Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

I got promoted this week. My supervisor Miss Charlene called me in on Monday, same office, and said she was moving me to assistant teacher in the toddler room starting September first. A fifty-cent raise. Eleven fifty an hour. She said I have a gift with the difficult kids, the ones who are in transitions or who have complicated home situations, and that the lead teacher in the toddler room specifically requested me.

I said thank you and went back to the three-year-old room and did not say anything until I was in my car at the end of the day. Then I sat in the parking lot and cried a little, the good kind, the kind where something you have been working at is recognized by someone with the authority to name it. A gift. She said I have a gift.

I called Gloria from the parking lot. She said of course they promoted you. I said thank you. She said do not thank me, you did the work. And then she said come Sunday, we are having something nice. I asked what. She said pound cake. I said we just made pound cake for James. She said this one is for you.

Sunday dinner was smothered chicken, which is different from pork chops in texture but the same principle: brown the protein, build the gravy, finish low and slow. She made it with rice and okra on the side and we ate at the kitchen table with the ceiling fan going and the windows open because it had cooled down slightly that evening. James said this is a celebration and put on music, old soul music from the record player in the living room, and I sat at that table and thought: I am twenty-three years old now almost, and I have a promotion and a kitchen table I love and a Sunday that feels like this. I am, against considerable odds, doing fine.

Gloria’s smothered chicken that Sunday was everything — browned and tender, swimming in that thick, savory gravy she builds from nothing but patience and a cast iron skillet. I wanted to share a recipe that carries that same spirit: protein browned until golden, a rich sauce built right on top of it, and the whole thing finished low and slow until it falls apart. This Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala isn’t her exact dish, but it follows the same principle she taught me, and it’s the kind of meal you make when someone at your table has done something worth sitting down for.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 4 hours | Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Season and dredge the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lightly dredge each piece in flour, shaking off the excess.
Brown the chicken. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken thighs skin-side down for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and brown for another 2 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Build the gravy base. In the same skillet, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they release their liquid and begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the Marsala wine and chicken broth, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the dried thyme and let the mixture simmer for 2 minutes.
Slow cook. Pour the mushroom and Marsala mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, until the chicken is tender and registers 175°F internally.
Finish the sauce. Carefully transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Serve. Spoon the creamy mushroom marsala gravy over the chicken. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala — The Sunday Dinner That Said You Did the Work