Chicken marsala with fettuccine pasta is a restaurant-worthy chicken dinner you can make at home! Thin seasoned chicken breasts, thin flavorful mushrooms, and that epic marsala sauce that ties it all together.
I always tell people, I make mushrooms recipes that even non-mushrooms lovers will like. And here’s my secret: slice the mushrooms super thin then pan fry them for about 20 minutes. The result is a mushroom that has more texture than that slightly “spongy” texture that can be a little off-putting for some people plus a rich deep flavor. The mushrooms will also be a deep caramel color that in my opinion is just prettier on pasta dishes.
Here’s how to make them:
Step 1. Wipe clean the mushrooms, remove the stalk, and slice them very thin.
Step 2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large fry pan and heat over medium heat, add the mushrooms.
Step 3. Cook and stir the mushrooms 17-20 minutes until deeply browned. Remove to paper towel lined plate to absorb excess moisture.
INGREDIENTS
Here’s what you need from your fridge and pantry to make this marsala dinner this week.
- Chicken breasts. I use 2 chicken breasts and butterfly them into thin pieces. See section below for how to butterfly chicken breasts.
- Fettuccine. I always only use about 3/4 of of the box. I always find the full box of pasta is too many noodles for me.
- Baby bella mushrooms. You’ll need a 10 ounce package, sliced thin!
- Fats: Olive oil and butter.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
- Chicken broth. The helps make the sauce a bit saucier.
- Marsala wine. You can use a semi-sweet marsala wine you buy in the wine section, or in the grocery store there is a cooking marsala wine. To be honest, I always use the cooking marsala wine and I like it. If you prefer the other kind, use that.
- Light cream. Just a bit to help make the sauce thicker.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, pepper, salt, dried thyme, flour.
HOW TO BUTTERFLY CHICKEN BREASTS
I like to butterfly chicken because it allows you to get a more manageable even thickness piece of chicken that will cook thoroughly in a reasonable amount of time. Plus, I prefer the flavor and texture of thin chicken.
Step 1: Slice
Place the chicken on a cutting board and grab your sharp knife. Carefully slice horizontally through the middle of the chicken so you create a flap as if you’re opening a book. Now, slice down the center to create 2 pieces.
Step 2: Tenderize
Place the chicken on some plastic wrap, then cover it with another piece. Grab a meat tenderizer and tenderize the meat until it’s an even thickness to your liking. If you don’t have one, this was what a meat tenderizer looks like so you can pick one up!
All done! You’re ready to cook with your butterflied chicken breasts.
LEFTOVERS STORAGE AND REHEATING
For me, any meal with chicken is best the day you make it. Reheated chicken isn’t my favorite. But, to store any leftovers in a container in the fridge and eat within 3 days for best freshness and flavors.
To reheat leftovers, I like to cut the chicken into smaller pieces so it heats through faster. You can warm in a pan over medium-low heat. Add a dash of the light cream and even a bit of grated Parmesan cheese to bring the flavors back. Or, for extra fast leftovers without the wait just microwave for about 1 minute.
If you like the marsala flavor here are more recipes you might like!
Marsala pizza
Creamy chicken marsala
Creamy marsala pasta
And for more comforting chicken pasta dinners, here are more blog favorites.
French onion chicken
Chicken and orzo pasta bake
Pesto chicken bake
Chicken Marsala Fettuccine
Chicken marsala with fettuccine pasta is a restaurant-worthy chicken dinner you can make at home!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the chicken
2 chicken breasts, butterflied into 4 thin pieces
1 box of fettuccine (I only cook 3/4 of the box)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce
3 cloves of garlic, grated
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/3 cup light cream
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing
For the mushrooms
10 ounce package of baby bella mushrooms, stalks removed and sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
1. Start by cooking the mushrooms. Gently clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel, remove the stalks, then slice thin. Add the olive oil to a large frying man over medium heat then add the mushrooms and cook for 17-20 minutes. You want some of the mushrooms to get a nice caramel brown color to them. Once they are cooked remove them to a plate then gently wipe out any charred bits from the pan. At this time, bring your salted pot of water to boil to cook the fettuccine.
2. Meanwhile, season the chicken breasts with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper then coat in flour. I only cooked 3 pieces of chicken, but you can cook all 4 for your family.
3. Once the pan is cleaned from cooking the mushrooms add the 3 tablespoons of oil + 1 tablespoon of butter and heat over medium heat. Add your chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes per side until fully cooked. Internal temperature needs to reach 165 degrees. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.
4. Carefully clean any excess oil from the pan, then begin making the marsala sauce. Add the 1 tablespoon of butter and melt over medium heat. Add the grated garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, marsala wine, light cream, and the salt. Bring to rapid simmer, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 10-12 to reduce.
5. Add in the chicken breasts and mushrooms, then serve over a bed of cooked fettucine. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.
Leave a Reply