Slow cooker chicken marsala with onions, mushrooms and a delicious marsala wine sauce is a hands-off dinner with big flavor.
Today, we’re keeping things gloriously simple, mostly hands off and super delicious with this slow cooker chicken marsala recipe.
We’ve got seared chicken breasts, onions and mushrooms and garlic (oh my!) and an absolutely scrumptious marsala wine sauce that coats everything perfectly.
Plus, it’s a crock pot recipe! Score for dinner being ready for you at the end of the day!
I will say, we have the extra steps of searing the chicken at the beginning and thickening the sauce at the end. So it’s not a dump-and-go type of recipe.
(Check out my slow cooker Greek chicken or slow cooker chicken cacciatore if you need one of those on hand.)
I do promise you though that super quick and easy extra steps in this recipe ensure maximum flavor.
No dull or watered down crock pot dinners here, thank you very much.
Just tender chicken and a yummy sauce you’re going to want to eat by the spoonful.
Oh and stay tuned because I’m working on some other slow cooker chicken recipes that I’m hoping to bring you soon.
You can sign up for my free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing.
I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Easy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!
OK, back to today’s recipe. Let’s get cooking!
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make slow cooker chicken marsala. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs - or a combination of the two.
- Mushrooms: I like cremini mushrooms for this recipe but you could substitute white button mushrooms or baby Bella mushrooms if you prefer.
- Marsala wine: This is a fortified Italian wine often used in cooking and can usually be found with vinegars in your grocery store. It’s in the name of the dish, so I don’t really recommend substituting this ingredient.
I find the butter is sufficient for adding really good depth and richness to the sauce.
If you’d like, you could certainly add some heavy cream or half and half at the end instead.
Two other things to note about this slow cooker recipe.
First, we are searing the chicken breasts in a skillet and then sautéing the onion and mushrooms before adding them to the crock pot. It adds big flavor and I don’t recommend skipping this step.
Second, we have to thicken the sauce at the end of the slow cooker cook time.
We’re using a simple cornstarch slurry and I’ve tested this a couple of different ways.
I prefer the method in the recipe card below, which involves pouring all the liquid from the slow cooker into a pot on the stove and adding the slurry there.
It gets the sauce thickened up really quickly and there’s no residual cornstarch flavor.
I’ve also tried simply stirring the slurry into the sauce right in the slow cooker - instead of transferring it - and cooking it on high for about 15 minutes. This takes a little longer, time wise, and it doesn’t thicken the sauce quite as nicely. (And that's why I don't prefer it.)
Just wanted to share though in case you need that to be an option.
OK, let’s get ready to eat.
There are lots of options for how to serve this up, so go with what sounds best to you.
Serving Suggestions:
- Spaghetti, linguine or angel hair pasta
- Baked or mashed potatoes
- Creamy polenta or orzo
- Steamed white or brown rice
- Crusty bread
Add your favorite steamed or roasted veggie - such as broccoli, green beans, asparagus - as a veggie side. Or make a simple side salad.
It's very versatile, so there are lots of options to make this dinner work for you!
OK, finally, let’s talk about what to do with any leftovers.
Storage Tips:
- Leftover marsala chicken, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Reheat over medium low heat in a skillet on the stove or in single servings in the microwave until warmed through. Add a splash of broth, if needed, to loosen up the sauce.
- Or you can freeze any extras.
- Once cooled, place in a freezer-safe ziptop bag or container, label and date it, and freeze for up to 5 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or in a skillet.
There you go!
I hope you give this a try for a new Italian slow cooker dinner that’s sure to have you coming back for more.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 (8 oz.) package cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup Marsala wine
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper.
- Place flour in a wide low bowl or on a plate. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour to coat on all sides.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the coated chicken breasts and sear 3-4 minutes, until browned, then flip and sear on the other side for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker insert.
- Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, until fragrant.
- Transfer the onion and mushroom mixture to the slow cooker, on top of the chicken breasts. Add the Marsala wine to the slow cooker, then cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken breasts and place on a cutting board. Slice chicken into 1 inch wide strips.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
- Pour the liquid, onions and mushrooms from the slow cooker into a medium sauce pan. Heat on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a simmer then add the cornstarch slurry to the pan and stir to combine. Heat for up to 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thickened slightly. Remove from the heat. Add the butter and stir until melted.
- Return the chicken strips to the slow cooker insert. Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker and stir to coat the chicken. Serve immediately.
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