Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

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.

Fancy enough for company, but also a wonderful recipe for any night of the week.

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish of tender chicken breasts in creamy Marsala wine sauce loaded with mushrooms. However, the simple and classic Chicken Marsala recipe is now going to make its way to the crockpot and become your new favorite slow cooker dinner!

Cooking it at a more leisurely pace in the slow cooker and avoiding to turn on the oven during these hot summer months is possibly the best idea, yet. This also eliminates all the fuss, like standing over the stove and flipping chicken breasts.

To add, I like this slow cooker version because you don’t have to fillet the chicken or pound it down to 1/4-inch thickness, as you do for the original Chicken Marsala recipe.

HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER 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.

Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is cooked through when internal temperature reaches 165˚F.

• 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.

WHAT CAN YOU USE IN PLACE OF MARSALA WINE?

You can use Sherry, Dry White Wine, Madeira, or Port. Please keep in mind that using anything other than Dry Marsala Wine will alter the overall classic flavor.

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.

Recipe 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.

Source: diethood.com