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High Protein Easy Crockpot Chicken Marsala

Restaurant-quality chicken marsala with tender chicken, caramelized mushrooms, and rich Marsala wine sauce made easy in the slow cooker.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 445
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to even thickness or sliced into cutlets
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lb mixed mushrooms cremini, button, or shiitake, sliced
  • 1 shallot finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup dry Marsala wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme plus extra for garnish
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water optional, for extra thickening

Equipment

  • Slow cooker (4-6 quart)
  • large skillet
  • Meat mallet or heavy pan
  • Instant read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Pat chicken breasts dry and pound to even thickness (about 3/4 inch throughout). Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear floured chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden-brown. Chicken doesn't need to be cooked through. Transfer to slow cooker.
  3. In the same skillet with remaining oil and browned bits, add sliced mushrooms, diced shallot, and minced garlic. Add more oil if pan looks dry. Sauté for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release liquid, it evaporates, and mushrooms turn golden brown. Shallot should be translucent and garlic fragrant.
  4. Pour Marsala wine into skillet with mushroom mixture. Scrape up all browned bits from bottom of pan using a wooden spoon. Let wine simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
  5. Pour mushroom and wine mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Add chicken broth, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Stir gently to distribute liquid and mushrooms.
  6. Cover and cook on Low for 4-5 hours or High for 2-3 hours until chicken reaches 165°F and is tender enough to cut easily with a fork.
  7. Remove chicken and place on a plate. Fish out and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Whisk heavy cream into sauce. For thicker sauce, stir in cornstarch slurry and cook on High for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
  8. Return chicken to slow cooker and turn in sauce to coat completely. Serve hot, spooning extra sauce and mushrooms over each portion. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Notes

Storage: Store chicken and sauce together in airtight container for up to 4 days. Sauce thickens in refrigerator—add broth or cream when reheating. Searing importance: Don't skip the searing and sautéing—these steps create caramelized flavors that can't be achieved by slow cooking alone. Wine substitute: Dry white wine or dry sherry work but won't have Marsala's unique sweet-nutty quality. White wine with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar gets closer. Chicken thighs: More forgiving than breasts. Check at 4 hours on Low. Cream tip: Add at end to prevent curdling. Never add to boiling liquid. Lighter: Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Make-ahead: Sear and sauté night before, refrigerate, assemble in morning.