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This authentic Italian chicken Marsala recipe is tender, moist, and bursting with flavor! We love that it's ready in just 30 minutes, perfect for any night of the week.
If you love Italian recipes try this Tuscan Chicken Pasta, Meatballs Arrabbiata, Pasta Carbonara, or Osso Buco!
Why we love this recipe:
- Easy and Authentic – This is a simple dish that turns out perfectly every single time, and as Italians, Stef and Alex know just how to make it.
- 30 Minute Meal – The cooking time is short, so this easy chicken marsala is perfect for a busy weeknight or anytime!
- Creamy – The result will surprise you with its creaminess and delicate taste. It's packed with flavor and seriously the best chicken marsala recipe!
How to Make Chicken Marsala:
Prep Chicken: Remove the skin from the chicken thighs then coat them evenly with flour.
Sauté Shallots: In a nonstick pan, heat butter, oil, finely chopped thyme, shallots, and plenty of freshly grated nutmeg.
Cook Chicken: Brown the shallots and add the chicken. Brown on both sides, and when evenly browned, turn up the heat and mist with Marsala wine. Let the alcohol evaporate for about 1 minute, then lower the heat and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes. Let the wine evaporate completely, until it is almost entirely reduced.
Serve Italian chicken marsala hot, garnished with fresh thyme and fresh cracked pepper on top, to enhance the flavor.
Storage Instructions:
This simple chicken marsala recipe can be kept in the refrigerator for a day. Reheat it over low heat before serving, and if the creaminess around the chicken is too dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water to soften it.
Variations:
- Cream: You can add cream if you want to make the recipe even creamier.
- Skin-On Chicken Thighs: We recommend removing the skin, but you can keep it if you prefer. In this case, you do not need to add the flour.
- Yellow Onion: If you prefer a stronger taste, use yellow onions instead of shallots, which have a milder flavor.
- More Herbs: Instead of thyme, you can use marjoram, sage, or rosemary. It is better fresh so that the flavor will be more intense.
Serve With:
- Roasted Vegetables
- Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Knots
- Risotto
- Balsamic Roasted Carrots
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Apple Pecan Salad
- Cheesy Breadsticks
- French Green Beans
Chicken Marsala
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 shallot, , diced
- freshly ground nutmeg
- 0.5 oz Marsala wine
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the chicken thighs. Dredge the chicken thighs in flour to coat on all sides.
- In a nonstick pan, heat butter, oil, finely chopped thyme, shallots, and plenty of freshly grated nutmeg.
- Brown the shallots and add the chicken. Brown on both sides, and when evenly browned, turn up the heat and mist with Marsala wine.
- Let the alcohol evaporate for about 1 minute, then lower the heat and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes.
- Serve the chicken hot, garnished with extra fresh thyme and freshly grated pepper on top.
Notes
- It is crucial to use fresh thyme because it will add extra flavor.
- When you add the Marsala, increase the heat so the alcohol evaporates, leaving a delicate cream around the chicken.
-
- Cream: You can add cream if you want to make the recipe even creamier.
-
- Skin-On Chicken Thighs: We recommend removing the skin, but you can keep it if you prefer. In this case, you do not need to add the flour.
-
- Yellow Onion: If you prefer a stronger taste, use yellow onions instead of shallots, which have a milder flavor.
-
- More Herbs: Instead of thyme, you can use marjoram, sage, or rosemary. It is better fresh so that the flavor will be more intense.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe is from Stef and Alex from Stefania's Kitchenette. Check out the the other Italian recipes they've shared with us.
We added heavy whipping cream don’t think it would face been very good without
Can we get a better measurement for the wine? You don’t even write if it’s half an ounce by weight or volume. Those are two different measurements and not everyone has a scale.
The 0.5 oz Marsala wine should be measured by volume, so that’s 1 tablespoon.
I was going to try your recipe but it’s missing the mushrooms. Why do you leave out the mushrooms?
Totally feel free to add sliced mushrooms when you brown the shallots if you’re craving.
Do you have to use Marsala wine? My family has not liked any recipes that require alcohol, it just leave a flavor they do not enjoy.
No worries if Marsala wine isn’t to your family’s taste. For Chicken Marsala, you can substitute the wine with a mixture of grape juice and a bit of vinegar to mimic the sweetness and acidity of Marsala.
Love your recipes! Never made a bad one, but would love if you mentioned heat of stove, ie medium high to low etc. Making this as I type this and was hard to gauge temp. I finally threw in the oven. Also my shallots burned a bit, so guessing I did something wrong.