Why You’ll Love This this Marsala Chicken with Wine-Mushroom Sauce
This Marsala chicken recipe turns ordinary weeknight chicken into something that tastes like you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen all day, when really you just marinated it while binge-watching your favorite show.
The wine and mushroom sauce creates this rich, savory flavor that makes even the pickiest eaters forget they’re eating something healthy, and honestly, who doesn’t need that kind of victory in their life.
Plus, the whole thing goes from fridge to table in about 30 minutes once you start cooking, which means you can impress people without actually breaking a sweat or missing your evening plans.
Ingredients List
Getting your hands on these ingredients is the easy part, and honestly, you probably have half of them sitting in your pantry right now.
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bottle Italian salad dressing
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup marsala or other white wine
- 1 lb sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Paprika
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Protein power: Those chicken breasts pack serious lean protein without all the saturated fat you’d get from darker cuts
- Veggie boost: A whole pound of mushrooms means you’re sneaking in fiber, potassium, and antioxidants without even trying
- Wine wisdom: The alcohol cooks off during the process, leaving behind flavor instead of empty calories
- Oil options: You could swap that margarine for butter if you want, or stick with olive oil for heart-healthy fats
- Sodium watch: That bottled Italian dressing does bring some sodium to the party, so if you’re watching your salt intake, maybe use a lighter hand with additional seasoning
- Marinate chicken in Italian dressing for several hours or overnight.
- Combine flour, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika in a large bowl or zip-lock bag.
- Remove chicken from marinade and coat thoroughly with the seasoned flour mixture.
- Heat margarine and olive oil in a large non-stick skillet until hot.
- Brown the coated chicken on both sides, then transfer to a baking dish and set aside.
- Deglaze the same skillet with marsala wine and chicken stock, bringing mixture to a hard boil.
- Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until softened.
- Pour the wine and mushroom mixture over the chicken in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over the top.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with your favorite pasta.
- Pasta perfection – Egg noodles, fettuccine, or penne all work beautifully to soak up that gorgeous wine sauce. I mean, who doesn’t want every last drop of that marsala goodness?
- Rice alternatives – Creamy risotto, wild rice pilaf, or even simple garlic butter rice will catch all those pan drippings without competing with the flavors.
- Veggie sides – Roasted asparagus, sautéed green beans, or a simple Caesar salad add that fresh crunch and color your plate desperately needs.
- Bread situation – Crusty Italian bread, garlic breadsticks, or even buttery dinner rolls because, let’s face it, you’ll want something to mop up that sauce.
- Potato options – Creamy mashed potatoes, roasted baby potatoes, or polenta work surprisingly well if you’re not in a pasta mood.
- Pound that chicken – Get those breasts to an even thickness, about 3/4 inch, because nobody wants rubbery chicken on the outside and raw spots in the middle.
- Don’t skip the marinade time – I know overnight seems excessive, but trust the process because that Italian dressing is doing serious flavor work while you sleep.
- Hot pan, patient heart – Let your skillet get properly hot before adding the chicken, and then resist the urge to move it around like you’re conducting an orchestra.
- Save the marinade magic – Keep a little of that leftover Italian dressing to add to your deglazing liquid for extra flavor depth.
- Mushroom moisture matters – Pat those sliced mushrooms dry with paper towels, otherwise they’ll steam instead of getting that gorgeous golden color.
- Wine wisdom – If you’re using regular white wine instead of marsala, add a tiny pinch of brown sugar to mimic that slightly sweet complexity.
- Flour game strong – Season your flour mixture generously because this is where a lot of your flavor foundation happens.
- Rest before you bake – Let that browned chicken sit for just a few minutes before the oven step, which helps the juices redistribute.
- Calories: 485-520 per serving
- Protein: 38-42 grams (excellent source)
- Carbohydrates: 28-32 grams (primarily from flour coating)
- Fat: 22-26 grams (from olive oil, margarine, and chicken)
- Saturated Fat: 4-6 grams
- Fiber: 2-3 grams (from mushrooms and herbs)
- Sodium: 850-950 mg (mainly from Italian dressing and broth)
- Cholesterol: 95-105 mg
- Sugar: 6-8 grams (from Italian dressing and wine)
- Iron: 15% daily value (from chicken and mushrooms)
- Vitamin B6: 25% daily value (chicken is rich in B vitamins)
- Potassium: 680-720 mg (from chicken and mushrooms)
- Phosphorus: 20% daily value
- Niacin: 65% daily value (chicken breast is loaded with this B vitamin)
Step by Step Directions
This classic Italian-American dish transforms simple chicken breasts into restaurant-quality comfort food with a rich wine and mushroom sauce.
For an effortless variation, you can adapt this recipe for a premium slow cooker by combining all ingredients and cooking on low for 4-6 hours.
Substitutions and Variations
• Gluten-free option – Swap regular flour for almond flour or gluten-free flour blend.
The coating won’t be quite as crispy, but it’s still delicious.
• Lighter version – Skip the flour coating entirely and just sear the marinated chicken, then finish with the wine sauce.
Less crispy, more saucy.
• Make-ahead magic – Assemble everything in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate up to a day ahead.
Just add an extra 5 minutes to the baking time.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This dish practically begs for pasta, but honestly, there are so many delicious ways to round out this meal.
The key is picking sides that won’t fight with the rich, savory flavors but will help you capture every bit of that amazing sauce.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Look, I’m going to share some secrets that’ll turn your chicken marsala from good to absolutely restaurant-worthy.
The real trick is building layers of flavor at each step instead of rushing through to get dinner on the table.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty chicken marsala serves 4 people with approximately these nutritional values per serving:
The mushrooms add valuable antioxidants and selenium, while the fresh parsley contributes vitamin K and vitamin C. When served over pasta, add approximately 200-220 additional calories and 40-45 grams of carbohydrates per cup.
Fun “Did You Know?”
Did you know that Chicken Marsala wasn’t actually invented in Italy? I find it fascinating that this beloved dish was created by Italian-American immigrants in the United States during the 19th century.
They adapted traditional Sicilian cooking methods using readily available ingredients in America. The Marsala wine, however, is authentically Italian—it’s been produced in Sicily since 1773.
Here’s another interesting fact: authentic Marsala wine comes in both dry and sweet varieties, but dry Marsala is traditionally used for savory dishes like our chicken recipe.
The mushrooms weren’t part of the original recipe either—they’re an American addition!
