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You are here: Home » Recipes » Entrees

Healthy Chicken Marsala | With Mushrooms & Marsala Wine

Updated: Oct 2, 2024 · Published: Feb 5, 2012 by Lacey Baier · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. · 15 Comments

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Chicken recipes can be irresistible! If you don't believe me, try this Healthy Chicken Marsala. Made with boneless chicken breasts, mushrooms, and Marsala wine...you’ll be dreaming of this dish!

Are you looking for an irresistible chicken recipe for dinner tonight? This Healthy Chicken Marsala is it! Made with boneless chicken breasts, mushrooms, and Marsala wine, you’re going to love this dish! this RECIPE

You know my blog is all about making it healthy. And I am pleased to say that this lightened-up version of chicken marsala ticks all the boxes for an incredibly tasty recipe...that fits into a clean lifestyle. It's a meal that nicely compliments other healthy activities like exercise, me-time, and adequate sleep! Cuz savory, healthy food is the best and beats store-bought packaged stuff any day!

This healthy chicken marsala is wonderfully simple and tasty. I recommend using Marsala wine for this recipe, though a dry red would also work. Or, if you're looking to cook this without any alcohol, you could substitute with more chicken broth.  You won't get quite the same depth of flavor or sweetness from the chicken broth, but it will still be pretty darn tasty.

If you enjoy Healthy Chicken Marsala, you'll appreciate Healthy Chicken Cacciatore. While Marsala has a creamy wine sauce, Cacciatore offers a hearty tomato-based sauce with mushrooms and herbs.

The flavor really comes from seasoning the chicken and making sure to brown it very well. You don't want to overcook or burn it, but you do want to pay attention to making sure the outside is nice and golden-brown to get the most flavor in the chicken and the marsala sauce. Enticed? Let's make this recipe!

Overhead view of ingredients for Healthy Chicken Marsala laid out on the counter including mushrooms, garlic, chicken breasts, and onions.

What Is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish. It turns out super tender because the first thing you do is pound the chicken into thin cutlets. It gets a subtle sweetness from the Marsala wine, but it's still quite rich.  I'm always amazed at just how flavorful the simple ingredients are and how quickly this meal comes together. Honestly, what's not to love about a flavorful, wonderfully seasoned, and well-browned chicken breast smothered in savory juices along with yellow onions and sliced mushrooms? You'll get no complaints from me on that.  Nope.  None.

Is Chicken Marsala Healthy?

Chicken Marsala is definitely healthy. For one thing, you’ll get a serving of much-needed protein when you have this dish. Protein is so essential to our health (read ALL about it here!) and it also fills you up, keeping you away from snacks that just won’t do you any favors. BTW, if you love snacking, take a look at my post on high-protein snacks – the best kind! And as you've come to expect, my Healthy Chicken Marsala recipe is clean eating with ingredients like chickpea flour and delicious cremini mushrooms.

Side view of some of the ingredients for the Healthy Chicken Marsala, with mushrooms being chopped on the cutting board and placed into a white bowl.

What’s In Healthy Chicken Marsala?

One thing I love about this Healthy Chicken Marsala recipe is that it’s a totally decadent-tasting recipe but has relatively few ingredients needed to make it. Here's what you'll need...

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are pounded nice and thin
  • Chickpea flour (a good-for-you flour)
  • Sea salt
  • Pepper
  • Oregano, basil, and thyme
  • Olive oil
  • Yellow onion
  • Cremini mushrooms (they take on the flavor of the sauce nicely!)
  • Garlic cloves
  • Marsala wine (Marsala is the best as it has great depth of flavor)
  • Low sodium chicken broth
Overhead view of some of the ingredients for the Healthy Chicken Marsala, with the chicken breasts being rolled on the counter to make them thin.

What Is Marsala Wine?

Marsala is a fortified wine, which means it has a higher alcohol content than non-fortified wines. This gives it a longer shelf life so that’s why chefs often keep it on hand for cooking. Some people like it as a dessert wine (it tastes lovely with chocolate recipes). You can get Marsala in dry, semi-dry, and sweet forms. I use one cup of dry Marsala in this Healthy Chicken Marsala recipe.

What Can I Use In Place Of Marsala Wine?

I have used dry red wine and sweet red wine as substitutes in this recipe, but I do prefer the Marsala wine for optimal flavor. When serving to people who prefer no alcohol, I have also varied the recipe just a bit by adding more chicken broth. Of course, this completely changes the taste – but it’s still amazing! Other substitutes could be:

  • ¼ cup of white grape juice and 1 teaspoon of brandy
  • ¼ cup of dry white wine and 1 teaspoon brandy
  • Pinot Noir red wine
  • Madeira (a fortified wine)
Overhead view of the chicken breasts on a plate, with chickpea flour and spices off to the side as prep for the recipe.

What Pairs Well With Healthy Chicken Marsala?

Healthy Chicken Marsala is tasty enough to eat on its own but here are suggestions!

  • White rice
  • Cauliflower rice
  • Crock pot mashed potatoes
  • Green bean casserole
  • Spinach salad
  • Egg noodles
Closeup overhead view of coated chicken breast in the skillet being cooked in the olive oil.

How Do I Store Healthy Chicken Marsala?

To store this dish, I keep it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow the Healthy Chicken Marsala to thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on medium-low in a skillet on the stove. Don’t overheat or you may cook the chicken more, and you don’t want that.

Closeup side image of the cooked chicken breasts in an oval dish, including plates, utensils, and a cutting board behind.

Healthy Chicken Entrées

With this Healthy Chicken Marsala recipe, you can see how easy it is to make amazing meals with chicken. Here are more ideas:

  • Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
  • Instant Pot Quinoa Chicken Bowl
  • Healthy Chicken Parmesan Meal Prep
  • Mini Freezer Chicken Pot Pies
  • Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
  • Cilantro Lime Chicken
  • Healthy Oven Roasted Chicken

This post contains affiliate links to products I use regularly and highly recommend.

chicken marsala

Healthy Chicken Marsala

Lacey Baier
Are you looking for an irresistible chicken recipe for dinner tonight? This Healthy Chicken Marsala is it! Made with boneless chicken breasts, mushrooms, and Marsala wine, you’re going to love this dish!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 38 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 387 kcal

Equipment

  • mixing bowl
  • Skillet

*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup chickpea flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ cup olive oil plus more as needed
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 25 cremini mushrooms sliced into thick slices
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup Marsala wine
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound evenly using a mallet of rolling pin until approximately approximately ¼-inch thick. Once flattened, season both sides with the sea salt and ground black pepper.
  • In a shallow bowl, combine the chickpea flour, salt, pepper and dried herbs.
  • Heat the oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned chickpea flour, shaking off the excess.
  • Saute the chicken for approximately 4-6 minutes on each side until golden, turning once and repeating with other side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
  • Add the onion to the drippings in the pan and sauté until sweating, about 5 minutes. Next, add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté until the mushrooms are nicely browned and the moisture has evaporated, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Pour the Marsala wine in the pan and bring to a boil.
  • Cook until the liquid has reduced, approximately 6-8 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce again.
  • Return the chicken to the pan, cooking 2-3 more minutes while the chicken heats through. You may choose to let it simmer an additional 5 minutes to evaporate more liquid.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 chicken breastCalories: 387 kcalCarbohydrates: 23.7 gProtein: 58.8 gFat: 20.7 gSaturated Fat: 3.5 gCholesterol: 174.1 mgSodium: 1365.1 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 4.4 g
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @asweetpeachef on Instagram so we can check it out.

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  1. Patty

    August 23, 2021 at 12:52 am

    Hey!! How bad is it if I only have regular (white) flour? I really want to make this recipe without running to the store. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jen Moderator

      August 24, 2021 at 10:59 am

      You can use what you have on hand 🙂 Health benefits are not as high with white flour, but it will certainly work! -Jen

      Reply
  2. Bhawana

    June 18, 2021 at 4:13 am

    its so amazing recipe

    Reply
  3. Bhawana

    June 18, 2021 at 4:09 am

    yummy

    Reply
  4. Dustin

    May 09, 2017 at 12:27 pm

    5 stars
    Let's do a video of this one.

    Reply
  5. diana

    July 20, 2012 at 5:57 pm

    Lacey,
    What can I exchange the wine with??

    Reply
    • Lacey Baier

      July 20, 2012 at 9:37 pm

      Diana, if you can't find Marsala wine, you can use sweet sherry or a very sweet red wine. Good luck!

      Reply
      • diana

        July 25, 2012 at 4:41 am

        Thanks Lacey.

    • Lacey Baier

      August 17, 2015 at 10:16 pm

      You can just use more chicken broth or sherry.

      Reply
  6. Amber

    March 08, 2012 at 6:39 pm

    I just made this tonight, it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Lacey Baier

      August 17, 2015 at 10:15 pm

      Yay! You're very welcome 🙂

      Reply
  7. Marrifelle

    February 07, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    This makes me really hungry!

    Reply
    • Lacey Baier

      August 17, 2015 at 10:19 pm

      lol, good! 😉

      Reply
  8. Kathy Baier

    February 05, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    Made it tonight. YUMMY!! And it was easy.

    Reply
    • Lacey Baier

      August 17, 2015 at 10:20 pm

      Yay! So glad you liked it, Kathy! 🙂 xoxo

      Reply

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I'm Lacey! Nice to meet you 🙂

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