Chicken Marsala: The Original Way

Recipe from Vincenzo Prosperi



Chicken Marsala is a beloved dish that traces its roots to Sicily, where Marsala wine is from. This rich, nutty, slightly sweet treasure gives this dish its signature flavour. Over time, the recipe made its way to America, and it evolved into a staple of Italian-American cuisine. But this recipe keeps things classic, following the original, authentic way to prepare it — no shortcuts, and definitely no unnecessary additions.

Despite its luxurious taste and aroma, Chicken Marsala is surprisingly easy to make. It requires minimum prep time, and only takes about 20 mins. to cook. So, even on a busy weeknight, you can serve up a restaurant-quality meal.

Yields:

2 servings

Time Required:

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Place a sheet of baking paper on your chopping board. Lay the chicken breasts on top, cut them in half, and cover with another sheet of baking paper. Use a mallet to gently flatten the chicken until even.

In a bowl, combine plain flour with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix. Lightly coat each chicken piece in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of EVOO and half the butter. Once the butter melts, add the chicken pieces.

Season with a little salt and pepper, then cook for 2 mins. on each side, or until golden brown. Turn off the heat, and transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels, to rest.

Clean the pan by removing any leftover burnt bits, but leave the sauce which has been created. Add more EVOO, turn the heat up to medium, and add the crushed garlic. Sauté until lightly golden, then add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and stir to combine. Remove the rosemary leaves from their sprigs, and add them to the pan. Stir again.

Pour in 120 mL (½ cup) Marsala wine and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 5–7 min., stirring occasionally, until the alcohol evaporates or the liquid reduces slightly, then add half a glass of vegetable stock, cover with a lid and let it simmer for another 5 mins., stirring occasionally.

After 5 mins., remove the lid. Sprinkle a small pinch of flour into the sauce, and stir to thicken. Add the remaining butter and return the chicken to the pan. Pour a little more Marsala over the chicken, turning each piece to coat it fully in the sauce. Once the chicken is evenly covered and the sauce is glossy, turn off the heat and serve immediately.

To Serve: Finish your dish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley, for a pop of colour. Serve it with warm fresh bread to mop up the sauce, or slice the chicken and layer it on bread for delicious bite-sized goodness.

Author's Notes

Choose your mushroom: No brown mushrooms in the fridge? No worries. This Chicken Marsala Recipe works beautifully with any variety you prefer — white button mushrooms, or even cremini mushrooms. Feel free to experiment, but make sure they’re fresh.

Marsala makes the magic: Do your best to go the extra mile, and source Marsala wine: It’s the heart of this dish. Port wine can work as a substitute, but, trust me, Marsala makes all the difference, so do your best to get your hands on it.

I personally use sweet Marsala, to give it a little extra sweetness, but it really comes down to your taste preference.

Go big (or small) on garlic: Love garlic? Add as much as your heart desires. Just remember, garlic cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it. Burnt garlic can turn your beautiful dish bitter in secs.

Keep it tender: Gently tenderise the chicken with a mallet or a rolling pin, but here’s a pro tip: Place a sheet of baking paper on the top and bottom of the chicken, first. This stops it from sticking to the mallet, and keeps it nice and neat. Don’t overdo it, though, we want plump, juicy pieces, not paper-thin ones.

Blot it like it’s hot: After frying your chicken to a perfect golden brown, let it rest on a plate lined with paper towels. To speed up the oil absorption, place another towel on top, and press lightly. This keeps the chicken crispy without being greasy.

One pan to rule them all: For the best flavour, stick to one pan. Fry the chicken, then use the same pan for your sauce. Just scrape up the little brown bits left behind, after frying, and then get started on your Marsala sauce.

Flour power: Coating the chicken in flour does more than just give it a crispy exterior: It helps lock in moisture, so every bite stays juicy. Adding a touch of flour to your sauce also gives it a silky, thick consistency that clings to the chicken perfectly.

Cook's Notes

Equipment needed: knife, chopping board, baking paper, meat mallet, bowl, large frying pan, wooden spoon, tongs, plate lined with paper towel.


1 Quarts, pints, cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, and fl. oz. are as defined in US Customary Units, not to be confused with differing British imperial, "legal", "coffee", Commonwealth of Nations, Canadian, Latin American, Japanese, Russian, or Dutch definitions — further proof that everyone needs the metric system.

2 Minced is better. Crushing vegetables breaks all of the constituent cellulose-rich cells' walls and has unfortunate consequences to the food's tastes, particularly in the case of garlic, the crushed paste of which easily becomes bitter, lacking flavour nuance, and sometimes picking up a metallic aftertaste.

So, think of this as your motivation to get a nice, really sharp 8" (20 cm) chef's knife for mincing (producing 1⁄16" = 1.5 mm cuts), and a good cutting board.

Taken from: https://www.vincenzosplate.com/chicken-marsala-recipe/ as the work of Vincenzo Prosperi. Thank you!

Collected and re-published at http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/recipes/chicken-marsala.html by Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com> on Oct. 2, 2026. Individual recipes are free from copyright. Share and enjoy!

(If I have any copyright title in my own very minor contributions to this page — not my intention — they were created in 2026 by Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com> and licensed for use under CC0. I have thereby waived all copyright, compilation copyright, and related or neighbouring rights to this work. This work is published from: United States of America.)