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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 dinner tonight, and it was delicious. I served it with the instant pot potatoes from the HBH Super Simple cookbook (the only way I make them now!). I think I could have let the mushroom mixture reduce a bit more because my sauce was a tad watery (I also added more mushrooms, which may contributed to the water). It took me a bit longer than expected to make, but I didn’t prep ingredients. If I had prepped them, it would have been super easy. My husband enjoyed it, too. At any rate, it was tasty, and I will make it again. Thank you, Tieghan! Our favorite meels lately come from your blog or cookbooks.
I am really glad this turned out well for you Sarah! If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan
Your recipes tempt me, and this looks SO delicious, but I’m having difficulty digesting dairy. Are there any substitutes you would suggest for the cream? I fear it wouldn’t be the same without it. Thank you!
Hey Robin,
You could use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This was excellent. I subbed out the cream and did coconut milk and then put it over mashed cauliflower rather than potatoes. Highly recommend this recipe.
Thank you so much Jane! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
So good! Made it and eating now! Easy enough for week night meal. Definitely love the crisp shiitake!
I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you, Pamela! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I made this last night – amazing! Once again another easy recipe with incredible flavor. I served over noodles, Who would have thought those few “tweaks” could bring chicken marsala to a new level. You never disappoint!
I am so happy this recipe turned out so amazing for you, Carol! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
It was fenomenal! Couldn’t find Marsala Wine so I used half Sherry half Port Wine and it was delicious. Thank you!
Thank you so much Caroline! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This dish was so darn delicious. I liked the added touch of balsamic vinegar. This is definitely a winner in my house. The only thing that I did different is that once I browned my chicken breasts, I put them in the oven to bake a while longer while I made my sauce.
Thank you so much for trying this one, Carol! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
The recipe looks fabulous. Is there a lighter option to the cream? Thank you!
Hey Tracey,
You could use coconut milk in place of the cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi!, would love to know how to make this dairy free?
With the heavy cream can I substitute it for soya single cream?
What can I use to substitute the butter, can I use oil or coconut oil? I prefer not to use margarine.
Hey Gittel,
You can use coconut cream and oil for the butter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Did you use marsala (cooking) wine or marsala wine?
Hey Deb,
You will want to use cooking wine for this recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This looks so creamy and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you Sam! I am glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Very easy and delicious! I will be making this again.
Thank you Bunny! I am really glad this turned out well for you! xTieghan
Made the recipe tonight. I used chicken thighs rather than breast. I will be making this recipe again and again. It’s wonderful!
I am really glad this turned out well for you, Jenn! Thank you! xTieghan
What if the chicken breast is cut across the grain into thin slices?
The pieces would be smaller, but would it taste as good?
Hey there,
Yup, it would still be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This definitely took a bit longer than 30 minutes, but it was well worth getting a bit hangry at the end! The delicious aromas and ultimately the flavors and textures were incredible. The chicken was tender and juicy, the mushrooms! Oh my! The mushrooms and Marsala sauce! I’m sitting here with a full belly and a house still full of the yummy smells and I just have to say, this was AMAZING!!!!!
Thank you for trying this one, Jennifer! I am glad it turned out well for you! xTieghan