
• 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley  for serving (optional)
• Lemon wedges
• Serve with cooked angel hair or pasta of choice, rice or mashed potatoes and a fresh salad.

Instructions

 

Preparing the Chicken

• If using chicken breast, you will need to cut the breast horizontally and pound the breast to tenderize using a mallet.

  The following technique adapted from Kitchn shows you the how to pound a chicken breast (source: How (and When) To Pound Chicken Breast: The Easiest, Smartest Method | Kitchn)
• Trim the chicken. Trim any membranes or fat from the breasts with a knife.Place the chicken in a bag. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, place inside a gallon zip-top bag and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible.
• Pound the chicken thin. Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet, rolling pin, or small skillet to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
• Set the flattened chicken breast on a baking pan or platter, set aside and repeat with remaining breasts.

Pan Frying the Chicken

• Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ 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.

Making the Marsala Sauce

• Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Brown the mushrooms in the same pan: Don’t clean the pan before adding in the mushrooms.
• Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Add the Marsala and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned pieces. Add the broth and simmer until reduced by half and starting to thicken, about 15 minutes.
• Add the cream, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper and return the chicken to the sauce. Cook uncovered until the sauce thickens and the chicken is well-coated, 3 to 5 minutes using a wooden spoon to scrape any bits from the pan into the liquid.
• Serve the chicken and Marsala sauce over cooked angel hair pasta if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Notes

If your chicken breasts are large (about ¾ lb. each), it’s best to first cut them horizontally to form four flat filets, then pound them to an even ¼-inch thickness. If you pound large chicken breasts without first halving them, they’ll be huge. 

See you in the kitchen.

Keyword chicken, easy meals, one pot dinner