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!
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.
MY LATEST VIDEOSHow 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
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!
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.
Recipe 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.
robin rue says
I love crock pot recipes – especially on busy weeknights. This recipe sounds like it would go over big with my kids.
Alli Smith says
My family loves Chicken Marsala. I always make it on the stove top, but I’m in love with the idea of making it in the slow cooker. I’ll be trying this recipe soon. I know it will be a family favorite.
Terri Beavers says
I need to get more creative with my crock pot because this dish right here is making me hungry. I’ve never even heard of this which tells you how boring meal time is around here.
Jeanette says
And it looks amazing! I like anything that I can just throw in the crockpot and let it go. I think I will definitely try this.
Marysa says
Chicken with mushrooms.. this looks so good! I’ll have to save this recipe so I have something different to make for dinner this week.
Sarah Bailey says
Oh now this sounds right up my street, I have to admit I do look a good chicken meal and this sounds like the perfect one to have cooking in the pot.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
Chicken marsala is one of my fave dishes of all time. I love the idea of using the slow cooker. Throwing a bunch of stuff in the slow cooker and coming back a few hours later to a delicious dinner is my idea of a smart move!!
Pam says
I love chicken Marsala. It’s one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken. So much flavor!
Amber Myers says
Oh, yes please. I am making this for dinner soon. I love using my crock pot, and this looks amazing.
Franc Ramon says
The chicken marsala looks really rich in flavor and soft on the teeth. It can definitely be a sumptuous and delicious meal.
Kamika says
This recipe would save me so much time with my meal prep. I could throw everything in the crockpot while I’m chopping other veggies and prepping lunch. It looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it.
Sarah Honey says
My family loves Marsala sauce! This is such a great idea to make it in the slow cooker. I always make it in a pan!
Carol Cassara says
It totally looks amazing and I wouldn’t mind giving it a try! Having a slow cooker really is a blessing, it makes cooking more convenient for all of us!
Erica D Ardali says
We would love to have this at our house. I love chicken!
Albert Bevia says
comfort food at its best, mushrooms are also a big hit in my household, what a great idea making it on the slow cooker, something everyone will love, great recipe 🙂
Alison Rost says
Looks like a really delicious dish to try soon. I am happy to have come across a slow cooker version. That would help me get more free time! 🙂
Anosa says
I love the idea of browning the chicken first before dumping into the slow cooker. I will be trying this recipe I just need to get some masala wine which I didnt even know was a thing
Amy says
This looks delicious! But browning chicken first and only cooking 5 hours in the crockpot means it’s not very weeknight feasible for me. Can you recommend oven time instead? If not, no biggie. This will just have to be a weekend meal instead. Thanks!
Sara says
You can cook it for longer in the crock pot, but if you do, the chicken breasts will be more fall apart versus a whole intact breast. It should still be delicious though! I just added stove top instructions in the notes section of the recipe.
Amy says
Perfect! Thank you! Can’t wait to try it!
Michelle says
Or a crockpot with a timer…
nathalie says
I am trying to lighten up my meals. What do you suggest as an alternative to the heavy cream?
Sara says
The cream is optional, you can just omit it!
Angie says
Tried this tonight with bonless chicken thighs. Flavors are good, but my chicken was so tender they were falling apart. Something different—LOL! Not your typical chicken marsala presentation.
Angela says
This was delish!!! My family loved it! Super easy. I did not brown the chicken. I didnt even thaw the chicken. The flavors were phenomenal. Plus a slow cooker recipe…..my absolute favorite. Thank you
Kay b says
Can this be cooked on high for 3 hours instead of low for 5?
Sara says
Yes that should work!
Shonna says
This turned out fabulous, great flavour and it was loved by both kids, husband and mother! Which I might add is no easy task around here. Loved it! Nice to use thighs though because breasts can become a bit dry. Thank you!
Susan armstrong says
Note to self – use thighs or frozen bagged chicken breasts next time as fresh chicken breasts turned out dry??? Also, more Marsala and a few more mushrooms could be added. Sauce was a hit.
Stacey says
Agreed on the Marsala wine-it was good dish, but did t have that real taste of the classic Marsala that I love. I browned the chicken-maybe brown it along w the garlic and mushrooms to give more flavor? I was so excited to make for
my boyfriend, and although he liked it, I was a little disappointed. Any other suggestions?
Brooke k says
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but pain on adding basil and marjoram to the sauce because that is what my favorite stovetop recipe calls for!
Marge Giebel says
Can I cut this recipe in half? would the cooking time be the same?
Sara says
Yes you can cut it in half and I’d cook it for an hour less!
Gidget says
Is the Marsala sweet or dry? Definitely going to make this !
Sara says
I use sweet Marsala!
Jen says
What can the heavy cream be replaced with….I can’t have any dairy, but this sounds fantastic!
Sara says
You can just omit it, it’s an optional ingredient!
Lois says
Some give cook time 2 to 3 hrs ,others 5 to 6 I’m confused what is the difference
Sara says
It depends on what heat setting you’re using on your crock pot. Things typically cook on high heat in half the time than they would cook on low heat. Also, some crock pots run hotter than others, which is why there’s a range of like 5-6 hours. If you check it at 5 hours and everything looks done then you’re good to go!
Carol says
When reviewing recipes I always look for comments of those who tried the recipe to get their opinion of how it turned out. Of all the comments listed only four actually made the recipe!!! Most things look delicious but did it taste as good as it looks???? Very frustrating!
Sara says
A lot of people leave commentary on Pinterest rather than coming back to the blog, here are some more reviews: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283375001539104319/
Yana says
Yes! I agree….I wanted to read the 5 star reviews but saw they were rating the look of the recipe! Also, would you please give an estimate of the weight of the chicken? 6 breasts seems like a lot? Thank you, it does look yummy.
Sara says
I’d say about 1.5 pounds!
Mariah says
We don’t use wine in foods is there another option sound so good
Sara says
You can omit the wine and just use more chicken broth.
Shayne Pruitt says
I tried this recipe and it was very good. When i make it again I will make some slight changes, however. First, I agree with another reviewer that it could use a bit more liquid, especially the marsala. After the cooking process it had no marsala flavor at all so I added a tablespoon or more – just enough to taste – and it was perfect. I did use the heavy cream but only used about half of what the recipe called for. The sauce/gravy was great and VERY good with mashed potatoes. Next time I think I will go to 3/4 cup of both the chicken broth and the marsala.
The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of mushrooms but that didn’t seem like enough for the amount of chicken so I doubled it to 3 cups and it worked out well.
About seasoning, I thought I was pretty heavy-handed with the salt but it seemed to just beg for more. I seasoned the chicken up front and the sauce at the end as suggested but it still wasn’t enough – for me – and I added more at the dinner table. We had neighbors over to eat and one of them also reached for the salt. Other than these few minor adjustments, it was a very good recipe.
Charmaine Jones says
Made this for dinner last night. Was not enough liquid. I would double up on the liquid.
The spices were missing flavor. Need to play with the flavor more next time. More salt definitely. But still missing something. Perhaps more garlic.