Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish. It is named after the breaded protein and the Marsala wine used in the sauce. The chicken and sauce are typically served alongside or over mashed potatoes or pasta. I recommend serving over Mashed Potatoes for Two.

Sometimes I don’t leave myself enough time to make this light and flavorful recipe. And then it ends up on the table later than I anticipated. This is why it’s good to pay attention to preparation and total times. And to set yourself up as best as possible. With this in mind, I try to accurately reflect those times in my recipes and set up reminders in my notes below to help you, and my future self.

Jump to:

• Getting Started
• Ingredient Recommendations
• Ingredient Alternatives
• Finishing Touches
• Pairings
• Leftovers
• Recipe

Getting Started

If you’re serving over mashed potatoes or pasta, get those started first. Then begin step 1 of the recipe. Gather all ingredients and measuring devices before, or while, the chicken cooks. The sauce comes together quickly so having the chicken marsala sauce ingredients prepped and pre-measured helps.

To pound out the chicken, I use the flat side of a meat mallet. And I place the chicken between paper towels. This pats the chicken dry while reducing raw meat cross-contamination.

Be sure to practice meat safety while handling the raw chicken. Between pounding out, seasoning, and breading the chicken, it’s important to be aware of and minimize cross-contamination. Always be mindful of what the raw chicken has come into contact with and wash your hands, and any other contaminated items, after touching raw meat and before touching anything else including other ingredients, pots, pans, faucet and cabinet handles, and more. Also, before serving, use a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken is at least 165F.

Chicken Marsala Ingredient Recommendations

Mushrooms

For this recipe, you can use canned or fresh mushrooms. I recommend store-brand, pre-sliced mushrooms. Simply drain the mushrooms, and then, when ready, add them to the pan. 

If you’re using fresh mushrooms, pre-sliced will save time not having to slice whole mushrooms yourself. Whether using whole or pre-sliced fresh mushrooms, always wash them first. And then pat them dry. This will add to your prep time.

I have made this recipe both ways and I find the taste the same with either canned or fresh mushrooms. So I opt for the convenience of canned, pre-sliced mushrooms.

Marsala Wine

Generally, any brand of Marsala wine will do. If there was a store brand, which I have yet to see, I would buy that to use. That is how much I do not pay attention or put stock in my Marsala wine selection.

Chicken Broth

Store-brand, low-sodium boxed chicken broth is my go-to here. If there is a sale I may consider another option. 

You will most likely have leftover broth. In this case, be sure to jot the open date on the container, refrigerate and use, or discard, within two weeks.

Parsley

For convenience, using dried parsley is the way to go. Comparatively, I think it tastes the same as using fresh. So using dried parsley saves time for me. If using fresh, be sure to allot extra prep time to wash and chop it.

Chicken Marsala Ingredient Alternatives

Gluten-Free

Every ingredient in this recipe is gluten-free except for the flour. Simply swap for gluten-free flour. Technically, the flour for breading the chicken could be omitted if you’d like but you will still need flour for the chicken marsala sauce.

Vegetarian

While I haven’t tried it myself, and it is quite a derivation from the recipe, I am inclined to suggest a vegetarian version of Chicken Marsala. Obviously, this would be omitting the chicken (or using a plant-based alternative) and swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth. In other words, for vegetarians, I would suggest making the marsala sauce with vegetable broth and serving it over pasta.

Chicken Marsala Finishing Touches

When ready, serve in a warmed pasta dish over Mashed Potatoes for Two (recipe coming soon) or pasta. Pasta recommendations include fettuccine or linguine. Top with parsley flakes.

Chicken Marsala Pairings

This dish is great to make on the weekends. At least for me, mainly due to my aforementioned timing challenges. And any leftovers are great on weeknights. If you have the time, pair it with a tossed salad. Roasted carrots make a great accompaniment to Chicken Marsala as well.

Chicken Marsala Leftovers

Use any leftovers within a couple of days. Chicken Marsala reheats well in the microwave or baked in the oven.