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This Crock Pot Chicken Marsala recipe is a creamy, delicious, mushroom studded chicken dinner! You’ll be amazed by how easy it is to make a restaurant-quality meal right at home with this simple recipe. Put your slow cooker to work with this flavorful chicken marsala.
Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
I always thought Chicken Marsala was a fancy Italian recipe you could only enjoy at restaurants, but guess what? It’s actually super simple to prepare at home, especially if you let your slow cooker do most of the work. When you use a crock pot, you don’t have to pound the chicken breasts down, and you don’t have to stand at the stove flipping chicken breasts – score! I love making this Chicken Marsala recipe on busy weeknights, but it’s also perfect for a fancy date night or Sunday supper. When you really want to wow everyone at the table but aren’t feeling like putting too much effort in, this is the recipe to make.
What is Chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of tender chicken breasts in creamy Marsala wine sauce loaded with mushrooms. It’s a variation of the traditional Italian scaloppine, which is thinly sliced meat dredged in flour and then sautéed and cooked in a sauce reduction. Chicken Marsala probably comes from western Sicily, where Marsala wine is made. In this recipe, you have golden, lightly pan-fried chicken breasts topped with mushrooms and smothered in a thick Marsala wine reduction that has a nice amount of garlic for additional flavor. It’s so good!
How To Make Chicken Marsala in the Slow Cooker
This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to prep and packs a ton of flavor.
- We start with browning chicken breasts in a skillet; they’ll need about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the seared chicken breasts to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add garlic and sliced mushrooms over the chicken.
- Deglaze the skillet with Marsala Wine and pour it over the chicken breasts and mushrooms. Also, please note to use dry Marsala Wine. Sweet Marsala Wine is for desserts. If wine is not your thing, you can use chicken broth instead.
- Cover with a lid and set your slow cooker on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. You can also cook it on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
- Remove chicken breasts from the slow cooker and set aside on a plate.
- Whisk water and cornstarch together, then add to the sauce inside the slow cooker. Whisk in heavy cream and return chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
- Cover with a lid and continue to cook on HIGH for 20 more minutes, or until sauce thickens.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Tips For The Best Chicken Marsala
- Searing the Chicken: Skipping the step of browning the chicken breasts is okay if you’re short on time, though doing so does enhance the flavor and helps to seal in the juices. But hey, if you want to see what I mean, just try my baked chicken pieces—your taste buds will thank you!
- Don’t rush: Making chicken marsala in the crock pot adds a depth of flavor that only comes from cooking food low and slow, much like this slow cooker coq au vin. Both dishes benefit from the slow-cooking process, allowing the rich flavors to meld together nicely.
- Check for doneness: Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
What Marsala Wine To Use & Substitution Options
Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily that can be sweet or dry. You want to use a dry Marsala wine for savory recipes like Chicken Marsala. If you can’t find some, use a darker Sherry, a dry white wine, a dry Madeira, or a Port. Remember that using anything other than dry Marsala wine will alter the classic flavor.
Side Dishes for Chicken Marsala
Now that you have a creamy, incredible chicken ready to go, what do you serve with it? I like Chicken Marsala on its own, but you can serve it over penne pasta, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. It would also go great with cauliflower rice or creamy mashed cauliflower.
For a classic Italian side, try my Vesuvio potatoes—they’re a delicious match! And to round out the meal, my chickpea salad adds a bit of freshness, while my baked homemade cannolis make for the sweetest dessert!
How To Store Leftovers
- To Store: Store Chicken Marsala leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Place chicken and sauce in a large Ziploc bag, seal it well, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350˚F and heat chicken marsala until warmed through.
More Italian Chicken Recipes
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Breasts
- Creamy Lemon Chicken with Asparagus
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Milanese
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Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 6 (1.5 to 2 pounds, total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms,, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry marsala wine
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray and set aside.
- Season chicken breasts all around with garlic powder, dried basil, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the seasoned chicken breasts to the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes per side or until just browned.
- Transfer chicken to slow cooker and top with mushrooms and garlic.
- Return skillet over medium-high heat and add the marsala wine; cook for 1 minute, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Pour the wine over the chicken and mushrooms.
- Close with a lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
- Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker and set aside on a plate.
- Combine water and cornstarch in a mug or a small mixing bowl and whisk until incorporated; then, whisk the slurry into the wine sauce.
- Add heavy cream to the wine sauce and whisk until combined. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.
- Return chicken to the slow cooker; cover with a lid and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened. For a creamier texture, add more heavy cream.
- Transfer chicken from slow cooker to plates; top with mushroom sauce and garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have time to brown the chicken breasts, you don’t have to, but it does help with the overall flavor.
- Try to use Dry Marsala Wine. Sweet Marsala Wine is for desserts. If you don’t want to use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead. I would also recommend chicken broth for those that are watching their calories, carbs, and/or are on a Keto diet.
- If you don’t have Marsala Wine, you can use Sherry, Madeira, Dry White Wine, or Port. Please keep in mind that using anything other than Dry Marsala Wine will alter the overall classic flavor.
- Check for doneness: For perfectly cooked chicken breasts, use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 4 days.
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.
The man at the liquor store told me to buy the sweet Marsala wine, (before I read this recipe)..will it be ok? Sounds delicious
Hi!
When making savory dishes, dry Marsala is the classic choice, but it will be just fine even if you use sweet marsala.
The dish came together nicely but tasted bland! Good in a pinch but would next time go with the traditional method to make the best use of all of the beautiful, flavorful ingredients.
I never leave reviews, but this recipe was so amazing I just had to. I served this over a wild rice blend with a squeeze of lemon and OMG! My husband and daughter went back for seconds. I tossed out my old recipe and will never make Chicken Marsala any other way. Thank you so much for sharing this delish recipe and making me a hero tonight!
That’s great to hear!! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! ๐ Thank YOU! ๐
The sauce looked kind of thin. Is there something to thicken it?
Hi!
Yes. You can make a slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water; whisk it until combined and then stir it into the sauce.
Hello. Trying this recipe now!! Its currently in the crock pot. I dont have e heavy cream though… can I use whole milk instead? Thanks
Yes, you could, but keep in mind that cream will make the sauce creamier. Milk will add a little bit of creaminess to it, and will also add a milky taste to the sauce.
I was really looking forward to making & enjoying this recipe, but was disappointed because the chicken was dry. Any ideas why this happened? Any suggestions because Iโd like to try making it again.
Thank you
Sharon
Hi!
Very sorry it didn’t work out for you! ๐ Usually, the reason chicken is dry is because it is overcooked. Maybe your slow cooker cooks at a higher temperature and chicken was probably done in 3 hours. For next time, I suggest to use a meat thermometer and start checking the chicken around the 3-hour mark to see if it’s done. Chicken is cooked through when its internal temperature registers at 165หF. This really is a great recipe, so I hope you’ll have a chance to make it again.
Thank you for getting back to me. I always thought the longer you cook something in the crockpot the more tender it becomes. Iโll give it another try โ๐ป
6 chicken breasts that total 1.5 lbs?? My pkg of 2 weighs 1.4 lbs…
Hi!
Yes. With my recipes, I try to stick to serving sizes, and a serving size of chicken is 4-ounces.
Can you use bone in chicken breast for this recipe.
Hi!
Yes, you can, but bone-in chicken takes longer to cook. If possible, use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness – chicken is cooked through when internal temp reaches 165หF.
Do you have to use heavy cream? We have problems with dairy๐ฉ
Love this recipe! Made with 12 thighs and dried and fresh thyme. No basil ( allergic). Doubled all ingredients for our family of four and served over buttered mushroom noodles and steamed broccoli. We are going to have this regularly. Thank youโค๏ธ
You said you added dried and fresh Thyme. Can you tell me how much you added. I would like to try this recipe but Basil hurts my stomach when I eat it.
Hi!
You can add about a teaspoon of dried thyme. You can also add dried oregano, if you like, dried rosemary, Italian Seasoning, etc…
I too cannot do dairy, so I substitute mocha mix with a corn starch slurry…
We are dairy free and use coconut cream in place of heavy cream!
Land O Lakes makes a lactose free half and half I like to use.
I bought the dry before I found out you are suppose to use the sweet. I bought 2 bottles from my local liquor store, there was none on the shelves. Didn’t realize it would be so hard to find. The dry worked fine for me. When the 2 bottles are gone,will order the sweet.
This recipe uses dry marsala. Sweet marsala is normally used for sweets and desserts.
They have a heavy coconut cream I believe, I had to go dairy free for a while and had to find a whole bunch of different replacements!
My husband and I used coconut cream and potato starch – using potato starch which chicken broth as a slurry. We also used a reduction of chicken broth and Marsala wine.
Keep in mind that the coconut milk must be added LAST. The other flavors are so strong that it turns out just fine. Also – use sage and shallots.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for including the tip about the substitution for the wine – I can’t wait to make this for dinner !!!!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Made this for dinner tonight! It was amazing! Will definitely make it again๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ
This crockpot chicken Marsala looks fabulous and I canโt wait to try it. Does it freeze well? Any special precautions if I want to freeze it? I do meal prep for keto and recipes where I can freeze portions are a real help. Thanks!
Yes, you can freeze this chicken marsala. I just put it in a large ziploc bag together with the sauce, seal it, and keep it in the freezer for a couple of months. To thaw, put it in the fridge, overnight, then reheat it in a 350หF preheated oven until heated through.
This was delicious! I used a few extra spices and portobello mushrooms. Doubled liquids for extra sauce. My chicken was moist and tender. Will definitely make again! Thanks for sharing!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
What type of mushrooms do you recommend?
What method do you recommend, IP or slow cooker? Iโm making this for my friends birthday.