My sweet friend Megan, who use to blog at Megan’s Cookin’, posted this fabulous chicken marsala recipe in January and I’m so glad I finally made it. Chicken cutlets with mushrooms and bacon in a luscious sauce – it’s one of those meals that is so good you just want to lick your plate clean.
I cooked the chicken cutlets in my cast iron pan so they would crisp up nicely. I don’t know why it took me so long to learn that I couldn’t get a beautiful, brown cutlet in a non-stick pan.
The recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I usually have frozen chicken breasts from Costco in the freezer and they are so huge that when I make chicken cutlets from them, I cut them in half horizontally before pounding them out evenly to ¼ inch thick.
I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the butter melting into the luscious sauce. I think it’s the pat of butter that adds the richness to the sauce that makes you want to lick your plate clean. Megan keeps a bottle of Marsala in her cupboard just to make this dish. It’s a fortified wine and will keep in the cupboard a long time.
I bought the marsala to make Risotto Bolognese. I recommend you try both meals. They’re both fabulous. Thanks Megan! So glad you posted this one.
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)*
- All-purpose flour for dredging
- Lemon Pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 slices bacon chopped into pieces (I used Hormel frozen fully cooked bacon)
- 8 ounces mushrooms stemmed and halved
- ½ cup sweet Marsala wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Chopped parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap or wax paper (I also like to put them in a Ziploc) and pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about ¼-inch thick.*
- Combine flour and lemon pepper in a pie tin. Dredge both sides of the chicken in the seasoned flour.
- Heat oil over medium-high in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once–do this in batches if the pieces don’t fit comfortably in the pan.
- Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm. Lower the heat to medium and add the bacon to the drippings in the pan, saute for 1 minute to render out some of the fat.
- Add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the Marsala in the pan and reduce down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly.
- Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan; Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley or chives before serving.
Stephanie
I just made this recipe and its also another good one. I had to substitute the Marsala wine for a red wine because in the state of Indiana you cant purchase liquor on a Sunday, plus that is the only wine I had. But I was determined to try this recipe instead of just saying it looks good, which it really does. Its very quick and easy to make. Really good.
Barbara
I’m grateful for the feedback on the Chicken Marsala. Good to know it works with different wines as well. I need to make this again soon too.
Tammy
I really would love to try the Chicken Marsala recipe, but really nervous about the wine…..how long should it boil so all the alcohol is gone? Thanks.
Barbara
Hi Tammy – it’s my understanding that when wine is brought to a boil little if any of the alcohol remains. When you add the Marsala in this recipe it deglazes the pan and gets all the delicious crispy bits/flavors off the bottom of the pan and comes to a full boil. I couldn’t taste any alcohol in this dish. The brand of Marsala that I bought was Pellegrino. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Emily
Wow! This is one of my favorite dishes yet I’ve never made it. Can’t wait to try it at home. (So glad I’ve finally found–and subscribed–to your blog. Loved meeting you…if only from the other end of the table…on Friday!)
Barbara
Thanks! I hope you give it a try. Next time we’ll have to sit closer and get to know each other a bit better. I’d like that.
Judy
Chicken Marsala is one of my go-to dishes. I’ve used the recipe from cooking with engineers which is very simple and delicious, and I’ve used a recipe attached to the Florio Marsala bottle that we like just a bit better. I’ve made it with dry Marsala and sweet Marsala and like both but prefer it with the sweet. Your recipe also looks luscious. How can you go wrong with chicken, mushrooms and Marsala?
KalynsKitchen
They definitely look and sound fantastic. (And I agree about those huge chicken breasts from Costco!)
Donna
I’ve tried many versions of Chicken Marsala and yours looks fabulous!
Eliana
This looks like the absolute perfect meal. And now I think I know what I am having for dinner tonight 🙂
sheila @ Elements
Looks so good!!! I’d also be curious about a substitution for the mushrooms. I love them but I only eat them sparingly and very occasionally because they sit on my stomach like a ton of bricks. Maybe bok choy? Or perhaps tofu? Of course, it would totally change the dish. I’ve never used marsala wine before. I really need to expand my horizons I guess. 🙂 Anyway, your meal looks so wonderful! It’s certainly one that would tempt me to eat some mushrooms and suffer the pain afterwards. 🙂
Blond Duck
This would be perfect for Ben’s uncle on Friday! Do you have any tips for replacing the mushrooms (Ben’s allergic)
Barbara
I can’t think of a great substitute for the mushrooms. I would just leave them out. Let me know how it goes!
Maris (In Good Taste)
I think I just found tonight’s dinner! Looks delicious!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
What a delicious looking recipe mum! This looks like a real family pleaser! 😀
mamatkamal
Great dish and beautifully presented! I’m glad you took that picture with butter melting in the lovely brown sauce, it’s stunning!
Cheers,
Anna Johnston
Mmm, I love a dish that makes you want to ‘lick the plate clean’ too Barbara, this one sounds great 🙂
Barbara
What is not to like?? Bacon, marsala, mushrooms, chicken! A super combo. Have never made it myself though…this looks like a great recipe, Barbara.
(I don’t dive anymore, but usually we take some sort of dive trip every summer. Most often in the Caribbean, but this Polynesian trip was a dream. My daughter has been diving all over the world….I think Maldives was her favorite; she’s the one who ought to doing these posts!)
Yuri
This looks delicious! I got a cast iron pan a few months ago and I love it. Beautiful shot of the butter melting into the sauce. I think we owe that to France, luscious sauces powered by butter 🙂
tiffany ~food finery
i am a big fan of chicken marsala… when done right… it is scrumptious! this looks “done right” 🙂 love you!