Can’t decide what to make for dinner, try this easy chicken marsala with prosciutto that features mushrooms and marsala wine. A flavor filled sauce makes this the BEST week night dinner you can make in just 30 minutes.
I know you’re thinking, not another chicken recipe, but chicken is a staple, it’s fairly inexpensive and healthy so we lots of recipes so that we can change it up as much as possible and not get bored. You won’t get tired of making this Italian based easy chicken marsala with prosciutto.
Everyone needs a go-to chicken marsala recipe, and this one is pretty tasty with the addition of prosciutto. Once you’ve purchased a bottle of Marsala, which is very inexpensive, you are set. This only uses ½ cup so you’ll have plenty to make chicken marsala meatballs.
Why you’ll love this Chicken Marsala without Cream
- Chicken Marsala is easy to put together in just 30 minutes.
- The combination of Marsala, prosciutto and mushrooms are amazing.
- A broth based sauce makes this a healthy dinner choice.
- Serve it over pasta or with a salad or veggies.
You’ll love the flavor that you get from the combination of ingredients in this dish. Even Natalie, who hates mushrooms, loves chicken marsala. Adding prosciutto bumps up the flavor profile even more.
What is Chicken Marsala?
Chicken marsala is lightly breaded chicken that is first sauteed and then added to a sauce made with marsala wine.
Chicken Marsala Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – you can use chicken strips or tenderloins if you want smaller pieces. If using whole breasts you will need to pound them until they’re ¼ thick. For super tender chicken breasts, marinate them overnight in buttermilk.
Pro tip: If you’re out of buttermilk, you can make your own with just two ingredients. Here are three different methods for how to make your own buttermilk.
- Prosciutto – this salty Italian meat is full of flavor when added to any dish.
- Mushrooms – basic white mushrooms will be browned adding a rich flavor.
- Marsala wine -a fortified wine with a long shelf life, this adds the unique flavor that you expect with chicken marsala. Marsala wine is either sweet or dry. Dry works best for this recipe.
- Pantry Staples – chicken stock, flour, parsley, salt pepper, butter, olive oil, garlic, and oregano.
Best Marsala Wine for Chicken Marsala
Marsala wine is either sweet or dry. For chicken Marsala, a dry wine is my preference, but you can’t go wrong with either.
Chicken Marsala Recipe Easy Substitutions and Variations
You can substitute pancetta for prosciutto, both add a similar flavor to the chicken. You can also use chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts for a quicker cooking time. If you don’t have Marsala wine you will get the closest flavor from a Madeira. If you don’t want to use wine at all, then just use chicken broth.
Marsala Wine Substitute for Chicken Marsala
Nothing will give you the unique flavor marsala that marsala adds to a dish, but if you need to substitute, try another fortified wine like Madeira or Port.
How to make Chicken Marsala without Cream
Step 1:
First marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or overnight in buttermilk.
Either slice a chicken breast in half or pound it until each is ¼ inch thick. Dredge in a little flour and sauté in some olive oil. Since they are thin, this will only take a couple of minutes. You can make sure they are cooked through by using a meat thermometer and removing them from the pan when they have reached 165º.
Step 2:
In the same pan sauté the prosciutto and then add mushrooms, cook until browned.
Step 3:
Add wine to the pan and when it starts to boil, add chicken broth and simmer. Then add some butter and place the chicken back into the pan so that the flavors soak in. Serve over egg noodles, pasta, rice or potatoes.
Pro tip: Be careful not to cook the chicken too long. When it’s pounded thin, it only needs to cook a couple of minutes. If you cook it too long, it will get tough.
Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe Notes
- It is an easy swap to buy chicken tenderloins so you have smaller pieces.
- You can use any type of mushrooms.
- This recipe works great in a cast iron skillet.
- Wait to salt the dish for flavor until the end because the prosciutto adds quite a bit of salty flavor.
This is a great recipe to make when you are short of time.
What do you serve with Chicken Marsala and Mushrooms
- Easy yeast rolls
- The Best mashed potatoes
- Oven roasted potatoes
- Cucumber salad
- Bacon flavored green beans
- Peach flavored cole slaw
What is traditionally served with Chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala is traditionally served over pasta, but rice is also a great choice. All you need is a simple salad or roasted asparagus to go along with this flavorful dish. Of course, I won’t say no to a yeast roll!
Chicken Marsala Easy FAQs
Marsala wine is a sweet fortified wine from grapes grown only in Sicily and then fortified with Brandy. Since it’s a fortified wine, it will last a long time after being opened. Some say up to three years before the flavors start to fade. Just keep it in a cool dark place.
Prosciutto is made from the hind quarter or ham of the pig. It is slow cured for at least 400 days and up to three years. Since it’s air dried while it cures, you can eat it as is without cooking it. We cook it in this recipe to bring out the flavor. For more information on how prosciutto is cured, check out the Parma website.
Bacon and pancetta are raw and must be cooked before eating. They are both from the pork belly and are cured but the curing process is different. Bacon is cured and smoked while pancetta is just cured. They are not air dried so the meat is raw. Bacon and pancetta can be used interchangeable, with the difference being in whether you want a smoked or unsmoked flavor. Prosciutto has a very different flavor and does not have to be cooked.
To thicken a Marsala wine sauce, add flour to the pan with the onions and mushrooms and then slowly add broth until it thickens. While the sauce has a little cream, that is more for richness and does not thicken it.
A pork tenderloin cooks pretty quickly, it can get tough if cooked slowly so the general rule is to cook it quickly. By browning this on a higher temperature it seals in the juices and keeps it tender.
You can make our favorite which is chicken meatballs with a Marsala sauce
Try making a mushroom and marsala sauce to serve over a juicy steak
It’s also delicious in a creamy sauce for pork.
More EASY weeknight chicken recipes to try
- A skillet of lemon chicken with potatoes only uses one pan and bakes in the oven
- Add some lemons and capers for a classic Italian lemon piccata
- Throw just a few ingredients together for queso chicken
- Cook chicken with balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and top with mozzarella cheese
More recipes with Prosciutto
- Use some to top an appetizer like these mini croque monsieur for some extra flavor
- Add some crisped prosciutto to a pasta and scallop dish
- Wrap chicken in prosciutto and top with pesto
- For breakfast, line muffin cups with prosciutto and fill with an egg mixture
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Chicken Marsala Recipe (Easy)
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- buttermilk
- flour
- salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- olive oil
- 4 ounces prosciutto thinly sliced and chopped
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup marsala wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- parsley
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for 30 minutes or overnight. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet until about ¼ inch thick or cut chicken breasts in half with a knife so that they are ¼ inch thin. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken pieces.
- Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When hot, add chicken beasts, shaking off any excess flour. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, turning once when golden brown and meat thermometer reads 155º, it will cook a little more at the end. Remove to a plate.
- Lower heat to medium and add prosciutto cooking for about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute until browned, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in wine and scrape up the brown bits, let it come to a boil. Then add chicken stock and simmer until slightly reduced. Stir in butter and return chicken to the pan. Simmer for about 1 minute to heat the chicken.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can use chicken tenderloins or full chicken breasts, just make sure they are pounded thin.
- You can use any sort of mushrooms you enjoy for this recipe.
- Wait to salt the dish for flavor until the end because the prosciutto adds a salty taste to the dish.
- Soaking in buttermilk will keep the chicken tender. 30 minutes is long enough but you can also soak them overnight.
Nutrition
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This chicken marsala tastes fantastic and makes for great leftovers!
We made this for Christmas Eve dinner yesterday. It was fantastic, especially with the prosciutto and mushrooms! I’m so glad you posted this. It’s a keeper!
Mary,
I love it when I find a recipe I can make over and over again. So glad this made it to your Christmas Eve Dinner menu!