Turkey Marsala
on Mar 21, 2021, Updated May 07, 2025
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Tender turkey tenderloin cutlets take center stage in this classic Italian dish with savory, mushroomy sauce.
Tender, flavorful turkey tenderloins take center stage in this classic Italian dish and hold their own perfectly. The turkey is flavorful and tender and stands up to the savory wine-based sauce studded with mushrooms and prosciutto. Cooking everything for the turkey marsala recipe in stages in the same pan allows you to create layers of flavors, resulting in a rich, cold-weather meal that feels both comforting and special.
Serve turkey marsala alongside Classic Caesar Salad, Oven-Roasted Fall Vegetables, and classic mashed potatoes.
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What's In This Post?
Turkey Marsala recipe: Tender turkey tenderloins take center stage in this classic Italian dish with a savory, mushroomy wine-based sauce.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – The flour is seasoned and used for breading the chicken.
- Turkey cutlets – Pounded to 1/4-inch thickness; see the note below.
- Olive oil – For Frying.
- Prosciutto – For a salty pop of flavor.
- Mushrooms – Any kind works; read the note below.
- Shallot – Adds a sweet flavor.
- Garlic – Adds savory notes.
- Marsala wine – Adds a great sweet and nutty depth of flavor.
- Chicken broth – For richness.
- Heavy cream – Optional, for a bit of creaminess. You can also substitute in evaporated milk, half-and-half, or light cream for the cream.
- Unsalted butter – Adding a couple of tablespoons of butter at the end of the cooking process turns an already rich and savory sauce into something silky and lush.
- Fresh parsley – For freshness.
Turkey cutlets are just as easy to cook and versatile as chicken breasts. They have a richer flavor and are best cooked over medium heat rather than high, so they stay tender and moist. They might not brown much on the outside, but cook them just until cooked through, and you’ll find they are wonderfully juicy and flavorful.
Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily. Marsala has a nutty and brown sugar flavor with notes of dried fruit. It can vary in taste from very sweet to mildly sweet.
What Kind of Mushrooms to Use in Turkey Marsala
You can absolutely use plain old sliced white button mushrooms in this recipe, but if you have access to different kinds, it’s nice to mix it up (literally, you can also use a mix of mushrooms). Try cremini (also called baby bellas because they are actually young portobellos), shiitake, or oyster mushrooms. Chanterelle mushrooms or morels would be spectacular when in season.
Pounding Turkey Cutlets
If your turkey cutlets are more than 1/4-inch thick, you can place the cutlets between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them gently with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or a wine bottle until they are flattened and of uniform thickness. It’s the same technique used to pound chicken breasts.
How to Make Turkey Marsala
- Pound and dredge the turkey: Using a meat tenderizer or other tool, pound the turkey tenderloins flat. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and coat the cutlets in the flour mixture.
- Cook the cutlets: Over medium heat, cook the cutlets for about 3 minutes per side.
- Crisp up the prosciutto: In the skillet, cook the prosciutto until crispy.
- Make the sauce: Sauté the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Pour in the wine, and add the broth. Stir until all of the browned bits come loose and the liquid reduces and starts to become a syrupy sauce. Add the cream, if using, return to a simmer, and stir in the butter until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and half the parsley.
- Finish and enjoy: Pour the sauce over the turkey on the platter and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley.
Turkey Marsala Pan Sauce
You will see that after you cook the turkey cutlets and then brown the prosciutto, there will be little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. That’s great; the caramelized bits (also known as a fond) will release and become part of the sauce, adding layers of flavor. When the mushrooms are sautéed, they will release some moisture before they brown, and after the shallots and garlic are added, the marsala wine and chicken broth will incorporate everything into a rich pan sauce.
Kitchen Smarts
Avoid a nonstick pan if possible, which won’t allow for as much caramelization.
What to Serve With Turkey Marsala
More Turkey Recipes
- Simple Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Turkey Reuben Sandwiches
- Greek Turkey Burgers
- Leftover Turkey Split Pea Soup
- Grilled Split Turkey Breast
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Turkey Marsala
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 4 turkey cutlets (pounded to 1/4-inch thick; see Note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 slices prosciutto (roughly chopped)
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (any kind)
- 1 large shallot (minced)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¾ cup Marsala wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional; see Note)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (divided)
- Hot cooked polenta (or mashed potatoes; to serve, optional)
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the cutlets in the flour mixture, and when the oil is hot, place them in the pan, making sure not to crowd them. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown, then flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom is browned and the turkey is just cooked through. Remove the turkey from the pan to a platter.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the prosciutto. Stir until the prosciutto is crisp and browned, scraping up any little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (you will get more of those browned bits loosened when you add the wine in the next step), about 4 minutes. Transfer the crisp prosciutto to a paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mushrooms are browned and any liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the shallots and garlic and stir for one more minute until you can smell the garlic.
- Remove the pan from the heat for a moment to pour in the wine, then return the pan to the heat and add the broth. Stir and scrape until all of the browned bits come loose and the liquid reduces and starts to become a syrupy sauce.
- Remove from the heat, add any juices that have accumulated on the plate from the turkey and the cream, return to a simmer, and stir in the butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in half of the parsley. Pour the sauce over the turkey on the platter and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley. Serve with the polenta or mashed potatoes, if desired.
This looks divine and I have all the ingredients, except the turkey cutlets or tenderloin. The recipe title lists turkey tenderloin yet the recipe uses turkey cutlets. Please tell me which to use, tenderloin or cutlets. I know this is going to be a great dinner Thank you.
please use cutlets – which may be cut from the tenderloin or the breast!
please use cutlets – which may or may not be from the tenderloin!