Name: Chicken Marsala Without Cream
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1 lb / 500 g total); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 200 g button mushrooms (sliced); 1 small shallot (finely chopped); 2 garlic cloves (minced); ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour; 160 ml dry Marsala wine; 250 ml low-sodium chicken broth; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (for serving)

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This chicken marsala without cream combines pan-seared chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a glossy sauce made with dry Marsala wine, chicken broth, and butter. The chicken cooks in two batches before returning to the sauce, bringing the complete dinner together in about 45 minutes.

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Chicken Marsala without cream with browned chicken cutlets, sliced mushrooms, and parsley in a skillet.

Why You'll Love This Chicken Marsala without Cream

No heavy cream needed: Flour, butter, and a brief reduction give the sauce its body.
One skillet: The sauce picks up the browned bits left behind by the chicken.
Four individual portions: Two chicken breasts become four thin cutlets, ready to serve with the mushrooms and sauce.
A useful make-ahead option: The sauce can be prepared one day in advance.

There was a small family-run restaurant in Spain that served chicken in mushroom sauces almost every week. The dishes were simple, but they showed how much flavor could come from a few ingredients cooked well. This recipe reminds me of those meals, with the mushrooms playing a similar role to the ones in my Pork Stroganoff.

Dry Marsala gives this sauce its distinctive flavor. In this version, the chicken's light flour coating and a small amount of flour stirred into the mushrooms help thicken the wine and broth as they simmer. Butter adds richness without heavy cream. If you enjoy chicken with a pan sauce, Cast Iron Chicken Breast and Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs offer two other ways to use that approach.

Chicken Marsala without cream in a cast iron skillet with sliced mushrooms, onions, and Marsala wine sauce, with one chicken cutlet lifted on a spoon.

What Makes Chicken Marsala Different From Other Chicken Dinners?

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish known for its combination of chicken, mushrooms, and Marsala wine. The wine gives the sauce its distinctive flavor, creating a balance of savory, slightly sweet, and earthy notes that work perfectly with the mushrooms. Unlike many creamy chicken dishes, Chicken Marsala relies on the reduction of wine and broth to build flavor. That simple approach is one reason it has remained popular in restaurants and home kitchens for decades.

Is Chicken Marsala Traditionally Made With Cream?

Traditional Chicken Marsala is generally made without cream. Many restaurant versions add heavy cream to create a thicker sauce, but classic Chicken Marsala relies on Marsala wine, mushrooms, butter, and broth. In this recipe, the sauce develops naturally as the wine reduces and combines with the broth, creating plenty of richness without the need for cream.

Key Ingredients in Chicken Marsala without Cream

The recipe card below includes the full ingredient list and measurements. These ingredients shape the flavor and texture:

Chicken, flour, and seasoning: Boneless, skinless breasts sliced into cutlets cook more evenly than thick whole breasts. A light flour coating helps the surface brown and contributes to the sauce's body, while salt and black pepper season the chicken itself.
Mushrooms, shallot, and garlic: Button mushrooms add savory depth. Finely chopped shallot and minced garlic flavor the sauce without leaving large pieces of aromatics among the mushrooms.
Dry Marsala, broth, and thyme: Marsala provides the defining wine flavor, low-sodium chicken broth forms the rest of the sauce, and fresh thyme adds an herbal note. Keeping the broth low in sodium gives you more control over the final seasoning.
Olive oil, butter, and parsley: Olive oil is used to cook the chicken, while butter enriches the mushroom sauce. Chopped parsley adds a fresh finish just before serving.

How to Make Chicken Marsala without Cream

The process photos follow these four stages. See the recipe card for quantities and complete cooking times.

Four steps for Chicken Marsala: coating chicken in flour, pan-frying the cutlets, simmering the mushroom sauce, and returning the chicken to the skillet.

1. Prepare the chicken: Slice the breasts lengthwise into thin cutlets. Pat dry, season with salt and black pepper, and lightly coat with flour, shaking off the excess.

2. Cook in batches: Heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook two cutlets at a time until golden and cooked through. Transfer each batch to a plate while you prepare the sauce.

3. Make the mushroom sauce: Brown the mushrooms in butter, then add the shallot, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in the flour and cook briefly before adding the Marsala. Scrape up the browned bits, let the wine reduce, then add the broth and simmer until slightly thickened.

4. Finish and serve: Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over it as it warms through. Remove the thyme sprigs and finish with chopped parsley.

Chicken Marsala without cream served on a plate with sliced mushrooms, diced onions, and a glossy Marsala wine sauce, finished with parsley.

Tips for Better Chicken Marsala

Keep the flour coating light: Shake off loose flour before frying. A thin coating browns more evenly and avoids leaving dry patches on the chicken.
Give each batch room: Cook two cutlets at a time rather than squeezing all four into the skillet. Leave the first side undisturbed long enough to develop a golden surface before turning.
Watch the mushroom color: About five minutes is a guide. Look for browned, tender slices before adding the shallot and garlic, rather than relying only on the clock.
Check doneness with a thermometer: The thickest part of each cutlet should reach 165°F (74°C). Thickness affects cooking time, so use this check alongside the suggested minutes per side.

Storage and Leftovers

Store leftover chicken and mushroom sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).

For advance preparation, the sauce can be made one day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.

What to Serve with Chicken Marsala

Mashed potatoes or buttered noodles catch the mushroom sauce, while Greek Lemon Roasted Baby Potatoes bring a contrasting lemon flavor. Rice with Chicken Broth and Butter is another simple option. Add a Tomato Burrata Salad alongside, or serve leftover chicken over toasted ciabatta the next day.