Crock Pot Chicken Marsala moves a classic to the slow cooker for an easy weeknight meal. It features tender chicken pan-fried to golden perfection and simmered with fresh mushrooms in a rich, creamy Marsala wine sauce.
Crock Pot Chicken Marsala
Creamy Crock Pot Chicken Marsala is a flavorful Italian entrée with fresh mushrooms and juicy, tender chicken in a light breading simmered in a rich Marsala wine sauce.
This recipe takes a classic favorite and makes it in the slow cooker for an easy-prep, no hassle weeknight meal that even picky eaters will enjoy. You’ll be amazed by how easy it is to make this restaurant-quality meal right at home in your slow cooker!
What is Chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of thin, pan-fried chicken cutlets in a rich mushroom and Marsala wine sauce. It is a variation of traditional Italian scallopini dishes, which have many variations in both Italy and the United States.
How to Prepare Chicken for Chicken Marsala
The chicken for marsala is typically very thin, which makes it very tender. In order to make your chicken breasts thin, you can do two things.
- Cut it in half. You can slice the chicken breast in half, thickness-wise, like your cutting open a roll or English muffin. Use a sharp knife and be very careful. It's easiest to place your non-dominant hand on top of the chicken to hold it and slice it horizontally across by gently wiggling the knife through.
- Pounding it. You can cover the chicken with a plastic baggy (so there's less mess) and pound it thin with a meat mallet, until it's about a half-inch thickness.
Of course, you can also cut your chicken first and then gently pound it to the right thickness so that there is not as much pounding necessary. Once your chicken has been made the desired thickness, it's ready for dredging and cooking!
Which Marsala Wine is Best for Crock Pot Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala gets its name from the wine used to make the sauce! Marsala.
Marsala is a brandy-fortified wine from Italy. When cooking, it's usually safest to opt for a dry variety. These are sometimes labeled as "gold." Another option would be a semi-sweet Marsala, sometimes labeled "amber" or "ambra," referring to its amber coloring from added sweetening agents.
Crock Pot Chicken Marsala Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten Free: Make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free cup-for-cup flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- Dairy Free: Make this recipe dairy free by using full fat canned coconut milk instead of cream
- Wine: Best wine options are listed above, but can you use something other than Marsala? Yes, but it won't really be chicken Marsala then, as Marsala is a key flavor component in the recipe. You can use more chicken broth, sherry, dry white wine, Madeira, or port. However, anything other than the Marsala will alter the flavor so that it won't taste like a traditional chicken Marsala.
- Prosciutto: Can't find prosciutto? Just use bacon! They have a very similar flavor profile and bacon is often cheaper.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Chicken Marsala
Crock Pot Chicken Marsala goes beautifully with a fresh green salad, or a simple side dish like these sauteed green beans with shallots.
I also like to serve it with something that will soak up that extra creamy sauce such as mashed potatoes, pasta or egg noodles, rice, or even a nice piece of crusty bread.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken - sweet and tangy chicken with pineapple in the slow cooker.
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili - creamy chili with corn, beans, and tomatoes. We love it with rice.
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos - perfect simple filling for taco night!
- Crockpot Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches - super easy, tangy chicken sandwiches.
- 122 Crock Pot Dinner Ideas - You'll never be in a slow cooker rut again!
Crock Pot Chicken Marsala Video
Crock Pot Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to about ½-inch thickness
- All-purpose flour for dredging (about 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces prosciutto thinly sliced and chopped
- 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
- 1 shallot chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup dry Marsala wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place flour in a shallow baking dish with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Dredge each chicken breast in flour mixture to coat both sides. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until oil is hot.
- Working in batches so the skillet is not over-crowded, brown chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer browned chicken to slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, lower heat to medium and cook prosciutto until crisp. Transfer to paper towel, leaving as much grease in the pan as possible.
- In the same skillet, add mushrooms, shallot, and garlic to drippings (add an additional tablespoon of olive oil if there's not enough). Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in Marsala. Cook for 1 minute Then pour in chicken broth.
- Add half of the crisp prosciutto back to the skillet. Stir.
- Pour sauce over chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.
- Remove chicken to serving plate when cooked. Set aside. Stir in cream.
- Serve chicken warm, covered in sauce and topped with remaining crispy prosciutto and fresh parsley.
Notes
- Can't find prosciutto? Just use bacon!
- Make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free cup-for-cup flour instead of all-purpose.
- Make this recipe dairy free by using full fat canned coconut milk instead of cream.
- Can I substitute Marsala wine? Yes, but it won't really be chicken Marsala then, as Marsala is a key flavor component in the recipe. You can use more chicken broth, sherry, dry white wine, Madeira, port. However, anything other than the Marsala will alter the flavor so that it won't taste like a traditional chicken Marsala.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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