Looking for an simple, go-to meal for those days when you need a fool-proof dinner recipe? Try the Chicken Marsala Pasta!
This post was originally published on June 5, 2015. It was updated and republished on November 8, 2021 with all new photos, step-by-step cooking instructions, and more helpful cooking tips.
We've been making Chicken Marsala pasta for over 20 years. It is one of the Go To recipes that We know will always turn out to be tasty and satisfying. And, there's usually enough leftovers for me to enjoy for lunch the next day.
If you've never had Chicken Marsala, you'll love it! Marsala sauce is a rich Italian sauce made with Marsala wine and mushrooms, packed with umami. It's a decadent, restaurant quality chicken pasta dish that feels fancy enough to serve on special occasions but simple enough to make for any ol' weeknight.
Kitchen tools and equipment
To make this classic chicken marsala recipe, you'll need:
- Cutting board and knife – You'll need a large, sturdy cutting board and sharp knife to prep your food.
- Skillet – A cast iron skillet or any other large skillet will work.
- Plates – You'll need a couple of plates to transfer the chicken and mushrooms to once they are done sautéing.
Ingredients to make chicken marsala pasta
- Chicken breasts – You'll need a pound of skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Mushrooms – While you can use most kinds of mushrooms, We love the rich flavor that Baby Bella mushrooms, also known as cremini mushrooms. You can also use white button mushrooms, which are the same variety but haven't been aged as long as cremini. So if you use white button mushrooms, sauté them for a minute or two longer to develop more flavor.
- Olive oil – Use the best extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe.
- Onions – Yellow onions or shallots work well in this dish.
- Garlic – We usually use 2 to 3 cloves. You can always adjust the amount of garlic to your personal taste preference.
- Flour – You'll need all-purpose flour to coat the chicken and to thicken the sauce. If you'd like to make this gluten-free, you can use almond or coconut flour, but be aware that it will affect the final flavor.
- Marsala wine – Use dry Marsala wine, not sweet Marsala wine. You can find Marsala cooking wine usually in the condiments aisle of most grocery stores.
- Chicken broth – use homemade chicken stock or broth, or store-bought broth.
- Basil – thinly slice fresh basil leaves. If you don't have fresh basil leaves, you can substitute one teaspoon of dried basil leaves.
- Parsley – Finely chop parsley leaves to garnish the chicken marsala.
- Your favorite pasta – We like to use linguine for the dish
How to make chicken marsala pasta
Using a rolling pin or mallet, pound the chicken breast fillets flat until they are about ¼" thick. You want them truly thin.
Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the 1/2 cup of flour into a shallow bowl. Then dredge each piece of chicken into the flour, coating all sides.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet, making sure not to crowd the chicken. Work in batches if you need to. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until each chicken is slightly golden brown.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter to the skillet.
Add the onions and the garlic. Stirring slowly, cook over medium heat for about 1 to 2 minutes to soften the onions and garlic.
Add 1 tablespoon of flour, then slowly add the Marsala and chicken stock to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to stir the onions and garlic in the liquid and also to gently scrap up the bottom of the skillet. Cook the liquid and keep stirring for about 2 minutes, until the flour is fully incorporated with the other ingredients.
Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure all of the mushrooms are properly coated in the sauce. The sauce will start to thicken.
Return the chicken to the pan, along with remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Cook for about 2 minutes, gently tossing the ingredients to coat everything well in the sauce.
Sprinkle in the basil, stir and cook for another minute or two, and then remove from heat.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Chicken marsala pasta recipe FAQs
– Dry sherry
– Madeira
– Tawny port
Dry Marsala wine is best for this savory chicken dish. Sweet Marsala wine is best used in desserts.
What type of pasta to serve with chicken marsala
The favorite way to enjoy this classic chicken marsala is over linguine. Wider noodles like fettuccine stand up well to this dish also, as do farfalle, fussili, or rotini pasta.
This chicken dinner would also be wonderful served alongside:
Wine pairings for chicken marsala pasta
This chicken dinner has rich, deep umami flavors. It's complimented well by a Pinot Gris or lightly oaked Chardonnay.
Because of the earthy mushrooms, you could also pair chicken marsala with a Pinot Noir.
More chicken recipes
Chicken Marsala Pasta
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 4 This classic chicken dish is rich with umami flavors and a satisfying restaurant-quality dish!Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon, divided
- 5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- ½ small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry Marsala wine
- ⅓ cup chicken stock
- 8 ounces Baby Bella / Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped basil
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Using a rolling pin or mallet, pound the chicken breast fillets flat until they are about ¼" thick. You want them truly thin.
- Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the 1/2 cup of flour into a shallow bowl. Then dredge each piece of chicken into the flour, coating all sides.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet, making sure not to crowd the chicken. Work in batches if you need to. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until each chicken is slightly golden brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter to the skillet.
- Add the onions and the garlic. Stirring slowly, cook over medium heat for about 1 to 2 minutes to soften the onions and garlic.
- Add 1 tablespoon of flour, then slowly add the Marsala and chicken stock to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to stir the onions and garlic in the liquid and also to gently scrap up the bottom of the skillet. Cook the liquid and keep stirring for about 2 minutes, until the flour is fully incorporated with the other ingredients.
- Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure all of the mushrooms are properly coated in the sauce. The sauce will start to thicken.
- Return the chicken to the pan, along with remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Cook for about 2 minutes, gently tossing the ingredients to coat everything well in the sauce.
- Sprinkle in the basil, stir and cook for another minute or two, and then remove from heat.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
For added flavor, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with a lemon wedge. Make it gluten-free: use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour. Storage: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Nutrition
Calories: 618 kcal, Carbohydrates: 21 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 44 g, Saturated Fat: 18 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 20 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 133 mg, Sodium: 462 mg, Potassium: 781 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 846 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 37 mg, Iron: 2 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Have you made classic chicken marsala at home before? What do you like to serve this dish with?
