Chicken Marsala is one of those unique Italian recipes that I think is difficult to duplicate using substitutions for the key flavoring ingredient in the dish: Marsala wine. Some people use grape juice or cranberry juice, especially if they have an aversion to using alcohol in their cooking, but I think there’s nothing like the sweet flavor of Marsala wine to make this recipe distinctive. In my opinion, not using it in this dish would be like frying up some tofu and trying to pass it off as sirloin steak. With that said, here is a quick-and-easy recipe for one of my favorite chicken dishes.

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • ¾ cup Marsala wine (don’t substitute!)
  • ¼ cup sherry

Directions:

  • Using a mallet, pound the chicken breast halves until the chicken is about ¼-inch thick.
  • Combine the flour, oregano, basil, black pepper, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
  • Dredge the flattened chicken breasts in the seasoned flour mixture. (Dispose of any remaining flour mixture.)
  • Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the butter.
  • When the butter is melted, add the chicken to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes; then turn the chicken to the other side. Don’t turn the chicken again.
  • Immediately after turning the chicken, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 1 minute; then pour in the Marsala wine and sherry.
  • Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and the mushrooms are tender (about 10 to 12 minutes).
  • Serve with rice or pasta.

A note about the wine used in this recipe: You don’t have to buy expensive wines for this recipe; just get wines that are drinkable—and don’t use that junk called cooking sherry, which isn’t good for anything, unless you don’t mind ruining the flavor of the dish.