This 30-Minute Pork Marsala is a delicious twist on the classic Chicken Marsala recipe, using browned pork medallions as the main source of protein and all the umami flavors of mushroom-infused Marsala sauce. Add in Dijon mustard and heavy cream for a richer version – perfect for quick weeknight meals or fancy dinner parties!
Table of Contents
This Pork Marsala comes together quickly thanks to the thin-cut pork medallions that cook in just minutes. The pork is first dredged in flour to create a golden crust, then set aside while the sauce is created in the same pan. Onions and garlic form the aromatic base, followed by earthy mushrooms sautéed until tender.
Dry Marsala wine deglazes the pan to incorporate all the flavorful browned bits. A splash of heavy cream and a dollop of Dijon mustard is then added, transforming the sauce into a velvety, luxurious coating that clings perfectly to the pork. The entire dish simmers just long enough to meld the flavors while keeping the pork tender and juicy!
Once assembled, I love to serve it up over some fettuccini, mashed potatoes, fluffy rice or risotto so that I can soak up every last bit of that irresistible sauce.
Ingredient notes
- Pork tenderloin – Cut into medallions of similar thickness for even cooking.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – To season the pork.
- Flour – Used to coat the pork medallions so that they develop a crust when seared.
- Olive oil – For browning the seasoned pork.
- Butter – Preferably unsalted butter to saute the onion and mushrooms.
- Onion – Adds delicious depth of savory flavor to the base of the sauce.
- Cremini mushrooms – Adds meaty texture and rich, earthy flavor to balance out the Marsala wine.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is always best!
- Dry Marsala wine – Dry is preferred, but sweet will also work.
- Heavy cream – Enriches the sauce with a luxuriously velvety texture, mellowing the sharpness of the wine and mustard while binding the flavors into a cohesive, silky consistency.
- Dijon mustard – Provides a subtle tang and gentle heat, helping emulsify the cream and wine into a smooth, glossy consistency.
- Fresh Italian parsley – For garnish. Adds a pop of freshness.
How to make it
Step 1
Prepare the pork
- Cut the pork loin into pieces.
- Season both sides of the pork generously with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Dredge in flour
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the pork, coating it evenly. Shake off any excess flour.
Step 3
Brown the pork
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the pork and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the pork to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
Step 4
Cook the aromatics
- In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and their released juices have mostly evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Step 5
Complete the sauce
- Pour in the Marsala and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Stir in the cream and mustard until well combined.
- Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the skillet.
- Simmer gently over medium-low heat, uncovered, until the pork is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the parsley just before serving.
Tips and tricks
- Make sure to tent the pan-seared pork medallions under some foil to keep them warm while you prepare the marsala sauce.
- You can pound the pork medallions with a meat mallet to create uniform thickness so that they cook evenly. While this isn’t necessary, it’s certainly an option.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the pork in batches if necessary to avoid steaming instead of browning.
- Check the pork for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest section at the end of the cooking. It should register an internal temperature of 140–145°F for it to be safe to eat.
- Deglaze the pan thoroughly by scraping up browned bits after searing the pork. This is an important technique to add depth to the Marsala sauce.
- Reduce the marsala wine properly (until reduced by half) to concentrate flavor.
Variations
Try these easy ingredient swaps to customize this pork marsala to what you have in your pantry, to suit your dietary needs, or taste preferences. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Mushrooms: You can use any kind of mushrooms you prefer. Button, chanterelle, oyster and shitake are great options.
- Wine: If you don’t have any marsala wine on hand, you can also use dry madeira wine, sherry or red vermouth in a pinch.
- Meaty swaps: Don’t like pork? No problem! You can easily use chicken breasts to make classic Chicken Marsala with Bacon.
- Lighter version: Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
- Gluten-free: Coat the pork medallions in gluten-free flour, like almond flour. I don’t recommend skipping the flour dredging as you’ll miss out on the golden crust on the pork which adds texture and flavor to the dish.
Serving suggestions
Enjoy your pork marsala over starchy bases to soak up all that creamy sauce, alongside fresh side salads to cut through the richness, or with hearty vegetables. The options are endless!
- Mashed Potatoes or Rice – to soak up all that scrumptious sauce!
- Garlic and Oil Pasta – Keep your pasta base simple to avoid flavor clashes.
Storing
- Store leftover pork marsala in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s normal for the creamy sauce to thicken in the fridge.
- To reheat from chilled, warm the pork medallions and sauce in a skillet over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water, broth, or heavy cream to loosen the sauce if needed.
- I don’t recommend freezing this dish due to the creamy sauce which can separate.
Erin’s wine pairings
The best wines for this pork marsala are those that match the earthy and umami flavors of the mushrooms, cut through the creamy sauce, and have enough body to stand up against the richness of this dish. Here are a few that I recommend:
- A Pinot Noir’s hint of earthiness is amazing with the mushrooms, while its dark fruits pair so well with that lightly sweet marsala wine sauce. The bright acidity of this wine also stands up nicely to the rich sauce.
- The creamy marsala sauce pairs well with the fresh, crisp flavors of Chardonnay. This wine definitely has enough body to stand up to the rich pork marsala.
- Merlot has an earthiness to it that goes really well with the mushrooms and its silkiness is matched by the pork marsala sauce.
- Click here for MORE wine pairings for pork!
More 30-minute pork recipes
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Full Recipe
Pork Marsala
This 30-Minute Pork Marsala is a delicious twist on the classic Chicken Marsala recipe, using browned pork medallions as the main source of protein and all the umami flavors of mushroom-infused Marsala sauce. Add in Dijon mustard and heavy cream for a richer version – perfect for quick weeknight meals or fancy dinner parties!
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Serves 4 people
Equipment
- Shallow Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin (cut into medallions)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup flour
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ medium onion (chopped)
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¾ cup dry Marsala wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the pork in it. Shake off the excess.
- Heat the 2 TBSP oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and tent with foil.
- To the same skillet, add 2 TBSP butter and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms become tender and their juices evaporate, about 10 minutes.
- Add the marsala and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and mustard. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the pork is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Storing
- Store leftover pork marsala in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s normal for the creamy sauce to thicken in the fridge.
- To reheat from chilled, warm the pork medallions and sauce in a skillet over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water, broth, or heavy cream to loosen the sauce if needed.
- I don’t recommend freezing this dish due to the creamy sauce which can separate.
- Make sure to tent the pan-seared pork medallions under some foil to keep them warm while you prepare the marsala sauce.
- You can pound the pork medallions with a meat mallet to create uniform thickness so that they cook evenly. While this isn’t necessary, it’s certainly an option.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the pork in batches if necessary to avoid steaming instead of browning.
- Check the pork for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest section at the end of the cooking. It should register an internal temperature of 140–145°F for it to be safe to eat.
- Deglaze the pan thoroughly by scraping up browned bits after searing the pork. This is an important technique to add depth to the Marsala sauce.
- Reduce the marsala wine properly (until reduced by half) to concentrate flavor.
- Mushrooms: You can use any kind of mushrooms you prefer. Button, chanterelle, oyster and shitake are great options.
- Wine: If you don’t have any marsala wine on hand, you can also use dry madeira wine, sherry or red vermouth in a pinch.
- Meaty swaps: Don’t like pork? No problem! You can easily use chicken breasts to make classic Chicken Marsala with Bacon.
- Lighter version: Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
- Gluten-free: Coat the pork medallions in gluten-free flour, like almond flour. I don’t recommend skipping the flour dredging as you’ll miss out on the golden crust on the pork which adds texture and flavor to the dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 1090mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 789IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
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