This slow cooker chicken marsala is tender chicken breasts cooked in a mushroom and marsala wine sauce. It’s a delicious meal option that the whole family is sure to love!
I always used to order chicken marsala at restaurants, but now that I know how to make it in the crock pot, it’s become a dinner time favorite at home too! I love to use my crock pot to make comfort food classics including slow cooker beef bourguignon, slow cooker whole chicken and this creamy chicken and mushrooms.
Chicken Marsala is a super popular dish, and for good reason. How can you go wrong with chicken and mushrooms in a savory sauce? Well, I guess if you’re not a mushroom lover, but we love mushrooms at my house! This slow cooker chicken marsala is my take on the classic dish. It’s a great way to get the flavors of this restaurant favorite with minimal work.
How to make slow cooker chicken marsala
The first step in this recipe is to brown your chicken breasts. I understand that some people are looking for “dump and go” crock pot recipes where you just put everything in the slow cooker and walk away. If you really want to skip the browning of the chicken, you can, but it really adds SO much flavor to the end dish so I highly recommend it.
The chicken goes into the slow cooker along with some mushrooms, chicken broth, garlic and marsala wine. Most grocery stores carry marsala wine, but it’s not always mixed in with the standard red and white wines, so if you don’t see it, ask. My store has their marsala wine in the liquor section instead of the wine area.
The chicken and mushrooms simmer away in the sauce until tender. After the chicken and mushrooms are cooked, I add some corn starch to the slow cooker to help thicken up the sauce.
I also like to add a splash of cream at the end, it really rounds out the sauce and makes it taste so delicious. You can omit the cream if you prefer, or add a little butter for a similar result.
I serve my slow cooker chicken marsala over mashed potatoes, but rice or orzo would also be nice choices. My family loves this version of chicken marsala just as much as the kind we get at restaurants, and I love how easy it is to make!
More easy chicken recipes
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
- Chicken Madeira
- Bourbon Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry
Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Video
Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup marsala wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Place the chicken breasts, garlic, wine, chicken broth and mushrooms in the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 5 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker. Whisk together the cornstarch with 1/3 cup cold water. Pour the cornstarch into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken back to the slow cooker, turn the heat to HIGH and cook for 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the heavy cream and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
- If you're really pressed for time, you can skip browning the chicken breasts, but I highly recommend taking the time to brown them!
- You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Adapted from Creme de la Crumb
- Stove top instructions: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the marsala wine and chicken broth to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch that's been mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water. Simmer until just thickened. Stir in the cream and simmer for 2 more minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
This came out delicious. Always has been one of my fav dishes now super happy
to be able to make at home! I used thin sliced breasts and cooked on low for 4hrs. I dredged the chicken in flour , salt and pepper before browning on stove. Thank you !
I have chicken tenders (the thinner cut) to use up. How would you adjust the cook time?
I’d cook on low for 2-3 hours!
I want to use chicken thighs for this recipe. How would I adjust the cooking time?
You do not need to adjust the cooking time if they’re boneless thighs.
Could you add shallots to the crockpot at the beginning do you think or would they be better to cook them a bit and add them at the end if you want them.
It would be fine to add shallots at the beginning!
I don’t usually use a crock pot so this information is particularly important to me, a newbie.
Please state the size of the slow cooker that you use in each of your slow cooker recipes.
The size of the slow cooker does make a difference.
I am having to search other similar recipes (most do state the size of the slow cooker) to figure out which size of crockpot to use.
Thank you so much!
This can be made in a 4 or 6 quart crock pot which are the two standard sizes. If it’s a recipe where the size really matters I do put it in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Could I use flour instead of cornstarch to thicken it? If so how much would you suggest?
Thank you
I haven’t tested the recipe this way, but I think it could possibly work. I’d do 2 tablespoons of flour to start.
Will white wine work?
It will not be the exact same flavor but it should still be delicious!
Hello, what do you recommend serving this with?
Mashed potatoes or pasta with broccoli or asparagus on the side!
Hi. I’m making this for a birthday dinner Saturday night. Could I possibly brown the chicken Friday night and then put everything in the crockpot and refrigerate overnight? Then slow cook on Saturday? Thanks.
That would work if you cook the chicken all the way through when you brown it, otherwise I wouldn’t recommend keeping partially cooked chicken overnight.
Would I be able to freeze this as there is only 2 of us.
Yes that should be fine!
Is the marsala wine sweet or dry? Thanks, I love your site.
It is sweet Marsala!
This is such a good and EASY recipe. I cant get over how much like restaurant style this tastes. I dredged my chicken in some flour and spices before searing it. I also added a bit of freshly grated parm to the sauce at the end with the cream. Thanks for such an amazing recipe.
This recipe is outstanding! I love the chicken Marsala served at one of my local restaurants and this recipe is even better! I would like to make extra sauce to serve over pasta. To do so, could I just double all the ingredients except for the chicken in the slow cooker? Would I need to increase the cooking time? Thank you!!
I double the sauce often. No need to increase cooking time.
Bought Madeira by accident, can use instead of Marsala?
Yes that should work!
Love this recipe! Have made it a few times. Just wondering — today I am short on time. Can I cook on high for 2.5 to 3 hours? What would you recommend?
Yes that should be fine!
My fiancé can’t have dairy, would this still be good without or with a substitute? Thanks
It should work without dairy I believe!
I’ve made it without the cream. It was good but not as delish as with the cream. Try to find a dairy free substitute. There’s many.
Can your fiancé have coconut milk? Would that taste ok? It’s a perfect base recipe.
Yum! What a great idea to make Chicken Marsala in a slow cooker. A perfect dinner.
What size crock pot do you recommend? Thx you Cynthia Taffet
A 4 or 6 quart!