This Easy Instant Pot Chicken Marsala is made in no time when you use the pressure cooker. These juicy chicken breasts are served with a rich and decadent wine sauce. This meal is perfect for weeknight dinners or freezer meals.
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This recipe was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated.
Oh, how I used to love the chicken marsala from Olive Garden! This dish is a classic favorite. Whenever you're craving a nice home cooked meal, this is the one!
Table of Contents
What Type of Chicken to Use
The dish is made using skinless chicken breasts. You can slice each breast in half (crosswise) to create smaller cutlets. Feel free to tendorize the cutlets if you wish.
You can substitute chicken thighs and the cook time will remain the same.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- Add the chicken breasts to the Instant pot and season. Sear each side of the breasts for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. Add garlic and shallots. (Use additional olive oil here if necessary). Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot.
- Add the marsala wine and Better Than Bouillon to the pot and stir. Add the chicken breasts back to the pot.
- Seal the pot with the lid. Pressure cook.
- When the pot indicates it is finished, do not perform a quick release. Allow the steam to release naturally for 5 minutes.
- Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Create a slurry by mixing the two.
- Open the pot. Place the pot on the saute function. Add the slurry and heavy cream. Stir. This will thicken the sauce.
What Type of Wine to Use in the Recipe
What wine is best to use for chicken marsala? Dry, marsala wine. Marsala wine has a deep, smokey flavor. It is perfect for really savory dishes like this one.
The Difference Between Wine and Cooking Wine
Marsala wine comes from Sicily, Italy and is used in a lot of Italian dishes. I prefer to use actual wine in the recipe vs cooking wine. If you want to use cooking wine, you can find it usually near the vinegar or sometimes in the baking aisle in the grocery store.
Cooking wine has preservatives and usually also has added sweeteners and salt. Using it can result in an altered taste in the dish. You can read more about Marsala Cooking Wine here. Cooking wine does also have alcohol.
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If you want to substitute Marsala wine you can substitute 1 cup of dry white wine along with 2 teaspoons of sherry. It won't taste like the real thing, but is an option.
How to Thicken the Sauce
To thicken the sauce you will need to create a slurry using 1 part cornstarch and 1 part water. Combine the two in a bowl and then add it to the finished dish.
For a low carb substitute you can use ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum. Take 1 tablespoon of the sauce from the finished dish and combine it with the xanthan gum in a bowl. Stir until the mixture thickens and then add it to the finished dish.
Freezer Tips
You can freeze the dish tightly sealed up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before serving.
Side Dishes to Pair with this Meal
Instant Pot Southern Green Beans
Air Fryer Garlic Green Beans
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
Keto Low Carb Cauliflower Mash
Air Fryer Asparagus
Scalloped Corn
Roasted Ranch Potatoes
More Take Out Style Recipes
Keto Low Carb Orange Chicken
Keto Beef and Broccoli
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich
Red Lobster CopyCat Shrimp Scampi
Healthy Pad Thai
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
More Amazing Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Risotto
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken
Instant Pot Gumbo
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Don't have an Instant Pot? Check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala here.
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 skinless chicken breasts, 4-6 ounces each
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms Bella or shiitake work great.
- 1 cup dry marsala wine
- 2-3 garlic cloves Minced
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Seasoning Optional for flavor.
- Chicken Seasoning or rub to taste I like McCormick's Grill Mates Chicken Seasoning.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon parsley Optional garnish.
Instructions
- Place the Instant Pot on the saute function. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil.
- Add the chicken breasts to the pot. Season the breasts with the chicken seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sear each side of the breasts for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. Add the garlic and shallots. (Use additional olive oil here if necessary). Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot. Deglaze the pot by using the liquid to scrape up the brown bits from the chicken. There is so much flavor in this process.
- Add the marsala wine and Better Than Bouillon to the pot and stir. Add the chicken breasts back to the pot.
- Seal the pot with the lid. Set the cooking time to Manual High-Pressure Cooking for 5 minutes.
- When the pot indicates it is finished, do not perform a quick release. Allow the steam to release naturally for 5 minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Create a slurry by mixing the two.
- Open the pot. Place the pot on the saute function. Add the slurry and heavy cream. Stir. This will thicken the sauce. If the sauce does not thicken enough for your preference, create an additional slurry using cornstarch and water.
- When the sauce has thickened, remove the chicken and sauce from the pot. Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Cindy M. says
How much of McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning do you use and when do you add it to the meal? The only place the seasoning is mentioned is in the ingredients list and without any measurement.
staysnatched says
Hi there. You use the seasoning to taste. So just like you would add salt and pepper to taste.
Sues says
I used to love Olive Garden in college, but haven't been in years... This looks WAY more delicious!!
Dana DeVolk says
This is my Husband's favorite dish, making this for Valentine's Day, thanks so much!
cakespy says
Oh my god, this looks so cozy, comforting, flavorful, delicious, P E R F E C T !
Lane | With Two Spoons says
Chicken Marsala is one of my favorites. My Instant Pot is one of my favorites. Match made in foodie heaven!
Olivia says
Thank you for the delicious recipe looks so tasty!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! Enjoy.
Marsha Brashears says
I love this. Very good flavor. I did need more corn starch!
staysnatched says
Wonderful. And I'm glad I added that note!
Jen says
This makes way too much sauce and it's very salty. My chicken breast were floating in there. I'd cut down the broth and marsala by half and use real marsala wine instead of cooking wine.
staysnatched says
Hi there! Thank you for trying my recipe and thank you for the feedback! Please note that the majority of the items you mentioned were documented in the notes above, directly below the recipe. Additional sauce can be used to pair with side dishes, such as potatoes. I also recommend marsala wine and tips on how to keep the dish from being too salty. Low-sodium chicken broth is also a staple of mine.
Laura says
@Jen, who doesn’t like sauce??? Bizarre.
staysnatched says
haha, I know, right?
Tracey says
I'm dairy free...do you think I could just omit the heavy cream? Thank you
staysnatched says
Correct! Almond milk only will work just fine.
Rhonda Nelson says
Why do you call for 1Cup of low sodium chicken broth and then a little later add 1 T of better than bouillon chicken (without dilution) with the Marsala wine? I have never heard of using BTB by itself?
staysnatched says
I do it that way because I enjoy the flavor it produces.
Christina says
What if I use frozen chicken breasts? Should I just add a couple more minutes to the cooking time?
staysnatched says
I haven't tried frozen breasts. I've seen 12 minutes manual high pressure, but you may want to consult the Instant Pot website for guidance.
Sunny H says
It's all your fault!
I bought an air fryer and spent quite a bit of time online looking for recipes. Yours is one I found (and one of my favorites!). But you also included a slew of Instant Pot recipes. "No use for an Instant Pot," I said (over and over), but you kept on with those wonderful looking and sounding dishes.
I am currently waiting for my Instant Pot to arrive. I decided to give myself a Christmas present this year! So, it really IS all your fault, and I can't wait to get it!
Thank you for a great blog and all your wonderful tips and recipes for both the air fryer and the Instant Pot! (The Chicken Marsala) is the first thing I'm going to try in it!)
staysnatched says
Thank you so much for this! And you know what's all your fault! The tears that came to my eyes reading this comment. I'm so grateful for your words. This form of validation keeps me pushing to deliver more recipes. You are going to LOVE that Instant Pot! I can't way for you to try more things on the site!
Constance says
If you're trying to go full keto, don't try to substitute almond flour for cornstarch. It will not thicken at all (lesson learned). I'll try xanthan gum next time.
Peggy says
When would you add the xanthan gum?? Thank you
staysnatched says
Hi, in Step 9.
Kasey says
Just made it and served over shirataki fettuccine noodles for a nice keto meal!
staysnatched says
OMG that sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Jen F says
Just made this for my husband who loves chicken Marsala & he thought it was great! Thanks this one is a keeper!
staysnatched says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Charlotte says
I did not find carb count for this recipe, only calorie count. Did I miss it? Thanks, recipe looks wonderful!
staysnatched says
It's at the top of the post. 6
PAT MARINO says
BRANDI WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE YOUR RECIPES ARE THE BEST.
I LOVE SOUTHERN COOKING. THANK YOU PAT.
staysnatched says
Thank you so much!
Erin says
This recipe is amazing!!! This was a huge hit in my house last night. My husband had seconds and was caught drinking the leftovers out of his bowl, and even my picky 5 year old had some and enjoyed it. Thank you, Brandi! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Erin says
Just had to update that we made this again and we had forgotten how darn good it is!! I doubled up the recipe even and every last drop is gone. I have shared this recipe with friends as well because it's just that good!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that.
Michelle says
I loved your recipe! I used 8 boneless, skinless chicken tenders (it's what I had on hand, decreased saute time slightly). I seasoned both sides of tenders with the McCormick seasoning, omitted salt/pepper. I upped minced shallots to 4 TBS & 1 TBS minced garlic. I replaced the low sodium broth with 12 oz warm water/1.5 TBS Better than Bouillon to make the broth instead of using both broth and bouillon. I upped Marsala to 12 ounces. I pulled out the chicken once done and used the saute button to boil/thicken sauce using 3 TBS cornstarch/water. I used additional McCormick seasoning to taste. I turned off the IP and replaced heavy cream with 1/2 cup half and half (because I needed more sauce, slightly more calories) and added the chicken back in to warm. I served with egg noodles and sauteed asparagus.. With adjustments, it still turned out great. I have no doubt it's great as written. Awesome flavors, thanks so much!
staysnatched says
Thanks for sharing!
Olivia says
Thank you for the delicious recipe looks so tasty!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! Enjoy!
Monica Cole says
Made this last night and it was very flavorful. It was my first time making Chicken Marsala but Brandi's step by step instructions and videos made it easy!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed the instructions and the recipe!
Michael says
I had been looking for a good Chicken Marsala recipe, and this was it. So full of flavor. Followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm glad to hear you followed the recipe exactly.
Janele says
I don't have an instant pot because we are peasants BUT this is amazing. It was easy to figure out how to make without and the flavors are amazing. Thank you for the tips on cooking wine as well!
staysnatched says
haha! I'm glad you are still able to figure it out!
Olivia says
Thank you for the delicious recipe looks so tasty!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! Enjoy!
Nikki says
Wow! The flavor in this dish is phenomenal. I've never had chicken marsala before, so I can't compare, but honestly this is the ONLY one I'll be eating. My whole family loved it, even my kids which is a HUGE win!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm glad the kids enjoyed it.
Laura says
DELICIOUS! My grocery store didn’t have Marsala wine. I had to sub with a dry white and brandy (used what I had). Turned out great! The whole family LOVED it. I will now constantly be on the search for Marsala wine to try the REAL thing!
Such a comforting dish!
staysnatched says
I love those substitutions!
Angele D says
Very delicious and flavorful. Love a quick instantpot meal.
staysnatched says
Yay! The flavor is the best part.
Kelly Smith says
Huge win! Excellent recipe and directions. Thank you!
staysnatched says
I'm glad the directions were helpful.
Karen says
The chicken marsala was wonderful. I had it for dinner and will definitely have it again, and again.
staysnatched says
So glad you enjoyed it.
Lauren Worthy says
One of my favorite dishes to make! I love this one pot option. It’s so easy, flavorful, and delicious. Also thank you for including freezing information.
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful!
Angela L says
Tasty and quick &!easy to prepare recipe. My husband and I enjoyed it and I used the extra sauce on my picky kids’ meatballs.
staysnatched says
That sounds so good!
Carissa says
Made this recipe tonight and it’s amazing!! So quick and easy too, thank you Brandi!
staysnatched says
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Deborah says
We enjoyed this very much! Very straightforward recipe - thank you so much!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad to hear it!
David says
Do you do a quick release after the five minutes of natural release?
staysnatched says
You don't perform a Quick Release. You allow the steam to release naturally for 5 minutes, then you hit the dial.