Thanks Cooks Illustrated for the “Best Chicken Marsala Recipe Ever”! I’ve added a little touch of my own, but otherwise this is the best Chicken Marsala I’ve had anywhere. This sauce has no added broth, its all Marsala wine, and very syrupy and rich in its end result. Very addicting! I order this often in restaurants, and none come close! If you love Marsala, you’ve got to try this recipe. I prefer mine with roasted potatoes instead of pasta, but any side you like will do.
I LOVE this recipe! Every time I make it I really enjoy it. Letting the wine reduce fully is very important. I use tomato paste in a tube for recipes such as these that only use a small amount. It is such a shame opening a can of tomato paste and end up throwing it out because I don’t end up using it. I added the onions as I just thought they would add to an already fantastic recipe. I have made this recipe for the buffet at my parties; holds well but use that day.
As a variation, you can add a little cream to the sauce. It adds a nice creamy texture to the sauce.
I still prefer this recipe to the new and improved Better Chicken Marsala by Cooks Illustrated. In the new recipe, you basically make the sauce separately in a pan and add after all the other ingredients are cooked. Although both recipes are delicious. It’s up to you which way you prefer to make. Just make sure to use a really good wine either way. The results in your Marsala is like day and night.
Updated! When you want the best flavor in Chicken Marsala, “you have to have a really good quality wine”! I’ve been trying many Marsala wines, and one I really like is Cantine Intorcia. It is a dark DOC wine from Sicily. Aged for 1 year, it has a sweet, velvety taste. The taste of Cantine Intorcia is no comparison over those grocery store brands that taste like chemicals. Always use a cooking wine that you can drink, and NEVER use those $2.00 a bottle cooking wines that are loaded with everything but wine (salt, potassium sorbate [preservative], potassium metabisulfite [preservative])!
Chicken Marsala
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Description
The fork tender chicken is smothered in sauteed mushrooms, onions, and sauced with a rich buttery sweet Marsala sauce. Using Sweet Marsala makes this dish incredibly delicious and buttery.
Ingredients
3/4 c. flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use Bell & Evans or organic)
Salt & Pepper
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2–1/2 oz. Pancetta (cut into small cubes) [could also substitute bacon]
8 oz. white mushrooms, quartered or halved
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tsp tomato paste
2 c. Sweet Marsala Wine
1–1/2 Tbsp. juice from 1 small lemon
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
Place heatproof plate into a 200° F oven. Heat 12″ heavy bottom skillet to medium high until very hot. Pat chicken breasts dry. Meanwhile, place flour in a ziploc bag; season both side of chicken with salt & pepper. Put chicken in ziploc and coat both sides with flour. Shake off excess flour and set aside. Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place chicken in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown; about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets on second side and cook 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.
Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel-lined plate. Add mushrooms and onions and increase heat to medium-high; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta; saute while stirring until tomato paste begins to brown; about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is syrupy and reduced to about 1-1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.
- Cook Time: 25 min
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