If you're looking for a delicious chicken recipe to make for dinner, look no further than this chicken marsala Olive Garden recipe! Chicken marsala is a classic Italian dish made with chicken, mushrooms, and Marsala wine. It's a popular dish at Olive Garden, and it's easy to see why - it's one of their most flavorful and hearty dishes.
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
This Olive Garden chicken marsala recipe is easy to make and can be on the table in just over half an hour, making It a great weeknight meal option!
The ingredients required for this recipe are pantry staples, and the marsala fortified wine can be found in most grocery stores so that you can make this restaurant-style Olive Garden meal in the comfort of your own home.
Marsala wine is what gives the dish its signature aroma, and the mushrooms add a nice earthy flavor. The chicken is simmered in the sauce to absorb some of the flavors until it's tender and juicy.
What's more is that everything is cooked in one skillet, saving you valuable time on washing up, and it is an inexpensive meal to feed a large family. I highly recommend to serve this dish with my easy tiramisu as a dessert!
So forget going out to the Olive Garden this weekend to pay for your favorite chicken marsala meal, and enjoy this copycat version that has the same delicious flavor.
🍽 Key ingredients
The key ingredient to making this Olive Garden chicken marsala recipe is, of course, Marsala wine. This type of wine is what gives the sauce and dish its sweetness.
Chicken - Use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You'll need the large breasts as they will be cut in half and pounded thin.
Marsala wine - This is a fortified wine made in Marsala, Sicily. It has a sweet, nutty flavor and is used in many Italian dishes. It's what gives the marsala sauce its distinct flavor.
Mushrooms - White mushrooms provide the perfect earthy flavor to this dish.
Flour - All-purpose flour is used to coat the chicken for frying to give it a golden color.
Herbs - Dried oregano is the only herb you need for this dish to add a nice flavor.
Garlic - Just a few cloves of garlic will add a lovely flavor to the marsala wine sauce. You can also use garlic powder if you prefer. Use half the quantity of fresh garlic.
Chicken broth - You'll also need some chicken broth to enhance the chicken flavor in the sauce.
Lemon juice - This is used to brighten up the sauce and add a bit of acidity.
Substitutions
Sweet Marsala wine
This wine is important to make the marsala wine sauce, but if you can't find it in your local grocery store, you could substitute it for Madeira wine or sherry, as they both have a similar sweetness and are fortified wines.
Chicken breasts
You could use chicken thighs as a replacement for chicken breast. Or use turkey steaks or pork steaks as a substitute for chicken in this recipe.
Mushrooms
I used white button mushrooms, but you could also use cremini or portobello mushrooms for this recipe.
🔪 How to make
Olive Garden's chicken marsala is one of their most famous dishes because of its tender chicken pieces and delicious marsala sauce, but with just a few ingredients and 40 minutes, you can prepare this fabulous dish at home in your own kitchen. Just follow my simple cooking steps below to recreate the amazing taste.
Preparations
Step 1
To start, we're going to cut each chicken breast in half using a sharp knife, then place the fillets on a work surface in between plastic wrap.
Step 2
Pound chicken breasts with a rolling pin or meat mallet until ¼ inch thick.
Step 3
Make a flour mixture in a mixing bowl with all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and oregano.
Instructions
Step 4
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 5
Thoroughly coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture
Step 6
Cook the chicken until lightly browned - about 2 or 3 minutes per side, then remove and set aside.
Step 7
Now set the same skillet over medium heat and add the butter, scraping the bottom of the pan and incorporating any brown bits.
Step 8
Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for around 8 minutes until soft and slightly browned, then stir in the minced garlic, cooking for a few more minutes until fragrant.
Step 9
Increase the heat again, and add Marsala wine, broth, and lemon juice. Bring the Marsala sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 10
Add the chicken to the skillet, spoon the savory sauce and mushrooms over the chicken and cook for a few more minutes until the chicken is hot.
Step 11
Serve immediately.
Serving suggestions - Top with fresh herbs and grated Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
This Olive Garden chicken marsala recipe is one of the perfect lazy Sunday dinner ideas dish you can make to share with families!
💭 Cooking tips
Thicker sauce
If you want a thicker sauce consistency, mix 1 tablespoon of arrowroot or cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir it into the sauce.
📖 Recipe Variations
This Olive Garden chicken marsala recipe is the original recipe from their restaurant, but there are a few ways you can change it up. Try some of these tasty variations.
Make a creamy sauce
Add half a cup of heavy cream to the Marsala sauce for a delicious creamy variation. If you don't have heavy cream, you could also use sour cream, which will make the sauce thicker and creamier.
Add spice
For a spicier chicken marsala, add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 diced chipotle pepper to the sauce. This amount is perfect for an additional kick of heat, but you can adjust the amount to your own liking.
Breaded chicken
If you want a crispy chicken marsala, you can bread the chicken before cooking it. To do this, simply dredge the chicken fillets in some flour, then beaten eggs, and finally coat them in bread crumbs. Fry them in hot oil until crispy and golden brown before adding them to the sauce.
🥗 What to serve with
Chicken recipes like chicken Marsala are traditionally served with creamy mashed potatoes or vegetables. Here are a few serving suggestions to pair with the delicious Olive Garden chicken Marsala.
Roasted potatoes
A great alternative to mashed potatoes is French fries or roasted potatoes. Personally, I love crispy roasted potatoes seasoned with garlic and rosemary to dip into the marsala sauce. They're easy to make and so delicious!
Fried cabbage
Another fabulous side dish to accompany the chicken marsala is Southern-fried cabbage with bacon. This flavorful side dish is seasoned with paprika, cayenne pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then mixed with crispy bacon bits and fried cabbage.
Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
The combination of prosciutto and asparagus is a classic combination in Italy and tastes so good with this Italian chicken marsala recipe. Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus requires only 3 ingredients and 20-minutes to make, and they're salty and crunchy with a delicious cream cheese filling.
🧊 Storing and ♨️ reheating
Olive Garden chicken marsala is an amazing recipe that can easily be cooked and stored, then reheated.
Fridge - Any leftover chicken marsala can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Freezer - The best way to freeze leftover chicken marsala is to allow the chicken and sauce to cool and transfer them to separate freezer containers. Freeze them for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before you intend to cook the chicken.
Reheating - Set a large skillet over medium heat and cook the leftovers for around 6 to 7 minutes until the sauce and chicken are hot. Alternatively, you could heat them together in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl for 2 to 3 minutes.
🍳 Related recipes
For more Italian recipes inspiration I recommend you to try my bruschetta with mozzarella, pizza monkey bread, four cheese manicotti and my stuffed rigatoni!
👪 Serving size
This Olive Garden chicken marsala recipe provides enough food for 4 servings. You could also scale this recipe to suit your needs and freeze some for another day.
Your family will love the flavors of this chicken marsala Olive Garden copycat recipe. It tastes just like the original recipe we all love from Olive Gardens kitchen and is so easy to make using few ingredients and takes 40 minutes to prepare. And if you're a fan of their delicious recipes, check out our other copycat recipes. Giant cheese stuffed shells & chicken and shrimp carbonara.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Chicken Marsala Olive Garden
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts - boneless and skinless
- ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 8 oz mushrooms - sliced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- ⅔ cups marsala wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice - fresh squeezed
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
Preparations
- To start, we're going to cut each chicken breast in half using a sharp knife, then place the fillets on a work surface in between plastic wrap.
- Pound chicken breasts with a rolling pin or meat mallet until ¼ inch thick.
- Make a flour mixture in a mixing bowl with all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and oregano.
Instructions
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Thoroughly coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.
- Cook the chicken until lightly browned - about 2 or 3 minutes per side, then remove and set aside.
- Now set the same skillet over medium heat and add the butter, scraping the bottom of the pan and incorporating any brown bits.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for around 8 minutes until soft and slightly browned, then stir in the minced garlic, cooking for a few more minutes until fragrant.
- Increase the heat again, and add Marsala wine, broth, and lemon juice. Bring the Marsala sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the skillet, spoon the savory sauce and mushrooms over the chicken and cook for a few more minutes until the chicken is hot.
- Serve immediately.
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