Next Post
Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
This Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala makes for the best any night of the week dinner that feels extra special. Lightly breaded chicken seared until golden with nutty browned butter. The chicken is finished in a simple marsala wine pan sauce with caramelized balsamic mushrooms. It’s delicious, especially when served over creamy, herby mashed potatoes or pasta. Every bite is layered with delicious, hearty flavors and caramelized mushrooms. The perfect way to spend a relaxing night in the kitchen with family and friends.
Mondays should be all about thirty-minute skillet dinners like this, especially during these short December days. This is one of those recipes that looks and tastes like it took time to prepare, but really it’s the simplest.
This recipe started out completely different, but I’m so happy with where I landed. This is delicious guys.
When I started working on this recipe, there wasn’t any kind of marsala sauce involved. I was working on creating a creamy balsamic chicken, and while the idea sounded good, the outcome was a very dark and odd-looking dish with very little visual appeal.
Since I’m all about presentation and food that looks as delicious as it tastes, I decided to forget about the recipe, it didn’t feel that special to me. And I, of course, want everything I share with you guys to be overly delicious and pretty.
So I left it alone for a couple of days. But then, someone in my family mentioned chicken marsala. This got me thinking, what if I combined the balsamic chicken and the chicken marsala into one dish.
I could caramelize the mushrooms in balsamic vinegar, then toss the chicken in a creamy marsala wine sauce. It sounded even more delicious than my original idea, so I gave it try, and now here we are.
A balsamic and marsala chicken hybrid! It’s crazy what few tweaks in a recipe can really do to make something DELICIOUS.
I am excited about this one. I love when recipes form and develop over time, they always end up being my favorites.
The simple details.
If you love a good chicken marsala, you’ll love this slight twist even more. It’s all about those caramelized balsamic mushrooms.
Start with the chicken. If you’ve made chicken parmesan this is very similar. Just dredge the chicken through a mix of flour, then pan-sear it in a hot skillet. This allows the chicken to form a nice golden crust on the outside. Using thin chicken cutlets is key. The thin chicken cooks evenly and browns nicely in a short amount of time.
Tip: if your grocery store does not carry chicken cutlets, as a swap, try asking your butcher to pound out chicken breasts for you. This is super easy to do at home, but truthfully…it’s just not that much fun. The butcher can quickly pound out the chicken and save you the trouble…and the mess.
Also, you can easily make this chicken gluten-free by replacing the flour with almond flour. Or use your favorite gluten-free flour blend (I like cup4cup).
Pan-sear the chicken, then add in the butter. The butter browns around the chicken creating an even more delicious flavor.
Now the mushrooms, the best part! You want to thinly slice the shrooms, then let them crisp in a little olive oil. Once they’ve cooked down, just add a splash of balsamic vinegar and let the sauce caramelize over the mushrooms. It’s so simple but so delicious.
Once caramelized toss in a bit of butter, shallots, garlic, and lots of thyme. Again, allow that butter to brown, creating an even more delicious flavor.
At this point, just add in the wine, simmer until reduced, then stir in the cream. Allow everything to simmer and thicken into a delicious creamy sauce.
What to serve this creamy balsamic mushroom chicken marsala with…
Well, you guys know me, I love my carbs. I served this saucy, creamy chicken over my slow cooker mashed potatoes. Twas’ delicious.
Other sides that would be great? Definitely any kind of pasta, steamed rice, or if you are looking for something on the lighter side, spaghetti squash is always a delicious, healthy option.
You can’t go wrong either way. The sauce makes just about anything you serve alongside it great. One thing that is a must? Crusty bread for moping up the extra sauce. You just have to do it.
My mom taught me well.
Looking for other simple dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo
Herby Buttered Balsamic Mushroom Ravioli
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken Marsala
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 731 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cups shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dry marsala wine
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken through the flour mix, pressing to adhere.2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon butter and allow the butter to brown around the chicken, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet.3. To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the shallots, garlic, thyme, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 4-5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms have caramelized. Spoon half the mushrooms out of the skillet and onto the plate with the chicken. 4. Pour in the wine and broth. Cook 10-15 minutes until reduced slightly, then pour in the cream. Add the chicken to the skillet and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through and thickened slightly. Spoon the reserved mushrooms over the chicken. 5. Serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes, pasta, or steamed rice. Top with fresh thyme or parsley.
Has anyone tried this with tofu instead of chicken?
Hey Natasha,
So sorry, I’ve never tried that! Let me know if you give it a try! I hope you love the recipe! xx
Success! I cut my tofu into rectangles and used cornstarch cause I didn’t have flour. It was so delicious!
Hey Natasha,
Wonderful!!❄️ Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a winner:)
Loved! The creamy Marsala sauce is amazing! This will go in my recipe book!
Hey Teresa,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
Recipe was great!!!.. My husband loved it.. served with mashed cauliflower.. definitely making again…
Hey Karen,
Happy Friday!!❄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
Wow. This was amazing! Followed the recipe exactly and served with orzo. So so good
Hey Courtney,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Delicious! My kids (who don’t even like mushrooms) loves the sauce and immediately asked me to “keep this one in the show.” So good. Served with mashed potatoes, peas and fresh baguette. Will be a staple in my Sunday dinner rotation! Thank you!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
A favorite of the family. Simple to put together and lots of flavor
Hi Bonnie,
Fantastic!! 🍁🍂 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
I made this recipe for company and doubled it. It was really good and we all enjoyed it however my sauce did not thicken. Not sure what I might have done wrong. What can you do to thicken a sauce if it doesn’t thicken on its own?
Love all the recipes I have made of yours!! They are always a hit!
Hey Julie,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! I would simmer longer or do a cornstarch slurry to help to thicken the sauce. xT
This was my first attempt ever at making chicken marsala from scratch and it was SO DELICIOUS! The recipe was easy to follow and didn’t take long at all. This is a must try!
Hey Victoria,
Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Delicious!
Hi Rita,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xT
This is one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever made!! I added more mushrooms the second time.
Hey Megan,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xx
Delicious. Probably My favorite HBH recipes, and so easy to follow. Definitely a staple recipe.
Hi Myssa,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT
Oh my goodness. This recipe is delicious! I’ve been cooking Tieghan’s recipes for a while and have her cookbook, and this was my first attempt at anything like this. I could drink this sauce out of a goblet it is so flavorful and the chicken is moist and tasty. I served it over mashed potatoes with rolls on the side to soak up the remaining sauce. Highly recommend!
Hi Brianne,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! xT
Has anyone tried using a sub for the heavy cream? Wondering if yogurt might work?
Hi Laurie,
Sure, yogurt would work, you could also do coconut cream. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Delicious. I took the advice of others and made extra sauce. The family (even the kids) loved it! Definitely making it again.
Hey Donna,
Wonderful! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xx
Decadent! This is better than restaurant-quality. I did cut back on the oil and had no issues. I served this over garlic mashed potatoes. Next time I will be sure to make extra sauce as it is so amazing.
Hey Djienne,
Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review! xxT