How To Thicken Marsala Sauce
Marsala sauce is a flavorful gravy that can bring out the best in any meat dish. However, sometimes a recipe can turn out to be runnier than you’d like — so what is the best way to thicken it?
How to thicken marsala sauce? Marsala sauce can be thickened either by simply reducing the mixture until it becomes syrup-like or by adding thickening agents. We recommend adding a pinch of flour, cornstarch, or any other thickener of your choice to get the right consistency.
Read below to learn more about marsala sauce, how it’s made, and the best ways to thicken it!
What Is Marsala?
Marsala sauce is typically made with a combination of fresh herbs, mushrooms, shallots, and of course, marsala!
Marsala is a popular dessert wine with a dark or semi-sweet flavor.
It was created in Sicily and has extensively been used all around the world for its unique flavor and culinary use.
This wine is categorized as “fortified” because it is mixed with neutral-tasting grape brandy. Marsala is made with a mixture of up to three different types of grapes: Grillo, Cataratto, and Inzolia.
The wine is sweetened with either grape must (concentrated grape) or grape juice — this is why it can deliver so many delicious and complex flavors!
Characteristics Of Marsala Wine
Here are some of the characteristics of good marsala wine.
Flavor
Marsala has a unique and distinct nutty, grape-like flavor with subtle notes of brown sugar and dried fruit.
Many people deem it to be too sweet, but its sweetness and balance of flavors are also highly dependent on the quality of the wine.
A marsala from Sicily is likely to be made from high-quality ingredients and, more importantly, made using traditional methods.
This type of premium wine will deliver on all the subtle notes instead of just tasting like very sweet grape syrup.
Texture
Marsala has a very smooth texture — but that isn’t the most striking thing about it. The real magic happens when you evaporate the alcohol and excess moisture from the wine!
As the marsala is reduced, it leaves behind grape must and sugars, which caramelize in the pan. The excess sugar content in the wine truly shines through as it adds a lightly syrupy texture.
The great thing about marsala is that once it is reduced, it can be combined with other thickening agents to create a delectable sauce without affecting its delicate syrupy texture or flavor!
How To Thicken Marsala Sauce
Before we share our favorite simple and easy recipe for making marsala sauce, let’s first discuss how you can thicken it using simple ingredients.
1. Reduction Method
This is by far the easiest and most recommended method for thickening marsala sauce.
After evaporating the alcohol, we recommend turning the heat down to a light simmer. Cook the wine with the rest of the ingredients so that it can slowly evaporate the leftover moisture in the must.
The other ingredients will benefit from this too as they cook and release all their flavor into the sauce!
Once the sauce has reduced to only a third of its original volume, you can adjust the heat to further thicken the sauce. Please avoid overcooking the sauce as it may affect its delicate flavor!
2. Flour Method
Most marsala sauces contain a lot of chicken stock — and you can use this ingredient as a carrier for the thickening agent!
Adding any thickener directly into the sauce can leave behind lumps. This is why the best way to introduce it to the pan is via the chicken broth!
First, measure out the required broth, and then add a pinch of flour.
You might have to adjust the quantity of the flour depending on how much sauce you have. To stay on the safe side, we suggest starting with 1-2 leveled tablespoons of flour.
Mix the flour into the broth and make sure that there are no dry lumps in the mixture. Then pour it over the pan. The flour will absorb the excess liquid and coagulate the mixture, creating a thickened gravy!
For the best experience, try to keep a bit of stock on the side. Since you should add the flour at the very end, you can just make the last moment adjustments by pouring over the leftover broth with the required amount of flour.
3. Cornstarch Method
This method works in the same way as the flour method — but you need to be very careful about the quantity of the cornstarch.
Adding too much cornstarch will likely ruin the texture of the marsala sauce. Start with a pinch of corn flour and dissolve it into the chicken broth.
Remember: Cornstarch will start to thicken the sauce once it is heated, so you will need to cook the sauce for a while before adding more!
4. Chicken Fat Method
Chicken fat is an excellent way to add both flavor and thickness to the sauce. You can easily find chicken fat in stores and you can even use it in combination with chicken stock!
Chicken fat contains natural thickeners that can help add structure to the sauce. As you reduce the mixture, the chicken fat will work its magic and add thickness to it, especially as it cools down.
5. Gluten-Free Thickeners
If you are looking for thickeners that don’t include cornstarch and are 100% vegan-friendly, then we recommend going with tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, potato starch, or xanthan gum.
Please note that while all of these starches will play more or less the same role in the sauce, you might need to adjust their quantity to avoid clumping the sauce.
Always start with small quantities and only add more if the sauce remains thin, even after cooking it for 2-3 minutes.
Now that you know how to thicken marsala sauce, here is a great go-to recipe for one of our favorites: chicken marsala!
Classic Chicken Marsala Recipe
Chicken marsala is an excellent Italian-American meal that combines the flavor elements of Marsala wine, mushrooms, and chicken! This dish will wow your guests at gatherings, as well as provide a lovely comfort meal.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz pre-sliced button mushrooms
- 3 tbsp finely chopped shallots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup dry Marsala wine
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
1. Start by making the breading for the chicken! Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a Zip-loc bag. Add the pounded (flattened) chicken breasts to the bag and shake well.
2. In a large pan, heat oil and add 2 tbsp of butter. Set the heat to medium and don’t let the butter burn! Add the coated chicken to the pan and let it sear for about 4-5 minutes on each side, then set aside.
- The goal here is to only half-cook the chicken just once, or you might end up overcooking it. Make sure that you use a heavy-bottomed pan that can also help add color to the chicken breasts!
3. Add the remaining butter to the same pan and toss in the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown and develop a beautiful caramelization.
4. In the same pan as the mushrooms, stir in the garlic, shallots, and salt (to taste). Cook for about 1-2 minutes and then add the broth, marsala, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and thyme. Quickly mix in everything and keep stirring.
- You will notice some caramelization on the bottom of the pan — try to scrape it off using the spoon. These scrapings will add quite a lot of flavors to the sauce!
5. Now let the mixture simmer and then turn down the heat to a medium. Continue boiling everything and let the ingredients release all their flavors in the sauce! After 8-10 minutes, the sauce will start to reduce and thicken.
- This is when you would ideally adjust the thickness of the sauce. If you can’t get the sauce to thicken via reduction, then we suggest using the advised thickening agents above.
6. Once the sauce is almost thickened, add the chicken back to the pan and let the breasts finish cooking with the sauce. Turn down the heat and let everything incorporate together for a few minutes.
7. Garnish with parsley and dish it out on a plate. You can also serve your chicken marsala with a side of fettuccini!
Classic Chicken Marsala Recipe
Chicken marsala is an excellent Italian-American meal that combines the flavor elements of Marsala wine, mushrooms, and chicken! This dish will wow your guests at gatherings, as well as provide a lovely comfort meal.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz pre-sliced button mushrooms
- 3 tbsp finely chopped shallots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup dry Marsala wine
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
1. Start by making the breading for the chicken! Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a Zip-loc bag. Add the pounded (flattened) chicken breasts to the bag and shake well.
2. In a large pan, heat oil and add 2 tbsp of butter. Set the heat to medium and don’t let the butter burn! Add the coated chicken to the pan and let it sear for about 4-5 minutes on each side, then set aside.
* The goal here is to only half-cook the chicken just once, or you might end up overcooking it. Make sure that you use a heavy-bottomed pan that can also help add color to the chicken breasts!
3. Add the remaining butter to the same pan and toss in the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown and develop a beautiful caramelization.
4. In the same pan as the mushrooms, stir in the garlic, shallots, and salt (to taste). Cook for about 1-2 minutes and then add the broth, marsala, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and thyme. Quickly mix in everything and keep stirring.
* You will notice some caramelization on the bottom of the pan — try to scrape it off using the spoon. These scrapings will add quite a lot of flavors to the sauce!
5. Now let the mixture simmer and then turn down the heat to a medium. Continue boiling everything and let the ingredients release all their flavors in the sauce! After 8-10 minutes, the sauce will start to reduce and thicken.
* This is when you would ideally adjust the thickness of the sauce. If you can’t get the sauce to thicken via reduction, then we suggest using the advised thickening agents above.
6. Once the sauce is almost thickened, add the chicken back to the pan and let the breasts finish cooking with the sauce. Turn down the heat and let everything incorporate together for a few minutes.
7. Garnish with parsley and dish it out on a plate. You can also serve your chicken marsala with a side of fettuccini!
Related Questions
Marsala sauce is very easy to make and you can use a range of accessible ingredients to thicken it without changing its natural texture or flavor.
Now that you know how to thicken marsala sauce, here are some related questions.
How long does thickened marsala sauce last?
On the off-chance you have any leftovers, Marsala sauce can be stored in the fridge for about 2-3 days.
Make sure that the sauce is stored in an airtight container. To reheat it, simply add it back to a pan and heat it using a low flame. Warm the sauce until it is back to its original consistency!
How can you fix very thick marsala sauce?
If you have accidentally added more thickening agents than you had intended then we recommend first cooking the sauce until it reaches its peak consistency.
Then simply add more stock (not water) to dilute the mixture. Make sure that you mix the sauce well to incorporate all of the loose moisture in the pan!
