Creamy Chicken Marsala

Turn on the King of Cool Dino and pour yourself a glass of wine. Chicken night gets an upgrade with this quick cooking dish that’s a little sweet, yet bright, earthy, and luxuriously decadent. Creamy Chicken Marsala is easy enough for any night of the week but turns any weeknight into an occasion.

When it comes to comfort food, Italian food always speaks to my soul. The celebration of a few beautiful ingredients and the way they play together not only lends itself to memorable meals, but also something anyone can create. Just add a couple slices of Antipasto Garlic Bread and a salad, and you have the perfect meal.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Accessible Ingredients – Whether you’re shopping at your local grocery store or a more specialty store such as Trader Joe’s, all of the ingredients for this recipe can easily be found. Even the Marsala wine itself is readily available and budget friendly.
• Easy Process – Unlike many sauces that require you making a roux, this is completely a pan sauce. As the wine reduces it slightly thickens and the addition of thick and creamy mascarpone cheese gives it a velvety texture.
• Balance of Flavors – Even dry Marsala wine is more on the sweet side. As it reduces that sweetness concentrates. Mushrooms add earthiness and a squeeze of lemon adds a bright note.
• The Sauce is Boss – Whether you just want to dip crusty bread into the sauce, drizzle it over creamy mashed potatoes, or toss in some linguine, this sauce is begging to be dipped, topped, and tossed.
• Quick Cooking – Chicken cutlets themselves cook up incredibly fast, making this an ideal weeknight dinner. Because the sauce is just an easy pan sauce it also comes together quickly.

What is Marsala Wine?

Whether it’s in Turkey Meatloaf Marsala or this classic dish, Marsala makes everything better. Marsala is a fortified Sicilian wine. Since it is a fortified wine, it has a higher alcohol content than an average glass of wine. Because of this it is often served as an apéritifs in a small portion. Unlike other wines, Marsala is classified by color in addition to how long it is aged.

The sweetness of the Marsala wine depends upon when it is fortified. If brandy is added before the fermentation process is complete, it will have a higher sugar content. If it’s added once the wine is fully fermented it will be more dry and less sweet.

Because Marsala is fortified, it’s recommended you use it within 4-6 months of opening. However, once you discover the depth it adds to everything from simple sauteed mushrooms to your favorite tiramisu and zabaione, you will find yourself reaching for it again and again.

Why is this Recipe Coastal Inspired?

The star of Creamy Chicken Marsala is Marsala wine. Marsala wine comes from the island of Sicily, Italy. Sicilian cuisine has Arabic, Greek, French, and Spanish influences. In addition to Sicilian cuisine being rich in fresh seafood, it also includes sunny notes of citrus, especially lemons, artichokes, eggplants, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes just to name a few beloved ingredients.

Ingredients

Chicken is such a beautiful canvas for flavors. With just a handful of ingredients, this recipe for chicken Marsala is sure to become part of your regular menu.

• Chicken – You can either buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them yourself, or buy chicken cutlets. Making your own cutlets not only is easy, but it is also usually the more budget friendly option.
• Flour – A light dusting of flour helps the chicken develop a pretty brown crust. In addition, the fond, or brown bits that it leaves behind once browned, will aid in slightly thickening the sauce.
• Oregano – A little floral and completely herbaceous, dried oregano helps season the chicken itself.
• Granulated Garlic – Adds a savory note that helps to season the chicken and echoes the fresh garlic in the sauce.
• Salt – Seasons the chicken and also the mushrooms. With the sweetness of the wine and bright acidic pop of lemon it doesn’t take much.
• Pepper – Helps season the chicken itself.
• Lemon Zest – Rubbed together with kosher salt to help release its oils, it adds brightness to the chicken.
• Olive Oil – Helps brown the chicken.
• Butter – Adds richness to the mushrooms as they cook down.
• Mushrooms – The first rule of chicken Marsala, you can never have enough mushrooms. As they cook down they will shrink, but they bring both earthy flavor and texture to this sauce. You can use all button mushrooms, all baby bella or cremini mushrooms, or a combination of both. In addition, you can also use other types of mushrooms such as shiitakes.
• Thyme – Pairs well with mushrooms. Adds depth of flavor to the sauce and a lightly citrus note.
• Shallots – Gives the sauce a delicate onion flavor. They sweeten as they cook.
• Garlic – Adds a savory note that balances the sweetness.
• Marsala Wine – Make sure that you are using actual Marsala wine, preferably dry-Marsala. Cooking marsala has a high sodium content and won’t give you the desired flavor.
• Chicken Stock – Helps meld all of the flavors together while making this a thinner pan sauce.
• Mascarpone Cheese – This rich and creamy fresh cheese is often referred to as Italian cream cheese. While it is similar, it has a higher butter fat content making it softer, richer, and less tangy.
• Lemon Juice – Just a squeeze wakes up all of the flavors and cuts through both the richness and sweetness of the sauce.
• Parsley – Adds a fresh, grassy flavor.
• Basil – Adds a pop of freshness and the natural sweetness of basil compliments the Marsala.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano – Is it traditional or necessary? No, but a little finishing touch of nutty and salty cheese takes this over the top.

How to Make Creamy Chicken Marsala

There is nothing complicated about this date worthy recipe. With just a few simple steps you will have dinner from skillet to table in less than 45 minutes.

• Butterfly – If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, carefully slice them in half. Place a piece of plastic wrap over them and lightly pound them out until they’re an even thickness.
• Season – Add your pepper, salt, oregano, and lemon zest to a plate and rub together. This will break up the oregano and release the oils of the lemon zest. Season both sides of your chicken with the rub.
• Dredge – Add your chicken breasts one at a time to a plastic bag with flour and shake to lightly coat them, making sure to shake off the excess flour. You can also use a shallow bowl or plate.
• Preheat – Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. If doing this on the grill you will want your grill heated to about 350 degrees. Add your olive oil and let it heat through.
• Brown – Add your floured chicken cutlets to the hot skillet, careful not to crowd. Allow them to cook 2-3 minutes per side before flipping. Cook the second side for about the same time. Don’t worry if they are not cooked all the way through as they will finish in the sauce. Transfer them to a plate.

• Sauté – Add your butter and allow it to melt. Add your mushrooms and let them cook until they have released their liquid and have started to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add your shallots and garlic and sauté for two minutes until fragrant.
• Wine O’ Clock – Pour in your Marsala wine, making sure to scrape up all of the brown bits. Add your thyme. Let the wine come to a simmer and slightly reduce, 4-6 minutes.

• Simmer – Add your chicken broth or stock and return to a simmer. Allow the sauce to reduce by half.
• Creamy Dreamy – Remove the thyme sprig. Stir in your mascarpone cheese until it is dissolved. Return the chicken to the pan, along with any drippings. Allow the chicken to heat all the way through.

• Finishing Touch – Add your lemon juice and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the fresh herbs over the top.

Substitutions

While chicken cutlets are the traditional meat served in this dish, you can also use different cuts of chicken. Chicken tenders are equally as quick cooking and work perfectly for this. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They will take slightly longer to cook through to 165 degrees.

If you don’t have mascarpone cheese and still want to make this recipe, it can also be made with either heavy cream, which will give it the same decadent flavor while making it slightly saucier, or cream cheese which will add a little tang.

Variations

• Pork – Not a fan of chicken? Pork cutlets pounded thin pair well with all of the flavors in this dish. You could also use veal cutlets.
• Spicy – Spice makes everything better, including chicken marsala. When you add your shallots and garlic to the pan, also add a pinch of either Calabrian chili flakes or crushed red pepper flakes. The heat will wake up their oils before the wine is added.
• Dairy Free – To cut back on the calories and also make this Dairy free, skip the butter and give a splash more olive oil when sautéing your mushrooms. Skip the mascarpone, this is just as delicious without it and more of a traditional Marsala recipe.

Tools

Creamy Chicken Marsala is all about texture. Using a cast iron skillet evenly conducts the heat and allows you to get light golden sear. In addition, because it can withstand high heat it also be used directly on the grill.

Tips From the Beach

All good things in life start with wine, including this chicken Marsala recipe. Because of this, what type of wine you use matters. If you can, always use a dry Marsala. Since it’s already on the sweeter side the flavors will concentrate as they reduce giving you a sweeter sauce. However, if sweet Marsala is all that is available, you can balance the sweetness with a splash more chicken stock or a pinch more of salt.

Most regular grocery stores will only have one or two Marsala options so unlike other types of wine, it’s easy to shop for. Always skip the cooking wine though. Cooking wine not only doesn’t have the depth of flavor that real wine has, it’s filled with preservatives, salt, and sweeteners that will affect the finished flavor of your dish.

In addition to picking the right wine, using the right lemon matters. Whenever you have a recipe that calls for lemon zest, always try and buy organic lemons. This holds true for all citruses. Organic citruses with either be free of a waxy coating on the outside or have a natural wax coating. It will also be free of any non-organic pesticides on the skin.

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