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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.
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
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
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cups shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dry marsala wine
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
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.
This post was originally published on December 7, 2020
I made this for my parents when I came home to visit and everyone LOVED it! Thanks so much Tieghan 🙂
Hey Rachel,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Made this for a couple of friends and it went down a treat! Couldn’t get any Marsala wine, so mixed some dry white wine and brandy together for a similar flavour. Made extra sauce as it went really well with the mashed potatoes. Will definitely be making again!
Hey Steff,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
4th time making this dish. We use tenders instead and it is the best chicken marsala spin. Truly a delicious recipe and a staple around here. 🙂
Hey Bethany,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
I made this last night for my family and it was seriously soooo delicious!! I think we all could have licked the pan clean! Thanks for another amazing recipe!!
Hey Laura,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend☀️ xTieghan
Definitely the best marsala recipe I have ever used. I have made this dish several times now, and plan on making it this weekend for my in-laws. Absolutely delicious!
Hey Valerie,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Crazy good! I serve it with sliced polenta grilled in the pan. Leftovers are great too!!
Hey Monique,
Happy Friday! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xxTieghan
The ingredients note 3 T olive oil but the instructions have 2 T olive oil two different times. If the recipe instructions are not correct then I’m not sure I want to make it. I think to myself what else is wrong with the recipe.
Hey there,
You can go ahead and follow the recipe as written, it’s just olive oil, so a little more/less here and there won’t hurt the recipe. I hope you love the dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this tonight over long grain rice and omg SO good! I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream and it was just as good !
Hey Kelli,
Happy Friday! I’m so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this for my mum for her brithday today. Chicken marsala is her favorite. She rarely ever exclaims over a meal. It has to be really good for her to say something. Needless to say, she f*****g loved it <3
Hey Bailey,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
LOVED this! Wanted something nice to serve to company. I always end up using one of your recipes. This is going to be one of my favorites. Everyone enjoyed this! You always come through and make me look good. Thanks for your hard work!?
Hey Robyn,
Thanks so much! I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This is definitely one of my favorite recipes from HBH. My husband is starting to think I’m an amazing cook and it’s all thanks to you! For reference, he used to spend the entire meal nicely telling me to never make it again but ever since I started following you he now says everything I make should be “entered in the county fair” because it’s that good lol gotta love him!
Hey Margo,
I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try!! xxTieghan
Wow – this was delicious! Family raved about it Took me a little longer for cook time but it was worth it. I used chicken thighs and didn’t have to slice them. Will definitely make over and over!
Hey Alison,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxTieghan
Hello! I love Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Marsala dish and this tastes almost exactly like it!! I will say, getting that distinct flavor comes from getting the Marsala wine, but Im sure the dish would be delish using another wine. Thanks so much for this easy dish!
A note to others making it the first time – step 3 says to add a pinch each of the salt and the peppers to the sauce. If you’re using Marsala, it can be very sweet and you’ll need more salt and pepper to compensate. So yummy!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
There are two types of marsala. May I suggest using dry marsala (as the recipe indicates) and not sweet, which tends to be better with dessert recipes.
This looks so good! I’m having a casual dinner party for 4, could I make this earlier in the day and reheat it or what would you suggest?
Hey Sue,
Sure, that would work just fine for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious!!!!
Thanks so much Erica! xTieghan
This dish is amazing!! Easy to make and so tasty. I have shared it with several friends and they all love it. Thank you.
Hey Kelly,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter ?Tieghan
We really liked this recipe. It not only looked delicious it tasted yummy. We used shiitakes and coconut cream (instead of heavy cream) and served with some plump roasted asparagus. It took 1 hr of cooking to complete the browning and reduction steps. So needed about 1.5 hrs, plus clean up for this special meal.
Hey May,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan