This 30-Minute EASY Chicken Marsala recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, but it’s also elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. The delicious marsala wine, bacon, butter sauce will have you licking your plate!
Chicken Marsala is a traditional Italian dish that’s simple to prepare and amazingly delicious! Most likely originated from Sicily, where Marsala wine is made, this dish has a creamy sauce that’s got a hint of sweetness from the marsala, a smoky-richness from the bacon, and lots of umami-goodness from the wild mushrooms.
And all this decadence can be yours in just 30-minutes!
Table of Contents
Reader
Love
I have made this twice and really like it. Bacon makes everything better, I think. Besides that, it is just easy to make and tastes great!
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Ingredient notes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – You’ll want to cut them in half horizontally, or use chicken cutlets.
- Flour – For dredging the chicken.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt + Pepper
- Bacon – I like to use thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Mushrooms – You can use any kind of mushrooms you prefer. Button, cremini, chanterelle, oyster and shitake are great options
- Marsala Wine – Dry is preferred, but sweet will also work.
- Bone Broth – Or chicken broth.
- Butter
- Fresh Parsley
How to make it
Step 1
Make cutlets
- Use chicken cutlets, or create thin cutlets by cutting a chicken breast in half, horizontally, and then pounding each half thin using a meat mallet.
- Don’t be intimidated here. Just place your chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten the breasts out to about 1/4 inch-thickness.
Step 2
Dredge in flour
- Then comes the flour dredging. This is what helps get those chicken cutlets nice and golden and a bit crispy on the outside.
- To “dredge,” pour the flour into a shallow dish and dip each chicken breast into the flour, shaking off any excess flour and gently coating each of them in the dredging mixture.
Step 3
Pan fry the chicken
- Fry those chicken cutlets up in a large skillet until they’re golden brown and then tent them under some foil to keep them warm while you prepare the marsala sauce.
Step 4
Cook the bacon and mushrooms
- It all starts with the bacon. I let it sizzle away in the same skillet that we used for the chicken, just for a couple minutes until it releases some of its fat, then I throw in the mushrooms and let them get nice a golden brown.
- Tip: Be sure not to salt the mushrooms until the end, otherwise, they won’t turn that beautiful golden brown color.
Step 5
Finish the sauce
- Then we add in the marsala, a bit of bone broth or chicken stock, and a couple pats of butter for good measure.
- Swirl it all around and then add the chicken back to the pan, spooning the sauce over the top.
- Tip: For a creamy chicken marsala, feel free to swirl in a bit of heavy cream at the end.
Tips and tricks
- Don’t crowd the frying pan. Arrange the chicken in a single layer with space between each piece so that they brown without steaming. You’ll need to cook them in batches.
- To keep the cooked chicken warm, transfer them to a platter and tent them loosely with foil until ready to serve them with the sauce drizzled over.
- Serve this chicken marsala immediately. The juicy and browned chicken is best enjoyed as soon as that sauce is ready to be drizzled over.
- Chicken is perfectly cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Keep in mind that these chicken pieces have been pounded by a meat mallet and cook quite quickly. Be careful that you don’t overcook them and end up with dry pieces of chicken!
- A light dusting of flour is all you need for the chicken – just enough to create a brown crust on each side. Shake off any excess before cooking.
- You make those thin cutlets by cutting a chicken breast in half, horizontally, and then pounding each half thin using a meat mallet. Don’t be intimidated here. Just place your chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten the breasts out to about 1/4 inch-thickness.
FAQs
Any of your favorite mushrooms will work in this recipe. I tend to use standard cremini or button mushrooms, but portobellos, chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, and shitakes are all great options!
Dry marsala is preferred in this recipe, but sweet will also work if that is all you have on hand. I’ve used both with great success.
If you don’t have any have any marsala wine on hand, you can also use dry madeira wine, sherry or red vermouth in a pinch.
Storing
- Store leftover chicken marsala in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to store the chicken with any leftover sauce together to keep the meat moist and flavorful.
- Reheat in a pan over moderate heat or in the microwave. You can also add a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce and keep the chicken from drying out.
What to serve with Chicken Marsala
- Mashed Potatoes or Rice – to soak up all that yummy sauce!
- Pasta
- More → 25+ best side dishes for Chicken Marsala
Erin’s wine pairings
- Pinot Noir. It’s hint of earthiness was amazing with the wild mushrooms, but it’s backbone of dark fruits paired so well with that lightly sweet marsala wine sauce, and with a bright acidity, it was able to stand up nicely to the rich, bacon-flecked sauce.
- Click here for MORE wine pairings for chicken marsala.
More how-to chicken guides
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PS – For a creamy chicken marsala, be sure to try my Chicken Marsala with Mascarpone Sauce too! Be sure to try my Pork Marsala too!
Full Recipe
Chicken Marsala with Bacon
Equipment
- Shallow Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, cut in half horizontally)
- 1/4 cup flour (all-purpose, for dredging)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin )
- 2 slices bacon (thick-cut, cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (stems trimmed and halved (about 2 cups) (button, cremini, chanterelle, oyster and shitake are great options))
- 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine (sweet will also work)
- 1/2 cup bone broth (or chicken stock)
- 2 Tablespoons butter (unsalted )
- 2 Tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (chopped )
Instructions
- Season the 2 chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the 1/4 cup flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it. Shake off the excess.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 TBSP of the olive oil. Place 2 pieces of chicken in the pan and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm under a tent of foil. Warm the remaining 1 TBSP oil in the pan and repeat to brown the remaining chicken. Place that chicken under your foil tent as well.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the 2 slices bacon to the skillet, saute for a couple minutes to render out some of the fat, then add the 8 ounces mushrooms to the pan. Saute until brown and liquid has evaporated, 4-5 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine to the pan and boil for about 30 seconds, then add the 1/2 cup bone broth (or chicken stock) and let it reduce slightly, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the 2 Tablespoons butter and return the chicken to the pan to warm through. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste and sprinkle with chopped 2 Tablespoons flat-leaf parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2014. It was updated in 2024 with new information. The chicken marsala with bacon recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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