Chicken Legs Marsala with Rich Mushroom Marsala Sauce
Chicken Legs Marsala is an Italian-American classic dish of tender, juicy pan-seared chicken coated in a delicious creamy sauce of Marsala wine and the earthy flavor of golden mushrooms. What could make this recipe any better?
Adding prosciutto, of course!
This Marsala recipe beats any restaurant-quality entree with sticker-shock prices and will surely impress your family and guests when you make it at home for less!
So save on the expensive gas, don’t worry about paying someone to watch the kids or your pets . . . and enjoy a gourmet Italian dinner at home without the extra expense! Save your bucks for an expensive movie or a Broadway show that’s come to town.
With the baseline price for simple ground beef starting at $8.00 a pound right now (Sept., 2026), you can still pick up chicken (on sale) for as little as $1.49 a pound — drumsticks or cutlets, that is (not skinless, boneless breasts!). Buy a whole chicken, cut it up, and you’ve got a gourmet meal on a dime! It doesn’t have to look perfect . . . it just has to be delicious. And this recipe is off-the-charts just as superb in flavor as or better than any restaurant.
PLUS, it’s extremely easy to make Chicken Legs Marsala in your own kitchen! Your family will love this; trust me!
So what is Marsala?
Marsala is an Italian wine from Sicily (from a town named Marsala). A bit of brandy is added to the wine, which gives it a unique nutty, toffee-like caramel flavor that is so popular in recipes. All of these flavor notes add up to a very unique and unforgettable taste sensation.
Always use Marsala wine in a dry (secco) or semi-secco (semi-sweet) variety.
I hope this Chicken Legs Marsala recipe becomes a new favorite chicken dinner for you. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see all of our videos.
Andiamo a Cucina! (Let’s get to the kitchen!)
Ingredients for Chicken Legs Marsala
- Chicken – For money savings, buy drumsticks and legs …. but this recipe is perfect for chicken breasts, thighs, and any whole chicken to cut up. If you prefer breasts, they can be pounded into 3-4 cutlets.
- Flour, salt, and pepper – for dredging and seasoning the chicken to create a nice crust; the flour also thickens the sauce.
- Olive oil and butter – combining olive oil and butter adds richness to the sauce and helps prevent the olive oil from burning while sautéing your ingredients.
- Mushrooms – For simplicity, use cremini mushrooms for their rich, earthy, umami flavor. Any mushroom variety will enhance the dish by adding more depth of flavor.
- Onion/Shallots, and Garlic – Add layers of more flavor to the sauce.
- Prosciutto – Adds a nice salty layer of flavor that stands out in the recipe.
- Marsala wine – The signature ingredient. Use a dry, NOT sweet, Marsala wine for authentic flavor.
- Heavy cream – The ingredient that always gives sauces more luxurious silkiness and richness.
- Mascarpone Cheese – Thickens the sauce and also adds another layer of flavor.
- Chicken Broth/Stock – Use to add more chicken flavor to the dish.
Bella’s Tips for the Best Chicken Marsala
- Use the chicken that you have purchased as soon as possible. Freshest is always the best!
- It’s important to dredge the chicken in flour because it creates a crust that seals in the chicken’s juiciness, gives a golden-fried color to the chicken, and adds smoothness to the sauce.
- Make sure your pan is hot so the chicken sears nicely.
- Turn the heat down if the oil and butter begin splattering.
- Keep the sauce at a simmer after adding the cream; avoid a rapid boil.
- Use a non-reactive skillet when cooking with acidic ingredients. Good options are enameled cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic-coated cookware.
- Stir the sauce as you slowly add the cream.
- I used easy-to-find crimini mushrooms, but feel free to experiment with other varieties such as woodsy porcini, chanterelles, or even mixed mushrooms to add complexity to the dish’s flavor.
- Use either onions or shallots: I’ve been cooking more with shallots instead of onions that have a more delicate flavor.
What to Serve with Chicken Legs Marsala
This chicken entree is delicious served with:
- Creamiest Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Cauliflower with Italian Cheese and Herbs
- Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Truffles
- Fresh Haricots Verts (Green Beans) with Roasted Vegetables
- Brown Butter Asparagus with Pignoli
- Roasted Parmesan Garlic Carrots
- Fresh Green Baby Peas
Storage of Chicken Legs Marsala
- For the most succulent chicken and perfectly silky sauce, this is best eaten on the day it is prepared.
- When storing, let the warm dish cool to room temperature first.
- Cover in an airtight container or tightly cover it in foil.
- You can keep this dish in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Simply reheat it in a countertop oven or microwave oven (which is the fastest option). *However, as a rule of thumb, reheat food using the same method that it was cooked.
- Know that the consistency of the sauce will be different and separate when reheated.
- Do not freeze this dish because of the cream in the sauce.
Substitutions
- Marsala wine is the main flavor in Chicken Marsala, but if you cannot find Marsala wine, a nice Madeira wine or sherry will work fine.
- If you are concerned about alcohol in this recipe, it cooks out and evaporates during the hot cooking process. You’ll get the flavor of the Marsala wine, but without the alcohol, or with a tiny little amount of alcohol at the most.
- You can easily substitute chicken breasts and thighs.
- Do not use milk or half-and-half in place of the mascarpone cheese/heavy cream because they create a much thinner sauce. Ricotta works well as a substitute for the mascarpone cheese.
More Chicken Recipes for You to Enjoy
If you enjoyed this chicken entree, you might like any of the following recipes!
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole (with NO canned soup)
- Classic Chicken Cacciatore
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Italian Bruschetta Chicken
- Chicken in Creamy Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan Sauce
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Chicken Legs Marsala
Ingredients
- 8 pieces of chicken (legs, thighs, breasts, or combo)
- lemon zest
- 1 pinch (each) salt & pepper
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 stick butter (another stick may be used later, if desired)
- 1/2 small onion, diced (or 2 shallots, diced)
- 8 cloves garlic
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 thin slices prosciutto (or pancetta will do), diced
- 2 cups fresh, sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1 cup Marsala wine
- ⅔ cup chicken broth/stock
- ¼ of a lemon (for a squeeze of lemon juice)
- 2 cups Mascarpone cheese or Heavy Cream
- 3 stems fresh Italian parsley, minced
Instructions
- Coat the chicken in the flour, sprinkle lemon zest on them, season with salt and pepper and coat them again in the flour. Set aside.
- In a large, wide frying pan/skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
- Saute' the onions for 2 – 3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and saute' for another 2 minutes until aromatic.
- Add the thyme to the pan.
- Add the prosciutto to the pan and cook until reddish-brown and starts to curl up and shrivel. Add more butter if needed.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until tender and beginning to brown. Add more butter if needed.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 – 5 minutes on each side. Then REMOVE the chicken (only) and begin making the sauce.
- Add the Marsala wine to the pan, stir. Add the chicken broth, stir.
- Bring it to a boil in order to start thickening.
- Add the Mascarpone cheese or cream (you can substitute ricotta cheese) and continue to let it boil.
- Add the chicken back into the pan and add the juice of about ¼th of a lemon.
- Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes, checking on how it is thickening and how the chicken is coming along.
- Taste and see what the dish may need: More mascarpone or cream? More butter?
- If necessary for thickening: add 1 teaspoon of flour and stir it in; it will thicken immediately!
- If necessary to thicken, partially cover up for another minute or two.
- Place the chicken on a serving platter; sprinkle with a garnish of minced Italialn parsley. Ladel the sauce on top of the chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes and a bright green vegetable!
- Buon Appetito!
Notes
