Easy Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

Name: 🍗 Easy Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken (tenderloins ideal); salt & pepper ((to taste)); 1 Tablespoon cooking oil; 1-2 Tablespoon unsalted butter; 1/2 shallot, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 8 ounce mushrooms, sliced; 1 - 2 Tablespoon flour; 3/4 cup Marsala wine ((or grape juice)); 3/4 cup chicken stock/broth; 1/2 cup frozen peas; 1/4 cup milk or cream; parmesan cheese, shredded ((optional))

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Our mouth-watering Easy Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms is sure to satisfy the whole family. This recipe is as delicious as a restaurant version, but SUPER simple, taking less than 30 minutes to make! Try it tonight!

Marsala chicken with mushrooms and peas in pan

Jump to:

🤔 What is Chicken Marsala?
👍 Why we Love this Easy Chicken Marsala
🛒 Ingredients
🍷Choosing the Right Marsala Wine
👩‍🍳 Instructions
✏️ Expert Tips & Tricks
🍞Side Options for Easy Chicken Marsala
🧊 Leftovers & Storage
❓ FAQ
🧶 Craft for this Recipe
🍽 Other Chicken Dishes We Love
🍗 Easy Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

🤔 What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-inspired dish of chicken in a mushroom wine sauce. To make this dish, chicken is pan-fried or steamed and then smothered with a savory sauce made from cream, Marsala wine and mushrooms.

Note: If you love chicken and peas recipes, be sure to also checkout our delicious Creamy Chicken Pea Skillet with Rice! Or, if you're looking for another flavor-packed chicken dish, be sure to try our Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs!

👍 Why we Love this Easy Chicken Marsala

Mushrooms! Our chicken Marsala is steeped in a savory sauce made from light cream, Marsala wine and most importantly, mushrooms, which give this dish its succulent flavor!

Quick and simple- Like all of our recipes, this quick chicken marsala with mushrooms dish can be made in 28 minutes or less.

A healthier twist- To make the dish a tad healthier and to reduce calories, we decided to steam the chicken instead of flour-dredge/pan-fry. We also use Half & Half instead of heavy cream and added peas.

Kids love it! Our kids loved the chicken AND they enjoyed helping make this dish! Specifically, they loved pounding the chicken with the meat mallet (just as they did with our Panko Parmesan Pork Chops.

🛒 Ingredients

Notes on Ingredients:

Chicken- Consider buying chicken tenderloin, as the thinner the chicken, the faster it will cook!
Marsala wine- We prefer dry or semi-sweet Marsala.
Half & Half- Preferred over heavy cream for a healthier chicken marsala. Although heavy cream will give you a thicker, creamier sauce, milk (or half & half) will make the dish a tad lighter and won't significantly impact the sauce's flavor.
Mushrooms- We recommend thinly sliced crimini, button or shiitake mushrooms or any combination.

🍷Choosing the Right Marsala Wine

This recipe alls for ¾ cups of Marsala wine, which gives the sauce much of its flavor. We prefer dry or semi-sweet Marsala for its more savory vs. sweet flavor.

Grape juice is an alternative if you prefer not to cook with alcohol. You can taste the grape flavor in the sauce, but it maintains about the same amount of sweetness as with the marsala wine.

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1: Pound Chicken Until Thin

🥄 Kids Step: Kids can pound the meat with the flat side of this cool, reversible Meat Mallet.

Step 2: Cook Chicken

🥄 Kids Step: Use tongs to flip over chicken. Using tongs can be fun and supports the development of fine motor skills. Use a meat thermometer (our fave is the Thermapen®) to check the chicken's internal temp (which should be 165°F when fully cooked).

Hand holding tongs to turn over raw chicken strips in pan

Step 3: Make Marsala and Veggie Sauce

Pro Tip: Be patient with the mushrooms. Mushrooms don't typically brown quickly since they contain a lot of moisture, so give them plenty of time to brown so their liquid can cook off and give the sauce it's rich and savory flavor.

🥄 Kids Step: Measure and combine sauce ingredients. Kids like seeing how each ingredient changes the consistency of the sauce.

Pouring cream into pan of Marsala and mushroom sauce

Step 4: Combine Chicken and Sauce

🥄 Kids Step: Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and voila, your Easy Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms is served!

Chicken marsala topped with cheese on plate

✏️ Expert Tips & Tricks

For picky eaters: Serve plain peas on the side (without sauce). You can also let kids choose if they want pasta, rice or bread with their chicken! These sides are great for absorbing any extra sauce.
To save time: Buy thin, chicken tenderloins so the chicken will cook quickly. Be sure to check the temp of the chicken with a reliable meat thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked at 165°F.
To prepare mushrooms: Wipe or pat them with a damp paper towel instead of rinsing them. This prevents them from absorbing too much water.
To thicken the sauce: The sauce will thicken naturally as it simmers, but if you want to thicken the sauce even more, consider adding a thickening agent, like cornstarch.
To plate: Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve over your favorite pasta or rice.

🍞Side Options for Easy Chicken Marsala

It's best to serve our Easy Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms with a side that can absorb the delicious Marsala sauce! We like angel hair pasta, but any pasta, rice, or side of bread will also work nicely!

If your kids love veggies, you can also serve this dish with a side of raw veggies, like carrot sticks for sliced cucumbers. Find more chicken marsala side dish ideas from Insanely Good Recipes.

🧊 Leftovers & Storage

Store leftover chicken marsala in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you are serving over pasta, it is recommended that the pasta be cooked separately and at the time of serving.

Reheat dish in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.

❓ FAQ

What is Marsala wine made from?

Marsala is a fortified, Italian wine that is commonly used for cooking and baking. The wine can be dry (secco), semi-dry (semi-secco) or sweet (dolce).

Should Chicken Marsala be made with sweet or dry Marsala wine?

It is best to use dry or semi-sweet Marsala wine for savory dishes (like Chicken Marsala) and reserve sweet Marsala wine for desserts.

What can be used in place of Marsala wine?

This Easy Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms recipe calls for Marsala wine, which is what gives the sauce its signature flavor. If you don't have Marsala wine on hand, Sherry is an option. But Marsala wine will give you the best flavor.

Does Marsala wine go bad?

Once opened, Marsala will remain fresh, flavorful and fragrant for 4-6 months. It should be stored in a cool, dry place.

🧶 Craft for this Recipe

Adorable Mushroom House Craft: Check out our fun, DIY mushroom house craft! This craft is easy to make, doesn't require many supplies, and can keep the kids entertained for hours. Make more than one house and your kids can design a mushroom village!