Creamy Chicken Marsala with Pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken breasts simmered in Marsala wine, mushrooms, and cream sauce. Authentic Italian-American comfort in just 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, approximately 1.5 pounds
02 - 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 0.75 cup dry Marsala wine
11 - 0.75 cup low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 0.5 cup heavy cream
13 - 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
14 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Pasta

15 - 12 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
16 - Salt for pasta water

→ Garnish

17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 0.5-inch thickness.
03 - In a shallow dish, combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon pepper. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
04 - Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
05 - In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and mushrooms. Sauté 4 to 5 minutes until mushrooms are browned. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
06 - Pour in Marsala wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
07 - Add chicken broth, cream, and thyme. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Return chicken and juices to the pan, coating with sauce. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to heat through. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked pasta. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant food but comes together in under an hour on a weeknight.
  • The Marsala wine gives the sauce a delicate sweetness that balances the richness of the cream perfectly.
  • You can make it look impressive without any fancy techniques or hard to find ingredients.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and sometimes taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Do not skip pounding the chicken, uneven thickness means some parts will dry out while others stay undercooked.
  • Use dry Marsala, not sweet, or the sauce will taste more like dessert than dinner.
  • Let the mushrooms brown properly before stirring them, patience here builds deep, caramelized flavor.
  • Simmer the sauce gently after adding the cream, high heat can cause it to break or curdle.
03 -
  • Always preheat your skillet fully before adding the chicken so you get a proper sear and a golden crust.
  • Save a cup of pasta water before draining, it's liquid gold for thinning out the sauce if it gets too thick.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the chicken back in, this is your last chance to adjust seasoning and make it perfect.
  • Use a good quality Marsala, the cheap cooking wine from the grocery store will make the whole dish taste flat and overly sweet.
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