This easy to make Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce is a great way to effortlessly elevate any dish! Luxuriously rich, creamy, slightly sweet and perfectly savory, you can serve these mushrooms over steak, chicken, pork or pasta and transform a weeknight meal into something special!
*Updated*
This post was originally published in June 2014. I took new photos, changed some of the written post below to include more information, and tweaked the recipe. Plus, I added a RECIPE VIDEO to show you how easy this is to make!
I’m going to share a fun fact that may make some of you question my integrity as a food blogger. But, I like to be honest and open.
I do NOT like mushrooms. Wait, caveat, I do not like MOST mushrooms.
Essentially, I am super picky when it comes to edible fungi.
My basic thinking and philosophy surrounding mushrooms is this – if they are fried or stuffed, they are fair game.
However, plain mushrooms, mushroom pilaf, mushrooms on burgers, mushroom basically anything else? No thank you.
Oh, hold up. I lied. I also like mushrooms in this stir fry.
And then there are these marvelous marsala mushrooms. I absolutely LOVE them.
We are talkin’, face plant right into the sauce, lick the skillet clean type of L-O-V-E happening here…
Easy Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce
Silky, smooth, rich marsala sauce packed with savory, meaty mushrooms and studded with fragrant garlic, pungent shallots, fresh parsley and earthy thyme.
This classic Italian sauce is luxurious and creamy with a slightly sweet and savory flavor.
It’s ridiculously easy to make, yet versatile and can completely TRANSFORM a meal.
It’s heaven served atop a piece of protein like steak, chicken or pork; magically delicious served atop any kind of pasta (linguine, orecchiette, ravioli, gnocchi, whatever!), and can turn mashed potatoes (or baked potatoes) into an acceptable main meal.
Basically, this mushroom marsala cream sauce is an equal opportunist and WILL have you swooning over its power to easily elevate ANY and EVERY meal!
What is marsala wine?
Marsala wine is a fortified wine produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily.
The wine, with its unmistakable flavor and deep color, is usually used to create rich sauces, such as marsala sauce, or in this case, marsala cream sauce.
What marsala wine to cook with?
There are two different styles, or varieties, of marsala used for cooking – dry and sweet. Since this recipe is for a savory mushroom cream sauce, it utilizes dry marsala wine.
Sweet marsala wines are generally used for desserts.
Where is marsala wine in stores?
Most major grocery stores carry marsala wine. You can usually locate them in the condiment aisle with the vinegars and other cooking wines (sherry, white wine, etc.)
Can marsala wine be substituted?
Since marsala is one of the main components of this sauce, it is best if you don’t use a substitute.
However, if you are in pinch, Madeira wine contains many identical flavor characteristics as marsala. While Madeira won’t taste identical to marsala, it will taste similar.
Now off you go into the world to buy the ingredients necessary to make this. If you make this for the ones you love, I can pretty much promise you they will love you a little more.
Or, at least wash the dishes with a smile, give you a massage, or let you have control of the remote for the night.
-xoxo-
Cheyanne
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How to make Easy Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce Recipe and Video👇
Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce for Steaks
Ingredients
- 2 TBS Unsalted Butter
- 1 Small Shallot – Fine Dice
- 8 oz Cremini Mushrooms , Baby Bella, or White Button Mushrooms (Or Combination of each) – Thinly Sliced
- 2 Cloves Garlic – Minced
- 1 1/2 TBS All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 Cup Dry Marsala Cooking Wine
- 1/3 Cup Beef Stock , Unsalted
- 2-3 TBS Heavy Cream , to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme - chopped (can substitute 1/4 tsp ground thyme)
- 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Parsley – Chopped
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper – To Taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saute pan over Medium Heat.
- Add in the Shallot and season with a pinch of Salt and Pepper. Sauté 1-2 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the Mushrooms to pan. Sauté until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are barely cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the Garlic and a scant ¼ tsp Salt. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the Flour over mushrooms and stir to incorporate.
- Reduce heat to Medium/Medium-Low and add in the Marsala Wine. Cook until slightly reduced, about 4 - 6 minutes, scraping up browned bits off bottom of the pan.
- Add in the Beef Stock and continue to cook until slightly reduced again, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the Heavy Cream* and Thyme. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the Parsley. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve over steak, chicken, pork or pasta. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure you add salt and pepper in layers while cooking. Since this is a savory, cream sauce, it needs a generous amount of seasoning to make the flavors really shine!
- Use 2 tablespoons of heavy cream if you are looking for a slightly creamy sauce, and 3 tablespoons for a creamier sauce! (I used 2 1/2 tablespoons)
Nutrition
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This recipe taught me not use Marsala over steak. I didn’t like the combination. I found this recipe too salty, but the cream greatly enhanced it . I added more butter and some stock, but I prefer chicken stock with Marsala.
Overall, not bad. I might use this with a red wine .
Hi JPP,
I’m sorry you didn’t like the combination of Marsala sauce over steak, but serving it with steak is just one option. As you can see in the photos and video, I served it with both pasta and chicken. As far as the recipe being salty, it definitely should not be. The recipe only calls for 1/4 teaspoon + one pinch of KOSHER salt. It is only a touch of salt and serves to enhance all the flavors. If you used TABLE SALT instead, that would cause the dish to be salty. However, table salt and kosher salt are not the same thing. I’m sorry you didn’t like the sauce with steak, but happy you found the recipe overall “not bad”.
Cheers,
Cheyanne
Hi,
I used kosher salt, and I salted the steaks. I used this Marsala w/ veal it was delicious!
It’s possible my beef stock was too strong. Your sauce looked pretty, cooked easily and had a nice presentation.
Sometimes I use a low sodium chicken broth to neutralize the wine. thanks for replying.
Hi JPP,
It definitely could have been the beef stock if it wasn’t low sodium (those can unfortunately be extremely salty).
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the sauce with veal!
Hi, I know you said not to sub anything for the Marsala wine other than Madeira in a pinch, but how do you think this sauce would do with sherry? I have a really good dry sherry that does wonderfully with mushrooms and was thinking about trying it, but was wondering what your thoughts were.
Thanks!
Hi Heather!
While I haven’t personally tried sherry as a replacement for the Marsala wine in this recipe, I think a good quality dry sherry would probably taste great!! If you have used it with mushrooms before with good results, you should be perfectly fine to substitute it here. 🙂
If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Cheers and warm wishes for a wonderful New Year,
Cheyanne
I love mushrooms and my husband doesn’t. But I can still make the sauce and just not put the mushrooms on his plate….will put them on mine instead! Lol. But I have been looking for a new yummy sauce. I intend to use it on some deer back straps and steaks. This one should take deer meat to another level of taste.
Hi Debra!
I love your idea to simply take all the mushrooms for yourself!! 🙂 Serving this sauce with deer meat sounds delicious! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Cheers and warm wishes for a Happy New Year,
Cheyanne
I have made this a couple of times now, very yummy and not as labor intensive as a full on version of Marsala sauce. This will def be my go to for that yummy marsala taste in a fraction of the time! Thanks!
I haven’t made this recipe yet but I was wondering would this sauce be good for pizza since I am allergic to tomatoes.
Hi Jean,
In all honesty, I haven’t tried this sauce on pizza. The sauce is very good with bread for dipping, but I’m not sure how that would translate on a pizza. If you like marsala sauce, you can always give it a try! I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. Cheers!
Im always looking for sauces to jazz up meet or chicken. I’m thrilled I found this. Will become my go to fav for unexpected guests too for impressive meal that is easy to whip up.
So many ways to use this delicious sauce!
Love it – thank you
It was spectacular!! I love the flavor.
Overall it’s a great Italian dinner! ☺️
I used this sauce to serve over Kessler pork chops which are smoked pork chops. Since that are already smoked and only need reheating, I seared the chops in butter and oil then took them out and made the sauce per the recipe. Once the sauce was cooked, I added the chops back in to heat them back up and served them with risotto. Delicious!!
What’s a substitute for the beef broth
You could substitute vegetable stock for the beef stock. Or, if you are serving this over chicken, you could substitute chicken stock.
Cheers!
I made the recipe exactly as written and served over grilled chicken. It was delicious!!!
Hi Jennifer,
I’m absolutely thrilled you enjoyed the sauce!! Thank you so very much for coming back and letting me know how it went over! Cheers!!
Wow! Just wow!
I rarely comment on recipes I try but I just had to say this is so delicious! I made it today for my husbands birthday to have with steak (beef tenderloin) and he absolutely loved it and is already asking when I will make it again. So thank you for sharing it and I already sent it to all my family to try.
Hi Ana,
I am honored you made this sauce for your husband’s birthday!!! And, I’m so thrilled it went over well!!! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how everything went! Cheers and happy belated birthday to your husband!! 🙂
P.S Thank you for sharing with your family too!!
Hi. I usually make a Chicken Marsala for dinner parties and am able to make the whole dish in advance, put it in a Pyrex in the oven for about 1/2 hour , enjoy the party and then serve. Leaving it in a low oven lets the sauce go into the chicken and makes it really tender. Was wondering how you think this sauce would stand up to the oven time as I am doing a progressive dinner and need to be out of the house for an hour before serving. Do you think the cream sauce could stand up.
THanks
Hi Patricia,
I’m unsure what exactly you are asking. I understand you want to make this in advance and put it in the oven for an hour, but it’s unclear if the oven will be on or off?? Regardless, this is a sauce that tastes best made fresh and I wouldn’t let it sit out for an hour (at room temperature or in a heated oven) before serving. If anything, I’d make it in advance, minus adding the fresh herbs and heavy cream, then store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. I’d reheat it, add the herbs, cream and then serve. I hope that helps and good luck! Cheers!
Can you make this in advance, and freeze it for later use?
Hi Larry,
You can make this is mushroom marsala sauce in advance and freeze it for later use, however you will need to make a few adjustments. Do not add the fresh herbs or the heavy cream to the sauce (heavy cream will split when frozen and end up very grainy in texture and unpleasant to taste). Allow the sauce to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer safe, air-tight container and freezing. Hope you had a wonderful holiday! Cheers!
Hi! thank you for the recipe , i would like to ask if its possible to make it gluten free, and substitute the flour to cornflower, or any other way. thank you
Hi Effie,
I’ve never tried to make this with cornflour, so I’m not exactly sure how it would turn out. Your best bet would be to use gluten free all purpose flour. Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!
Very good. Also very similar to other marsala recipes that I have read but this one has fresh time and fresh parsley which is not very common in other recipes. Also I would recommend to tell them what kind of marsala wine to use because if you use Italian wine it’s very dark and there’s dry versus sweet and if I use American marsala they don’t specify if it’s dry Marsala. Just my own observation. Very very good recipe thank you for sharing.
Hi Zari,
Thank you for the comment! In the actual post itself I do discuss which type of Marsala to use in the recipe. 🙂 . Cheers and thank you for stopping by!
Wow, so yummy. I used all portobello mushrooms and it gave the sauce an earthy quality. Could definitely eat this straight with some bread. I actually grilled some strip steak chopped against the grain and placed it on white rice. Added the sauce and a sprig of thyme and had a fancy dinner. Thank you
Hi Melissa!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed this recipe! I love that you served it with grilled strip steak – YUM!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went over!! Cheers!
Try this with some warm, crispy ciabatta bread with goat cheese spread over top. Spoon the mushroom marsala cream sauce over the top. Super yum!
That sounds absolutely delicious, Brenda!!
Amazing! Best sauce I’ve ever made.
Hi Loren,
I’m absolutely thrilled you loved this sauce!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went over! Cheers! 🙂
Cheyanne,
I’ve been sitting on this recipe for about a week now, and today I am SO ready to try it for dinner tonight!!! I am extremely excited, and will reply later on tonight to let you know how it came out!!!
I hope you love it as much as we do!!
Could this be made ahead of time and then heated? Would it keep?
Hi Lawanda,
Yes you can re-heat it, if you are having it for leftovers. My husband has taken the leftovers to work numerous times. With that said, if you are having this for dinner, it is absolutely best made and eaten fresh. I hope that answers your question!
I am drooling over this recipe! I LOVE mushrooms, pretty much on anything. I’ve never met a mushroom I didn’t like. This is the perfect way to dress up some nice chicken thighs. I’m already scheming how I will use this for SO MANY THINGS.
I don’t think I could love this more. And it’s perfect on just about everything!
Thank you for updating this recipe because I didn’t know your blog back in 2014 yet, and I’ve been missing this recipe. I’ll pretend I didn’t read about your ” mushroom love” though as I must forgive all your weaknesses for creating such an amazing dish! 🙂 And Marsala? I’ll take it!
I missed this one the first go around! Thanks for sharing again – this looks incredible!
Somehow I missed this the first time around Chey! Tom would absolutely LOVE this! He enjoys anything marsala! I’ll be making shortly and I’ll let you know!! Such a great dish for when I have a few of my vegetarian friends over too. I love it over the orecchiette!
Marsala sauce is one of my favorite things on the planet and this looks like perfection! I love that there’s just enough cream…too much makes it too rich for me. The mushrooms are my favorite part and I can see making this very often. Delicious!
Marsala is one of my favourite flavours for cooking and with mushrooms, it’s perfect! So glad you brought this one back around 🙂
So I know you said this sauce can transform a meal but can I just make it a meal in itself? Because I LOVE mushrooms. I’ll take any that you don’t want to eat! And I’m thinking I just eat this with a spoon. Have a great week, Chey!
I just want to dip some sourdough bread into that creamy marsala sauce! So darn good!
Which marsalla wine did u use?
Hi! You can use any marsala cooking wine you would like. I personally used Pompeian brand. Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!
Dear Cheyanne,
WHAT A RECIPE!!! I followed it exactly BUT
in the last simmer i added 2 oz. of Prosciutto di Parma
cut to 1/2 inch square pieces,
WOW!! if you want give it a try and reply to:
Check out our website for your 4 legged lady
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Hi Stuart! I’m thrilled you loved this cream sauce! Your addition of prosciutto sounds fantastic!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went over! Cheers to a wonderful 2018!
DELICIOUS. I just bought an Anova immersion cooker and sometimes I don’t feel like searing the perfectly cooked steak afterwards. This delicious sauce let’s me save some time and energy (and a pan) and it is SO good. Great with chicken broth too when that is all that is on hand.
Super yum!!
Awesome recipie. Used it with rigatoni and ny strips with fresh grated romano and parmigiana
Hi Paul! I’m thrilled you loved this Marsala cream sauce! Serving it with rigatoni sounds amazing, and you can never go wrong with freshly grated cheese! 🙂 Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went! Cheers!
Yours is the recipe to try,
The first one I found using cream…..which makes everything taste better!