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Chicken Marsala used to be a restaurant-only dish in my house — too much cleanup, too many steps for a weeknight. This Slow Cooker version changed that. Just four ingredients, minimal prep, and you get that same buttery, wine-dark mushroom sauce without standing over a hot pan. It tastes like something you put real effort into, even when you really didn’t.
Why You’ll Love This
- Only 4 ingredients — chicken, mushrooms, Marsala wine, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. That’s it.
- Hands-off cooking — dump everything in the Slow Cooker and walk away. Dinner takes care of itself.
- Tastes like a restaurant dish — the Marsala wine gives the sauce a deep, sweet-savory richness that feels way more special than the effort involved.
- The mushrooms are everything — they soak up all that wine and soup and turn silky and rich. Use cremini if you can find them.
- Great for meal prep — it reheats beautifully and the flavors are even better the next day.
About the Ingredients
The Marsala wine: I always use the sweet variety, though dry works too. I’ve made it both ways and I think the sweet is a little more forgiving, a little more crowd-pleasing. If you can’t find actual Marsala at your grocery store, dry sherry works okay. Just don’t use cooking sherry — that stuff is oversalted and it throws the whole thing off.
The cream of mushroom soup: I use the full-fat condensed kind, not diluted, and I don’t have strong feelings about the brand. Whatever’s on sale. It does exactly what you need it to do.
The chicken: Chicken breasts work great here. Thighs are even better — they stay more tender and don’t dry out if you accidentally let things go a little long. I almost always reach for breasts out of habit because that’s what I keep in the freezer.
The mushrooms: I like to use more than the recipe technically calls for. Somewhere between 10 and 16 ounces, depending on the package. I just kind of eyeball it and add a handful more.
Ingredients
- About 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 medium, sliced horizontally if they are very thick)
- 8 to 12 ounces sliced mushrooms (cremini preferred, or white button)
- 1½ cups Marsala wine (sweet or dry)
- 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup — undiluted
- Salt and pepper, to tast
How to Make It
Prep the cooker: Spray your Slow Cooker with cooking spray. This sounds obvious but skipping this step makes the cleanup miserable.
Layer the base: Lay the chicken on the bottom of the Slow Cooker. Scatter the sliced mushrooms evenly over the top of the chicken.
Mix and pour the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the Marsala wine and the condensed soup until it smooths out. Pour the whole mixture directly over the chicken and mushrooms.
Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2.5 to 3.5 hours. When done, the chicken should be completely tender.
Thicken (Optional): If you want the sauce thicker, stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water) during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Let it go on HIGH for another 20 minutes to firm up.
Finish and serve: Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. (Optional: Stir in a quarter cup of cream at the end for an extra indulgent touch!) Shred or slice the chicken, stir it back into the sauce, and serve.
Variations Worth Knowing About
Try adding a small sliced onion and a couple of garlic cloves to the slow cooker along with everything else — it adds more flavor and works beautifully. Mixing chicken thighs with breasts is also a good call.
If you don’t have Marsala and don’t want to make a special trip, a dry sherry works. I tried white wine once and it was fine, just kind of flat — it didn’t have that richness that the Marsala brings.
For the mushrooms: you can really go heavier here. I’ve used as much as a full pound and the sauce just absorbs it all beautifully.
Leftovers & Storage
This keeps well in the fridge for three or four days in a sealed container. It reheats nicely on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce back up, or in the microwave.
Freezer tip: You can freeze the assembled uncooked ingredients in a freezer bag, lay it flat, thaw it overnight in the fridge, and dump it in the slow cooker the next morning. Works great.
Shred or slice the chicken, stir it back into the sauce, and serve it over whatever you want. Mashed potatoes are the obvious answer. Buttered egg noodles are a close second. Rice works too. I’ve even put it over polenta once, which was actually really good.