Fast Easy Chicken Marsala

If you're looking for ways to make chicken a little less boring, put this recipe in your pocket. The classic creamy, savory sauce is easy to make and so good you'll want to drizzle it over everything. And it'll pair with some steamed vegetables or your favorite side dish for a complete meal.

What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is a simple dish of boneless chicken that's been pounded thin, breaded, and sautéed, served with a Marsala-wine sauce. It's a classic of Italian-American cuisine that was incredibly popular in the U.S. A lot of the flavor comes from Marsala, which is a dry fortified wine similar to sherry, made in Sicily.

The key to any good cooking is using good ingredients. As such, we recommend skipping the cheap cooking wines labeled "Marsala" that you're likely to find near the vinegar section of a grocery store and heading to a wine shop instead to pick up an affordable bottle. 

Is marsala wine alcoholic? Can you drink marsala wine?

Marsala wine is what's called a fortified wine—meaning that it's typically slightly higher in alcohol than your typical wine. Whereas wine is generally 11-14% alcohol, Marsala is closer to 18-20%. 

As long as you're not using cooking wine, from the baking-aisle of a grocery store, you can (and should!) drink some of the Marsala, possibly along with this recipe! 

If you don't have a special fortified wine glass you can just pour about 3 ounces (twice a typical shot) into your nicest small glass, and sip it as an aperitif or a digestif, much like port or sherry. 

The wine will keep 4-6 months after you open it, and a small glass tastes great with the meal, as an after-dinner sipper on its own.

What's a good alternative to marsala wine?

If you're looking to avoid consuming alcohol, you may not need to worry about cooking with it. Though it's not true that the alcohol "burns off" when cooking, it would be more or less impossible to feel any effect from the amount that you'd consume in the sauce.

If you're uneasy about consuming even a thimbleful of wine, that's okay! You can achieve a similar, if not quite the same, flavor by mixing a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar with enough chicken stock to make 1/2 cup, and using it instead. You can also just replace the called-for wine with chicken stock. It'll still make a very delicious sauce.

If you're simply not looking to buy yet another bottle, you can use any fortified wine — sherry, madiera, sweet vermouth. You can even try subbing in bourbon or whiskey. These will all definitely affect the taste, but this is generally a forgiving recipe. And heck, it's fun to experiment!

Can kids eat Chicken Marsala?

Sure! My kids love it. 

What goes best with Chicken Marsala?

We love this dish particularly with pan-broiled Broccolini or creamy mashed potatoes.

Made this recipe? Tell us what you think in the comments below!