Chicken Marsala Recipe (without cream)

Chicken Marsala is a classic chicken dish with a richly flavored reduction sauce of Marsala wine, mushrooms and pancetta. It offers enough flair for entertaining and is easy enough for cooking during the week. Start with golden chicken cutlets, then make your Marsala mushroom sauce in the same pan. This recipe is without cream.

While Chicken Marsala sounds Italian, it's an American-Italian creation. I make mine with chicken cutlets and show you how to create the cutlets. But first a little information on ingredients.

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Slice Chicken into Cutlets
• Season and Dust with Flour
• Cook the Cutlets
• Make the Sauce
• Serving
• Leftovers
• Side Dishes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredient Notes

About Marsala

Marsala is a fortified wine made on the Italian island of Sicily. It's wine where spirits are added, creating rich caramelized sauces when use for cooking. They come sweet or dry. Dry marsala is typical for savory dishes (like Chicken Marsala) and sweet marsala for dessert recipes (like Zabglione).

About Pancetta

Pancetta is Italian un-smoked bacon. Find it in the deli section or at a deli counter. The butcher can cut you a small chunk to dice up. When I buy it this way, I’ll often eliminate some of the fat and use more of the meaty portion.

It’s also available pre-diced for quick use in many stores. Much of the fat is rendered out during cooking so don't worry if you are not familiar with it. After cooking, the fat is drained off and the meaty part is added back into the sauce for fantastic flavor.

Slice Chicken into Cutlets

• Lay a boneless skinless chicken breast rounded or smooth side up on a cutting board.
• Position a sharp chef's knife in the center of the chicken breast at the larger end.
• Slice through the length of the chicken breast horizontally creating two equal pieces.
• Aim a little high while slicing so the bottom piece is a decent thickness.

Season and Dust with Flour

Sprinkle chicken cutlets with salt, pepper and granulated garlic then dust or coat with flour of choice.

• Use a GF blend, cassava flour, rice flour, or coconut flour for gluten-free.
• For wheat flour, try white whole wheat.

The light flour dusting gives the chicken a nice crisp crust. You can skip the flour for grain-free or Paleo and it still tastes great.

Cook the Cutlets

Heat a medium sauté pan or skillet over medium heat and add the oil or oil and butter combination. Cook until the cutlets are golden brown on the first side then turn them and cook for another minute or two until they are done. They will feel firm to the touch, with just a little give to them.

Depending on the size of your pan and the number of cutlets you are cooking, you may need to do this in two batches. Keep the first batch warm on a plate in a low oven (175°F-200°F).

Tip - To make this non-dairy, use a plant-based butter or all olive oil.

Make the Sauce

In the same pan as the cutlets, create the sauce with Marsala, mushrooms, pancetta, garlic, tomato paste and fresh oregano. The flavors are irresistible. I prefer to use fresh herbs, but if all you have it dried, use ⅓ the amount and add along with the mushrooms so the fried herbs have a chance to rehydrate.

Cook the pancetta and drain fat on layers of paper towels. Add the mushrooms and cook until they give off their moisture and start to brown. Add back the drained pancetta, garlic and tomato paste. Stir for 1 minute, then add the Marsala and cook down until reduced and a little syrupy. Add herbs and serve.

Safety tip - Because Marsala may have up to 20% alcohol, it could flame when you pour it into the pan. For safety, move the pan off the the burner when you add the wine, then carefully slide it back on the burner.

Serving

To serve family style, arrange cutlets on a platter and pour sauce over the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped herbs if desired.

Leftovers

Leftovers will keep for 4 days in an airtight container.

Side Dishes

Add a green vegetable like baby green beans or tossed green salad for a side dish and maybe some whole wheat or gluten-free pasta tossed with olive oil and good Parmesan and you have a terrific dinner. Roasted red potatoes are good too.

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