Creamy Chicken Marsala - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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Creamy Chicken Marsala is a classicItaliandish that is ready in under 30 minutes! Marsala wine is made into a creamy sauce paired with mushrooms for the ultimate savory bite. It’s simple and easy to whip up and sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

I am such a fan of mushrooms with just about everything. They are the perfect companion to pasta, soup, sauces, and pretty much everything else.If you love mushrooms too, then you will love this Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken, this delicious Skillet Creamy Chicken Mushroom Florentine, and this simple but oh-so flavorful Creamy Garlic Parmesan Mushroom Chicken.

Creamy Chicken Marsala - The Recipe Critic (1)

Marsala Chicken

Do you ever make something and think, DANG! I just made that?! This Creamy Chicken Marsalabecame an instant favorite with the very first bite. The creamy sauce is made with sweet marsala wine and wow, the flavor is incredible. (Don’t worry because alcohol does burn off during the cooking process and is safe for the kids to eat). All you have to add to it is some heavy cream, garlic, mustard, and voila!

Everything about this meal is SO GOOD. It’s perfect served with roasted root vegetables and a simple Caesar salad. You could also serve it over pasta al limone or your favorite noodles for a filling chicken pasta. My family always requests mashed potatoes, so I know for a fact it’s great with those too! This marsala sauce is perfect over rice too. However you decide to serve it, you are going to love this quick and easy chicken dish!

Ingredients

The key ingredient in this creamy chicken marsala is of course, the Marsala wine! You can find Marsala wine fairly easily and it’s perfect to have in your pantry for more recipes, like this creamy garlic pork marsala. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.

  • Chicken Breast: I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe. You could also use chicken thighs or chicken cutlets instead.
  • Salt and Black Pepper: To season the chicken.
  • Olive Oil: I prefer to cook with olive oil, but you can use your favorite cooking oil. You could use butter instead.
  • Mushrooms: Thinly sliced as evenly as possible so they all cook at the same rate.
  • Marsala Wine: The key ingredient! It adds all the body and flavor to the sauce.
  • Chicken Broth: To help make the sauce.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: This is what makes this sauce so thick and creamy!
  • Ground Mustard: I prefer to use ground mustard, but you could also use a liquid mustard. Or you could leave it out altogether if your family doesn’t like mustard flavor.
  • Garlic Powder: To add to the depth of the sauce.
  • Parsley: Fresh, for garnish. You could also add fresh thyme as well.
Creamy Chicken Marsala - The Recipe Critic (2)

Creamy Chicken Marsala Recipe

This creamy chicken marsala recipe is pretty much as easy as it gets! Don’t be intimidated by cooking with wine, I kept this recipe so simple that anyone could do it. If you prefer to cook without wine, I share my substitutions below in the tip box.

  1. Cook Chicken: In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the chicken and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown and cooked throughout. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
  2. Make Sauce: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the mushrooms for 1-2 minutes. Add marsala wine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. This allows the alcohol to burn out. Add the chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, ground mustard, and garlic powder.
  3. Thicken Sauce and Serve: Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Place the cooked chicken back in the sauce and continue to simmer for about 1-2 minutes.
Creamy Chicken Marsala - The Recipe Critic (3)

Tips for Making Creamy Chicken Marsala

This creamy chicken marsala recipe is super easy, but I always like to include a few personal tips that I’ve learned over the years from cooking a lot. Here are a few things to keep in mind when making this recipe.

  • Cutting the Breast in Half: I like to slice my chicken breasts in half or buy them thinly sliced so that they cook quickly and easily. Place one chicken breast half on a cutting board, flat/smooth side down. Put the palm of your non-cutting hand on the top of the breast, and, using a very sharp knife, slowly cut horizontally through the breast, starting with cutting into the long, thick side.
  • Choosing a Marsala Wine: Marsala is an Italian fortified wine with smoky, deep flavor. When making savorydishes like chicken or veal Marsala, dry Marsala is the classic choice; when making desserts, sweetMarsalisgenerally used.Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily with a deep flavor and is used in this sauce to create a caramelized rich flavor. When making savory dishes like Chicken Marsala, dry Marsala is the best option.
  • Wine Alternative: If you are not interested in using dry marsala wine in this recipe, or don’t want to buy a bottle just for this, I’ve got you covered! Here are some substitutions you could use instead: 1/4 cup of white grape juice, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar.
Creamy Chicken Marsala - The Recipe Critic (4)

Storing Leftovers

I love having creamy chicken marsala in the fridge as leftovers because the sauce gets more flavorful over time. It’s seriously so good the next day, and makes a perfect lunch. Here is how to store leftovers.

More Creamy Chicken Recipes

I think chicken is absolutely perfect paired with a creamy sauce! I’ve got so many recipes on my blog, I just had to share a few of my favorites with you. You are going to want to try them all!

Chicken

Creamy Mediterranean Chicken

Dinner

Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata

25 mins

Dinner

Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

25 mins

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Creamy Chicken Marsala

By: Alyssa Rivers

Creamy Chicken Marsala is a classicItaliandish that is ready in under 30 minutes! Marsala wine is made into a creamy sauce paired with mushrooms for the ultimate savory bite. It's simple and easy to whip up and sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 People

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the chicken and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly brown and cooked throughout. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.

  • Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the mushrooms for 1-2 minutes. Add marsala wine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. This allows the alcohol to burn out. Add the chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, ground mustard, and garlic powder.

  • Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Place the cooked chicken back in the sauce and continue to simmer for about 1-2 minutes.

Video

Notes

Originally Posted May 2, 2019

Updated May 4, 2023

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 27gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 264mgPotassium: 610mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 909IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian, Italian American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Creamy Chicken Marsala - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is creamy Marsala sauce made of? ›

Marsala Sauce:

3/4 cup dry Marsala wine. 1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or stock) 3/4 cup heavy cream (thickened cream, evaporated milk or half and half may also be used)** 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley.

Is it better to use dry or sweet Marsala for chicken Marsala? ›

However, when we tried both styles in recipes for chicken Marsala, mushroom stuffing, and zabaglione, tasters preferred the dry style in all instances. Though both were acceptable, tasters found that dry Marsala offered more depth of flavor, while sweet Marsala added sweetness and some flavor but wasn't as complex.

What's the difference between chicken piccata and chicken Marsala? ›

While both chicken piccata and chicken Marsala are cooked in the same way, there are a few key differences between the two dishes. Chicken piccata isn't creamy. It's cooked with white wine, chicken broth, capers, and lemon juice. It's tangy and bright instead of rich and creamy.

What is the best wine to make chicken Marsala? ›

Use dry marsala rather than sweet marsala which is more commonly used in desserts. Sub with port wine, sherry, or madeira. For non alcoholic version, better to make Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce! 4.

What can I substitute for heavy cream in Chicken Marsala? ›

To make this recipe a little lighter than your traditional Italian chicken marsala, you will see that I've created this recipe using full fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream. If that's not your thing, feel free to stick to the heavy cream.

How can I thicken my Chicken Marsala sauce? ›

A general ratio to work with is 2 tablespoons flour for every cup of liquid. Start by adding a little bit, then cook, stirring, for a few minutes to allow the sauce time to thicken and cook off the raw flour taste; if the results are minimal, add more.

Do you drink Marsala wine or just cook with it? ›

Obviously by now you know that yes, you can drink Marsala wine. Remember, for cooking, you can use the younger, much less expensive variety. But for the best Marsala wine for drinking, you can splurge on the more expensive, aged stuff.

Is sweet Marsala wine the same as marsala cooking wine? ›

Dry Marsala Wine For Cooking. Dry Marsala is typically used for savory entrées where it adds a nutty flavor and caramelization to beef tenderloin, mushrooms, turkey and veal. Sweet Marsala is typically used to make very sweet and viscous sauces.

Does the alcohol burn off in chicken Marsala? ›

Sorry to spoil the party, but here's the real deal: Simply heating alcohol, or any other cooking liquid, does not make it evaporate as quickly as a child's allowance in a candy store. The longer you cook, the more alcohol cooks out, but you have to cook food for about 3 hours to fully erase all traces of alcohol.

What is the difference between chicken Marsala and chicken francese? ›

Chicken Francese shares the same basic preparation as Chicken Marsala, but foregoes the Marsala wine and mushrooms in favor of a white wine and lemon-butter sauce.

Is chicken Marsala eaten in Italy? ›

Chicken marsala (Italian: pollo al marsala or scaloppine al marsala) is an Italian-American dish of chicken escalopes in a Marsala wine sauce. It is a variation of traditional Italian scaloppina dishes, of which there are many varieties throughout Italy.

Is it better to use dry or sweet wine for Chicken Marsala? ›

Should you use sweet or dry Marsala in your Chicken Marsala recipe? It doesn't make a huge difference, and either option will produce delicious results, but I would go for dry because the sweet Marsala has a bit too much sugar for such a savory dish.

Can I use balsamic vinegar instead of marsala wine? ›

To make the perfect marsala wine substitute for chicken marsala, replace ½ cup of marsala wine with ½ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and one teaspoon of sugar. Mix the chicken broth mixture into your recipe exactly the same way you would add the marsala.

Can you use cabernet sauvignon for Chicken Marsala? ›

It's intensely rich fruit profile and moderate tannin pairs wonderfully with medium game like chicken and the exotic bold flavors of Marsala cream sauce nod to the balanced acidity in the wine while also toning it to highlight the opulence of the fruit.

What is Marsala made of? ›

Marsala is made from a blend of wines - usually from three local grape varieties (Grillo, Cataratto and Inzolia). The blend is fortified with neutral grape brandy then sweetened, either with boiled down must (mosto cotto) or with grape juice whose fermentation has been stopped with spirit (mistela).

What is similar to Marsala sauce? ›

Marsala is a fortified wine and can be sweet or dry, though most usually the dry version would be used for cooking. Possible substitutes would be a dry Madeira wine or a darker sherry such as Oloroso. If you don't have these then you could also use port or red vermouth.

What does Marsala taste like? ›

Marsala Flavor Profile

On the palate, a true Marsala will have flavors of dried apricot, honey, nuts, tobacco, brown sugar, vanilla, and tamarind.

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