Tender and juicy chicken breasts are enveloped in a luscious creamy sauce with this keto Chicken Marsala dish. Easy, hearty, and satisfying, this is an easy keto chicken recipe and one that can be on the table in about 30!
This easy chicken Marsala recipe is another one of those restaurant recipes that are easier to make at home than you might believe! And, it only takes a few ingredients to turn this dish into a spectacular meal. Hungry for something delicious? Read on and I, Chef Jenn, will show you all my tips and tricks to make this keto Chicken Marsala recipe at home!
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What Is Marsala?
Marsala is a kind of fortified wine (wine with spirits added to it, in this case brandy) that’s made in Italy, usually in and around Sicily. It is more like sherry or Maderia than regular wine, and is often used in cooking.
Valued for its sweet, nutty flavor profile, it has a distinct flavor that pairs perfectly with cream, mushrooms and chicken. Make sure you look for a drinking wine, not a Marsala cooking wine (they often have added salt).
Can You Make Chicken Marsala without Wine?
Well, you can make this low-carb chicken Marsala dish without the addition of Marsala, but then it would be just chicken and mushrooms in a cream sauce.
Marsala is a brandy fortified wine and has such a distinct flavor that really is the hallmark ingredient in this amazing easy keto chicken recipe. I just LOVE Chicken Marsala and this keto version is such a delicious recipe and perfect for anyone on the keto diet.
Ingredients to Make Keto Chicken Marsala
- Chicken breasts – boneless and skinless chicken breast or chicken cutlets are what you want for this keto Chicken Marsala recipe
- Marsala wine – you can find this in your local liquor store
- Mushrooms – white mushrooms, cremini, or even portobello mushrooms will work
- Chicken broth – use homemade bone broth or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- Heavy whipping cream
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Butter – salted is fine
- Avocado oil
- Xanthan gum (optional)
- Green onion
- Fresh Parsley
How To Make Keto Chicken Marsala
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
- If your chicken breasts are thick, slice them half horizontally.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown them in a combination of sizzling olive oil and butter.
- Remove the seasoned chicken and add the mushrooms, garlic, and shallot to the same pan.
- Deglaze the pan with chicken broth, then add the heavy cream and reduce by about one-third.
- Add the browned chicken breasts, add the Marsala wine, and add the green onion to the pan. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add a tablespoon of fresh minced garlic (or a teaspoon of garlic powder) to enrich the sauce and thicken the sauce with 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum (optional). Simmer over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, serve, and enjoy your keto creamy chicken Marsala dinner!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Normally in a sauce like this, you’d deglaze the pan with Marsala wine and then add a touch more at the end. However, to make this low-carb Chicken Marsala keto recipe, we’re adding it all at the end for maximum flavor and the fewest carbs.
- Thick chicken breasts take too long to cook in this low-carb keto dish. You want them at most 1/2-inch thick. If your breasts are thicker than that, slice them horizontally in half into two mostly even pieces.
- Get the olive oil (or avocado oil) and butter sizzling hot to get a bit of brown color on the breasts – golden brown food is tasty food!
- You can certainly skip the xanthan gum in this keto Chicken Marsala recipe. If you do use it, don’t use more than 1/4 teaspoon to make the creamy Marsala sauce. Resist the urge to add more – it will thicken up as it cooks and sits. If you really want a thicker sauce, add 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum and let it thicken. Use a whisk to whisk it in and to avoid lumps.
- Change up the mushrooms in this keto-friendly Chicken Marsala recipe! Quartered or sliced mushrooms work well in this dish, and you can use button mushrooms, white mushrooms, portobello mushrooms or cremini mushrooms.
What To Serve With This Creamy Keto Chicken Marsala Dish
Are you wondering what to serve with this keto Chicken Marsala? To keep things low-carb, I love keto chicken recipes like this served with roasted asparagus (I do mine in the air fryer), or you can serve it with another bright green veggie like Broccoli & Garlic, or opt for this colorful keto Caprese Salad.
A tasty mashed cauliflower will also help you absorb all that creamy sauce which is so delicious on a keto diet. There are plenty more keto recipes that’ll pair so nicely with this dish.
Is This Dish Freezer Friendly?
Yes! You can freeze the low-carb version of this famous recipe. Simply chill it thoroughly in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, then package it in air-tight containers or zippered plastic bags for up to three months.
Thaw it in the fridge and then reheat your creamy keto Chicken Marsala in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it can be! Marsala wine is higher in carbs but when added to the sauce near the end of the cooking time, you can use less of it. We’re also not dusting the chicken breasts in flour before cooking to keep the net carbs low. This is also a gluten-free Chicken Marsala recipe, so it’s a double-win.
A hearty portion of this tasty dish has just 8 net carbs, making it a great pick for a keto and low-carb diet.
Quality counts when making Chicken Marsala, so look for a bottle that was made in Sicily. The fortified wine should be drinkable and smooth. Don’t purchase anything that is labeled for cooking – they tend to have a higher salt content. There are also dry and sweet versions – I find the dry Marsala wine makes the tastiest creamy Marsala sauce. Resist anything labeled Marsala cooking wine as these are often loaded with salt. If you can’t drink it – don’t cook with it!
Not at all! This is an easy and delicious recipe with plenty of creamy sauce. Once you’ve browned the seasoned chicken, it all goes back into one pan to finish cooking. Garnish with chopped parsley to make it look pretty, and dig in! Don’t forget to spoon up all that amazing Marsala sauce!
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Step By Step Process
Ingredients to make keto Chicken Marsala. 
Ingredients for easy chicken marsala have been prepped. 
Brown the chicken in oil and butter. Sautee the veggies then deglaze with broth and wine. Simmer the sauce and reduce by 1/3. Add the chicken, finish cooking, and serve!
Keto Chicken Marsala
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tbsp butter divided
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast boneless, skinless
- 12 ounces mushrooms washed and sliced
- 2 tbsp shallots diced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/4 cup marsala
- 1 cup chicken bone broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
Instructions
- Bring 1 tablespoon of butter and the avocado oil to a sizzle in a large skillet. Season the chicken and then brown it on both sides for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat or until lightly golden brown. Set the chicken aside.
- Add another tablespoon of butter and sauté the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic until the mushrooms are tender and have given up their liquid – about 4-5 minutes.
- With the mushrooms and shallots still in the pan, deglaze the pan with the bone broth and then add the heavy cream. Turn the heat down to a simmer and reduce the sauce by about a third.
- Put the chicken and any juices back into the sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through to 165-F. Add the Marsala wine and whisk in the remaining butter. Add the green onions.
- Thicken with xanthan gum (optional), top with parsley, and serve!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Normally in a sauce like this, you’d deglaze the pan with Marsala wine and then add a touch more at the end. However, to make this low-carb Chicken Marsala keto recipe, we’re adding it all at the end for maximum flavor and the fewest carbs.
- Thick chicken breasts take too long to cook in this low-carb keto dish. You want them at most 1/2-inch thick. If your breasts are thicker than that, slice them horizontally in half into two mostly even pieces.
- Get the olive oil (or avocado oil) and butter sizzling hot to get a bit of brown color on the breasts – golden brown food is tasty food!
- You can certainly skip the xanthan gum in this keto Chicken Marsala recipe. If you do use it, don’t use more than 1/4 teaspoon to make the creamy Marsala sauce. Resist the urge to add more – it will thicken up as it cooks and sits. If you really want a thicker sauce, add 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum and let it thicken. Use a whisk to whisk it in and to avoid lumps.
- Change up the mushrooms in this keto-friendly Chicken Marsala recipe! Quartered or sliced mushrooms work well in this dish, and you can use button mushrooms, white mushrooms, portobello mushrooms or cremini mushrooms.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Even More to Love!
Here are a few more low-carb recipes and keto favorites to try:
- Crack cauliflower
- Instant pot sauerkraut and sausage
- Beefy minestrone soup
- and for breakfast, this meaty hash.
And if you need help counting carbs, check out this net carb calculator!
I can’t wait to try this Creamy chicken Marsala. It looks and sounds absolutely amazing.
Looks so creamy and delicious! Can’t wait to make it soon!
Yum! Chicken marsala is one of my favorites to order at a restaurant. Will definitely try to make it.
I can’t get enough chicken recipes, so this one is definitely calling my name! Bookmarked to make later, thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Yum! I love chicken marsala! This looks absolutely amazing with all those flavors. Definitely perfect for pairing with the roasted asparagus.
We made this the other night, and the creamy sauce was rich and flavorful, and the chicken was perfectly tender. I was a little nervous using xanthan gum because I haven’t used it before, but it thickened the sauce perfectly!
I gave this chicken a 5 star rating! If I could give it more, I would have! It was unbelievably easy to make and adding the deglazing at the end made all the difference. I made mine without xantham gum. This chicken was PERFECT for date night!