Chicken Thighs Marsala is a quick and easy one-pan, one-hour wonder ~ this classic chicken recipe gives you great restaurant style flavor even on a busy weeknight.
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Chicken thighs Marsala sounds fancy but is ready in under an hour
Chicken Marsala is one of those dinners that feels a little fancy without asking much of you. Brown the chicken, sauté the mushrooms and shallots, then let Marsala wine and cream turn everything in the pan into a rich, savory sauce. It’s all done in one skillet.
How to make it
Marsala sauce is an Italian-American pan sauce made with Sicily’s fortified Marsala wine, most famously paired with chicken or veal and mushrooms. There’s just one pan and a few easy steps to this chicken thighs Marsala:
- Brown the chicken thighs (skin side down) over a high heat to kick start the cooking and give them a nice golden color.
- Sauté the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in the same pan.
- Add the Marsala, then cream and bring to a simmer.
- Add back the chicken for a final bit of cooking in the oven.
Ingredient notes
CHICKEN THIGHS: bone in, or boneless?
- If I’m planning to serve my chicken marsala with pasta, I might use boneless thighs so I can slice them and spoon the sauce over the pasta.
- If I’m serving them on their own with mashed potatoes or polenta, I might do bone in.
MUSHROOMS: what type?
- I like cremini, or the small brown button style. Cremini mushrooms are basically the same species as white button mushrooms, just a bit more mature. They have a slightly deeper, earthier, more savory flavor and a firmer texture but the white ones will work too.
- You can use shiitake or portobello as well, just chop them into bite sized pieces.
MARSALA: do I have to use it?
- Gosh yes, pick up a bottle of dry Marsala for this recipe for sure. Marsala is a fortified wine, which just means that it has a higher alcohol content than regular wine. It’s used in chicken dishes like this, and in risottos and even tiramisus. You’ll recognize the flavor instantly.
- Your regular grocery store should carry it, but look for real dry Marsala wine, not “Marsala cooking wine,” which is salted and lower quality.
- Marsala is great to have around for all kinds of cooking. Once opened, I refrigerate my Marsala and try to use it within about 6 months.
THYME: thyme adds a fresh note to the simple but richly flavored Marsala sauce. Use parsley instead.
Marsala sauce adds instant elegance to simple chicken thighs
I’ve said this a lot before, but the combination of shallots, mushrooms, garlic, cream, and Marsala wine gives instant fancy restaurant appeal to so many recipes ~ in this case, inexpensive chicken thighs.
What to serve with chicken thighs Marsala
Choose something to catch all that fabulous mushroom sauce. Serve it over pasta if you’re using boneless thighs, or with mashed potatoes or creamy polenta for bone-in thighs.
I’d add a green vegetable or salad on the side:
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Chicken Thighs Marsala
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or other oven ready skillet
Ingredients
- 12 ounces small to medium cremini mushrooms
- 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
- olive oil, for brushing
- 3 Tbsp butter, divided
- 2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or put through a garlic press
- 8 fresh thyme sprigs, divided
- 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, start with 1/2 teaspoon of each
garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Wipe the 12 ounces small to medium cremini mushrooms with a damp cloth. Cut off the ends of the stems, and slice them, rather thickly. You can simply cut small mushrooms in half. Set aside.
- Heat your skillet over medium high heat until quite hot. Brush the skin side of the 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs with a little olive oil and, when the pan is good and hot, but not smoking, brown the thighs, skin down, for about 5-10 minutes or until they have a nice rich golden brown color. Remove them to a plate.
- Add 2 Tbsp of the butter to the pan. Sauté the minced shallots2 large shallots for a few minutes, stirring often, and then add the garlic or a couple more minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until they start to shrink down, release their moisture, and brown.
- Add the 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine to the pan and turn up the heat to let it reduce a bit.
- Add the 1/2 cup heavy cream to the pan and mix well. Add half of the sprigs of thyme and season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Finish the sauce by stirring in the last bit of butter.
- Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, but don't spoon any of the sauce over those crisp skins, leave them exposed.
- Bake the thighs for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 175F to 185F at the thickest part (avoiding the bone.) Remove the spent thyme sprigs and replace with fresh thyme.
- Serve right away with mashed potatoes, polenta, or pasta.
Notes
Nutrition
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I love food cooked in marsala wine. Wow I love this recipe. The photo looks like it does it justice. I have been thinking about inviting a guest for dinner. I think I have hit upon a recipe!
Sue,
This looks amazing! I’ll be making it next week for sure!
xo
annie
I want to swim in that awesome sauce! This looks so good and you cook so GOOD!
I love chicken marsala and I have a feeling this would make a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner!
My Brothers name is Grant. We’re Greg, Grant and Gretchen. Too cute, huh? GREG
Pretty darned cute 🙂
I love the photo of the heat coming off the pan. What a easy, delicious dish – and we do love chicken thighs too. Wine makes everything taste better 😉
I love the idea of the cast iron skillet. Even if you don’t cook in it, the idea of serving it family style is nice.
I guess I’ll have to go buy a big cast iron skillet now. Oh darn. :-p
Ha ha – they are surprisingly cheap, Rebecca…just don’t drop one on your toe 😉
This is lovely. Marsala sauce (and all the delicious trappings of mushrooms and shallots that go with it) is a favorite of ours. This would make a wonderful V-day dinner since we always eat in and celebrate at home. Love how it’s all done in one pan.
I think it would make a good Valentine’s Day dinner, I think heavy cream makes just about anything romantic! thanks Monica.
You are so right about everything in this post. The Marsala sauce, making a quick dinner for two – this would be amazing on my dinner table, while watching the news of course! Good one! Have a great weekend Sue
You too Tricia!
What a beautiful skillet. You evenings such so much like mine, now that our daughter has left for college, leaving us an empty nest. Now if that evening news is NBC, we could be twins 😉