Crockpot Chicken Marsala

Why This Works: Crockpot Chicken Marsala

• Flour-dredged, seared chicken. Deep flavor, and the flour helps thicken the sauce.
• Browned mushrooms. Browning builds rich, savory flavor. Raw mushrooms in a slow cooker just turn soggy.
• Wine reduced in the skillet. It softens the alcohol taste and scrapes up every browned bit.
• Short cook time. Chicken breasts need only 3–4 hours on LOW, so they stay juicy.
• Thickened at the end. Cream, cornstarch, and parmesan turn the thin cooking liquid into a real sauce.

What You'll Need

• Chicken breasts: Small, or large ones halved into thin cutlets.
• Flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder: For dredging.
• Cremini mushrooms: More flavor than white button mushrooms.
• Dry Marsala wine: A fortified Italian wine with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. It's usually near the sherry at the store.
• Chicken broth and thyme: Build the sauce.
• Heavy cream, cornstarch, and parmesan: Thicken and enrich the sauce at the end.

How to Make It

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry and coat it in the flour, shaking off the extra. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken 2 minutes per side until golden. It doesn't need to cook through. Place it in the slow cooker. In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms 4–5 minutes until browned. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.

Pour in the Marsala and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol. Pour the mushroom mixture over the chicken. Add the broth and thyme. Cover and cook on LOW 3–4 hours or HIGH 1½–2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Don't overcook.

Move the chicken to a plate and cover it with foil. Whisk the cream, cornstarch slurry, and parmesan into the sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH 15–20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and glossy. Taste for salt. Return the chicken to the sauce, or spoon the sauce over the chicken. Top with parsley.

Troubleshooting

• Watery sauce: the most common problem, especially in a slow cooker. Chicken and mushrooms release liquid as they cook. Always thicken at the end.
• Bland flavor: Skipping the sear, the mushroom browning, or the wine reduction. These three steps are where the flavor comes from.
• Dry chicken: Cooked 6–8 hours. Breasts only need 3–4 hours on LOW.
• Too sweet: Sweet Marsala was used. Buy dry.
• Pale mushrooms: The pan was crowded. Cook them in two batches if your skillet is small.

Marsala Wine Guide

How Thick Should the Sauce Be?

A good Marsala sauce coats the back of a spoon and clings to the chicken without being pasty.

If your slow cooker runs hot, check the sauce after 10 minutes on HIGH. The cream should simmer gently, not boil hard.

Variations

• Classic brown sauce: Skip the cream and thicken with 1½ tablespoons cornstarch.
• Bacon: Brown 4 slices of chopped bacon first and cook the mushrooms in the fat.
• Mixed mushrooms: Use cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms.
• Thighs: Use boneless thighs for extra-juicy chicken.
• Pasta: Slice the chicken and toss it all with 12 oz cooked fettuccine.

How to Make It

Make ahead: Dredge and sear the chicken, and brown the mushrooms, the night before. Refrigerate them in the slow cooker insert and start cooking in the morning. Add 30 minutes since it starts cold.

Leftovers: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove over low heat with a splash of broth.

Freezing: Cream sauces can separate. For freezing, skip the cream, freeze up to 3 months, and add cream when reheating.

What to Serve With Chicken Marsala

• Mashed potatoes or garlic butter roasted potatoes
• Buttered egg noodles or angel hair pasta
• Roasted green beans or asparagus
• Crusty bread for the sauce

More easy crockpot chicken dinners: crockpot marry me chicken and crockpot honey garlic chicken.