THE Chicken Marsala Recipe I learned to make at the first Italian restaurant I ever worked at

Bring your favorite Italian restaurant to your own house with this very easy-to-make delicious Italian Chicken Marsala Recipe.

Chicken marsala is a classic Italian dish that has been served since the 19th century. Since marsala wine was first produced in Sicily, the creation story of this recipe is a little muddy, but rest assured it is still Italian. It’s a combination of lightly floured and fried chicken scallopini that is served with a delicious mushroom, marsala wine, and chicken stock gravy.

There are also some variations that use veal as the main protein, but it seems to feature lightly pounded and tenderized chicken breasts most commonly. This traditional recipe is still served on Italian restaurant menus across the world.

Ingredients for this recipe:

4 7-9 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cups sliced cremini or baby Bella mushrooms
1 peeled small-diced shallot
2 finely minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup marsala wine
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
finely chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish

Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Procedures:

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise and then gently pound each sliced breast between two pieces of plastic wrap using a mallet. Maybe 15 to 20 gently pounds.
2. Season each chicken breast on each side with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. In a medium-size bowl mix together the flour and salt, and pepper until combined.
4. Next, lightly dredge each chicken breast in the seasoned flour and knock off any excess. Set aside on a plate, platter, or cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Heat the olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat to 350° F. Add a sprinkle of flour to the oil and if it turns light brown quickly, then you are good to go.
6. Add in the chicken breasts and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Flip over and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
7. Set the chicken breasts aside and then add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and turn the heat up to high.
8. Brown the mushrooms very well on all sides, which takes about 10 to 12 minutes while occasionally stirring.
9. Push the mushrooms to 1 side of the pan and on the other side of the pan add in the shallots, garlic, and butter and cook while stirring for 1 minute or until lightly browned.
10. Mix all of the ingredients together and then remove the pan from the burner.
11. Deglaze with the marsala wine and then return the pan to the heat and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced in half.
12. Add in the chicken stock and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced in half.
13. Season the mushroom sauce with salt and pepper and then add the chicken back to the pan and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until it is warmed.
14. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Chef Notes:

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be served right away, but you could leave the cooked chicken breasts in the sauce covered in a pan and over very low heat for up to 20 minutes ahead of time.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving. Feel free to store the sauce separately from the cooked chicken breast.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a medium size pan and heat over low heat until warmed. You can also heat in the microwave. Feel free to add ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of chicken stock to the sauce to help loosen it up more.

You can also use chicken thighs or drums in this recipe.

Feel free to use assorted wild mushrooms.