Who’s ready to make Olive Garden chicken marsala at home?
It’s sweet, earthy, savory, and worth the time it takes to whip up this stunning main course.
Olive Garden has a long list of deliciously addictive dishes, and their chicken marsala lands high on my list.
The marsala sauce is amazingly flavorful, with plenty of rich spices, mushrooms, and Marsala wine.
If you crave Olive Garden but don’t want to face the crowds, check out this spot-on chicken marsala recipe below.
Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
What is it that makes Olive Garden chicken marsala so delightfully addictive? First, it’s the marsala wine sauce.
The sauce is rich and flavorful. It adds a beautiful sweetness that pairs perfectly with mushrooms and pasta.
There’s simply no substitute!
While most of the ingredients are pantry staples, you might need to make a special trip to the grocery store for it. Whatever you do, don’t skip it!
Marsala wine hangs out with the vinegar in the baking section, not the wine selection.
With fragrant marsala wine, earthy mushrooms, and juicy and crispy chicken breasts, it’s sure to be your family’s next favorite meal.
The best part? It’s surprisingly easy to whip up on a hectic weeknight.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken. Two boneless and skinless chicken breasts pounded thinly are all you need for this hearty dinner dish.
- Flour, garlic, salt, and pepper. Adding flour to your stock helps to thicken it. The spices add even more flavor.
- Vegetable oil. A dash of vegetable oil in the pan helps sauté your protein to perfection.
- Butter. Adding butter makes the sauce so rich, creamy, and glistening. Be sure to opt for unsalted butter, or your dish will be overly salty.
- Mushrooms. Mushrooms add hearty, earthy flavors that make this dish so filling. Any mushrooms work in this dish, like white, cremini, or porcini.
- Marsala wine. This fortified wine adds a robust, slightly sweet flavor to the dish. When picking it up at the grocery store, it’s found in the vinegar section, not in the wine section.
- Chicken stock. Chicken stock helps create a meaty, decadent sauce. For a different flavor profile, you can also use vegetable stock.
- Brown sugar. There are a lot of heavy, earthy flavors in this dish. Brown sugar helps to keep the sauce light and slightly sweet.
- Worcestershire. A dash of Worcestershire plays so well with the earthy mushrooms. It’s tart, sweet, and adds intense flavor.
- Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard is slightly spicy and bitter and takes the earthy flavors of this dish to new heights.
How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
Follow these steps to make this copycat Olive Garden chicken marsala:
1. Pound the chicken breasts about 1/2 inch thick. Thinly pounded chicken breasts ensure a crusty crust. They also provide a larger surface to soak up that magical marsala sauce.
2. Bread your chicken. Coat chicken breasts in a coating of flour, salt, and pepper to get a nice crusty crust that locks in moisture.
3. Sauté breaded chicken breasts. In a heavy pan, cook chicken breasts until they’re golden, crispy, and delicious. Set it aside, and cover it.
4. Cook the mushrooms. In the same pan used for the chicken, sauté the mushrooms until they’re soft.
5. Make the marsala wine sauce. Pour the wine and chicken stock into the pan. Cook it on low until the wine reduces. Add the brown sugar, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, and butter into the pan. Cook it until the butter is nice and creamy.
6. Combine the chicken and sauce. Add the cooked chicken back into the pan. Cover it with the marsala sauce. Keep the chicken warm on the stove in the sauce until it’s ready to serve.
7. Garnish it right before serving. For that authentic Olive Garden experience, garnish it with fresh parsley, and don’t be shy about adding grated Parmesan cheese.
Tips and Tricks
Keep these tips and tricks in mind when making this recipe:
- Weigh your chicken. No one wants raw or overly dry chicken. Weigh the breasts on a kitchen scale so they cook evenly in the pan. Doing so will ensure both chicken breasts cook at the same rate.
- Leave your chicken alone. Ensuring a crispy crust is key to insanely moist chicken. Avoid the urge to flip your chicken every few minutes. Let it cook in the pan, and only flip it when necessary.
- Leave no crispy bits behind. After your chicken and mushrooms cook, crispy bits will be in the bottom of the pan. Scrape up those bits and infuse them into the sauce. They pack loads of flavor and are the secret to a rich and flavorful main course.
- Give the sauce the time it needs to thicken. Waiting for your sauce to thicken is a test of patience. Cook it low and slow to draw out those flavors. Resist the urge to turn up the heat to speed up the thickening process. It will thicken. Just be patient!
- Taste as you go. It’s easy to get carried away with the salt. Many chicken or vegetable stocks boast a lot of sodium, so be sure to taste your sauce at each step to ensure that it’s not overly salty.
How to Store
There are two ways to store your chicken after it cooks: fridge or freezer.
To store. Place the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
To freeze. Let the leftovers cool, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat. Let the leftovers defrost in the fridge overnight. Then, heat them in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
What to Serve With Chicken Marsala
If you want to recreate the Olive garden at home, serve your chicken marsala with fettuccine Alfredo.
Making a homemade alfredo sauce is easy, but you can also opt for store-bought.
It also goes great with simple angel hair pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
To keep calories low, swap out heavy carbs for zoodles (zucchini noodles) or a bag of cauliflower rice.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Chicken Milanese
Chicken Riggies
Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
Chicken Murphy
Greek Chicken
Olive Garden Chicken Marsala (Copycat Recipe)
4
servings10
minutes30
minutes720
kcalSkip going out to eat and make Olive Garden chicken marsala at home! This easy copycat recipe is just as good as the real deal, if not better.
Ingredients
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup canola oil.
- Pat dry and pound the chicken into even thickness. Then, season with salt and pepper. Dredge it in the flour, shake off the excess, and cook in the hot oil for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the skillet, place it on a paper towel-lined plate, and cover it loosely with foil.
- In the same skillet, add two tablespoons of vegetable oil and the cremini mushrooms. Cook for three minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour the marsala wine into the skillet and scrape off the crusty bits on the bottom of the pan. If using, add the Porcini mushrooms, stir, and bring the liquid to boil. Then, lower the heat and simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
- Add the chicken stock, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and butter. Stir it until it’s combined and creamy.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the top. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then serve with extra marsala sauce, fresh parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- If serving with pasta: cook 8 ounces of spaghetti in boiling water. Set it going after searing the chicken and toss it in the excess sauce before plating.
No spice mixture is listed.
Hi William!
Thanks for spotting that!
I’ve clarified this in the recipe.
Thanks 🙂
I personally put thyme, garlic Parmesan (seasoning-Grill Mate), Italian, rosemary, and paprika in mine. I just seasoned to my liking.
I love the Olive Garden. Thanks so much for all the great recipes. How fun!!