Description
Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian-American dish featuring tender chicken breasts sautéed to golden perfection and smothered in a rich, flavorful Marsala wine sauce with sautéed cremini mushrooms and shallots. This recipe balances creamy, savory, and slightly sweet notes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner or impressive meal for guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Mushrooms
- 12 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced, rinsed, and dried
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Chicken
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup flour
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ beef bouillon cube
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup dry Marsala wine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/8 teaspoon Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep Work: Prepare all ingredients by slicing mushrooms, mincing garlic and shallots, and measuring out spices and liquids.
- Combine Sauce Mixture: In a bowl, mix together chicken broth, crumbled beef bouillon cube, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, mustard powder, and dried thyme. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cook the Mushrooms: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing them to brown but retain texture. Lightly salt halfway through cooking. Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside.
- Dredge and Pound the Chicken: Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create two thinner cutlets. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about ½ inch thickness with a meat mallet. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Season and Flour the Chicken: Season both sides of each chicken cutlet with salt and pepper. Mix garlic powder and flour together, then dredge each chicken piece, ensuring even coating on both sides.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat olive oil in the same large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken cutlets in batches for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Deglaze and Reduce Marsala Wine: Turn off the heat temporarily. Pour Marsala wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping the bottom and sides with a silicone spatula to loosen fond. Turn heat back to medium and reduce the wine by half, about 5-6 minutes, until a gentle bubble remains.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add the 2 tablespoons of butter, minced garlic, and shallots to the pan. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Create Roux: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour evenly over the aromatics and stir continuously for 2 minutes until the flour darkens slightly to a rich brown color.
- Add Sauce Mixture and Simmer: Gradually add the reserved sauce mixture in small splashes while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let sauce simmer uncovered for 7-10 minutes, allowing it to thicken and flavors to concentrate. Optionally, add 1/8 teaspoon Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet for a richer color.
- Combine Mushrooms and Chicken: Stir the cooked mushrooms back into the sauce. Return the seared chicken cutlets to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Cover partially and let everything heat through for 3-4 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the dish and serve hot for a delicious and elegant meal.
Notes
- Rinse mushrooms lightly and dry thoroughly to prevent them from steaming and becoming rubbery during cooking.
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness ensures even cooking and tender chicken.
- Reducing the Marsala wine concentrates its flavor and avoids a too-strong alcohol taste in the sauce.
- Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet is optional for color enhancement and can be omitted without affecting flavor.
- This dish pairs well with mashed potatoes, pasta, or crusty bread to soak up the flavorful sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: Chicken Marsala, marsala wine, cremini mushrooms, chicken recipe, Italian, stovetop chicken, creamy mushroom sauce
