Turkey Marsala

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Tender turkey tenderloin cutlets take center stage in this classic Italian dish with savory, mushroomy sauce.

Turkey Marsala on a white plate with greens.

Turkey Marsala with Mushrooms

Wait — turkey marsala?  You bet.  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, full-of-depth sauce.  You can such a nice layering of flavors by cooking everything in stages in the same pan.  

Turkey Marsala on a white plate.

Turkey Marsala for Easter

This is a great change-of-pace main course for an Easter lunch or dinner, beautiful but also fast.  If you have a smaller group this Easter this recipe is perfect, but you can easily double it for a larger crew.  Just make sure that when you sear the cutlets you do that in two batches so they brown nicely and don’t just steam.  The rest of the ingredients and sauce can be double-batch made at the same time.

Turkey Marsala: Tender turkey tenderloins take center stage in this classic Italian dish with savory, mushroomy sauce.

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Turkey Cutlets

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 they are juicy and done as soon as they are cooked through.  

Turkey Marsala, polenta, and greens on a white plate.

Turkey Marsala Pan Sauce

You see that after you cook the turkey cutlets and after you brown the prosciutto there will be little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  That’s great; the caramelized bits will release and become part of the sauce, adding layers of flavor.  When the mushrooms are sauteed 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 sauce.

Avoid a nonstick pan if possible, which won’t allow for as much caramelization.

Table set with bread and a blue serving platter of Turkey Marsala.

Pounding Turkey Cutlets

If your turkey cutlets are more than ¼-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.   

What Kind of Mushrooms to Use in Turkey Marsala

You can absolutely use plain old sliced white button mushrooms in turkey marsala, 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, oyster, chanterelle, or morels would be spectacular when in season.

Mushroom mixture being poured over turkey.

Dairy Options:

If you prefer, you can use evaporated milk as an alternative to the cream.  It’s a great use to make use of those extra cans we might have hanging around after the end-of-year holidays.  Half-and-half or light cream work as well.

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.  It’s not much butter at all -just 2 tablespoons – but it makes the sauce shiny and emulsified and restaurant-level.  

How to Make Turkey Marsala

Pound your turkey cutlets, if needed between two layers of plastic wrap until they are a uniform ¼-inch thickness.

Woman pounding turkey cutlets between layers of plastic wrap.

In a shallow bowl combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets in the flour mixture.

Turkey cutlet being dredged in a flour mixture.

Cook the floured cutlets over medium heat until they are just cooked though, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove the turkey from the pan to a platter.

Green tongs flipping a turkey cutlet in a skillet.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add the prosciutto, and stir until crisp.  Remove to paper towels to drain.  In the same pan, cook the mushrooms until browned, then add the shallots and garlic and stir for one more minute until you can smell the garlic.  

Woman using green tongs in a skillet of mushrooms, garlic, and shallots.

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.  

Marsala wine pouring into a skillet of mushrooms.

Add the cream, return to a simmer, and stir in the butter until melted.  

Heavy cream unmixed in a skillet with wine and mushrooms.

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.

Blue serving platter of Turkey Marsala.

Other Turkey Recipes:

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5 from 1 vote

Turkey Marsala

Tender turkey tenderloin cutlets take center stage in this classic Italian dish with savory, mushroomy sauce.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 People

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 4 turkey cutlets , pounded to 1/4-inch thickness (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 and 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.

Notes

Substituting for Heavy Cream:

If you don’t have heavy cream you can skip it, or sub it evaporated milk or even half and half.

Pounding Turkey Cutlets:

If your turkey cutlets are about ¼ inch thick to start with, there is no need to pound them. If your cutlets are more than ¼-inch thick, you can place the cutlets between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them gently with the flat side of a meat mallet, or a rolling pin or wine bottle until they are flattened and of uniform thickness.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 109mg, Sodium: 216mg, Potassium: 333mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 734IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg
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About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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3 Comments

  1. 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.