I just made Chicken Marsala with a ridiculous glossy mushroom sauce that clings to pasta like it owns the place, and you need to scroll to believe it.
I adore Chicken Marsala because the sauce hits hard and keeps me eating until I forget time. I love the way Marsala wine smells, sweet and a little nutty, and how it makes everything taste like something real.
This isn’t fancy chef stuff; it’s solid Chicken Dinner Recipes that actually rescue a tired weeknight. And the pasta?
It soaks up that sauce and turns a few slices into something I want every week. I’m obsessed with the mix of tender bites and the glossy sauce.
Give me a fork and a big plate. I’ll shut up and eat right now.
Ingredients
- Chicken brings protein and soaks up sauce.
- Salt and pepper wake the flavors.
- Flour gives a light crust and body.
- Olive oil adds light richness.
- Plus butter makes the sauce silky.
- Mushrooms add meaty texture and earthiness.
- Shallot brings mild sweetness and depth.
- Garlic gives warmth and homey aroma.
- Basically Marsala lends sweet, boozy character.
- Broth adds savory backbone without heaviness.
- Cornstarch thickens if you want clingier sauce.
- Plus lemon brightens and cuts richness.
- Parsley freshens and adds bright color.
- Pasta soaks up sauce and makes it filling.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets or pounded thin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour, for dredging (you can use whole wheat if you want)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small shallot, minced (or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water, optional for thickening
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional to brighten the sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 8 ounces dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine), for serving
How to Make this
1. Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off excess.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams, then sear chicken 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through; transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. Add sliced mushrooms to the same skillet and cook, stirring, until they brown and release their juices, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the minced shallot and garlic and cook 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
5. Pour in the Marsala wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits, and let it simmer until reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the chicken broth and simmer another 2 to 3 minutes; if you want a thicker sauce, whisk in the cornstarch mixed with cold water now and simmer until sauce thickens.
7. Stir in the lemon juice if using, taste and adjust salt and pepper, then return the chicken to the skillet to warm through and coat with the sauce for a minute or two.
8. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain and toss with a little olive oil or a bit of the sauce to keep it from sticking.
9. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the chicken and sauce, give everything one final stir, and remove from heat.
10. Serve the chicken and mushrooms over the cooked pasta, spooning plenty of Marsala sauce on top.
Equipment Needed
1. Large skillet (nonstick or stainless steel) for searing chicken and making the sauce
2. Cutting board and a sharp chef knife for slicing breasts and chopping shallot, garlic, parsley
3. Meat mallet or rolling pin and a ziptop bag or plastic wrap to pound cutlets thin
4. Shallow dish or plate for dredging flour
5. Tongs or a spatula to flip the chicken and move it to a plate
6. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring mushrooms and sauce
7. Small bowl and whisk or fork to mix cornstarch with cold water and for lemon/seasoning
8. Large pot for boiling pasta and a colander to drain it
9. Measuring cups and spoons for the wine, broth, oil and seasonings
You’ll be glad you have an extra plate to keep the cooked chicken warm, and a splatter screen helps if your stove gets messy.
FAQ
Skinny Chicken Marsala Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- All purpose flour: use equal parts gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour or almond flour for a low carb option, just press gently when dredging so the coating still sticks.
- Dry Marsala wine: swap with dry sherry or Madeira for similar flavor; if you want no booze use extra chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to mimic the sweetness and depth.
- Butter: replace with an extra tablespoon of olive oil or use ghee for a richer, lactose free result.
- Dried pasta: try zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or whole wheat pasta to lighten it up or add more veg, just cook the zucchini noodles briefly so they don’t get soggy.
Pro Tips
– Don’t overcrowd the pan when you sear the chicken. If you shove too many cutlets in there at once they’ll steam instead of getting that nice golden crust. Do it in batches if you have to, and keep the first ones resting on a warm plate while the rest finish.
– Let the mushrooms brown well, don’t rush them. Stirring less and giving them time to sit will concentrate flavor. If they start sticking a little, thats ok, those browned bits make the sauce taste way better when you deglaze.
– Taste the sauce before you add more salt. Marsala and reduced broth can concentrate flavors, and sometimes a little lemon juice or a pat of butter does more to balance things than extra salt. Also, if the sauce is too thin, whisk in the cornstarch mix slowly and simmer for a minute until it’s right.
– If you want the pasta to soak up the sauce better, save a cup of the pasta water before you drain. Toss the drained pasta with a bit of the sauce and 1 to 2 tablespoons of that starchy pasta water, it helps everything cling together and keeps the pasta from drying out.
Skinny Chicken Marsala Recipe
I just made Chicken Marsala with a ridiculous glossy mushroom sauce that clings to pasta like it owns the place, and you need to scroll to believe it.
4
servings
606
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large skillet (nonstick or stainless steel) for searing chicken and making the sauce
2. Cutting board and a sharp chef knife for slicing breasts and chopping shallot, garlic, parsley
3. Meat mallet or rolling pin and a ziptop bag or plastic wrap to pound cutlets thin
4. Shallow dish or plate for dredging flour
5. Tongs or a spatula to flip the chicken and move it to a plate
6. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring mushrooms and sauce
7. Small bowl and whisk or fork to mix cornstarch with cold water and for lemon/seasoning
8. Large pot for boiling pasta and a colander to drain it
9. Measuring cups and spoons for the wine, broth, oil and seasonings
You’ll be glad you have an extra plate to keep the cooked chicken warm, and a splatter screen helps if your stove gets messy.
Ingredients
-
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets or pounded thin
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-
1/4 cup all purpose flour, for dredging (you can use whole wheat if you want)
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
1 tablespoon butter
-
8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
-
1 small shallot, minced (or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion)
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
-
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
-
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water, optional for thickening
-
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional to brighten the sauce
-
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
-
8 ounces dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine), for serving
Directions
- Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams, then sear chicken 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through; transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- Add sliced mushrooms to the same skillet and cook, stirring, until they brown and release their juices, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced shallot and garlic and cook 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
- Pour in the Marsala wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits, and let it simmer until reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and simmer another 2 to 3 minutes; if you want a thicker sauce, whisk in the cornstarch mixed with cold water now and simmer until sauce thickens.
- Stir in the lemon juice if using, taste and adjust salt and pepper, then return the chicken to the skillet to warm through and coat with the sauce for a minute or two.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain and toss with a little olive oil or a bit of the sauce to keep it from sticking.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley over the chicken and sauce, give everything one final stir, and remove from heat.
- Serve the chicken and mushrooms over the cooked pasta, spooning plenty of Marsala sauce on top.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 420g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 606kcal
- Fat: 66g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Polyunsaturated: 6g
- Monounsaturated: 36g
- Cholesterol: 128mg
- Sodium: 400mg
- Potassium: 670mg
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 3g
- Protein: 52g
- Vitamin A: 300IU
- Vitamin C: 2.5mg
- Calcium: 40mg
- Iron: 1.5mg