Chicken Marsala is such a classic recipe. Our version is simple, uses only one pan, is quick to make and calls for chicken, mushrooms, Marsala wine and fresh tomatoes. This is definitely one to keep in your back pocket.
How to Make the Best Chicken Marsala
We do two things a little differently when we make chicken Marsala. First, we like to use chicken thighs in place of the more traditional chicken breast. They taste incredible and lately, we’ve found them sold for a lot less than what it costs to buy skinless chicken breasts. If you prefer to stick with the more classic version and use chicken breasts, go for it. Whether you use chicken thighs or chicken breasts, the trick to the best chicken Marsala is pounding the chicken thin then dredging in flour. You don’t need a lot of flour at all, just a thin coating over the chicken. Once the chicken is added to hot oil, the flour helps the chicken brown and the pounding you did earlier results in perfectly tender chicken. After cooking the chicken (which takes about 10 minutes), you can move onto the sauce, which is done in the same pan as you cooked the chicken in. Score for one-pan dishes! The sauce is simple — mushrooms, onion (that’s the second thing we do a little differently), garlic, Marsala wine, chicken stock and a little butter. It isn’t all that common to see onions in this dish — or in our case pearl onions. Even so, we really like adding them. We also love adding a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes to the pan right at the end. As they begin to warm they release a little acidity to the dish. Plus, the pop of color is really nice in such a brown dish.
Choosing Marsala Wine, Storing It and What To Do With It
We call for dry Marsala wine in our recipe, but if you already have it on hand, sweet will work. We like to buy mid-priced Marsala wine over the $5 or less options you can sometimes find in grocery stores. The mid-priced options tend to have a bit more flavor. In general, buy something you could actually see someone drink. If you are worried about buying a whole bottle of wine for just one recipe here are two recipes you might like that will help use up the bottle: Our Tiramisu Recipe, this Spaghetti with Spinach Pesto and Turkey Meatballs. Or, keep it just for this recipe. The nice thing about Marsala wine is that it will last for quite some time (we’ve had ours open for months without issue). Either store it in the refrigerator or keep in a cooler, darker area of your kitchen. This goes for other fortified wines, too — think Madeira wine. Recipe updated, originally posted March 2015. Since posting this in 2015, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Salt and fresh ground black pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups) 1 cup thawed frozen pearl onions, optional 1 clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon) 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 2Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 3While the oil is heating up, add the flour to a shallow dish then dredge both sides of the pounded chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off the excess. When the oil is hot and shimmering, slide the chicken into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Hold cooked chicken on a large plate in a single layer. If your pan is not large enough to fit all the chicken, simply cook the chicken in batches. 2Add the pearl onions and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper then cook, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. 3Pour the Marsala into the pan and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any bits stuck from cooking the chicken and mushrooms then add the chicken stock. Stir then simmer for another minute until the sauce has reduced slightly.
