Bobby Flay Chicken Marsala is an easy Italian American dinner made with floured chicken cutlets, cremini mushrooms and a rich dry Marsala butter sauce. Because it all cooks in one pan in 45 minutes, this quick recipe suits date night, Sunday dinner, holidays or a cozy fall family meal.
Let the Marsala reduce by about half before any butter goes in, since a cup and a half of wine stays thin otherwise. You want it just syrupy enough to coat a spoon, so give it the time rather than rushing it onto the plate.
This version finishes with six tablespoons of cold butter rather than cream, which gives the sauce gloss without dulling the wine. A third of a cup of parsley folds in at the end too, so the dish tastes fresh instead of only rich.
Bobby Flay Chicken Marsala
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy3
servings10
minutes30
minutes835
kcalPounded chicken breasts get dredged in seasoned flour and fried in olive oil until golden on both sides. Cremini mushrooms and shallot soften in the same pan before dry Marsala reduces down and cold butter finishes the sauce.
Ingredients
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1½ to 2 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup olive oil
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1½ cups dry Marsala wine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
Directions
- Pound the chicken: Place the breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them to an even thickness with a mallet. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Season the flour: Put the flour in a shallow dish and season it with salt and pepper.
- Dredge: Coat each breast in the flour on both sides, then shake off the excess. Keep the coating light.
- Fry the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the cutlets until golden brown on both sides and cooked to 165°F. Work in batches so the pan is not crowded, then transfer to a plate.
- Cook the mushrooms: In the same pan, add the sliced cremini mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and lightly browned and the pan looks dry.
- Add the shallot: Stir in the chopped shallot and cook until softened.
- Reduce the Marsala: Pour in the Marsala wine and simmer over medium heat until it reduces by about half and coats a spoon.
- Finish the sauce: Lower the heat and whisk in the cold butter a few pieces at a time, until the sauce turns glossy.
- Return the chicken: Add the cutlets back to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Fold in the chopped parsley.
- Serve: Garnish with more parsley and serve immediately.
FAQs
Why a shallot rather than a regular onion?
Shallots are milder and sweeter than onions, so they melt into a wine sauce instead of dominating it. They also carry a faint garlic note, which suits a pan sauce built on nothing but wine and butter. Half a small yellow onion works if you have no shallot, though cook it a minute or two longer.
Why is the butter cut into pieces and added at the end?
Cold butter whisked in off the heat is a French technique that emulsifies fat into the wine rather than separating. Small pieces melt gradually, which keeps the temperature low enough for that emulsion to hold together properly. Drop a whole cold stick into a boiling pan and the sauce breaks into a greasy layer instead of thickening.
Why cremini mushrooms specifically?
Cremini are simply young portobellos, so they carry far more of that earthy depth than white button mushrooms. They also hold their shape through a long reduction rather than collapsing down into the sauce. Slicing them a quarter inch thick matters too, since thin slices disappear and thick ones stay raw in the middle.
What is Marsala wine, and where do you find it?
Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily, closer to sherry or Madeira than to an ordinary table wine. Look for it with the fortified wines rather than the Italian reds, or check the cooking wine aisle. Skip anything labeled cooking Marsala if you can, because those bottles are heavily salted and taste flat.
Should you cook the mushrooms before or after deglazing with the wine?
Cook them first and let them release their water completely, so the pan is dry when the Marsala goes in. Mushrooms sitting in wine steam instead of browning, which costs you the savory flavor they should bring. Wait until the edges turn golden and the pan looks nearly dry before the wine hits it.
