Italian-American · Dinner · All year
Chicken Marsala
4.6 community
15m
Prep
25m
Cook
Easy
Level
520
kcal
Pan-fried cutlets in a silky Marsala-mushroom sauce — the Italian-American classic that turns fortified wine and fond into ten-minute luxury.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
4
🍗 Chicken Breast ›
butterflied and pounded 1 cm thin
80 g
🌾 Flour ›
for dredging
250 g
🍄 Cremini Mushrooms ›
thick-sliced
180 ml
🍷 Marsala Wine ›
dry
200 ml
🍲 Chicken Stock ›
3 tbsp
🧈 Butter ›
2 tbsp
🫒 Olive Oil ›
2 cloves
🧄 Garlic ›
1 handful
🌿 Parsley ›
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
15m
Prep
25m
Cook
40m
Total
4
Serves
Equipment
Large skillet
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Prep checklist
Chicken Breast — butterflied and pounded 1 cm thin
Flour — for dredging
Cremini Mushrooms — thick-sliced
Marsala Wine — dry
5 steps
Method
1
Season the pounded cutlets, dredge in flour, and shake off the excess — a thin coat browns and later thickens the sauce.
💡
Even 1 cm thickness is why restaurant cutlets cook evenly. Pound between parchment with a pan if you own no mallet.
2
Brown the cutlets in oil and half the butter over medium-high, 3 minutes per side, in batches. Remove.
Learn the technique ›
3
Brown the mushrooms hard in the same pan, 5–6 minutes; add garlic for 30 seconds.
Learn the technique ›
4
Pour in the Marsala, scraping the fond, and boil 2 minutes; add stock and reduce by half, 4–5 minutes.
💡
Dry Marsala, not sweet — sweet Marsala turns the sauce to dessert.
5
Return the chicken with its juices for 2 minutes; finish with the remaining butter swirled in off the heat and the parsley.
Learn the technique ›
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.
Make ahead
Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.
Wine pairing
A dry Marsala in the glass too, or a mid-weight Italian white like Verdicchio.
Beer pairing
Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Buttered pappardelle
·
Mash
·
Garlicky greens
Garnish
Fresh herbs added off the heat
A squeeze of lemon
Flaky salt
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
520
kcal
42g
protein
18g
carbs
27g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
FAQ
How do I know chicken is done?
An instant-read thermometer says 74°C at the thickest point, touching no bone. Visual backup: juices run clear, and the meat at the bone is no longer pink. Breasts get dry past 74°C; thighs actually improve up to 85°C as their collagen melts.
When it goes sideways
Troubleshooting
Dry, stringy breast meat. It overshot 74°C. Pull at 71–72°C and rest 5 minutes (carryover finishes it), pound to even thickness before cooking, or switch to forgiving thighs.
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My notes
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