This classic comfort food recipe is complete with tender chicken breasts that are slow cooked with mushrooms and herbs in a flavorful creamy Marsala wine sauce! The rich sauce makes the perfect gravy served over rice or potatoes. Learn to make this restaurant quality dish at home in your Crock-Pot so that it's EASY enough for weeknight dinners!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time6 hourshrs
Total Time6 hourshrs10 minutesmins
Course: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chicken marsala in the Crockpot, Crockpot chicken marsala, slow cooker chicken marsala
Servings: 4
Calories: 433kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
⅓cupall-purpose flour
½teaspoonpaprika
½teaspoonsaltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
4boneless skinless chicken breastsabout 1/2 pound each, or 2 pounds total; thighs may be substituted
2tablespoonsolive oil
8ouncesmushroomssliced (I prefer baby portabella, cremini, or brown button mushrooms; white mushrooms may be substituted)
3 to 4clovesgarlicfinely minced
½teaspoondried thymeif using fresh, use 1 teaspoon
½teaspoondried oreganoif using fresh, use 1 teaspoon
1 ¼cupDRY Marsala wine
1cupreduced sodium chicken broth
1tablespooncornstarch whisked with 2 tablespoons water
⅓cupheavy creamdo not substitute for half-and-half or any other dairy
1tablespoonfresh parsleyminced; optional for garnishing
Instructions
To a large shallow bowl, add the flour, parkia, salt, pepper, and toss with a spoon to combine.
Dredge each chicken breast through the flour, making sure to coat on all sides. If you have excess, discard it.
To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken breasts and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, just to sear the chicken. Tip - Chicken breasts that are about 1/2 pound each (normal sized) will not be done, just seared to lock in the juices, and that's fine. They finish cooking in the slow cooker.
To a large 6 to 7-quart slow cooker, add the chicken breasts in a single flat layer, evenly sprinkle the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, oregano, and pour over the top the Marsala wine and chicken broth. Tip - If you have Marsala wine questions and what you can use as a substitute, if you can omit it, etc. read the FAQ section of the blog post. Bottom line, use DRY Marsala wine for best results.
Place the lid on your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours OR on HIGH for 4 hours.
After the cooking time is up and the chicken is done (165F internal temp with an instant read thermometer) remove it from the slow cooker, and set aside momentarily.
Separately, in a tiny bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry.
Pour the slurry into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Tip - Heavy cream is necessary for the fat content so that your sauce doesn't break. For more info, read the FAQ section of the blog post. Bottom line, use it and not half-and-half, milk of and kind, nor plant based milk products of any kind.
Add the chicken breasts back into the slow cooker, cover, turn the heat to HIGH and simmer for about 30 to 60 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly or as desired.
Remove the chicken breasts, Marsala sauce (gravy), optionally garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad, etc. or as desired. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, reheat very gently in the microwave (due to the cream + wine sauce) when reheating. I haven't tried freezing this recipe so can't say for sure how it will fare.