Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms (Printable Version)
Tender chicken breasts in a rich, savory mushroom sauce. An easy Italian favorite ready in just 40 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 lbs
02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Mushrooms & Sauce
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy-free alternative
07 - 10 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1/2 cup unsweetened grape juice, white or red
11 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
13 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water, optional for thickening
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
# Directions:
01 - Place chicken breasts between plastic wrap sheets and gently pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
02 - In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, and black pepper. Dredge each chicken breast in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.
05 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Pour in chicken broth, grape juice, balsamic vinegar, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom.
07 - Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced. If thicker sauce is desired, stir in cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened.
08 - Return chicken to skillet, spooning sauce and mushrooms over the top. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.
09 - Sprinkle fresh parsley over the dish before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce develops such a gorgeous silky texture that youll find yourself making extra just to drizzle over everything on your plate.
- Its one of those rare dishes that feels fancy enough for company but is actually simple enough for a Tuesday night when youre exhausted and need dinner on the table in 40 minutes.
02 -
- Dont rush the mushrooms, they need time to release their moisture and then brown properly, which is where all their flavor comes from.
- The sauce will look thin at first but reduces beautifully, so resist the temptation to add the cornstarch slurry unless you want a truly thick gravy-like consistency.
03 -
- Let the chicken rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking to ensure more even cooking and tenderness.
- If your sauce reduces too much and gets too intense, a splash of chicken broth will bring it back to the perfect consistency without diluting the flavor.