is an Italian-American dish of pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine sauce. It is the most popular on this website, and although it is a classic restaurant dish, it is very easy to make at home. With just one pan, you can get it on the table in 45 minutes. The recipe makes a beautiful that is delicious over pasta, polenta, rice or mashed potatoes.
If your family loves Italian food like mine, once you've mastered chicken Marsala, try other Italian restaurant favorites like pasta e fagioli, eggplant parmesan, penne alla vodka and lasagna.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN MARSALA
Marsala is a brandy-fortified wine from Sicily that deserves to be added to your pantry, if only to prepare this dish over and over again. It will keep for months in a cool, dry place.
I buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them myself into thin slices, instead of using the ultra-thin cutlets sold at the supermarket, because slicing tenderizes the meat. It adds an extra step, but you can save time by using pre-sliced mushrooms (or you can skip all that hassle by using chicken fillets).
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN MARSALA
If your chicken breasts are large, like the ones in the photo above, it's best to cut them in half horizontally first. (If you pound them without cutting them in half first, they will be gigantic and oddly shaped).
Once you have four flat fillets, crush each one to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Place flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a zipper lock bag.
Add chicken to bag; close bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.
Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat (use a stainless steel skillet for best browning. Non-stick works too, but you won't get that nice golden color on the chicken). Place the floured chicken in the pan, shaking off any excess first.
Cook, turning once, until chicken is golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the shallots, garlic and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Add broth, wine, heavy cream, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; use a wooden spoon to scrape brown bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
Boil gently, uncovered, until is reduced by about half, slightly thickened and darkened, 10 to 15 minutes (you want a thin cream sauce; it won't start to thicken until the very end of the cooking time).
Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is heated through and thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley, if necessary, and serve.
Chicken Marsala
is an Italian-American dish consisting of pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich Marsala wine sauce.
- Servings: 4
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
INGREDIENTS :
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded ¼-inch thick (see note), or chicken tenderloins
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 (8-oz) package pre-sliced bella or button mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots, from 1 medium shallot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup dry Marsala wine
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS :
- Place flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a zipper bag. Add chicken to bag; close bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.
- Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Use a stainless steel skillet for best browning. Non-stick works too, but you won't get that nice golden color on the chicken). Place the floured chicken in the skillet, shaking off any excess first, and cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth, Marsala, heavy cream, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper; use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let it boil gently, uncovered, until the is reduced by about half, slightly thickened, and dark in color, 10 to 15 minutes (you want a thin cream sauce; it won't start to thicken until the very end of the cooking time). Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is heated through and the thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.
- Note: If your chicken breasts are large (like the ones in the photos, which are about ¾ lb each), it's best to cut them horizontally first to form four flat fillets, then pound them to an even ¼-inch thickness. If you pound large chicken breasts without cutting them in half first, they will be huge. Of course, you can also pound them thinly first, then cut them in half vertically; the only downside is that they'll lose their natural shape (which, admittedly, isn't that bad!).
NUTRITION INFORMATION :
- Calories:537
- Fat:32 g
- Saturated fat:16 g
- Carbohydrates:12 g
- Sugar:4 g
- Fiber:1 g
- Protein:43 g
- Sodium:877 mg
- Cholesterol:203 mg
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