Sarah Wayne Callies claims one of her male costars on "Prison Break" spat in her face -- just one example, she says, of the rampant misogyny she had to deal with as the only gal.

The actress went on the 'Broad Ideas' podcast Monday, with SWC explaining that playing Sara Tancredi on the FOX series -- which aired from 2005 to 2009 -- was a double-edged sword ... 'cause she faced harsh realities, including an alleged ugly incident she recounts.

Sarah says that a male actor on the show hawked one onto her mug -- and while she doesn't get into specifics, including any names, she says it was emblematic of the vibe on set.

She does suggest she'll get more into this in her own podcast eventually ... but she left the hosts shocked by the revelation -- and you can tell, even now, Sarah grapples with how she handled it at the time.

As she says ... she would have to go home sometimes and talk her husband "out of going to hospitalize somebody." So, on its face, it sounds like her hubby was aware of this.

The show -- which starred the likes of and Dominic Purcell -- became an instant hit at the time ... and catapulted its cast to stardom -- and Sarah attributes their new rush of fame to the chaos and messiness on set.

Despite the challenges she dealt with ... Sarah made it clear not all the men on the show were jerks -- some, in fact, were total gentlemen and she says she made friends too.

Looks like Sarah's reclaiming her on-set experiences and making the best of it .

.. especially after launching the "Prison Breaking with Sarah and Paul" podcast earlier this year, where they watch and dissect old episodes.

The show was so successful it spawned a TV film in 2009, and even saw a revival season in 2017 -- with Sarah appearing in them all. As for the alleged spitter ... TBD.