Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian-American dish that combines thinly sliced chicken scallopine with earthy mushrooms in a thick Marsala wine sauce and finished with fresh parsley and crispy prosciutto.
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Reliable but never boring
Walk into any Italian-American restaurant, and you’re sure to find a few reliable dishes: chicken francese, chicken parmigiana, shrimp fra diavolo, and the iconic Chicken Marsala.
This incredible dish combines chicken scallopine bathed in a velvety marsala wine sauce with mushrooms and is always a favorite, especially for mushroom lovers.
While totally optional, I do add prosciutto to my chicken marsala because it complements the flavors so well and adds a little something special.
I like to serve this over some rice pilaf with a side of garlic sauteed spinach and crusty bread.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chicken. I’m using chicken cutlets, but to save money, you can buy whole breasts and slice them yourself, then pound them to equal thickness. If you want to try this with another protein, consider using veal or making my beef marsala recipe – it’s equally amazing!
- Mushrooms. I’m using cremini (baby bella) mushrooms. Feel free to use white button mushrooms or any other mushrooms you’d like.
- Marsala. I’m using a dry marsala wine. You can get away with using a sweet marsala if that’s all you have on hand.
- Stock. I’m using homemade chicken stock, but you can also use store-bought low-sodium or no-sodium chicken stock. Beef stock or a demi glace can also be used and will give the dish a richer flavor and darker sauce.
- Prosciutto. I start the dish off by sauteeing prosciutto to add some flavor and depth to the dish, then top the chicken marsala at the end with the crisped prosciutto. Feel free to omit the prosciutto if preferred.
- Flour. I use all-purpose flour for dredging the chicken.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make chicken marsala
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Pat the cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shake off the excess, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- In a large pan over medium heat, cook the prosciutto in olive oil for a few minutes or until it browns and begins to shrivel, then transfer to a plate for use later on.
- Turn the heat to a touch less than medium-high, add 3 tablespoons of butter, and once it bubbles, add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides (5-6 minutes). Work in batches to prevent overcrowding. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with tented foil.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook until they release their water.
- Once they brown, lower the heat to medium and add the remaining butter and shallots, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the marsala wine and stock to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits.
- Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce reduces by half and add the cream and cook for 1 minute longer. If the sauce isn’t thick enough, add a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 ounce of water and bring to a boil until your desired thickness is reached.
- Turn the heat down and add the chicken and half the prosciutto back to the pan and cook until the chicken is warmed through. Taste test and make final adjustments to salt and pepper, then add the parsley and top with the remaining crispy prosciutto.
Top tips
The Sauce. The chicken marsala sauce is delicious and is great over rice, but if you want even more sauce to toss with a 1/2 pound of pasta, you can increase the amount of stock to 1/2 cup. If you want even more than that, increase the amounts proportionately of the other ingredients as well.
If you like your sauce on the thicker side, you can thicken it by making a slurry of cornstarch and water, add to the pan, and bringing it to a boil until your desired thickness is achieved.
More Italian chicken recipes
If you love restaurant-style Italian chicken dishes, give these other recipes a try!
If you’ve enjoyed this Classic Chicken Marsala recipe, give it a 5-star rating.
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Chicken Marsala – Better Than a Restaurant
Ingredients
- 4 thin slices prosciutto
- 2 pounds chicken cutlets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup flour
- 6 tablespoons butter cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional
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Instructions
- Pat the chicken cutlets dry then season with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the chicken cutlets into flour and shake off excess. Set the floured chicken on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with the olive oil and add the prosciutto. Cook the prosciutto for a few minutes or until it browns and begins to shrivel. Remove the prosciutto to a plate.
- Turn the heat up to a touch less than medium-high and add 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Once it starts bubbling add the chicken. Cook the chicken until golden on both sides (about 5-6 minutes total), working in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Set the cooked chicken on a plate and tent with foil.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook until they release their water. Once they start to brown, turn the heat to medium, and add the remaining butter and the shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shallots are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the Marsala wine and chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge the flavor bits. Cook for around 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about half. Add the cream and cook for another minute. Note: If the sauce isn't thick enough for your liking add a slurry of 1 tablepoon cornstarch with 1 ounce of water. Bring to a boil and thicken to your liking.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the chicken and half the prosciutto back to the pan. Cook until the chicken is hot.
- Taste test and make final adjustments to salt and pepper levels. Mix in the parsley and top with the remaining crispy prosciutto. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken. Small, thinly-sliced chicken cutlet pieces, aka scallopine, work best.
- Sauce. Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce if required. 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 ounce of water will be more than adequate. If you want more sauce, add another 1/2 cup of stock.
- Leftovers. Chicken Marsala can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Many recipes suggest using beef stock?
See the section under the photo of ingredients where Jim suggests using beef stock or demi glace if you want a richer flavor.
do i have to use cream?
You can omit the cream.
Questio…. Is the cream necessary?? Most Marsala recipes don’t use cream.
You can omit the cream.
Hi Jim & Tara
I don’t drink alchole, mostly because I don’t like most alchole drinks. I do cook with dry wines on occasion. Can you suggest a decent Marsala to use in this dish
Hi, we use Opici Marsala to cook with.
Can I use other wine instead of Marsala wine??
You can use white wine but the taste will be quite different. Marsala has a very distinct flavor.
Hi Jim and Tara.
I would love to make this recipe for Mother’s Day. I would have a rather large crowd, can I make this ahead of time? Maybe the day before?
Hi Kim, this is a dish that is great to make ahead of time. Make the day before, refrigerate, and you can reheat in the oven and keep warm over a sterno rack if you have one.
I’ve made this several times. So darn delicious.
So happy to hear that!
yummy
Make the dish multiple times and freeze
What’s a good smoked prosciutto substitute? Frankly, I don’t ever recall seeing it, even having grown up in CT. Pancetta, maybe? BTW, you guys are now one of my go-to sites. And yes, Tara, keep the questions and comments coming.
Hi Joe, smoked prosciutto is sometimes called “speck”, but if you can’t find it don’t worry. You can either omit it entirely or as you said, try pancetta. Even without it the dish will still be great! We’re so happy you’re enjoying the site!
It seems like it’s hard to get a dry marsala wine here in Sweden. Sweet Marsala is readily available, but dry – waay pricey stuff only.
What can I use instead of a dry marsala wine? The sweet Marsala or something else?
I’m eager to cook this, but I don’t want to ruin it by making a bad wine choice.
Hi Jan, you can use sweet marsala wine for this recipe as well.
You are the best. It is very easy to follow your recipes which are quaint and familiar.
We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Maryann!
Made with out the prosciutto.
Delicious..served with mashed potatoes.
Thanks for all your wonderful work.
So happy you enjoyed, Judith!
Once again Jim makes it easy to follow, and knocks it of the park – thank you for your passion!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, David!
Felt like a world class chef tonight! Used an infused Italian olive oil and served with leftover lobster affumicate from a local restaurant! One of my best meals! Thank you!
That’s great to hear and thank you for the comment!