Is there anything more elegant and satisfying than a perfectly cooked Chicken Marsala? That classic combination of tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and a rich, silky wine sauce is the definition of a special occasion dinner. But what if you could make a version that’s even creamier, more luxurious, and ready in about 30 minutes? This Creamy Chicken Marsala recipe does exactly that, transforming simple ingredients into a restaurant worthy meal right in your own kitchen.
We’re taking the traditional dish and making it even more comforting with the addition of heavy cream, which creates a velvety sauce that clings to every bite. It’s surprisingly simple to make, using just one skillet, but the flavor is deep, complex, and incredibly impressive. Perfect for a date night at home, a family Sunday supper, or when you just want to treat yourself to something truly delicious. Let’s get cooking!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chicken Marsala
- 30 Minute Elegance: This dish looks and tastes like you spent hours, but comes together in the time it takes to cook pasta. It’s the perfect impressive yet easy dinner.
- One Skillet Wonder: Everything cooks in one pan, which means incredible flavor (all those tasty browned bits!) and minimal cleanup.
- Indulgent & Comforting: The addition of cream to the classic Marsala wine sauce makes it luxuriously rich, savory, and oh so satisfying.
- Classic Flavors, Made Simple: You get all the authentic tastes of garlic, mushrooms, and Marsala wine without any complicated techniques.
- The Ultimate Pairing: This sauce is a dream over pasta, mashed potatoes, or polenta, making it a complete and hearty meal.
Let’s Make Creamy Chicken Marsala
The key to this recipe is building layers of flavor in the same pan. We sear the chicken, sauté the mushrooms, deglaze with wine, and build a creamy sauce that brings it all together.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 oz cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup Marsala wine (see note below!)
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard (or 1 tbsp Dijon mustard)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- For serving: Cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice
Step by Step Instructions
1Prep and Sear the Chicken: Pat the chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels. If they are very thick, you can slice them in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets or gently pound them to an even thickness. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F). Remove the chicken to a clean plate and set aside. Don’t clean the skillet!
2Sauté the Mushrooms: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have released their liquid and are golden brown.
3Deglaze with Marsala: Pour the Marsala wine into the skillet with the mushrooms. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the delicious browned bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and let it bubble for 1-2 minutes. This cooks off the raw alcohol flavor and concentrates the wine’s sweetness.
4Create the Creamy Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, ground mustard, and garlic powder. Bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and can coat the back of a spoon.
5Bring It All Together: Return the cooked chicken breasts (and any accumulated juices on the plate) to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Spoon some sauce over the top. Let everything simmer together for 2-3 more minutes so the chicken heats through and absorbs the incredible flavors.
6Garnish and Serve: Taste the sauce and add an extra pinch of salt or pepper if needed. Sprinkle generously with fresh chopped parsley.
Serve immediately over a bed of cooked pasta (like fettuccine or egg noodles), creamy mashed potatoes, or steamed rice to soak up every last drop of that amazing sauce.
Serving Suggestions & Expert Tips
- The Marsala Wine: This is the star flavor. For the best results, use a dry Marsala wine (not sweet), which you can find in the wine or cooking aisle of most grocery stores. If you can’t find Marsala, a good substitute is ½ cup dry sherry or ¼ cup brandy + ¼ cup chicken broth.
- Don’t Crowd the Pan: When searing the chicken, make sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook in two batches if necessary. Crowding will steam the chicken instead of giving it that beautiful golden sear.
- Mushroom Magic: Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms have more flavor than white button mushrooms, but either works beautifully.
- Sauce Consistency: The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If it becomes too thick when reheating leftovers, simply thin it with a splash of chicken broth or cream.
- Make it Your Own: Add a handful of fresh spinach to the sauce just before adding the chicken back in, or stir in a ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese for extra richness.
This Creamy Chicken Marsala is a timeless dish made even more delightful. I hope it brings a touch of restaurant elegance to your dinner table!
Creamy Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.5 lbs)
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup dry Marsala wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- Cooked pasta or mashed potatoes for serving
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Pat chicken dry; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet over medium high. Cook chicken 4-5 mins per side until browned and cooked through (165°F). Remove to plate.
- Cook Mushrooms: Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to skillet. Add mushrooms; sauté 3-4 mins until browned.
- Make Sauce: Pour Marsala wine into skillet; bring to boil for 1-2 mins, scraping up browned bits. Stir in broth, cream, mustard, and garlic powder. Simmer 8-10 mins until slightly thickened.
- Finish: Return chicken and juices to skillet. Simmer 2-3 mins until heated through.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley. Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Wine: Use dry (not sweet) Marsala for best flavor. Substitute with dry sherry if needed.
- Chicken: For even cooking, slice thick breasts in half horizontally or pound to even thickness.
- Sauce: Sauce thickens as it cools. Thin with broth when reheating if desired.
