Betty Crocker Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

published: Jul 8, 2019 updated: Mar 5, 2021

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Pin Image.

This Crock Pot Chicken Marsala recipe is a creamy, delicious, mushroom studded chicken dinner! You'll be amazed by how easy it is to make a restaurant-quality meal right at home with this simple recipe. Put your slow cooker to work with this flavorful chicken marsala.

HOMEMADE CROCK POT CHICKEN MARSALA

I always thought Chicken Marsala was a fancy Italian recipe you could only enjoy at restaurants. But guess what? It's actually super simple to prepare at home, especially if you let your slow cooker do most of the work. When you use a crock pot, you don't even have to pound the chicken breasts down to a 1/4 inch thickness as you would traditionally do. The method used in this recipe also means you don't have to stand at the stove flipping chicken breasts – score!

I love making this Chicken Marsala recipe on busy weeknights, but it's also perfect for a fancy date night or Sunday supper. When you really want to wow everyone at the table but aren't feeling like putting too much effort in, this is the recipe to make.

What is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of tender chicken breasts in creamy Marsala wine sauce loaded with mushrooms. It's a variation of the traditional Italian scaloppina, which are meat with very thinly sliced meat dredged in flour and then sautéed and cooked in a sauce reduction.

Chicken Marsala probably comes from western Sicily, where Marsala wine is made. Here you have golden, lightly pan fried chicken breasts topped with mushrooms and smothered in a thick Marsala wine reduction that has a nice amount of garlic for additional flavor. It's so good!

Browned chicken breasts in a slow cooker

HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT CHICKEN MARSALA

This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to prep and packs a ton of flavor.

We start with browning chicken breasts in a skillet; they'll need about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer browned chicken breasts to a 6-quart slow cooker.

NOTE: If you don't have time to brown the chicken breasts, you don't have to – it helps with the overall flavor, but you can definitely do without it.

Add garlic and sliced mushrooms over the chicken breasts.
Deglaze the skillet with Marsala Wine and pour it over the chicken breasts and mushrooms.
Also, please note to use DRY Marsala Wine. Sweet Marsala Wine is for desserts. If wine is not your thing, you can use chicken broth, instead.
Cover with a lid and set your slow cooker on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. You can also cook it on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
Remove chicken breasts from the slow cooker and set aside on a plate.
Whisk water and cornstarch together, then add to the sauce inside the slow cooker. Whisk in heavy cream and return chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
Cover with a lid and continue to cook on HIGH for 20 more minutes, or until sauce thickens.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

Tips for the Best Chicken Marsala

This recipe is incredibly easy to make, but there are a few things you can do to make can make the absolute best chicken marsala from scratch!

Brown the chicken: You can definitely skip this first step in the recipe, but I like the additional flavor and texture that this simple step adds to the finished meal.
Check for doneness: Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
Don't rush: Making chicken marsala in the crock pot adds a depth of flavor that really only comes from cooking food low and slow. Don't miss out on that benefit!

What Kind of Marsala To Use & Substitution Options

Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily that can be sweet or dry. For savory recipes like Chicken Marsala, you definitely want to use a dry Marsala wine. If you can't find some, you can also use a darker Sherry, a dry white wine, a dry Madeira or Port. Keep in mind that using anything other than dry Marsala wine will alter the overall classic flavor.

Cooked chicken marsala in a crock pot

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN MARSALA

Now that you have a creamy, incredible chicken marsala ready to go the question is, what do you serve with it? I like Chicken Marsala on its own – keeps the calories and carbs to a minimum. 😊 BUT, if you like, you can serve it over pasta, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. I think it would also go great with Cauliflower Rice or a Creamy Mashed Cauliflower.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CHICKEN MARSALA

Store Chicken Marsala leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Can You Freeze Chicken Marsala?

Yes, you can freeze Chicken Marsala. Place chicken and sauce in a large ziploc bag, seal it well, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw the chicken in the refrigerator, overnight. Preheat oven to 350˚F and heat chicken marsala until warmed through.

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs

Total Time 4 hrs 10 mins

Creamy, delicious, mushroom studded Chicken Marsala prepared in the slow cooker! This surprisingly easy recipe results in a restaurant quality dish made right in your own kitchen.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 serves

Calories: 281

Ingredients

▢ 6 (1.5 pounds, total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
▢ 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
▢ salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 1 cup dry marsala wine
▢ 1/2 cup water
▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch
▢ 1/4 cup heavy cream
▢ chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Lightly grease a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray and set aside.
Season chicken breasts all around with garlic powder, dried basil, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add prepared chicken breasts to the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until just browned.
Transfer chicken to slow cooker and top with mushrooms and garlic.
Return skillet over medium-high heat and add the marsala wine; cook for 1 minute, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Pour wine over chicken and mushrooms.
Close with a lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker and set aside on a plate.
Combine water and cornstarch in a mug or a small mixing bowl and whisk until incorporated; then, whisk the slurry into the wine sauce.
Add heavy cream to the wine sauce and whisk until combined.
Return chicken to the slow cooker; cover with a lid and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
Transfer chicken from slow cooker to plates; top with mushroom sauce and garnish with fresh parsley.
Serve.

Notes

WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 5

NOTES:

If you don't have time to brown the chicken breasts, you don't have to, but it does help with the overall flavor.
Try to use DRY Marsala Wine. Sweet Marsala Wine is for desserts. If you don't want to use wine, you can use low sodium chicken broth, instead. I would also recommend chicken broth for those that are watching their calories, carbs, and/or are on a Keto diet.
If you don't have Marsala Wine, you can use Sherry, Madeira, Dry White Wine, or Port. Please keep in mind that using anything other than Dry Marsala Wine will alter the overall classic flavor.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

Amount Per Serving

Calories 281 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 86mg 29%

Sodium 143mg 6%

Potassium 595mg 17%

Carbohydrates 13g 4%

Fiber 1g 4%

Sugar 4g 4%

Protein 26g 52%

Vitamin A 180IU 4%

Vitamin C 2.6mg 3%

Calcium 25mg 3%

Iron 1.1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keywords: chicken breast dinner, chicken marsala recipe, crock pot chicken marsala, gluten free chicken recipes, mushroom recipes, slow cooker chicken breasts

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