Chicken Marsala probably originated in the 19th century with English families living in western Sicily, source of Marsala, a fortified wine produced in the region surrounding the town of the same name. It’s now a solidly Italian-American dish: boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to a uniform thinness, dredged in seasoned flour, and pan fried. You make a sauce in the same pan, after removing the chicken, with prosciutto, mushrooms, Marsala, and chicken stock, whisking butter in just before serving.

For more, check out our Chicken Piccata, Baked Chicken Breasts, and Orange-Honey-Mustard Baked Chicken Breasts.

  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Difficutly: Medium
  • Total: 30 mins 
  • Active: 25 mins 

Ingredients (11)

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), tenders removed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into thin strips
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and halved
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions

  1. Place the flour in a shallow dish, season generously with salt and pepper, whisk to combine, and set aside.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and cut each breast in half to yield a total of 8 cutlets. Place 2 pieces on a work surface, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet, a rolling pin, or the bottom of a pan; transfer to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining 6 pieces of chicken. Season both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering.
  4. When the oil is ready, dredge 2 pieces of chicken in the seasoned flour, turn to coat both sides, and shake off any excess. Place the chicken in the pan and cook until light golden brown around the edges and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a large warmed serving platter in a single layer and cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
  5. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan, return it to medium heat, and add the prosciutto. Sauté for 1 minute to render out some of the fat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they’re nicely browned and most of their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to medium high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until reduced and starting to thicken, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Whisk in the butter; the sauce should thicken slightly. Taste, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, pouring the sauce over the chicken cutlets and sprinkling with parsley.