Chicken Marsala Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Chicken Marsala sauce thicker? ›

A general ratio to work with is 2 tablespoons flour for every cup of liquid. Start by adding a little bit, then cook, stirring, for a few minutes to allow the sauce time to thicken and cook off the raw flour taste; if the results are minimal, add more.

The dish dates to the 19th century, when it may have originated with English families who lived in western Sicily, where Marsala wine is produced. Slices of chicken breast are coated in flour, briefly sautéed, and then removed from the pan, which is then used to make a Marsala reduction sauce.

Deglaze the pan by pouring in the marsala, and cook for about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium, stir in beef broth and port, and cook until sauce starts to reduce and thicken to your preference, 10 to 12 minutes.

To make the perfect marsala wine substitute for chicken marsala, replace ½ cup of marsala wine with ½ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and one teaspoon of sugar. Mix the chicken broth mixture into your recipe exactly the same way you would add the marsala.

Dry Marsala is a fortified wine that adds a rich, slightly sweet flavor to the dish without being overly sweet. It's important to use dry Marsala rather than sweet Marsala, as the latter can make the dish too sweet and overpower the other flavors.

However, when we tried both styles in recipes for chicken Marsala, mushroom stuffing, and zabaglione, tasters preferred the dry style in all instances. Though both were acceptable, tasters found that dry Marsala offered more depth of flavor, while sweet Marsala added sweetness and some flavor but wasn't as complex.

Should you use sweet or dry Marsala in your Chicken Marsala recipe? It doesn't make a huge difference, and either option will produce delicious results, but I would go for dry because the sweet Marsala has a bit too much sugar for such a savory dish.

The sauce is made with Marsala wine which is a dry and sweet wine which has a 15-20% alcohol content but don't worry, all of the alcohol will cook out of the sauce. The wine creates a nutty and rich caramelized sauce for the chicken.

While both chicken piccata and chicken Marsala are cooked in the same way, there are a few key differences between the two dishes. Chicken piccata isn't creamy. It's cooked with white wine, chicken broth, capers, and lemon juice. It's tangy and bright instead of rich and creamy.

Why is my chicken marsala sauce not thickening? ›

If the Chicken Marsala sauce is not thick enough, you can combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (or arrowroot starch for gluten-free version) with 1 teaspoon of the sauce in a small bowl. Stir well to form a slurry and return back to the pan, stirring well.

Take about a teaspoonful of corn flour, and then mix in a small cup with a little cold water. Add to the sauce whilst it is cooking, and stir. It should go thicker as the cornflour is heated.