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This Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala makes for the best any night of the week dinner that feels extra special. Lightly breaded chicken seared until golden with nutty browned butter. The chicken is finished in a simple marsala wine pan sauce with caramelized balsamic mushrooms. It’s delicious, especially when served over creamy, herby mashed potatoes or pasta. Every bite is layered with delicious, hearty flavors and caramelized mushrooms. The perfect way to spend a relaxing night in the kitchen with family and friends.

Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala | halfbakedharvest.com

Mondays should be all about thirty-minute skillet dinners like this, especially during these short December days. This is one of those recipes that looks and tastes like it took time to prepare, but really it’s the simplest.

This recipe started out completely different, but I’m so happy with where I landed. This is delicious guys.

When I started working on this recipe, there wasn’t any kind of marsala sauce involved. I was working on creating a creamy balsamic chicken, and while the idea sounded good, the outcome was a very dark and odd-looking dish with very little visual appeal.

Since I’m all about presentation and food that looks as delicious as it tastes, I decided to forget about the recipe, it didn’t feel that special to me. And I, of course, want everything I share with you guys to be overly delicious and pretty.

So I left it alone for a couple of days. But then, someone in my family mentioned chicken marsala. This got me thinking, what if I combined the balsamic chicken and the chicken marsala into one dish.

I could caramelize the mushrooms in balsamic vinegar, then toss the chicken in a creamy marsala wine sauce. It sounded even more delicious than my original idea, so I gave it try, and now here we are.

A balsamic and marsala chicken hybrid! It’s crazy what few tweaks in a recipe can really do to make something DELICIOUS.

I am excited about this one. I love when recipes form and develop over time, they always end up being my favorites.

The simple details.

If you love a good chicken marsala, you’ll love this slight twist even more. It’s all about those caramelized balsamic mushrooms.

Start with the chicken. If you’ve made chicken parmesan this is very similar. Just dredge the chicken through a mix of flour, then pan-sear it in a hot skillet. This allows the chicken to form a nice golden crust on the outside. Using thin chicken cutlets is key. The thin chicken cooks evenly and browns nicely in a short amount of time.

Tip: if your grocery store does not carry chicken cutlets, as a swap, try asking your butcher to pound out chicken breasts for you. This is super easy to do at home, but truthfully…it’s just not that much fun. The butcher can quickly pound out the chicken and save you the trouble…and the mess.

Also, you can easily make this chicken gluten-free by replacing the flour with almond flour. Or use your favorite gluten-free flour blend (I like cup4cup).

Pan-sear the chicken, then add in the butter. The butter browns around the chicken creating an even more delicious flavor.

Now the mushrooms, the best part! You want to thinly slice the shrooms, then let them crisp in a little olive oil. Once they’ve cooked down, just add a splash of balsamic vinegar and let the sauce caramelize over the mushrooms. It’s so simple but so delicious.

Once caramelized toss in a bit of butter, shallots, garlic, and lots of thyme. Again, allow that butter to brown, creating an even more delicious flavor.

At this point, just add in the wine, simmer until reduced, then stir in the cream. Allow everything to simmer and thicken into a delicious creamy sauce.

What to serve this creamy balsamic mushroom chicken marsala with…

Well, you guys know me, I love my carbs. I served this saucy, creamy chicken over my slow cooker mashed potatoes. Twas’ delicious.

Other sides that would be great? Definitely any kind of pasta, steamed rice, or if you are looking for something on the lighter side, spaghetti squash is always a delicious, healthy option.

You can’t go wrong either way. The sauce makes just about anything you serve alongside it great. One thing that is a must? Crusty bread for moping up the extra sauce. You just have to do it.

My mom taught me well.

Looking for other simple dinners? Here are my favorites: 

One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo

Herby Buttered Balsamic Mushroom Ravioli

Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka

Lastly, if you make this Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 731 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken through the flour mix, pressing to adhere.
    2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon butter and allow the butter to brown around the chicken, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
    3. To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the shallots, garlic, thyme, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 4-5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms have caramelized. Spoon half the mushrooms out of the skillet and onto the plate with the chicken.
    4. Pour in the wine and broth. Cook 10-15 minutes until reduced slightly, then pour in the cream. Add the chicken to the skillet and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through and thickened slightly. Spoon the reserved mushrooms over the chicken.
    5. Serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes, pasta, or steamed rice. Top with fresh thyme or parsley.
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This post was originally published on December 7, 2020
4.33 from 1450 votes (1,134 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    AMAZING! I made this with Ina Garten’s oven risotto (omitting the white wine/parm/peas for sauteed celery and onion) and they went together a dream. I’m a slow cook, but everything still came together perfectly!

    Reply

    1. Hey Natalia,
      I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is divine. Everyone in my family loves it! Kids, grownups, everyone! It’s a delicious, decadent recipe that dreams are made of (can you tell I’m a huge fan? haha). I love ALL of your recipes, but there is something special about this one. Thanks for all that you do! Your recipes are always incredible and I look forward to seeing what you come up with on a regular basis. My family and I are so grateful for your amazing food, drinks and dessert ideas (especially in 2020 – lifesaver!). We look forward to seeing what you’ll continue to do in 2021. Thank you! Happy New Year!

    Reply

    1. Hey Christine,
      I am thrilled that you family enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for your kind message and following along:) Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Melanie,
      The mushrooms really make the sauce, but you can try this with carrots. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. Fantastic recipe, and so easy! Used half and half instead of heavy cream and it still turned out delicious. Will make again!

    Reply

    1. Hey Lauren,
      Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Looks delicious! Anxious to change up my Marsala recipe for this one! Is there another herb I can replace for thyme?

    Reply

    1. Hey Jill,
      Rosemary would be great in place of the thyme! I hope you love the recipe. Let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I made this dish after my niece & daughter made it & raves about it. It was delicious! I served over potatoes.

    Reply

    1. Hey Michelle,
      Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Anso,
      Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Mahvesh,
      You can use chicken broth in place of the wine. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Eva,
      Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    The flavor of this sauce is Ah-mazing! Definitely recommend getting bread as a side on this! I served over rice and the only change I made was using a little bit less heavy cream. Everything about this was delicious!

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    My husband licked his plate and said we could put this on our weekly rotation! My daughter passed the recipe on to me! Yummm

    Reply

    1. Hey Carol,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was a hit! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. 5 stars
    Just made this for New Year’s Eve and it was amazing! Husband, my toughest critic, said it was the best chicken Marsala he’s ever tasted. Just began following you and haven’t been disappointed yet. Thank you and excited for what 2021 will bring.

    Reply