Chicken Marsala has a reputation as a restaurant dish for good reason. The combination of dry Marsala wine, tender chicken, and earthy mushrooms cooked down into a glossy, complex sauce is genuinely impressive when it’s done well. What most people don’t realize is that the slow cooker does the majority of that work without requiring any active attention once everything goes in.
This effortless crockpot chicken marsala takes the foundational elements of the classic and lets time do what a skilled stovetop reduction would otherwise require. The Marsala wine and chicken broth simmer around the chicken for hours, concentrating and developing the kind of deep, caramelized richness that usually comes from careful technique. A cornstarch slurry and an optional pour of heavy cream at the end bring the sauce to that silky, restaurant-quality finish without any of the reduction anxiety.
The optional sear at the beginning is worth the extra 10 minutes on nights when you have it. It builds a golden crust on the chicken that adds flavor to the finished sauce and gives each piece better texture at the table. On nights when time is short, placing the raw chicken directly into the slow cooker still produces a deeply satisfying result. Either way, this easy crockpot chicken marsala is a dinner that delivers far beyond the effort it requires.
Why You’ll Love This Effortless Crockpot Chicken Marsala
The slow cooker does the reduction work that would otherwise keep you at the stovetop. Hours of low, gentle cooking concentrates the Marsala and broth into a sauce with genuine depth, which is normally the most time-intensive part of making this dish from scratch.
The sauce-thickening step at the end gives you full control over consistency. The cornstarch slurry goes in after the chicken is removed, which means you can bring the sauce to exactly the texture you want before the cream and chicken go back in.
This also reheats beautifully, which makes it practical for meal prep or planned leftovers. The sauce maintains its depth and body through refrigerator storage, and a splash of broth while reheating brings it right back to serving consistency.
The recipe is flexible enough to serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, or risotto, which means it adapts to whatever you have on hand or what your household prefers on a given night.
Ingredients for Effortless Crockpot Chicken Marsala
The ingredient list here is purposefully focused. The quality of the Marsala wine is where the investment pays off most directly in the finished dish.
For the chicken:
- 1.5 to 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved or pounded to even thickness
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional for searing
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
For the Marsala base:
- 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (cremini or baby bellas)
- 1 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
For the silky finish:
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, optional
- Fresh parsley for garnish
For the Marsala wine, always use dry Marsala rather than sweet. Sweet Marsala is intended for desserts and carries a sugary quality that pulls the dish in the wrong direction entirely. Dry Marsala has a nutty, complex, slightly caramelized quality that is the defining flavor of the dish. It’s available in most grocery stores near the wine or cooking wine section. If you can’t find it, dry Sherry or Madeira are the closest substitutes. For a non-alcoholic version, chicken broth with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar approximates the depth without the wine.
For the mushrooms, I always go with cremini or baby bellas over white button mushrooms for this dish. They have a more pronounced, earthy flavor and a firmer texture that holds up through the long cook without becoming completely soft. Slice them about 1/4 inch thick so they have enough body to contribute texture to the finished sauce.
On the chicken, pounding the breasts to an even thickness before they go in is worth the small effort. Uneven chicken breasts tend to cook unevenly in the slow cooker, with the thin end overcooking while the thick end finishes. Even thickness means every portion comes out at the same level of doneness.
How to Make Effortless Crockpot Chicken Marsala
The sequence here matters, particularly the sauce-thickening step, which happens after the chicken is already done and removed from the pot.
- If searing, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear for 3 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. The crust itself adds flavor to the cooking liquid as the chicken releases its juices during the long slow cook, and the Maillard reaction on the surface of the chicken deepens the overall flavor of the sauce. If skipping the sear, season the chicken with salt and pepper and proceed directly to the slow cooker.
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer or as close to single layer as possible. Scatter the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic over the top of the chicken.
- Whisk together the Marsala wine, chicken broth, and dried herbs in a small bowl. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken and mushrooms, making sure the liquid reaches around and under the chicken pieces.
- Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 3 hours. Check the chicken at the lower end of the time range by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest piece. It should read 165°F. In my experience, chicken breasts in a slow cooker on Low for the full 6 hours can start to dry slightly at the edges, so pulling them as soon as the temperature is reached is the right call.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set it aside on a plate, tented loosely with foil to keep warm. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps. Stir the slurry into the liquid remaining in the slow cooker. It’s important to use cold water here since hot water causes cornstarch to clump before it can distribute evenly through the sauce.
- If using the heavy cream, stir it in now. Turn the slow cooker to High, leave the lid off, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sauce has thickened to a glossy, coating consistency. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when it’s ready.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and turn each piece through the sauce to coat fully. Serve warm over fettuccine, mashed potatoes, or risotto, garnished generously with fresh parsley.
What to Serve with Crockpot Chicken Marsala
The sauce is rich and complex enough that the base you serve under it matters. You want something that absorbs the sauce without competing with it.
Fettuccine: Wide, flat pasta noodles are the traditional pairing and for good reason. The broad surface area of fettuccine holds the Marsala sauce in a way that thinner pasta doesn’t, and each forkful brings noodle and sauce together in the right proportion.
Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes are the most luxurious base for this dish. The sauce settles into the potatoes and every bite combines the richness of both components. A little roasted garlic and Parmesan stirred into the mash keeps the Italian flavor profile consistent across the plate.
Risotto: A simple Parmesan risotto underneath the chicken and sauce turns this into an elegant dinner that would be at home at a dinner party. The creamy, starchy texture of risotto absorbs the Marsala sauce beautifully without diluting it.
Angel Hair Pasta: A lighter option than fettuccine that works well when you want the sauce to be the dominant flavor rather than the pasta. It cooks in about 3 minutes and is a fast, practical choice for a weeknight.
Roasted Asparagus: A tray of asparagus roasted at 400°F until tender and slightly charred at the tips adds a fresh, slightly bitter vegetable element that cuts through the richness of the Marsala sauce and rounds out the plate.
Pro Tips & Variations
Don’t skip the dry Marsala distinction. Sweet Marsala is the most common mistake people make with this recipe. Check the label before purchasing. Dry Marsala is what produces the savory, nutty, complex flavor that defines the dish. Sweet Marsala produces something that tastes dessert-adjacent, which is not what you want here.
Sear if you have the time. The optional sear step is genuinely worthwhile when the schedule allows. The crust that forms on the chicken in those 6 minutes contributes a layer of flavor to the cooking liquid that passive slow cooking alone can’t replicate. It’s the difference between a good crockpot chicken marsala and a great one.
Use cold water for the slurry. Cornstarch mixed with cold water disperses evenly and thickens smoothly when it hits the hot sauce. Hot water causes it to partially cook and clump before it can integrate properly, which leaves lumps in the finished sauce.
Add the cream last. If using heavy cream, stir it in after the cornstarch slurry has had a chance to begin thickening the sauce. Adding cream before the starch is activated can dilute the thickening effect and leave you with a thinner sauce than you want.
Try chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are more forgiving in the slow cooker than breasts since their higher fat content prevents them from drying out during the longer cook times. The finished texture is slightly richer and they shred a little more readily, which some people prefer in a sauced dish.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Store the chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The cornstarch-thickened sauce will set more firmly as it chills and the fat from the cream will solidify slightly on the surface. Both reverse completely on reheating.
To reheat, I warm the chicken and sauce in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce back to its original consistency as it warms. Stir gently every couple of minutes to prevent the sauce from catching on the bottom. Microwave reheating at medium power in 60-second intervals with a tablespoon of broth added before heating works well for individual portions.
For freezing, this dish keeps well for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Cream-based sauces can occasionally separate slightly during freezing and thawing, but whisking the sauce gently while reheating typically brings it back together. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Common Questions
Can I use cooking Marsala wine from the grocery store condiment aisle? Cooking Marsala works and is more widely available than drinking-quality Marsala, though it typically contains added salt, which means you’ll want to reduce or skip the salt in the recipe to compensate. Drinking-quality dry Marsala produces a noticeably cleaner, more complex flavor in the finished sauce, so it’s worth seeking out when you have the option.
My sauce isn’t thickening after the cornstarch slurry. What’s wrong? A few things can prevent proper thickening. The most common cause is the slow cooker not being hot enough when the slurry goes in. Make sure the cooking liquid is actively bubbling on High before you add the slurry, and stir it in gradually rather than all at once. If the sauce still isn’t thickening after 20 minutes, mix an additional tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in.
Can I add other vegetables to the slow cooker? Yes. Sliced shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, or artichoke hearts all work well layered in with the mushrooms and garlic. Avoid vegetables with very high water content like zucchini since they release significant moisture during the long cook and can dilute the sauce.
Effortless crockpot chicken marsala is one of those recipes that consistently overdelivers on the effort required to make it. The slow cooker builds the depth and richness that would otherwise take careful stovetop work, and the cornstarch finish and optional cream give you a sauce that genuinely stands next to anything you’d order at a restaurant. Get it started before you head out for the day and dinner takes care of itself.
Effortless Crockpot Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Optional sear: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear for 3 minutes per side until golden. Skip this step and season directly if short on time.
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer. Scatter the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic over the top.
- Whisk together the dry Marsala wine, chicken broth, and dried herbs in a small bowl. Pour evenly over the chicken and mushrooms.
- Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside on a plate tented loosely with foil. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until completely smooth. Stir the slurry gradually into the liquid remaining in the slow cooker.
- If using heavy cream, stir it in now. Turn the slow cooker to High, leave the lid off, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sauce is thickened and glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and turn each piece through the sauce to coat fully. Serve warm over fettuccine, mashed potatoes, or risotto, garnished with fresh parsley.
