Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is a creamy, delicious dish made with lightly coated, tender chicken breasts and cooked in a flavorful, creamy mushroom, garlic, and Marsala wine sauce. Easy to make, better than any restaurant, and budget-friendly too!!

Chicken Marsala makes a perfect meal for a weeknight dinner or even for a company. Enjoy this flavorful, Italian-inspired Chicken Marsala over pasta or some creamy mashed potatoes and green beans as a side. This recipe can be made Dairy-Free

Jump to:

• About Chicken Marsala
• How To Make Marsala Sauce
• Ingredients
• How To Make Chicken Marsala
• Tips For The Best Chicken Marsala
• Substitute For Dairy-Free Chicken Marsala
• Serving Suggestions
• More Chicken Recipes
• Chicken Marsala

About Chicken Marsala

Crispy, pan-fried tender chicken breasts, lightly coated with flour and cooked in a flavorful, and creamy mushrooms, garlic, and Marsala wine sauce. The sauce is poured over the chicken and served along with mashed potatoes, or pasta.

Chicken Marsala is one of my family's favorite dishes. This Italian-inspired dish is super easy to make at home and tastes amazing, just like the one served in your favorite restaurant. If you have tried Chicken Marsala, you know how good it is.

What makes this dish so amazing, is the Marsala wine. Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily, which is used to give a nice, rich, caramelized flavor to the sauce. Chicken and mushrooms are cooked along with wine and butter to create a rich, brown, creamy sauce.

Marsala wine can be found in most supermarkets in the wine section. It adds a nice depth of flavor to the dish. If you can't find Marsala wine, you may substitute it with some sherry or red wine.

How To Make Marsala Sauce

Marsala sauce is a key to this creamy, flavorful, Chicken Marsala. Marsala sauce is traditionally made with Marsala wine, mushrooms, garlic, and butter, for that creamy, luscious, authentic Italian flavor.

Typically, this sauce does not include any cream or dairy. However, we love the addition of a little cream. It helps balance the flavors of wine and mushroom, thus bringing everything together and it also makes this sauce extra thick and creamy.

You can use heavy cream, half and half, milk, or evaporated milk in this recipe. The richness in the dish comes from the choice of cream/milk, using heavy cream results in a more rich dish.

For a dairy-free option, checkout below – Substitute For Dairy-Free Chicken Marsala

Pic Shown: Chicken Marsala, served with some mashed potatoes and sauté green beans.

Ingredients

Marsala Wine

A star ingredient of this dish. It adds a nice depth of flavor to this dish. I prefer Marsala wine. However, any dry red or white wine works fine. Marsala, sherry, or red wine.

Chicken Breasts vs Chicken Thighs

2 large chicken breasts, cut horizontally in halves, and then cut each piece into 2 to make 8 pieces.

You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs, both work just fine.

Depending upon the size of the chicken, you can make the pieces. I like to keep the chicken pieces small and thin, as they cook faster and absorb the flavors well.

Cremini, Button, or Portabella Mushrooms

Cremini, button, or portabella mushrooms work fine in this recipe, or combinations of mushrooms would equally do. I prefer cremini, as they add a lot of depth and color to this dish, but you could use any combination of your favorite mushrooms.

Herbs & Seasonings

Garlic - 3-4 cloves, minced add a nice flavor to this dish. I think mushrooms and garlic, complement each other. I prefer fresh garlic, but you could use garlic powder. Use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.

Herbs – herbs that go well with the earthy flavors of mushroom and some of my family favorites include thyme, rosemary, and parsley.

I use one or a combination of herbs to add more depth and flavor to this dish. You can use any herb of your choice.

Dairy or Dairy-Free

Dairy – Heavy cream, half and half, milk, or evaporated milk can be used in this recipe. Cream balances the flavors from wine and mushroom, and also makes this sauce extra thick and creamy.

For a dairy-free version, checkout below – Substitute For Dairy-Free Chicken Marsala

Other Ingredients

Olive Oil & Butter - used to sear chicken, sauté mushrooms, and garlic.

Cornstarch - Cornstarch slurry is used to thicken this dish. Add cornstarch slurry at the end. Make a slurry using 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Add the slurry gradually, a half tablespoon and stir it, continue until desired thickness is achieved.

Broth – low sodium vegetable, chicken, or mushroom broth adds a layer of flavor. Low sodium broth helps control sodium intake.

You can also use a bouillon, mix it with water as per package instructions and use it.

How To Make Chicken Marsala

You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe. The recipe uses chicken breasts. Please adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

Prep The Chicken

1. I prefer to keep chicken pieces thin, as these cook faster. Take 2 large chicken breasts, cut horizontally in halves, and then cut each piece into 2 to make 8 pieces.
2. Optional - alternatively, you can pound the chicken, for thinner pieces. You can choose whichever method works for you best.
3. In a shallow bowl, mix flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat the chicken with flour and shake off any excess. Keep the chicken pieces aside.
4. Slice the mushrooms, and mince the garlic.

Instant Pot Chicken Marsala

1. Turn ON Sauté Mode (more). When it displays "HOT", add oil and butter. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side or until brown. Do not overcrowd the pot, work in batches. Remove the chicken and keep it aside. Finish with the remaining chicken pieces.
2. Note: You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through, it will get cooked once we pressure cook it. Only need to sear it, to get a nice crust, that tastes and looks great!
3. Add a tablespoon of butter, sliced mushrooms, garlic, thyme, sauté for 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms cook down a little, and the raw smell of garlic is no more. 
4. Next add Marsala wine, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add broth, and seared chicken back to the pot.
5. Turn OFF Sauté mode. Close the Instant pot, vent on sealing position, and set it on Pressure cook (high) for 4 minutes.
6. Note: Please use timing as a guideline. Adjust the cooking time depending upon the size of the chicken pieces.
7. Let it naturally release pressure, for around 10 minutes, and then release the remaining pressure manually. Open the lid, remove the chicken pieces and keep it aside.
8. Note: It is important to take out the chicken pieces once they have been pressure-cooked, before reducing the sauce. Leaving the chicken pieces in while reducing the sauce, will overcook the chicken.
9. Turn ON Sauté mode (more), and reduce the sauce by half or until it starts to thicken.
10. Add cream, cornstarch slurry, and chicken back to the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens, around 2-3 minutes. Turn OFF sauté mode. Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Chicken Marsala

Stovetop Chicken Marsala Recipe

1. Heat oil and butter, in a large skillet, or pan, over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the chicken is almost cooked. Do not overcrowd the pan, work in batches. Remove the chicken and keep it aside. Finish with the remaining chicken pieces.
2. Add a tablespoon of butter, sliced mushrooms, garlic, thyme, sauté for 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms cook down, and the raw smell of garlic is no more.
3. Next add Marsala wine, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add broth, and reduce the sauce by half or until it starts to thicken.
4. Finally add cream, cornstarch slurry, and chicken back to the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens, around 2-3 minutes. Turn OFF the heat. Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Chicken Marsala

Tips For The Best Chicken Marsala

You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs, both would work just fine.

I prefer to keep chicken pieces thin, as these cook faster. Alternatively, you can pound the chicken, for thinner pieces. You can choose whichever method works for you best.

Depending upon the size of the chicken pieces, adjust the cooking time in the Instant Pot.

Herbs are optional. However, we love the flavor of Thyme, it adds a nice flavor to this dish.

I use a combination of oil and butter to sear the chicken. It gives a nice, nutty flavor, and brown color to the chicken.

Make sure to scrape off any chicken bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. They add a ton of flavor to the sauce. I scrape the pot while sautéing mushrooms, as mushrooms release a lot of moisture.

Substitute For Dairy-Free Chicken Marsala

Sharing some of the dairy-free substitutes that can be used to achieve the desired creaminess without any cream or dairy. Here are some dairy-free substitutes:

Coconut Cream - you can use coconut cream or coconut milk.

Nuts – To make this dairy-free I use nuts such as almonds or cashews.

Soak ¼ cup of cashews for a couple of hours or until soft (to speed up the process soak cashews in hot water, works just fine). Blend the cashews to a fine paste, using the water the cashews are soaked in, and add it to the dish.

Bring it to a gentle boil and you have delicious, creamiest, dairy-free, Marsala Chicken! If using almonds, remove the skin of the almonds before blending.

Alternatively, you can also use almond meal, readily available in most grocery stores. Make a smooth paste with 2 tablespoons of almond meal and water. Add it to the dish, instead of cream.

Serving Suggestions

My family loves Chicken Marsala with some creamy mashed potatoes, and sauté green beans in some garlic butter sauce.

Chicken Marsala pairs well with some pasta, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a low-carb diet. Pour some creamy, flavorful sauce over the chicken. Bon-Appetit!!

Pic Shown: Chicken Marsala, served with some mashed potatoes and some green beans.

More Chicken Recipes

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken Wild Rice Soup