Chicken breasts are smothered in a rich and savory mushroom Marsala gravy in this easy Chicken Marsala recipe, and it’s weeknight friendly!

Serving plate of chicken marsala garnished with fresh parsley.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Chicken Marsala is hands down one of the best (and easiest) chicken dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. It’s rich and savory with hints of sweetness, and it’s so incredibly cozy! I love this recipe so much, I even developed a soup variation of it. (You have to try it!)

What Is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is Italian-American recipe that calls for cutlets, or chicken escalopes. The fillets are tossed in flour, pan-friend, then simmered in a mouthwatering Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms. Yes, it tastes just as incredible as it sounds.

Overhead closeup shot of saucy chicken marsala garnished with parsley.
Serving plate of chicken marsala garnished with fresh parsley.

What Sets This Recipe Apart

A traditional Chicken Marsala recipe calls for chicken broth, but I use beef broth. The warm and savory flavors go so well with the mushrooms and the tanginess of the balsamic vinegar. I’m obsessed!

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts—You will cut and pound the breasts into 4 cutlets
  • Sea salt & pepper
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 8 oz baby bella or cremini mushrooms—You could use white or button mushrooms as well
  • 1 shallot
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3/4 cup Marsala wine
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon low-sodium Better Than Bouillon beef base
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

How to Make Chicken Marsala

Mix the flour and garlic salt in a shallow pan; season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge the breasts in the flour mixture and set them aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is half melted, add a tablespoon of olive oil.

Fry two of the chicken breasts until golden brown—about 3-4 minutes per side. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 160-165º F. (You can use a meat thermometer to determine this.) When done, transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat this with the other two chicken breasts.

Pan with two cooked chicken breasts in it.

Melt another tablespoon of butter in the pan and scrape up a bit of those pan bits—this will give your gravy a ton of extra flavor! Add the mushrooms and shallots to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are tender. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute.

Pour the marsala wine into the pan, followed by the balsamic vinegar, broth, and a dollop of that beef base, and simmer it until it’s thickened and is reduced by about half.

Pan of marsala gravy with mushrooms.
Pan of marsala gravy with mushrooms with chicken breasts smothered in it.

Stir in the cream and bring the chicken back to the pan, smothering it with the gravy. Simmer until the sauce has thickened a bit, about 3 minutes.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.

Serving plate of chicken marsala garnished with fresh parsley.

What to Serve With Chicken Marsala

  • My personal favorite thing to plop my smothered chicken marsala on is a pile of creamy mashed potatoes. But you could also serve it with roasted potatoes, or noodles!
  • Whether you opt for potatoes or pasta, a veg side is always a great idea. I go for green beans or grilled asparagus.
  • To pair wine with this dish I’d go with a lighter red, like Malbec or Pinot Noir, or a full-bodied white like Chardonnay.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

  1. Leftovers can be store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  2. To reheat, just pop leftovers into the microwave and heat in 25 second increments until warmed through.
  3. Chicken marsala can be frozen in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 4 months.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes

Serving plate of chicken marsala garnished with fresh parsley.

Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe

Chicken breasts are smothered in a rich and savory mushroom marsala gravy in this easy Chicken Marsala recipe, and it's weeknight friendly!
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 550kcal
Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise, then pounded flat Or 4 thin chicken cutlets
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 TBSP unsalted butter, divded
  • 2 TBSP olive oil, divided

For the Marsala sauce:

  • 1 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 8 oz Baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
  • 3/4 cup Marsala wine
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 TBSP all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon beef base (optional)
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a shallow pan or dish, mix together the flour and garlic salt. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and then dredge the breasts in the flour mixture; set them aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is half melted, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Transfer two of the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook them until they're golden brown—about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat this step with the other two chicken breasts.
  • Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan, let it melt, and scrape up those pan bits—these will give the gravy a ton of extra flavor.
  • Add the mushrooms and shallots to the pan and sauté them until the mushrooms are tender—about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and sauté for about a minute.
  • Pour the marsala wine into the pan, then add the balsamic vinegar, broth, and a dollop of that beef base; simmer until it's thickened and is reduced by about half, stirring occasionally. This should only take about 5 minutes.
  • Stir the cream into the sauce and pop the chicken back into the pan. Smother it with the sauce and simmer until the sauce has thickened a bit, about 3 minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 48g | Sodium: -4mg | Fiber: 3g
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