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Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American main dish of golden pan-fried chicken cutlets in a deep Marsala wine and mushroom sauce. The sauce simmers until silky and intensely flavored, then turns glossy with butter and fresh thyme.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Marsala
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally into 8 thin cutlets.
  • 0.5 tsp Salt To taste.
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper To taste.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For dredging.
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter Divided; 2 tbsp used for pan-frying.
  • 4 oz cremini mushrooms Sliced.
  • 3 shallots Minced.
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 0.75 cup dry Marsala wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 Fresh parsley For garnish.
  • 2 tbsp butter Remaining 2 tbsp, cold, for finishing.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Dredge and pan-fry the chicken
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste, then dredge them in flour and shake off excess.
  2. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and pan-fry cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until golden; remove to a plate.
Make the Marsala mushroom sauce
  1. In the same skillet, cook cremini mushrooms and minced shallots for 5-6 minutes until golden.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring to prevent browning.
  3. Pour in the dry Marsala wine and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
  4. Add chicken broth and heavy cream, then simmer for 5 minutes to build a silky sauce.
Finish and serve
  1. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce is glossy, then stir in fresh thyme leaves.
  2. Return the cutlets to the pan, spoon the sauce over them, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For the restaurant-quality sheen, add the last 2 tablespoons of cold butter off the initial simmer and swirl until glossy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid breaking the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended since cream-based sauces can separate. For a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce by 2-3 minutes so the sauce still coats the chicken well.