This recipe is, for all intents and purposes, keto. But don’t let that fool you, our omnivorous testers loved it. And anyone with a set of tastebuds will enjoy it.
What makes this low-carb is that instead of dredging the chicken in flour, author Lisa MarcAurele skips that step. As a result, the flavors are cleaner, lighter. To thicken the sauce, a wee amount of cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) is whisked into the sauce at the end.–David Leite
Easy Low-Carb Chicken Marsala FAQs
Marsala is a fortified wine, both sweet and dry, produced in the town of Marsala on the island of Sicily. It lends nutty, caramel notes to sauces, most famously Chicken Marsala.
If cooked as written, each serving contains 7 grams of carbohydrates.
To keep it low-carb, serve it with cauliflower rice. If you want to walk on the wild side, serve the chicken with potatoes, rice, or generously buttered pasta.
Good question. Some Chicken Marsala recipes call for prosciutto. If you’re a cured-meat fan, toss two or three tablespoons of cubed prosciutto into the skillet in step 3 before adding the garlic.
Low-Carb Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) butter-flavored coconut oil or unsalted butter
- 4 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup dry Marsala wine (or substitute 1/4 cup dry white wine plus 1 teaspoon brandy)
- 1/2 cup canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
- 2 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 1/4 teaspoons water
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces. Using a meat tenderizer, pound each piece to a 1/4-inch (6-mm) thickness, if needed. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- In a 10-inch (25-cm) skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, and has reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or unsalted butter. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the Marsala and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or unsalted butter. Taste, and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- Return the chicken to the skillet along with any juices on the plate. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to warm it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is a very good dish that can be made in about 30 minutes. It is pretty much a classic chicken Marsala recipe. I believe the recipe would also work well with veal cutlets.
Out of necessity, I was a little creative with the mushrooms since I didn’t have enough button mushrooms, and included a few shiitakes, which I happened to have in my refrigerator. This was a nice “upgrade” to the dish. In fact, I think you can use any mushrooms you want as long as you prep them correctly. This recipe is easy to double or triple should you need to serve 4 or 6.
I served the chicken with a creamy cauliflower puree and simply steamed and sautéed broccoli florets.
The holidays are fast approaching and a lot of us find ourselves with less time than usual to put a tasty meal on the table. This low-carb chicken Marsala recipe can help you with that. The recipe is easy to follow, quick to prepare, uses ingredients many would have on hand and is flavorful and healthy to boot. I doubled the recipe to feed my family but did not double the oil for cooking and that worked out fine.
This chicken Marsala recipe made for a delicious, speedy weeknight meal. The ingredients are easy to find and ones that may already be in your pantry and refrigerator. I had purchased thin-sliced chicken breasts by mistake, which was a benefit in this recipe as I was able to skip the tenderizing step. This recipe makes two servings but is easy to double if you need to. I doubled the recipe to feed my family, who all enjoyed this meal.
Having made this low-carb version of chicken Marsala I may never go back to the traditional methods. The finished product has a delicious flavor, and the sauce is light and fresh and reminiscent of versions I have enjoyed in restaurants – without the heaviness from breading and frying. I don’t worry about gluten in our diets and I used cornstarch to thicken and olive oil plus butter in place of the coconut oil. I served the chicken over fettuccine lightly tossed with salted butter and warmed French bread.
This low-carb chicken Marsala makes a quick and flavorful dinner that goes perfectly over rice! I’d recommend doubling the recipe though as you’re going to want the leftovers. I found the substitution for Marsala wine to be a great tip as I had both the wine and brandy already on hand!
I knew I had to try this keto version of an otherwise indulgent dish. As the head chef in my family, I’m always looking to find healthier ways to satisfy our taste buds without sacrificing on flavor. This chicken Marsala certainly fits the bill and the bonus is it takes just over a half hour from start to finish. I doubled this recipe to serve my family of four.
I haven’t had chicken Marsala in at least a decade and this was a wonderful reminder of what we’d been missing! We had this last night with buttered noodles and lightly steamed spinach and we really liked it. With a bit of mis en place it came together quickly and easily.
I used an assortment of mushrooms and doubled the amount because MMMMM GOOD!
Thanks for another great recipe.
Thanks, Rainey! We’re delighted that you enjoyed it.