Italian food is all about ingredients and its not fussy and its not fancy.
-Wolfgang Puck
Can we talk about how comforting Italian food is? Butter, garlic, homemade pasta…I love it all. In high school college… okay fine, to current date I love going to Olive Garden and order the chicken marsala with a side of creamy mashed potatoes. When I don’t want to be tempted by the unlimited salad and breadsticks, I whip up this dish because in 30 minutes my house smells like heaven & my stomach is thanking me for lessening the gluten consumption.
Am I the only person that is weird about food textures? There are days that I can eat chicken breasts no problem, and some days, I decide it’s tastes too dense and rough. When I have those days, chicken meatballs are an instant go to. They are soft and soak up all of the goodness of any sauce that is put on them.
So when I was craving the rich taste of marsala wine the other day, I decided to try making this traditional dish a new way and lets just say its now going to be a staple in my house.
Chicken marsala + meatballs = LIFE CHANGING!
On top of hitting all the flavor profiles you are used too with this dish, it is also incredibly easy to make. After you make the meatballs, the “hard part” is over, now you just get to sit back with a glass of wine & watch the marsala magic come to life.
This dish is adaptable to any dietary needs. You can easily switch out heavy cream for coconut milk & a little cornstarch, use gluten free breadcrumbs, etc.
It also pairs extremely well with different starches. Mashed potatoes, rice, and noodles are all great additions make this dish complete.
Recipe Notes:
- If sauce does not thicken in first 5-8 minutes, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken.
- If worried about meatballs not cooking all the way through, you can either bake in oven for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees or place a lid on pan and let steam cook them for a few minutes at a time.
- Can be serve with rice, pasta or on its own!
Enjoy!

- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion salt
- fresh pepper for taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil separated
- 10 oz mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup marsala wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley chopped
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Combine together all ingredients for meatballs into a large bowl and mix well. Form into 2 inch meatballs.
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Heat 1 tsbp oil in sauce pan on medium heat, add meatballs to pan once warm and cook on all sides until cooked all the way through. Set aside once cooked.
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Next heat 1 tsbp olive oil in same pan and add in your mushrooms. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until browned and softened.
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Add in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in Marsala wine and cook until alcohol is cooked out (2 minutes). Next add in chicken broth, heavy cream and herbs.
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Bring to boil and then let simmer for 10-12 minutes until sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Once sauce is complete, add back in meatballs and allow to warm. Garnish with parsley & enjoy!