Easy Chicken Marsala
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Few recipes are as easy as chicken Marsala. In fact this delicious dish is a great weeknight entrée because it cooks up quickly and is best when served immediately. Best of all you will really impress your family when you whip this up in the middle of the week
Recipe Origins
Chicken Marsala is extremely popular in Italian restaurants outside of Italy. It originated in the city of Marsala which is in the western part of Sicily. It is a recipe that calls for lightly flouring chicken scaloppini and sautéing them in butter and olive oil until they are just browned. Then you make a sauce by reducing Marsala wine until it is thickened and serve it over the chicken. Many recipes, including this one, also contain mushrooms in the sauce.
What is Marsala Wine
Marsala is a fortified wine, which means that it has a higher alcohol content. The wine is produced in the region surrounding the city of Marsala. It is often served as an aperitif or a dessert wine like port or sherry. There are sweet and dry varieties of Marsala and the different varieties are classified by color, sweetness, and age.
The dry variety of Marsala is often paired with strong cheeses such as parmesan or gorgonzola. The sweet wines are used to flavor desserts like tiramisu. The wine received Protected Designation of Origin (POD) in 1969. This means that a wine must be produced in the Marsala region of Sicily for it to be called Marsala.
I would highly recommend trying it if you have never had the occasion to do so. This chicken Marsala recipe is the perfect place to start. You can also substitute Marsala for the brandy or Cognac in this Tiramisu recipe and see how it enhances the flavor.
Other chicken recipes you might like:
Simply Delicious Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Agro e Dolce, Sweet and Sour Chicken
Chicken Breast Marsala with Mushrooms
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Ingredients
- 4 Chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 tsp Salt kosher
- ½ tsp Black pepper ground
- 3 tbsp. Pan searing flour or all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 4 tbsp. Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 8 oz. Baby Portabella Mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup Marsala wine
- ½ cup Chicken broth low sodium
- ¼ tsp. Thyme dried
- ½ tsp. Salt kosher
- ¼ tsp. Black Pepper ground
Instructions
- Lay the chicken breast flat on cutting board or work surface. Lay your hand flat on the chicken breast and using a sharp carving knife, cut each breast in half lengthwise.
- Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the thick end of the chicken with a meat mallet to about 1/2 inch thickness.
- Salt and Pepper the chicken on both sides. Sprinkle the chicken with the pan searing flour and shake off the excess.
- Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of butter in a skillet until the butter is melted and hot.
- Add 3 or 4 pieces of chicken to the skillet, depending on the size of your pan. Don't over crowd the chicken. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until it is golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate, cover and repeat with the remaining chicken. You may need to add an additional tablespoon of butter and olive oil between batches.
- When the chicken is done, Add a tablespoon of butter, the mushrooms and garlic to pan. Stir using a wooden spoon and cook until the mushrooms start to get tender.
- Add the marsala wine, chicken broth and thyme to the mushrooms. Stir scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and cover the pan. Allow to cook on simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is heated through.
- Add a tablespoon of butter and stir gently until the butter is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Serve the chicken with the mushrooms and sauce spooned over the top.
This is exactly how I make mine too!! It’s such a delicious dish! Sometimes I serve it over spinach too! I love all of your recipes and stories!! ❤️
Thanks Christine! I love this dish too!
I haven’t made this dish in years so I’ll have to get after it. One of my family’s favorites from Curdell’s.