The Comfort Food Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala Recipe for Tonight

Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala brings elegant Italian-inspired comfort directly to your kitchen table.

Sophisticated yet wonderfully approachable, this classic dish transforms ordinary ingredients into something truly spectacular.

Wine-infused sauces have long been a hallmark of refined cooking, and this particular recipe elevates home meals with professional-level finesse.

Mushrooms add earthy depth that complements the tender chicken perfectly.

Elegant preparation techniques make this meal feel like a restaurant-quality experience without complicated steps.

A dash of culinary magic transforms simple ingredients into something memorable.

You’ll love how quickly this impressive dish comes together with minimal effort: prepare to be delighted.

Pointers for a Delicious Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala

• Pound Precisely: Consistent ¼-inch thickness guarantees even cooking and tender chicken that melts in your mouth.
• Select the Right Skillet: Heavy-bottomed pans distribute heat evenly, creating a gorgeous golden crust without scorching the delicate meat.
• Capture Hidden Flavors: Deglazing the pan by scraping up those delicious browned bits transforms an ordinary sauce into a restaurant-worthy masterpiece.
• Customize Sauce Consistency: Cornstarch mixed with cold water lets you control the sauce's thickness, ensuring a perfect silky texture every time.
• Brighten with Fresh Herbs: Chopped parsley adds a vibrant color and fresh flavor that cuts through the rich, savory marsala sauce, elevating the entire dish.

Maintaining Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala

• Meal Prep: Transfer cooled chicken marsala into portioned glass containers with tight-sealing lids. Glass containers prevent flavor absorption and maintain food quality better than plastic, keeping your meal tasting fresh and delicious.
• Freezing Strategy: Carefully package chicken marsala in flat, freezer-safe bags, removing maximum air to prevent freezer burn. Label each bag with date and contents, ensuring quick identification and tracking of meal storage duration.
• Reheating Technique: Gently warm chicken marsala in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding splash of chicken broth to restore moisture and prevent drying. Stir occasionally and check internal temperature reaches 165°F for safe consumption, maintaining original texture and flavor profile.

Flavorful Variations on Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala

• Mediterranean Herb Chicken: Replace rosemary with a blend of oregano, thyme, and basil for a Greek-inspired flavor profile. Use white wine instead of Marsala to complement the herbal notes.
• Spicy Southwestern Chicken: Add chili powder and cumin to the flour coating. Incorporate diced green chilies into the mushroom sauce. Serve with cilantro and a side of Mexican rice.
• Creamy Mushroom Variation: Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream at the end of sauce preparation. Add a handful of grated parmesan cheese for extra richness. Garnish with chopped chives instead of parsley for a more luxurious finish.
• Lighter Gluten-Free Option: Substitute flour with almond meal or cornstarch for coating. Use cauliflower rice as a low-carb side dish. Replace butter with olive oil for a healthier alternative and maintain the dish's classic flavor profile.

A Reflection on Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala

Culinary magic emerges from classic Chicken Marsala, blending Italian-American traditions with elegant simplicity.

Barefoot Contessa’s recipe transforms humble ingredients into restaurant-quality comfort.

Mushroom-laden Marsala sauce drapes perfectly seasoned chicken with rich, complex flavors.

Sophisticated yet approachable, this dish invites home cooks to explore gourmet techniques without intimidation.

Savor each bite, share this masterpiece with friends, and let your taste buds dance – tag us in your delicious dishs, spark conversation in comments, and spread the culinary love across social platforms.

Why Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala Remains a Favorite

• Savor Luxurious Restaurant-Quality Flavor: This chicken marsala delivers gourmet-level taste right in your kitchen, featuring tender chicken with rich mushroom sauce that rivals fine dining experiences without complicated techniques.
• Master Quick Weeknight Elegance: The recipe transforms simple ingredients into an impressive meal in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy professionals or home cooks wanting sophisticated dinner without extensive preparation time.
• Enjoy Customizable Comfort Meal: Flexible serving options like mashed potatoes, rice, or seasonal vegetables allow you to personalize the dish according to your preferences, creating a versatile dinner solution that adapts to different taste preferences and dietary needs.
• Experience Restaurant-Inspired Cooking Technique: The method of deglazing the pan with Marsala wine and chicken stock captures incredible depth of flavor, allowing home cooks to learn professional culinary techniques while creating a delicious, restaurant-style meal.

Ingredients Checklist for Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala

• Chicken Breasts: Lean protein base for the dish, choose fresh, boneless, and skinless for best results.

• All-Purpose Flour, Dried Rosemary: Creates a light, crispy exterior for the chicken, rosemary adds herbal flavor.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings for enhancing the chicken's natural taste.

• Olive Oil: Provides cooking fat and helps create golden-brown chicken.
• Chicken Stock: Builds depth of flavor and helps create the sauce base.
• Marsala Wine: Signature ingredient that gives the dish its rich, sweet-savory profile.
• Thyme Sprigs: Adds aromatic herb notes to the sauce.
• Mushrooms: Provides earthy flavor and tender texture to the sauce.
• Garlic: Introduces a sharp, pungent flavor to the dish.
• Butter: Adds richness and helps smooth out the sauce.
• Cornstarch: Optional thickening agent for the sauce.
• Fresh Parsley: Bright, fresh garnish that adds color and light herb flavor.

Cooking Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala Step by Step

Step 1: Tenderize Chicken

Gently place chicken breasts between plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use a meat mallet to flatten each piece to ¼-inch thickness. Slice each breast into two equal cutlets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.

Step 2: Prepare Flour Coating

• All-purpose flour
• Dried rosemary

Dip each chicken cutlet into the mixture, shaking off excess flour.

Step 3: Sear Chicken Perfectly

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken cutlets in batches for 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer cooked pieces to a warm oven at 200°F.

Step 4: Sauté Mushroom Base

• Thyme sprigs
• Sliced mushrooms

Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour in chicken stock and scrape pan drippings. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

Step 5: Create Marsala Wine Sauce

Pour Marsala wine and remaining chicken stock into the skillet. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to blend flavors.

Step 6: Enhance Sauce Consistency

Optional step to thicken sauce: Mix cornstarch with cold water. Gradually stir into simmering sauce until desired thickness is reached.

Step 7: Add Luxurious Finish

Stir butter into the sauce until completely melted. Let simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Step 8: Plate and Serve

Remove chicken from oven and place in skillet. Spoon sauce generously over cutlets. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve alongside mashed potatoes, rice, buttered noodles, or seasonal vegetables.

Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala Recipe

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4.6 from 18 reviews

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Barefoot Contessa Chicken Marsala brings Italian-American comfort to dinner tables with elegant simplicity. Golden chicken cutlets nestled in rich mushroom sauce create a restaurant-quality meal anyone can master at home.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Protein:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Seasonings and Herbs:

• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• ¼ cup (15g) fresh parsley, chopped

Cooking Ingredients:

• 125 grams (4.4 ounces) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) extra-virgin olive oil
• 280 grams (9.9 ounces) sliced mushrooms (baby bellas or cremini)
• 300 milliliters (10.1 fluid ounces) chicken stock or broth (divided)
• 240 milliliters (8.1 fluid ounces) Marsala wine
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)
• 30 grams (1.1 ounces) butter (or vegan butter)

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Instructions

1. Tenderize the chicken breasts by placing them between plastic wrap or parchment paper. Gently pound to a uniform 1/4-inch (6 millimeters) thickness using a meat mallet. Slice each breast into two equal cutlets. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Create a seasoned coating by mixing flour and dried rosemary in a shallow dish. Carefully dredge each chicken cutlet in the herbed flour mixture, ensuring an even coating and shaking off any excess flour.
3. Heat of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high temperature. Cook the chicken cutlets in batches, allowing 3-5 minutes per side until they develop a golden-brown exterior and reach full internal doneness. Add remaining oil between batches as needed. Transfer cooked cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate, then keep warm in an oven set to 90 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Fahrenheit).
4. Without cleaning the pan, introduce thyme sprigs and sliced mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat, seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Pour in 60 milliliters () of chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any flavorful browned bits with a spatula. Add minced garlic and cook until aromatic.
5. Pour Marsala wine and remaining 240 milliliters of chicken stock into the pan. Allow the liquid to simmer for 2-3 minutes, melding the flavors together.
6. For a thicker sauce consistency, whisk of cornstarch with 60 milliliters of cold water until smooth. Gradually incorporate the mixture into the simmering sauce, continuing to cook until it reaches desired thickness.
7. Incorporate butter into the sauce, stirring until completely melted. Let the sauce continue simmering for an additional 2-3 minutes to develop deeper flavors.
8. Retrieve the warm chicken cutlets from the oven and nestle them into the pan. Generously spoon the mushroom Marsala sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley as a final garnish. Serve immediately alongside creamy mashed potatoes, steamed rice, buttered egg noodles, or a selection of seasonal vegetables.

Notes

• Pound chicken breasts to an even ¼-inch thickness for consistent, tender cooking that guarantees a perfectly prepared meal.
• Select a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet to distribute heat evenly, creating a beautiful golden-brown crust without scorching the meat.
• Capture maximum flavor by deglazing the pan with browned bits, transforming simple pan drippings into a rich, deeply seasoned sauce.
• Create a silky sauce consistency by whisking cornstarch with cold water, allowing the mixture to thicken the sauce rapidly and smoothly.
• Brighten the dish’s appearance and taste with freshly chopped parsley, adding a vibrant green garnish that cuts through the sauce’s richness.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Frying
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 770
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 442mg
• Fat: 37g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 68g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 38g
• Cholesterol: 68mg