Chicken Marsala is a pan sauce built on browned cutlets, sweet Marsala wine, and mushrooms. This version follows Ina Garten's approach: thin chicken breasts, a quick flour dredge, and a sauce finished with butter off the heat.
The work is in the pan, not the clock. You sear at 375°F (190°C), deglaze, and reduce until the sauce coats a spoon. Total time is about 50 minutes, most of it hands-off simmering.
Weigh the flour and the wine. Volume measures drift, and a sauce this simple has no room for drift. Weigh, watch, repeat.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
680 g (4) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
Pound to an even 1/4-inch (6 mm) thickness. Buy cutlets already sliced if your butcher offers them.
60 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
Use cornstarch for a gluten-free dredge; it browns faster, so lower the heat slightly.
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
Diamond Crystal weighs lighter than Morton; adjust by taste, not by spoon count.
1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
Grind to order; pre-ground pepper loses aroma within weeks.
4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil, divided
Use a neutral oil like canola if your olive oil smokes below 400°F (205°C).
225 g (8 oz) cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
White button mushrooms substitute well; wipe them with a damp cloth instead of rinsing.
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, divided
Keep it cold for the final finish; cold butter emulsifies the sauce instead of breaking it.
2 medium shallots, finely minced (about 60 g)
Yellow onion works in a pinch; use 1/3 cup and cook one minute longer.
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 6 g)
Fresh only here; jarred garlic turns bitter under high heat.
180 ml (3/4 cup) dry Marsala wine
Dry sherry or Madeira are the closest swaps; avoid sweet Marsala, which makes the sauce cloying.
180 ml (3/4 cup) low-sodium chicken broth
Homemade stock gives more body; if using salted broth, skip the added salt until the end.
15 g (1/2 cup) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Stir in at the end off the heat; dried parsley adds color but no flavor.
Tips & Tricks
Dry the chicken before dredging
pat the cutlets with paper towels so the flour adheres and browns instead of steaming.
Do not crowd the pan
sear in two batches at 375°F (190°C) so the oil stays hot and the crust forms.
Scrape the fond
after adding the wine, scrape every brown bit off the skillet bottom; that is where the flavor lives.
Finish off the heat
swirl in cold butter with the burner off so the sauce stays glossy and does not split.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Pound and dry the chicken
Place each breast half between plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch (6 mm). Pat dry with paper towels. [Dry meat browns; wet meat steams.]
2. Season the dredge
Whisk 60 g (1/2 cup) flour with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a shallow dish. [A seasoned dredge flavors the crust.]
3. Dredge the cutlets
Coat each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess. Set on a rack. [Excess flour burns in the pan and turns the sauce bitter.]
4. Sear the chicken
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until it shimmers at 375°F (190°C). Sear cutlets 4 minutes per side until golden brown and 165°F (74°C) inside. Work in two batches. [Crowding drops the pan temperature and stalls browning.]
5. Sauté the mushrooms
Add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter to the pan. Cook mushrooms 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C) until browned and their liquid has evaporated. [Mushrooms release water first; browning starts only after it cooks off.]
6. Build the aromatics
Add shallots and garlic. Cook 60 seconds until fragrant and translucent. [Garlic burns in 90 seconds at this heat.]
7. Deglaze and reduce
Pour in 180 ml (3/4 cup) Marsala and scrape the pan bottom. Simmer 3 minutes until reduced by half. [The fond dissolves into the wine and becomes the sauce base.]
8. Simmer the sauce
Add 180 ml (3/4 cup) broth and simmer 5 minutes until it coats a spoon. [A spoon dragged across the pan should leave a clean line.]
9. Finish with butter
Return chicken and juices to the pan. Off the heat, swirl in 1 tbsp cold butter and parsley. [Cold butter emulsifies; hot butter splits.]
Delicious Variations
Creamy version
stir 60 ml (1/4 cup) heavy cream into the reduced sauce before the butter finish.
Lemon-caper version
add 1 tbsp capers and 1 tsp lemon zest with the broth for a brighter sauce.
Mushroom-forward version
swap in 225 g (8 oz) mixed wild mushrooms and add 1 tsp soy sauce for depth.
How to Store Ina Garten Chicken Marsala (Easy Recipe)
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container up to 3 days; keep the chicken submerged in sauce to prevent drying.
Freezer
Freeze the chicken and sauce together up to 2 months; the flour coating softens, so thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat with 2 tbsp broth until 165°F (74°C), about 5 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best wine for chicken Marsala?
Use dry Marsala, not sweet Marsala, for a savory sauce. Dry sherry or Madeira are the closest substitutes if Marsala is unavailable. Avoid cooking wine, which is salty and flat.
Q: Can I make chicken Marsala without wine?
Yes, replace the Marsala with 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken broth plus 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp honey. The sauce will be less complex but still balanced. Add the lemon juice off the heat to keep it bright.
Q: Why is my chicken Marsala sauce thin?
The sauce is thin because it was not reduced enough or the butter was added over high heat. Simmer until it coats a spoon, then swirl in cold butter with the burner off. The flour from the dredge also helps thicken it.
Q: How do I keep the chicken from drying out?
Pound the cutlets to an even 1/4 inch (6 mm) and pull them at 165°F (74°C). Sear 4 minutes per side at 375°F (190°C) and rest them before slicing. Overcooking, not the sauce, is what dries the meat.
Q: Can I make chicken Marsala ahead of time?
Yes, cook it up to 2 days ahead and reheat gently with a splash of broth. The sauce thickens in the refrigerator, so loosen it over low heat. Add fresh parsley after reheating.
Weigh the flour, watch the pan, and pull the chicken at 165°F (74°C). Make it once and the timing becomes yours. Weigh, watch, repeat.
Ina Garten Chicken Marsala (Easy Recipe)
This Ina Garten Chicken Marsala delivers golden pan-seared chicken in a silky mushroom wine sauce, ready in 50 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner.
🧂 Ingredients
- 680 g (4) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
- 60 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil, divided
- 225 g (8 oz) cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 medium shallots, finely minced (about 60 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 6 g)
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) dry Marsala wine
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) low-sodium chicken broth
- 15 g (1/2 cup) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
📋 Instructions
- 1Pound and dry the chicken — Place each breast half between plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch (6 mm). Pat dry with paper towels. [Dry meat browns; wet meat steams.]
- 2Season the dredge — Whisk 60 g (1/2 cup) flour with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a shallow dish. [A seasoned dredge flavors the crust.]
- 3Dredge the cutlets — Coat each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess. Set on a rack. [Excess flour burns in the pan and turns the sauce bitter.]
- 4Sear the chicken — Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until it shimmers at 375°F (190°C). Sear cutlets 4 minutes per side until golden brown and 165°F (74°C) inside. Work in two batches. [Crowding drops the pan temperature and stalls browning.]
- 5Sauté the mushrooms — Add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter to the pan. Cook mushrooms 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C) until browned and their liquid has evaporated. [Mushrooms release water first; browning starts only after it cooks off.]
- 6Build the aromatics — Add shallots and garlic. Cook 60 seconds until fragrant and translucent. [Garlic burns in 90 seconds at this heat.]
- 7Deglaze and reduce — Pour in 180 ml (3/4 cup) Marsala and scrape the pan bottom. Simmer 3 minutes until reduced by half. [The fond dissolves into the wine and becomes the sauce base.]
- 8Simmer the sauce — Add 180 ml (3/4 cup) broth and simmer 5 minutes until it coats a spoon. [A spoon dragged across the pan should leave a clean line.]
- 9Finish with butter — Return chicken and juices to the pan. Off the heat, swirl in 1 tbsp cold butter and parsley. [Cold butter emulsifies; hot butter splits.]
Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.