Chicken Marsala is one of my favorite Italian-style dishes: tender chicken cutlets simmered in a savory Marsala wine sauce with plenty of mushrooms, served over buttered pasta. It’s a restaurant-quality meal you can make at home without spending a lot. The rich sauce, earthy mushrooms, and simple browned-butter pasta make this a comforting dinner for special occasions or a weekend family meal.
Homemade Chicken Marsala Recipe
This version of Chicken Marsala was passed to me by family soon after we moved to Washington in 2006. It became an instant favorite. While it takes a bit of prep and care—especially when cooking for a crowd—the method is straightforward and worth the effort. The flavors are classic: Marsala wine and chicken broth combine with browned butter and mushrooms to create a silky, savory sauce that clings to the chicken and pasta.
The dish isn’t complicated, but it does take a few steps: pounding the chicken thin, browning mushrooms, searing the cutlets, and then simmering everything in the wine-and-stock sauce until it reduces and thickens. If you follow the sequence below, you’ll end up with a tender, deeply-flavored meal that tastes like it came from a good trattoria.
You need more PASTA in your life.
Recipe Shopping List
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to prepare this Chicken Marsala. For exact measurements and a printable recipe, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken breasts (cut into cutlets)
- Cremini or button mushrooms
- Green onions (scallions)
- Flour
- Marjoram
- Thyme
- Salt
- White pepper
- Butter
- Vegetable oil
- Dry Marsala wine
- Chicken broth
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or mizithra cheese
- Pasta (your choice)
Follow me on Instagram!
How To Make This Recipe
Here is an overview of the cooking process so you know what to expect. Follow the step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below while you cook.
- Pound the chicken: Place each chicken breast between plastic wrap or inside a zip-top bag and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until the cutlets are about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick. Even thickness helps them cook evenly and stay tender.
- Brown the mushrooms: In a large skillet, melt butter with a little vegetable oil over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and begin to brown. Add the chopped green onions in the last couple of minutes of cooking, then transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Coat and brown the chicken: Mix flour with marjoram, thyme, salt, and white pepper. Lightly dredge the pounded chicken in the seasoned flour. Add more butter and oil to the skillet if needed, and brown the cutlets on both sides over medium heat. They do not need to be completely cooked through now; they will finish cooking in the sauce. Be careful not to let the browned bits burn.
- Add the wine and stock: Pour the Marsala into the pan and simmer briefly, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken broth, return the mushrooms and green onions to the pan, and nestle the browned chicken cutlets back into the sauce. Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens and the chicken finishes cooking, about 20 minutes.
Note: The sauce will look thin at first. As it simmers, some of the seasoned flour coating the chicken will thicken the sauce. If it still needs thickening, a small cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) can be used to reach the desired consistency.
- Brown the butter: Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and let it cook until the solids begin to brown and develop a nutty aroma. Watch carefully and remove from heat before it burns.
If the sauce doesn’t thicken after simmering, whisk in a little cornstarch slurry (mix equal parts cornstarch and cold water until smooth, then stir into the simmering sauce) and cook a few minutes more to activate the thickener.
- Toss the pasta: Cook your pasta until al dente, drain, and then toss it with the browned butter and grated parmigiano reggiano or mizithra.
- Serve: Plate a bed of brown butter pasta, top with chicken cutlets, and spoon plenty of Marsala mushroom sauce over each portion. Serve hot with steamed or roasted vegetables on the side.
Browned Butter and Mizithra Pasta Recipe
Featured Reader Reviews
I have been making this dish for at least five years now and my family loves it! We love Spaghetti Factory’s Chicken Marsala and this tastes so similar. Since the pandemic we’ve cooked this at home many times when we wanted a restaurant-style meal. Thank you so much for sharing this!
–Norabelle
Try our Crispy Smoked Chicken Thighs too!
More Family Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Better Than KFC Coleslaw
- Homemade Clam Chowder
Pin For Later
Chicken Marsala
Treat family and friends to this comforting Chicken Marsala. It’s approachable to make at home and delivers deep, savory flavor with every bite.
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts, pounded to ¼–½ inch and cut into cutlets
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 bunches green onions, chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 2½ sticks butter, divided
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 cup dry Marsala wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Pinch of additional salt to taste
- ½ cup parmigiano reggiano or mizithra cheese, grated
- 1 pound pasta
Instructions
- Pound the chicken breasts between plastic wrap or in a zip-top bag to ¼–½ inch thickness.
- In a large skillet, melt ½ stick of butter with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and begin to brown. Stir in green onions during the last 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add another ½ stick of butter plus a touch more oil to the skillet. Combine flour, marjoram, thyme, salt, and white pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly coat chicken in the flour mixture and brown in the skillet over medium heat, working in batches. It’s fine if the chicken is slightly pink inside; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Add the Marsala to the pan and let it simmer for about one minute, scraping up browned bits. Pour in chicken broth, stir, and return the mushrooms and chicken to the skillet. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, brown ½ stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it develops a nutty aroma and light brown color. Remove from heat before it burns.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, drain well, and toss with the browned butter and grated cheese.
- Serve the chicken with sauce spooned over top and a generous portion of browned-butter pasta on the side. Garnish with extra grated cheese if desired.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 8 servings. Amount per serving (estimate): Calories 665; Total Fat 42g; Saturated Fat 21g; Trans Fat 1g; Unsaturated Fat 18g; Cholesterol 155mg; Sodium 1064mg; Carbohydrates 37g; Fiber 2g; Sugar 2g; Protein 32g.
Nutrition estimates are provided as a guide only. For medical or strict dietary tracking, consult a trusted nutrition resource.
Love this recipe? Tell your friends!
Follow on Instagram for more recipes and updates.