This Chicken Marsala is so creamy and so good! Learn how to make Chicken Marsala with breaded chicken cutlets in a Marsala wine and cream sauce. Psst, the secret is in the bacon!
Chicken marsala is a classic Italian-American dish that sounds fancy and is perfect for a dinner party, but believe it or not, chicken marsala is also easy enough to make for a weeknight meal.
What is Chicken Marsala?
Traditionally, chicken marsala consists of chicken chops dredged and fried in flour and served with a sauce made from marsala reduction. It often contains mushrooms.
Chicken Marsala Special Ingredient: Pancetta
This Chicken Marsala recipe is one of my dad’s favorites and was adapted from one he found in Fine Cooking magazine years ago. It has no mushrooms (although you could easily add them) and gets loads of Italian pancetta flavor.
Pancetta is very similar (but better!) to bacon; It’s the same cut, but salt dried, not smoked.
My dad has been known to substitute bacon for the pancetta in this chicken marsala recipe, which also works and is a bit easier on the wallet. (You can’t live on pancetta alone, he says.) He also sometimes swaps out the Marsala for dry vermouth.
Tips for storing and reheating chicken marsala
Leftover chicken marsala can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Heat the chicken and sauce in a covered skillet over medium-high heat until just heated through.
To freeze chicken marsala, place the chicken and sauce in a zippered freezer safe bag with the air removed. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw the chicken. Once thawed, heat the chicken and sauce in a covered skillet over medium-high heat until just warmed through.
Wondering what to serve with Chicken Marsala? Try these ideas!
- Creamy polenta
- Sliced Vegetable Salad
- Lemony Broccoli Rabe with White Beans
- Duchess Potatoes
- Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream
This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking.
Tawny Port, Dry Madeira, Dry Vermouth or Fino Sherry are good substitutes for the Marsala if you don’t have it.
ingredients
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1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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2 ounces bacon (about a 1/4-inch thick slice), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
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1/2 Cup finely diced Onion (or shallots)
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1/2 Cup all purpose flourfor digging
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1 lb skinless, boneless Chicken breastcut into thin chops or mashed
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
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3/4 Cup dry wArsala wine
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6 tablespoon heavy cream
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Chopped fresh flat leaf Parsely
method
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Cook the pancetta:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook until lightly browned and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
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Cooking onions or shallots:
Add the onions or shallots and cook until translucent and lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes for onions. If using shallots, reduce heat to medium and cook for a minute or two.
Remove the onions from the pan, leaving the remaining fat in the pan. Add the onions to the cooked pancetta and set aside.
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Prepare the chicken for dredging:
Place flour on a flat plate for dredging. Pat the chicken chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat the pan over medium heat. You should have about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pancetta in the pan, if not, add more olive oil to the pan.
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Dredging and Cooking the Chicken:
When the fat in the pan is hot (check by sprinkling a little flour in the pan, it should sizzle), turn a chicken tenderloin on both sides in the flour, shaking off the excess and place on the heat Pan. Continue with as many chops as will fit in the pan without overcrowding.
Fry until just browned on both sides. It should only take a minute or two. Fry all the chops in the same way, adding more olive oil to the pan if needed. Put the cooked chops on a plate.
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Make the sauce:
Pour off excess fat. Add the Marsala to the hot pan to deglaze, scraping off any browned bits. Let the Marsala simmer until reduced by a quarter or half and stir in the cream. Let cook until the sauce thickens.
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Smear the chicken chops in sauce:
Return the chicken chops, pancetta and onions to the pan and turn to coat with the creamy Marsala sauce. Warm up for 1/2 minute.
Serve the chops with the sauce and some freshly chopped parsley.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 460 | calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 19g | carbohydrates |
| 39g | protein |
