I want to eat this Stuffed Chicken Marsala every single day of my life. There – I said it!
The chicken is juicy and moist, the filling is creamy and cheesy, but the marsala wine sauce is what makes this a truly special and luxurious dinner!
You know I love to share 30 minute dinner recipes whenever possible, but sometimes… sometimes the extra time and effort and necessary. This is one of those times, and you will not regret one single bite.
Pan seared chicken breasts are stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, onion, and melty fontina cheese. They cook in a crazy flavorful sauce made from marsala wine, sherry vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. It is next level delicious, pinky promise!
How many times is too many times to enjoy this in one week? Asking for a friend.
For more easy dinner recipes, be sure to check out these Italian favorites: Classic Veal Saltimbocca with Marsala Pan Sauce, Chicken Marsala Pasta, or Veal Marsala.
Ingredient Notes
Slightly more ingredients than we usually provide for a weeknight dinner, but every single one serves a purpose and contributes to the overall flavor of the chicken marsala!
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- All-purpose flour
- Oregano
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- White button mushrooms
- Onion
- Marsala wine
- Sherry vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fontina cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
We love to serve this with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Takes the flavor of the final dish over the top!
What is marsala wine? Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily, usually supplemented with a distilled spirit, such as brandy. It’s similar in flavor to Madeira. You’ll see marsala labeled as either sweet or dry. We’re using dry marsala wine in this recipe. Sweet marsala is typically reserved for desserts!
Is there a marsala substitute? While nothing is quite the same as using marsala wine to make chicken marsala, you can use madeira wine as a substitute in a pinch! It’s not the exact same flavor, but it’s the next best thing.
How To Make Stuffed Chicken Marsala
- Season the chicken breasts. Preheat an oven to 375F. Mix flour and spices in a large Ziploc bag, then add chicken breasts. Seal and shake to thoroughly coat.
- Cut a pocket into each chicken breasts. Use a sharp knife to cut 2-3″ wide pocket into the thick side of each chicken breast. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
- Brown the chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat with butter and olive oil. Add chicken breasts and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully flip, then cook for another 3-5 minutes on the other side.
- Sauté onions and mushrooms (adding more butter or oil as needed), until they start to soften and brown.
- Reserve filling for stuffing. Remove 1 heaping cup of sautéed onions and mushrooms, then transfer to a small mixing bowl. Cool slightly.
- Make the marsala sauce. To the skillet, add marsala wine, sherry vinegar, and balsamic, then scrape the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, then allow the sauce to reduce.
- Make the filling. To the cooled onion and mushrooms, add grated fontina cheese. Stir well, then divide and stuff evenly between chicken breasts. It’s okay if it overflows a bit. Really fill ’em!
- Bake the stuffed chicken marsala. Place stuffed chicken breasts back in the skillet, spoon some of the sauce on top, then transfer to the oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F (74C).
- Serve immediately. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately!
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
How To Serve
Keep it simple: pasta or a baked potato and sautéed or roasted vegetables are perfect.
We love:
- Roasted broccoli
- Sautéed haricots verts
- Roasted brussels sprouts
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Perfect baked potatoes
Can I Use Other Types Of Mushrooms?
Yes! We really love using white button mushrooms (they are a classic in chicken marsala!), but baby cremini mushrooms would also work well.
And while we adore shiitakes, porcini, and morels, mushrooms like that don’t work quite as well here. They are still absolutely delicious, just changes the texture and flavor of the dish a bit.
This ain’t your Italian nonna’s classic chicken marsala! It’s better. (Sorry, not sorry!!)
Wine Pairings!
As part of my Date Night In series, I’m offering up a few wine suggestions to serve alongside. These pairings are made keeping in mind the natural sweetness of marsala wine (which actually plays off the earthiness of the mushrooms beautifully).
Red wine: We recommend serving marsala with a soft, subtle, lower-tannin red, such as Dolcetto. Because Dolcetto is often drunk young, it is relatively inexpensive compared to Barolo or Barbaresco (also delicious here). Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with a light Pinot Noir.
Rosé wine: Broken record here, but…. Provence rosés are my jam. They just work so well here. Light, dry, and elegant. Can’t go wrong!
White wine: Stick with a fuller bodied dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Viognier.
If you make this Stuffed Chicken Marsala recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms & Fontina
Video
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 pints white button mushrooms stems removed, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- ¾ cup dry marsala wine
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup fontina cheese grated, about 4-6 oz
- grated Parmesan for serving
- Fresh parsley finely chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Season the chicken breasts. Mix flour, oregano, Kosher salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then whisk to combine. Place flour mixture in a large Ziploc bag, then add chicken breasts. Seal and shake to thoroughly coat on all sides.
- Cut a pocket into chicken breasts. Use a sharp knife to cut 2-3" wide pocket into the thick side of each chicken breast, being sure not to cut all the way through the other side.
- Brown the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add seasoned chicken breasts and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully flip, then cook for another 3-5 minutes on the other side. Transfer chicken to a large plate.
- Sauté onions and mushrooms. Add another 2 Tbsp of butter or olive oil, then add sliced onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until onions are starting to soften and brown slightly. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook an additional 5 minutes until browned.
- Reserve filling for stuffing. Remove 1 heaping cup of sautéed onions and mushrooms, then transfer to a small mixing bowl. Allow to cool slightly.
- Make the marsala sauce. To the skillet, add ¾ cup marsala wine, ¼ cup sherry vinegar, and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, then scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula or wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Allow sauce to reduce while you stuff the chicken.
- Make the stuffing. To the cooled onion and mushrooms, add grated fontina cheese. Stir to mix well, then divide and stuff evenly between chicken breasts. It's okay if it overflows a bit. Really fill 'em!
- Bake the stuffed chicken marsala. Place stuffed chicken breasts back in the skillet, spoon some of the sauce on top, then transfer to a preheated oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C).
- Serve immediately. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately!
This was delish! The flavors are amazing! I just made this whole recipe for 2 people, so this evening I had left overs and they were still good! I just reheated the stuffed chicken in the oven. Yum! Nicely done Ari!
Beyond obsessed with this marsala!! That sauce is completely slurpable! So happy you guys love it too. xo, Ari
This was so delicious!! My husband made it for my birthday dinner and it delivered- definitely adding this to mix again soon!!
What a good husband!! Perfect celebratory meal! xo, Ari
I know final temp of 165 is final goal, but what temp for bake of 12-14 minutes. Need a number if I am supposed to be putting it in “preheated oven”. Good ole 350 do it? 🧐🧑🍳
Hi Don! It’s 375 F (listed as the very first step in the instructions). ENJOY, this is one of our favorites, and let me know what you think! xo, Ari
What happened to the cup of mushrooms and onions that are reserved? Do they go on the chicken when it’s served or are they put in the marsala sauce?
Hi Dana! It’s Step 7 in the instructions: To the cooled onion and mushrooms, add grated fontina cheese. Stir to mix well, then divide and stuff evenly between chicken breasts. The remaining mushrooms and onions are the sauce for the chicken. Does that make sense? Best, Ari