If you love classic chicken marsala, you’ll love this easy one-pan chicken marsala meatballs version! Tender chicken meatballs are simmered in a creamy mushroom marsala sauce and draped over warm fettuccine pasta.
Is there any dish that doesn’t benefit from being meatball-ified? Let me know after you dive into this pan of heaven.
You’ll find everything you love about the classic dish in this pan right here from the golden seared chicken meatballs down to the classic mushroom marsala wine cream sauce and it ticks every single dinner box.
It feels fancy as heck but you can absolutely pull off this magic in only 40 minutes.
And the whole one-pan thing? Yeah, this is a permanent one on the rotation for sure.
These Marsala Meatballs feature…
- Juicy chicken meatballs
- A creamy marsala wine mushroom sauce
- Made entirely in one pan and amazing served over fettuccine
Making the Marsala Meatballs
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Ground chicken
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- Shallot
- Mushrooms
- Marsala wine
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth
- Heavy whipping cream
- Fettuccine pasta
Choosing Your Mushrooms
This marsala is amazing with many kinds of mushrooms! We love using a mix for some variety throughout the sauce.
A few of our favorites include buttons, baby bellas, shiitakes, oysters, crimini, or porcini. Feel free to use several kinds for more texture in the marsala.
Tips for Perfect Marsala Meatballs
- Sear meatballs – this adds a lovely golden crust to the outside of meatballs and helps them hold their shape during simmering.
- Reduce marsala wine – letting the wine simmer a bit before adding the rest of the liquid ingredients helps the wine concentrate and builds flavor for the sauce.
- Whisk flour into chicken broth – a tablespoon of flour will help thicken the sauce perfectly and is easy to incorporate into the sauce by whisking in the chicken broth beforehand.
- Finish cooking meatballs in sauce – once all the ingredients are added to the pan, cover pan, and allow to simmer on medium-low 8-10 minutes to reduce the sauce and finish cooking the meatballs.
- Top meatballs with fresh parsley – fresh minced parsley adds an incredible little pop of fresh herby flavor.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these meatballs.
- Try a different meat – ground beef, turkey, or pork work great in place of the chicken.
- Make it alcohol-free – replace the Marsala wine with chicken broth and add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar for an alcohol-free version.
- Add more veggies – try adding 1 cup sweet pepper, zucchini, spinach, or broccoli alongside the mushrooms.
Serving Suggestions
We recommend serving these meatballs on a bed of warm fettuccine pasta like traditional marsala, however, they’re great on a variety of pasta shapes and also incredible on mashed potatoes! Serving them on mashed potatoes is my husband’s personal favorite.
The chicken meatballs are SO incredibly tender and juicy in this dish, but really it’s the sauce that’s the real star here. It’s got rich, nutty flavors from the marsala wine, tons of tender sautéed mushrooms, and a lovely creamy texture.
Trust me, THIS is what you make for your next date night in!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch these meatballs made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More chicken meatballs to try next!
- Pineapple Jerk Chicken Meatballs
- Spinach Feta Chicken Meatballs
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken Meatballs
Chicken Marsala Meatballs
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Marsala Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 8 oz button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup marsala wine
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fettuccine pasta for serving
Instructions
Chicken Meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, and egg. Scoop mixture into 1-in meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and butter and swirl pan to evenly coat. Add meatballs to pan and sear on all sides, turning occasionally with a tongs until meatballs are golden brown. Transfer meatballs to a clean plate and set aside.
Marsala Sauce
- Add butter to same pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add shallot and mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.
- Pour marsala wine into pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer 3-5 minutes until wine is slightly reduced.
- Whisk flour into chicken broth until smooth. Pour chicken broth and heavy cream into sauce. Nestle meatballs into sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and allow to simmer 8-10 minutes until meatballs register 165F, stirring occasionally.
- Stir parsley into chicken marsala and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chicken marsala meatballs warm over fettuccine. Enjoy!
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