Weight Watchers Chicken Marsala Recipe

If you love classic Chicken Marsala but want a lighter version that fits into your WW plan, you’re going to want to try this recipe! This Weight Watchers Chicken Marsala Recipe is just 4 WW Points per serving and is packed with tender chicken, fresh mushrooms, and a delicious Marsala wine sauce.

Chicken Marsala is one of those meals that feels like something you would order at a nice Italian restaurant, but it’s actually surprisingly easy to make at home. The chicken is lightly coated in seasoned flour, browned in a skillet, and then finished in the oven with a savory mushroom Marsala sauce.

The result is tender, flavorful chicken with plenty of sauce and mushrooms in every bite.

And one of my favorite things about this recipe? You can make it ahead of time and have dinner ready for a busy weeknight.

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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Marsala

There are so many reasons this recipe has become a favorite in my kitchen.

First, it has tons of flavor without being overly heavy. The chicken is marinated in Italian dressing before cooking, which gives it a wonderful flavor and helps keep the chicken tender.

The Marsala sauce is made with chicken broth and Marsala cooking wine, along with all of those delicious browned bits left behind in the skillet. Fresh baby Portobello mushrooms are sautéed in the sauce before everything goes into the oven.

The mushrooms soak up the sauce while the chicken finishes cooking, making every bite flavorful.

And if you’re following WW, this recipe is only 4 Points per serving, making it a great option when you’re craving a comforting dinner without using a huge portion of your daily Points budget.

What Is Chicken Marsala?

Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian-American dish made with chicken and Marsala wine. It typically includes mushrooms and a rich, savory sauce.

Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily that is commonly used in cooking. It has a slightly sweet, rich flavor that works especially well with chicken and mushrooms.

For this recipe, I use Marsala cooking wine, which is easy to find in most grocery stores.

You don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to make a really flavorful sauce. The combination of Marsala wine, chicken broth, mushrooms, and the browned bits from the chicken creates a delicious sauce that tastes much more complicated than it actually is.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Chicken

You’ll need 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 16 ounces of chicken total. The chicken breasts are pounded to about ½-inch thickness before marinating.

Pounding the chicken is an important step because it helps the chicken cook evenly and keeps the breasts from being too thick in the center.

Italian Dressing

The chicken is marinated in ¾ cup of Italian dressing for at least 8 hours, although I prefer to let it marinate overnight.

This adds a ton of flavor to the chicken and is an easy way to season it before you even start cooking.

Mushrooms

I use 1 pound of fresh baby Portobello mushrooms. Clean and chop them before adding them to the skillet.

You could substitute another variety of mushrooms if that’s what you have available, but baby Portobellos have a great meaty texture and work especially well in this recipe.

Seasoning and Flour

The chicken gets a light coating of:

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

If you’d rather use fresh garlic, you can substitute two minced garlic cloves for the garlic powder.

Sauce

The Marsala sauce uses:

• ½ cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup Marsala cooking wine
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon light butter

You’ll also want cooking spray and some fresh parsley or green onions for garnish.

How to Make Light Chicken Marsala

Step 1: Pound the Chicken

Place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap.

Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it’s approximately ½-inch thick.

I recommend working with one chicken breast at a time. This makes the process much easier and helps prevent the chicken from becoming too thin.

Step 2: Marinate the Chicken

Place all of the chicken breasts into a large gallon-size zip-top bag.

Pour the Italian dressing into the bag, seal it, and gently move the chicken around so the dressing coats each piece.

Place the bag in the refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

The longer marinating time gives the chicken even more flavor.

Step 3: Prepare the Chicken

When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the leftover dressing.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Coat both sides of each chicken breast with the flour mixture.

If you’re using fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, sauté the minced garlic first, allow it to cool, and then add it to the flour mixture.

Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may need to make a little more of the flour mixture.

Step 4: Brown the Chicken

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and the light butter to the skillet.

Heat over medium-high heat.

Add the chicken breasts and cook on both sides until nicely browned.

At this point, the chicken does not need to be completely cooked through. It will finish cooking in the oven.

Transfer the browned chicken to a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.

Step 5: Make the Marsala Sauce

Don’t clean the skillet!

This is where so much of the flavor comes from.

Add the chicken broth and Marsala cooking wine to the same skillet you used to brown the chicken.

Use a whisk to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those little browned pieces add so much flavor to the sauce.

Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for approximately 4–5 minutes.

Once the sauce has cooked, strain it to remove the browned bits.

I like to use a small kitchen strainer for this step and set the sauce aside while I prepare the mushrooms.

Step 6: Cook the Mushrooms

Using the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add your cleaned and chopped baby Portobello mushrooms.

Sauté the mushrooms for approximately 3 minutes.

Then pour the Marsala sauce back into the skillet with the mushrooms.

Give everything a good stir so the mushrooms are coated in the sauce.

Step 7: Finish the Chicken in the Oven

Pour the mushroom Marsala sauce over the browned chicken breasts.

Place the baking dish in your preheated 350°F oven.

Bake for approximately 25–35 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, so I always recommend checking the temperature rather than relying only on the cooking time.

Once the chicken reaches 165°F, remove it from the oven.

Tips for the Best Chicken Marsala

Don’t skip the marinade.

The Italian dressing gives the chicken so much flavor. If you have time, let it marinate overnight.

Pound the chicken evenly.

This is one of the best ways to prevent the outside of the chicken from becoming overcooked while you’re waiting for the center to cook.

Don’t throw away the flavor in the skillet.

When you add the chicken broth and Marsala wine to the skillet, scrape up those browned bits from the bottom. That’s where a lot of the flavor comes from!

Use a meat thermometer.

Chicken breasts can dry out quickly when they’re overcooked. Cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F and then remove it from the oven.

Don’t forget the mushrooms!

I like to make sure the mushrooms are distributed evenly over the chicken before serving. That way, everyone gets plenty of mushrooms and sauce with their chicken.

What to Serve With Chicken Marsala

There are so many options for serving this chicken.

For a more traditional Italian-inspired dinner, serve it with pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

If you’re trying to keep your meal lighter, you could serve the chicken with roasted vegetables, steamed broccoli, a simple vegetable salad, or roasted potatoes.

I also love serving this with a simple side salad. The fresh vegetables are a nice contrast to the warm, savory Marsala sauce.

And don’t forget to spoon some of that delicious mushroom sauce over your side dish!

Can I Make Chicken Marsala Ahead of Time?

Yes!

This is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time. You can make the chicken and sauce and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to eat, reheat the chicken gently until it’s warmed through.

Because chicken breasts can dry out when reheated, I recommend reheating them with some of the Marsala sauce. The sauce helps keep the chicken moist and flavorful.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Marsala

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The chicken and sauce make a great lunch the next day, too. Simply reheat until the chicken is warmed through.

If you have extra sauce, save it! It’s delicious spooned over rice, potatoes, or pasta.

A Family-Friendly Dinner

One of the things I love most about this recipe is that it feels like a special meal without requiring hours in the kitchen.

The chicken gets plenty of flavor from the Italian dressing marinade, while the mushrooms and Marsala sauce take it to another level.

It’s also a great recipe when you’re trying to serve your family something a little nicer than the usual chicken dinner without making a completely separate meal for yourself.

Everyone can enjoy the same dinner, and you can keep track of your portion and Points.

WW Points

This Weight Watchers Chicken Marsala Recipe is 4 WW Points per serving.

As always, Points can vary depending on the specific brands and ingredients you use. If you’re following WW, I recommend entering the exact ingredients and quantities you use into the WW app for the most accurate calculation.

Don’t forget to save this recipe for your next family dinner! 

If you’re looking for other easy Weight Watchers friendly family dinners, check out my Smothered Burritos recipe here!