A Marsala sauce with no mushrooms but plenty of bacon makes this Creamy Chicken Marsala recipe extra special! Perfect for your next dinner party.
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Why we love this recipe
So let me start by saying I am well aware of the fact that Chicken Marsala is usually made with chicken, Marsala wine and…mushrooms.
But….I just don’t like mushrooms…never have, never will, although I respect your right to love them of course!
So what’s a creamy chicken loving girl to do when she really wants to make a Chicken Marsala recipe with no mushrooms?
Well, she swaps in bacon for the mushrooms, of course. And that means the chicken gets to cook in the bacon drippings (swoon) which then becomes the base for the Marsala wine sauce (double swoon).
And since I was basically throwing the traditional recipe out the window I decided to make things even more decadent and add a little cream to make things even more interesting.
And to top it all off, this easy Chicken Marsala happens in one pan and in 30 minutes. Let’s make it!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Chicken: You want nice thin boneless chicken breasts…you can either buy them in a thin sliced variety, or you can get out the frustrations of the day by pounding them nice and thin. You’re looking for about a quarter inch thick.
- Marsala Wine: Marsala is an Italian wine with a rich, deep flavor. It comes in both sweet and dry varieties, and the dry is the version usually used for cooking. Some supermarkets carry a “cooking variety” of Marsala which is just fine, otherwise you can find it in your local liquor or wine store.
- Bacon: We like thick-cut bacon for this recipe, but regular sliced bacon will work as well.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Cook some chopped bacon in a skillet until it is done to your liking. Scoop it out and set it aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
STEP 2: Dredge some thin sliced or pounded chicken breasts in flour.
STEP 3: Heat the bacon drippings over medium high heat and brown those floured chicken breasts until they are golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Take them out and set them aside.
STEP 4: Add a cup of Marsala wine to the skillet and let it simmer for a minute. Pour in some cream and let it all simmer for another couple of minutes.
STEP 5: Put the chicken and bacon back in the pan, turn the chicken over once or twice until it is coated with sauce and reheated, and you are ready to roll.
Recipe FAQs
So many options! You can either buy chicken breasts that are already thin sliced. Or, you can buy the regular thick kind, put it in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or in a plastic bag and pound it with a meat mallet until it is the right size (about a quarter inch thick)…put a dishtowel under the chicken to protect your counter. Or you can slice those thick chicken breasts horizontally so you have two thin pieces.
Of course you can…add a cup of scrubbed sliced fresh mushrooms to the skillet after you cook the bacon. Cook for about 5 minutes and then scoop them out, and add them back in when you add the chicken and the bacon.
Dry sherry and vermouth are both good substitutes if you don’t have Marsala.
Pop your question in the Comments section below and I will answer pronto!
Want to round out your meal?
I like to serve this with a scattering of parsley and some mashed potatoes on the side, which are perfect for scooping up every last drop of the sauce.
And if you want some veggies on the side, we love these parmesan asparagus. And for dessert, let’s have Irish Trifle!
Other creamy chicken recipes we love
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Creamy Chicken Marsala
A Marsala sauce with no mushrooms but plenty of bacon makes this Creamy Chicken Marsala recipe extra special! Perfect for your next dinner party.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound thick cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 1/2 cup flour seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 chicken breast cutlets, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
- 1 cup Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Put the bacon in a heavy large skillet over medium high heat and cook until slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
- Dredge the chicken in flour and add to the pan, adding some olive oil if the pan looks dry. Cook until golden on each side and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and put on a plate.
- Add Marsala wine to the skillet and cook over medium high heat for one minute, stirring up any cooked on bits from the bottom of the pan. Add cream and simmer for an additional two minutes.
- Return chicken and bacon to the skillet and turn the chicken over a time or two until it is covered in sauce and reheated about a minute.
- Place chicken on plates, pour sauce over and garnish with parsley.
Notes
-
- Chicken: You want nice thin boneless chicken breasts…you can either buy them in a thin sliced variety, or you can get out the frustrations of the day by pounding them nice and thin. You’re looking for about a quarter inch thick.
-
- Marsala Wine: Marsala is an Italian wine with a rich, deep flavor. It comes in both sweet and dry varieties, and the dry is the version usually used for cooking. Some supermarkets carry a “cooking variety” of Marsala which is just fine, otherwise you can find it in your local liquor or wine store.
-
- Bacon: We like thick-cut bacon for this recipe, but regular sliced bacon will work as well.
Maria says
Loved the recipe, use bacon, and mushrooms. Had everything I needed at home. Served with roasted red potatoes and salad. Yummy.
Thanks for the recipe.
Maria, I’m so glad! This is one of my very favorite “fancy chicken” recipes. :)
Justin says
My girlfriend doesn’t like mushrooms and I was getting bored with the normal chicken Marsala recipe I’ve been making for her. I tried your recipe and wanted to let you know it was simply amazing! It came out super savory! It paired well with pasta and baked asparagus. I used low sodium bacon and it still managed to have that burst of flavor throughout the entire meal. I may try something less heavy than the heavy whipping cream next time just so I can watch my fat intake. Great recipe. Can’t wait to try the rest of the recipes I bookmarked on this blog!
Here’s a picture of how mine came out!
http://i.imgur.com/JG3Dozk.jpg
Hi Justin! Thanks for the picture – looks like you had a delectable dinner! Thanks for showing me how it turned out. :)
Blewits says
Made this tonight but used mushrooms, with the bacon as a topping with some fresh chopped parsley. Absolutely terrific! Thank you.
Sounds like a perfectly lovely variation on this one!
Linda G says
I am thrilled to finally find a blog where there are no mushrooms hiding in the food. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!
Kate says
You’re welcome! We anti-mushroomers have to stick together. :)
Carole says
Looks absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Kate says
Hurray! Hope you love it as much as we do! :)
ruthie says
We’re on the same wavelength again, sort of…I had planned to make Chicken Marsala tonight, ordered both mushrooms (!) and chicken breasts, but the supermarket said they were out of chicken breasts!!! Hard to believe. Ah, well, I have backup in the freezer, just will have to wait for tomorrow.
I like mushrooms so much that I usually cut them in quarters, from the cap down, just so there’ll be more sturdy mushroomy goodness. Heh. I feel about cilantro the way you do about ‘shrooms. Does that make us even? ;)
Kate says
That definitely makes us even – and that’s what makes the world go round. Enjoy your shrooms! :)
Lorrie says
OMG….I’m so happy to find someone who dislikes mushrooms as much as I do! If chicken marsala is on the menu I always order it and pick the mushrooms out. I will definetly try this recipe this winter.
Kate says
Hurray! Us mushroom-dislikers have to stick together. :)
Foodiewife says
I loathe goat cheese about as much you feel about mushrooms. I love shrooms, but hubs is kinda ‘meh” about it. Bacon…yea! He loves bacon. Who doesn’t? I This looks amazing, and while I love fungus on my chicken marsala, I think I’d like this version just as much.
Kate says
Fungus, I love it!! And I think you will too. :)
Diane says
Sounds good. Did you use a dry marsala wine/
Kate says
Yep! Cantine Florio dry marsala.
Winnie says
This post made me smile as my hubby eats everything except mushrooms, lima beans and brussels sprouts. I have seen him picking mushrooms out of sauce so diligently in restaurants. I will make this for sure, as he LOVES bacon (we have it mail ordered and receive it for holiday gifts too..) Thank you…I will show him this post, he will be glad there is another mushroom hater out there (me, I adore them all…)
Kate says
I’m with him on the lima beans – yuck! But I have to admit, I do like brussel sprouts. And bacon as a holiday gift?? I can’t think of anything better. :)
Amanda says
I do love mushrooms, almost every recipe I make I ADD mushrooms even where they don’t belong lol, but thank you for the recipe! II love Olive Garden’s chicken marsala and on one of our first dates my husband took me to an Italian restaurant not knowing I really don’t like Italian food (because of the red tomato-based sauces, he showed me that there’s more to Italian food than red sauce!) and when I couldn’t find anything I liked, he recommended the marsala. I’ve loved it ever since!
Kate says
I love recipes with sentimental memories attached! :)
MaryAlice says
Although I love (LOVE) mushrooms, I feel that way about eggplant. I don’t even WANT to like it. Blech. But even without mushrooms, this sounds fab!
Kate says
I am right there with you on the eggplant! And lima beans. :)
Joanne says
I am SOOO not a mushroom person either, though I LOVE marsala sauce. Love your solution to the eternal mushroom problem. :P
Kate says
Bacon solves all mushroom problems! :)
Karen Nelson says
Chicken Marsala = Happy…Bacon = happy…. and you and your blog recipes = happy!!
Kate says
Awww! Happy happy happy! :)
Tricia says
I love chicken marsala but always hated having to pick out all the mushrooms! Thank you for this wonderful version. Can’t wait to try it!
Kate says
My pleasure (and I hear you on the mushroom-picking – that’s me!)