Easy Classic Chicken Marsala
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Chicken Marsala has always been one of my favorite dinners to order in an Italian restaurant, and it turns out it is surprisingly easy to pull off at home. This hearty, cozy meal features tender sautéed chicken cutlets and earthy cremini mushrooms simmered in a velvety Marsala wine sauce that melts in your mouth.
Brought over by Sicilian immigrants who swapped veal for accessible chicken breast, this classic dish feels like an elevated, fancy restaurant meal without all the fuss. It comes together in just 30 minutes using a single skillet, making it the ultimate stress-free menu choice for a cozy family dinner or small weekend party.
About This Recipe
This simple recipe shows you how to pound fillet chicken breasts ultra-thin so they sear up golden on the outside and tender on the inside. Everything cooks in one skillet, building a rich, silky sauce directly from the pan drippings and sweet Marsala wine.
Using a touch of dry brown gravy mix creates a rich, classic presentation with extra body that clings perfectly to the chicken and mushrooms. It is a hearty, flavorful dish built to bring everyone straight to the dinner table with big smiles.
About the Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Halved and pounded to a 1/4-inch thickness so they sear quickly, remain juicy, and stay completely tender.
- Cremini Mushrooms: Also sold as baby bellas, these earthy mushrooms offer a much deeper flavor than standard white button mushrooms.
- Dry Marsala Wine: The signature flavor foundation of the dish. Use a decent dry Marsala like Taylor brand, and avoid salty “cooking wine” off the supermarket shelf.
- Unsalted Chicken Broth: Adds necessary liquid to build the sauce while diluting the reduced wine to keep the flavor balanced rather than overwhelming.
- Dry Brown Gravy Mix: Gives the sauce a darker, traditional restaurant appearance and extra body to coat the cutlets beautifully.
- Unsalted Butter: Used to sauté the mushrooms and then swirled cold into the finished sauce (monter au beurre) off the heat for a rich, glossy finish.
- Olive Oil: Standard olive oil has a higher smoke point than extra virgin, keeping your chicken from burning during the high-heat sear.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Seasoning the chicken directly before searing locks in natural flavor, while controlling salt manually keeps the reduced sauce balanced.
Instructions
Prep and Pound the Chicken
On a cutting board, fillet the chicken breasts horizontally into thinner cutlets. Cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to an even 1/4-inch thickness, then season both sides generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Sear the Cutlets
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chicken cutlets and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown, then transfer them to a plate and tent loosely with foil (cook in batches if necessary, adding a fresh tablespoon of oil for each batch).
Sauté Mushrooms and Deglaze
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet and add the cremini mushrooms, sautéing until they are soft and deeply browned. Pour in the dry Marsala wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, and simmer until the wine reduces by half.
Build and Reduce the Sauce
Whisk the dry brown gravy mix into the 2 cups of unsalted chicken broth until completely smooth. Pour the broth mixture into the skillet with the reduced wine and mushrooms, simmering gently until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Mount the Sauce
Remove the skillet completely from the heat source and add 2 tablespoons of cold butter to the pan. Stir and swirl the cold butter continuously into the warm sauce until melted, creating a rich, velvety, and glossy finish.
Coat and Serve
Nestle the seared chicken cutlets back into the skillet, turning them to coat thoroughly in the warm sauce. Plate the cutlets, spoon the glossy Marsala sauce and mushrooms generously over top, and serve immediately.
Note: If you prefer a lighter, classic non-gravy sauce, simply dredge the seasoned chicken cutlets in all-purpose flour before searing. The residual flour from the seared chicken will naturally thicken the reduced Marsala wine and chicken broth mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use sweet Marsala wine instead of dry? Dry Marsala wine is strongly recommended for savory dishes like Chicken Marsala, whereas sweet Marsala is best reserved for desserts. Stick with dry Marsala for that balanced, restaurant-quality flavor.
- Can I use low-sodium chicken broth? Unsalted broth is preferred, but you can use low-sodium broth if that is what you have on hand. Be sure to taste the sauce after it reduces, and if it tastes too salty, simply splash in a little water or unsalted broth to balance it out.
- Can I skip the brown gravy mix? Yes! Skipping it will yield a lighter-colored sauce, which many people enjoy; just dredge your seasoned chicken cutlets in all-purpose flour before searing so the residual flour naturally thickens the sauce.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerating: Transfer leftover chicken cutlets and sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Allow the chicken and sauce to come near room temperature, then place in a baking dish covered tightly with foil and heat in a 350°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through.
What to Serve with Chicken Marsala
- Crispy Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Butter Green Beans
- Roasted Asparagus
- Sautéed Spinach
- Classic Caesar Salad
- Caprese Salad
Easy Classic Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, filleted (8 cutlets)
- 12 oz Sliced cremini mushrooms (baby bella)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil (each batch)
- 1 cup dry marsala wine (add more to taste)
- 2 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 packs dry brown gravy mix
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Optional: If omitting the brown gravy mix dredge the chicken in flour to add thickness to the sauce lost by the omission of the brown gravy.
Instructions
- On a cutting board, Fillet the 4 chicken breasts and pound until 1/4 inch thick. Salt and pepper the chicken.
- In a skillet on medium-low heat add the oil and saute each chicken breast until golden brown. Once cooked, remove to a plate and tent with foil.
- Add the 2 pats of butter to the pan and then add the mushrooms. Stir and cook the mushrooms until they are soft and nicely browned. Then add the marsala wine and using a wooden spatula scrape the bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by about half.
- Mix the two packets of brown gravy in 2 cups of chicken broth and whisk until dissolved. Add the broth into the marsala stirring and allow it to thicken and adjust the salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the 2 pats of cold butter to the sauce and swirl and stir until the butter melts and the sauce is nice and glossy.
- Once the sauce has thickened and glossy add the chicken to the marsala sauce coating all the chicken and then remove the chicken to individual plates. Spoon the marsala sauce with mushrooms over the chicken and serve immediately.
