Chicken Marsala Fettuccine

Nov 18, 2024

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This chicken Marsala fettuccine is creamy, cozy and totally satisfying. Tender noodles, sautéed mushrooms, and caramelized onions are coated in a rich sauce made with Marsala wine for an elegant yet easy pasta dinner.

I don’t know about you, but I love a hearty pasta dinner on a busy weeknight. There’s something about slurping up tender noodles smothered in a delicious sauce that just hits the spot! I love my chicken bacon ranch pasta and this boursin pasta, but lately I’ve been making this chicken Marsala fettuccine on repeat. It’s such an easy recipe, yet it makes the most elegant, flavorful dinner ever.

If you can’t decide what to make for dinner, let me give you a few reasons why you need to try this creamy, heartwarming pasta favorite as soon as possible!

Why You’ll Love This Pasta Recipe

Dynamic flavor profile. Savory seared chicken thighs and umami mushrooms are complemented by the subtle sweetness of the caramelized onions. The light tang of the sour cream and the sweet acidity of the Marsala wine chime in to make this saucy pasta an absolute dream for your taste buds.
So creamy. The sauce on this pasta is out of this world. It coats every noodle, mushroom, and bite of tender chicken in an irresistible blanket of smooth, creamy goodness.
Elegant and satisfying. The finished dish is elegant and satisfying, yet easy enough to make anytime you’re craving a perfect plate of pasta. Make it for date night or a cozy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients for chicken marsala fettuccine.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make this flavorful fettuccine chicken Marsala. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for a printable list of ingredients.

Olive oil – Used for browning the chicken, but any neutral cooking oil will work here.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – You could use chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into cubes.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Butter – I like using unsalted butter so I can better control the flavor of the sauce.
Veggies – I used red onions, fresh garlic, and sliced cremini mushrooms. Yellow or white onion is okay to use.
Flour – Helps to thicken the sauce.
Marsala wine – Marsala wine is a fortified cooking wine similar to sherry. It originates in Sicily, Italy and ranges from dry to sweet. I recommend selecting a relatively dry Marsala for this recipe.
Chicken broth – Low-sodium chicken broth is best. It gives you more control over the flavor of the sauce.
Heavy cream & Sour cream – Used to make a creamy sauce.
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese – Shred your own cheese here, folks. The pre-shredded stuff just doesn’t melt into the sauce as half as well.
Fresh parsley – For garnish.
Fettuccine – You could use another pasta shape if you’d like.

A bowl of chicken marsala noodles with two forks resting inside the bowl.

How to Make Chicken Marsala Fettuccine

Time for a quick rundown of how to make chicken Marsala fettuccine. I kept it short here but you’ll find more detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.

Seasoned chicken breasts on a plate. — Season the chicken.

Cooking chicken in a skillet. — Season the chicken.

Red onions and butter in a pan. — Cook onions in butter.

Mushrooms, onions and butter in a pan. — Cook onions in butter.

Adding flour to cooked mushrooms in a pan. — Stir in flour.

Adding wine to mushrooms in a skillet. — Stir in flour.

Making sauce in the skillet. — Add broth and cream.

Adding chicken and cheese to the skillet. — Add broth and cream.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. While it’s heating, make the sauce.
Brown the chicken. Season the chicken and sear both sides in olive oil over medium-high heat. Set it aside to cool, then chop it up.
Caramelize the onions. Melt butter in the pan, add the onion, and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Saute the onions until caramelized.
Saute the mushrooms. Add more butter, the garlic and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are golden brown.
Make it saucy. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, heavy cream, and chicken. Simmer until thickened.
Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta per the package’s instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Make it creamy. Stir the sour cream into the sauce.
Put it all together. Stir the pasta into the sauce followed by the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh parsley.

Bowl of chicken fettuccine placed on a wooden board.

Recipe Tips

Don’t crowd the pan. Give the individual chicken thighs plenty of room to breathe in the pan. Otherwise, they won’t sear properly and will steam instead, which can lead to rubbery chicken. If your pan is too small, sear the chicken in batches.
Keep some chicken broth on hand. When caramelizing the onions, keep a bit of chicken broth (or water) on hand. If the pan starts to dry out, stir in a splash of broth to keep the onions from burning.
Salt the pasta water. The pasta will absorb the flavor of the water it is boiled in. If you forget to salt your pasta water, you will end up with bland pasta.
Reserve some pasta water. Before draining the pasta, reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta water. If the sauce has a hard time adhering to the noodles when you toss everything together, add a bit of the starchy water. It will loosen up the sauce and help it bind to the fettuccine.

Variation Ideas

Make it vegetarian: Not a meat eater? No problem. Omit the chicken and just add a little extra butter to the pan before sauteing the veggies.
Try a different pasta: The wider fettuccine noodles do a great job at carrying the sauce for this dish but you could easily swap them out for spaghetti, bucatini, or another pasta shape of your choosing.
Swap out your carb: I love the chicken Marsala sauce over pasta but it would be just as delicious ladled over creamy mashed potatoes, polenta or even rice.

Bowl of chicken and mushrooms served on top of noodles.

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve this chicken pasta dinner with a warm hunk of Dutch oven bread topped with a bit of butter, plus some roasted veggies. I recommend roasted asparagus or honey roasted carrots plus a classic, crisp salad to balance the rich flavors of the fettuccine.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

Store in the fridge: Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature before sealing it in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals, stirring between heating times, until warmed through.