What Is Marsala wine and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with marsala wine? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 70 recipes to put it to work.

Key Points

Sicilian fortified wine, around 15 to 20 percent alcohol, sold in sweet (dolce) and dry (secco) styles.
Use dry Marsala for savory pan sauces with chicken, veal, and mushrooms; sweet for desserts.
It reduces into the glossy sauce behind Chicken Marsala and the custard in zabaglione.
Skip the salted "cooking Marsala"; a real bottle costs little more and lasts for months.
Closest swaps are dry Madeira or dry sherry for savory, port or sweet sherry for dessert.

What is marsala wine?

Marsala is a fortified wine from the area around the city of Marsala, on the western tip of Sicily. Like port and sherry, it has had grape spirit added during production. That pushes the alcohol up to around 15 to 20 percent and gives it a longer life once opened.

The flavor leans toward brown sugar and dried fig, with toasted nuts and a little tang behind it.

It comes in a sweet style (dolce) and a dry style (secco), and the bottle will say which. The dry is what you reach for in savory pan sauces. The sweet belongs in desserts.

Buy a bottle labeled simply Marsala, not the cheap "Marsala cooking wine" cut with salt, which throws off your seasoning and tastes flat.

Cooking With Marsala

Marsala earns its keep in a fast pan sauce. After you sear chicken or veal, pour a splash into the hot empty pan, scrape up the browned bits, and let it reduce by about half until it turns glossy and syrupy.

That reduction is the whole point of Chicken Marsala and Chicken or Veal Marsala, where the wine simmers down with mushrooms and a knob of butter into a sauce that coats the meat.

Use the dry style for these savory sauces. It concentrates into something nutty rather than candied, which is what you want against seared meat and earthy mushrooms.

The sweet style is for dessert. It is the wine in classic zabaglione, the warm Italian custard you whisk over a double boiler with egg yolks and sugar until it triples in volume.

Sweet Marsala also soaks into the ladyfingers in many tiramisu recipes, including this site's Tiramisu - Italian Coffee Trifle.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Marsala has a natural affinity for mushrooms and browned butter, and for poultry or veal finished with a little cream. It also stands up to beef, as in Beef Tenderloin with Marsala. Sweet Marsala loves vanilla, coffee, citrus zest, and dark chocolate.

The most common mistake is grabbing the salted "cooking Marsala" sold near the vinegar. It tastes harsh and over-salts the dish. A real bottle from the wine aisle costs only a few dollars more and lasts for months.

The second mistake is not reducing enough. Raw Marsala tastes thin and boozy. Give it time to bubble down and the alcohol to cook off, until the sauce visibly thickens and the sharp edge is gone.

What to Use Instead

For a savory sauce, dry Madeira is the closest swap, with the same nutty, oxidized character. Dry sherry works too, though it is a touch lighter. In a pinch, use a dry white wine with a small spoon of brandy and a pinch of brown sugar to mimic the depth.

For dessert uses, port or a sweet sherry stands in well, since all three bring raisined sweetness. A sweet Madeira (malmsey) is an even closer match for zabaglione.

If you cook without alcohol, use white grape juice plus a splash of brandy extract or a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to bring back some of the tang and color.

Buying and Keeping It

Look for a bottle simply labeled Marsala, ideally one that notes Superiore or Fine for a bit more age. Decide between dolce and secco based on whether you are cooking savory or sweet.

Because it is fortified, Marsala keeps far longer than table wine after opening. Recork it and store it somewhere cool and dark, and it stays good for cooking for several weeks, often a month or more. The fridge extends that further.

It will slowly dull over time, so if it smells sharp or flat, replace it. An unopened bottle keeps for years in the pantry.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 fl oz (29g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 46Calories from Fat 0

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.0g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.0g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 2mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 4.0g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 2.3

Protein 0.1g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0% • Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find marsala wine: Marsala wine is usually found in the liquor section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Marsala wine is a member of the Beverages US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese: 马沙拉酒
British (UK) term: Marsala wine
en français: marsala
en español: vino marsala

How much does marsala wine weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 fl oz	29 grams
1 glass (3.5 fl oz)	103 grams

Beverages

Beer 431 Creme de menthe 43 Brandy 416 Rum 290 Vodka 132 Cognac 125 Tequila 80 Gin 28 Whiskey 80 Bourbon whiskey 86

Recipes using marsala wine

There are 70 recipes that contain this ingredient.

More marsala wine recipes

List of all ingredients

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