Tender and juicy pork chops are the star of this Creamy Pork Marsala recipe, featuring a mouthwatering mushroom and Marsala pan-gravy sauce. It’s gluten-free, low carb, made from scratch, and absolutely delicious!
The Best Creamy Pork Marsala Recipe
You might have heard of Chicken Marsala, and Veal Marsala, but have you tried Pork Marsala? Let me tell you, it is a match made in heaven.
I’m a huge fan of all three Marsala dishes, but I truly think that the pork is so excellent, it might be my favorite! Pork chops are just so good when properly cooked, you know? They’re just as easy as chicken breasts, but more interesting and often more flavorful.
And, this method of pounding them into thin “cutlets,” frying them up with a savory (and gluten-free) breading, and then serving them up in a rich, creamy pan sauce is just SO satisfying.
This dish is packed with sliced mushrooms, fresh garlic, heavy cream, and real Marsala wine. It’s as good as any fancy restaurant version, but made at home!
What Is Marsala?
Marsala is a type of wine known as “fortified” wine. This means that it’s not simply wine made from grapes, but that it’s been fortified (strengthened/stabilized) by adding a stronger alcohol like brandy to the wine. There is also a more complicated method behind aging and storing Marsala than there is for normal wine.
The result? A strong, rich, somewhat complicated wine with complex undertones, ranging from apricot to vanilla to tobacco! Dry Marsala is great for making savory dishes like this one, while sweet Marsala is better if you’re making a dessert.
Is This Recipe Low-Carb?
Yes, this delicious entree is low-carb. Most Marsala recipes include instructions to dredge the cutlets in flour; they may also call for flour in order to thicken the sauce.
But, this recipe uses low-carb flour for dredging, and just a bit of cornstarch for thickening. Cornstarch does include carbs, so that will have to factor into your dietary restrictions.
Recipe Ingredients
Most of the ingredients in this list are basic pantry staples, which is great! By just grabbing the few fresh items you need on the way home, you can pull together something amazing without much notice or prep.
- Almond Flour or Coconut Flour: Just a third of a cup of flour will be plenty to dredge the pork chops. If you prefer to use all-purpose flour, that’s okay, too.
- Garlic Powder, Paprika, and Oregano: These three spices work together so well. They’re one of my favorite combinations for quickly and heartily seasoning pork and chicken dishes.
- Salt and Pepper
- Cooking Spray: There are so many great cooking sprays on the market now! I like the ones that are made of all-natural olive oil and other healthy oils.
- Pork Chops: You’ll need about a pound of boneless pork loin chops, pounded thin.
- Butter: Three tablespoons of real butter brings so much rich flavor to this dish.
- Oil: About two tablespoons of a hearty, flavorful oil like Avocado Oil or Olive Oil.
- Mushrooms: You’ll need 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms, such as cremini or button mushrooms.
- Garlic: Mince or press three cloves of garlic.
- Chicken Broth: This recipe uses 2/3-cup of low-sodium chicken broth. You can also use homemade broth or vegetable broth.
- Marsala Wine: A dry Marsala is what you’re looking for here; the sweet ones are not recommended for this type of dish. It’s best to avoid Marsala “cooking wines,” which usually have added salts and preservatives that affect the flavor.
- Water and Cornstarch: Half a cup of water and cornstarch to make a slurry and thicken the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: A bit of heavy cream finishes the sauce and makes it oh-so-creamy-and-delicious.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish.
How to Make Pork Marsala
To make this dish, follow the step-by-step instructions below. And hey, pour yourself a glass of Marsala while you’re at it. 😊 You deserve it!
- Dredge the Pork Chops in Flour Mixture. In a shallow plate, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, oregano, paprika, and pepper; mix to incorporate. Spray the pounded pork chops with cooking oil, and dredge in the flour mixture.
- Cook the Pork Chops. Melt the butter with the avocado oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops in one single layer. (Be careful not to crowd the pan; cook the chops in batches, if necessary.) Cook the pork chops 4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through.
- Cook the Mushrooms. Remove the cooked pork chops from the skillet; set aside and keep covered. Return skillet to the heat, and add the mushrooms to it. Cook for 3 minutes, without stirring.
- Make the Sauce. Stir the garlic into the mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken broth, and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Next, pour in the Marsala and cook for 2 minutes. If you don’t want to use wine, you can pour in more chicken broth or even white grape juice.
- Thicken the Sauce and Add Cream. In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch; mix until well combined to form a slurry. Whisk this cornstarch slurry into the skillet, followed by the heavy cream. Continue to cook for couple more minutes, or until thickened.
- Finish the Dish. Return the pork chops to the skillet. Garnish with parsley, and serve.
Tips for Success
The following tips and advice will help you make the most of this savory dinner dish. I hope you enjoy it!
- Low-Carb Pasta: This is a dish unto itself, and can certainly be served with just a few veggie sides. But the sauce also goes very well with zoodles OR low-carb pasta. You can also just use traditional pasta, such as penne, fettuccine, and more. I feel that serving it with my favorite pasta makes this a complete meal with very little effort.
- Use Homemade Stock: If possible, this is a great recipe for using homemade chicken bone broth or stock. These are not only more flavorful than store-bought, but also have gelatin from the slowly-simmered chicken bones, which is very nutritious and gives the finished sauce a wonderful silky texture.
- Finish with Lemon: For a bright final touch, try whisking a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into the sauce at the last minute. It will help balance the rich and sweet flavors of the wine and mushrooms.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious dish is wonderful with a whole host of sides, from mashed potatoes to a fruit and cheese board! But, the following few are especially tasty.
- Green Beans: These Easy Roasted Green Beans are a tasty and versatile side that go with just about anything, including our delicious Pork Marsala! You can even serve the pork on top of the green beans, similar to serving over pasta.
- Salad: Another amazing use of green beans, this beautiful Green Bean and Egg Salad with Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette is made with a healthy blend of salad greens, fresh green beans, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, red onions, and tasty dressing. Feel free to omit the bacon for this menu!
- Asparagus: The unique flavor of asparagus goes super well with Marsala! I like making this fun Pan Roasted Asparagus Almondine for a delicious side dish you won’t forget.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- To store in the refrigerator, place leftovers in airtight containers and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
- To reheat, place pork and sauce in a covered skillet over low heat, and cook just until heated through.
Can You Freeze Pork Marsala?
- Yes, you can, but keep in mind that, frozen cream tends to get grainy when thawed. To try to avoid grainy sauce as much as possible, whisk the sauce the entire time while it’s reheating.
- To freeze this delicious dish, place leftovers in freezer bags, pressing out most of the air before serving. It’s important to leave just a little bit of room for the liquids to expand as they freeze.
- Thaw leftovers before reheating.
ENJOY!
CREAMY PORK MARSALA
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup almond flour, (Coconut Flour is great, too. You can also use cornstarch, or all-purpose flour.)
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound boneless pork chops, (about 1/4-inch thick) see notes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup Marsala wine
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, or to taste (IF you're not using low sodium chicken broth, you may want to skip adding more salt)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- fresh ground black pepper, for garnish, optional
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a shallow plate combine flour, garlic powder, salt, oregano, paprika, and pepper; mix to incorporate.
- Spray pork chops with cooking oil and dredge in flour mixture.
- Combine butter and oil in a large 12-inch skillet; set over medium heat.
- Add pork chops to the hot oil in one single layer. DO NOT crowd the pan; if skillet is too small, cook the pork chops in batches.
- Cook the pork chops 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Pork chops are cooked through when internal temperature reaches 145˚F.
- Remove pork chops from skillet; set aside and keep covered. If the browned bits in the skillet are too dark, carefully wipe down the skillet with dry paper towels.
- Return skillet to the heat and add mushrooms to the skillet. If skillet is dry, add a little more oil. Cook mushrooms for 3 minutes over medium heat, or until just tender.
- Stir in garlic and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high.
- Add chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in Marsala wine and salt; stir until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes.
- In a small mixing bowl combine water and cornstarch; mix until well combined.
- Whisk cornstarch slurry into the skillet until combined. Sauce will start to thicken.
- Whisk in heavy cream and continue to cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, or until thickened and creamy. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a little more chicken broth. To make it creamier, add more heavy cream.
- Return pork chops to the skillet and spoon sauce over the pork chops.
- Garnish with fresh ground black pepper and parsley.
- Serve.
Notes
- This recipe makes plenty of sauce, so you can safely use up to 6 pork chops. Make sure your pork chops are 1/4-inch thick.
- NET CARBS: 10 g
- WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS: To lower the points, you can use Fat Free Half & Half in place of the heavy cream, and omit the butter, but replace it with more avocado oil OR olive oil. Another substitution would be to omit the Wine and use chicken broth in its place.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
