Tender orzo meets classic chicken marsala for a match made in heaven. This is my Creamy One-Pot Chicken Marsala Orzo, a cozy, comforting dish that the whole family will enjoy. It comes together with just one pot, and in just a few minutes, and it also happens to be dairy-free. Run to your kitchen and make this recipe, because it’s sure to become a weeknight staple!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there is nothing I love more than a one-pot dinner. As a recipe developer, there is no shortage of dishes to do in my house. Which means, come dinnertime, I’m not exactly looking to add to the mess. That’s where a one-pot recipe like this one comes in.
This dish is a fun and flavorful take on one of my all-time favorite dishes: chicken marsala. While it may seem fancy, chicken marsala is actually a very simple and easy recipe to make. In fact, my dad used to make it for us all the time, growing up! Despite the fact that my family is Armenian, we ate this classic Italian dish about once a week. And all these years later, I still can’t get enough of it!
While I’ve shared my take on chicken marsala before, this recipe takes things to the next level by adding in tender orzo with that signature, creamy marsala sauce. Is there anything better than that? This recipe comes together with mostly pantry staples too, making it such a quick and easy weeknight dinner to put together. And the best part is, the leftovers taste AMAZING! As the flavors sit, and the orzo soaks up that creamy sauce, this dish only gets better with time.
What You Need to Make This Chicken Marsala with a Twist
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is the key to making this recipe!
- Olive Oil: To cook the chicken, I like to choose a better-for-you oil such as olive oil.
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper: A pinch of salt and pepper adds the perfect flavor to the chicken!
- Butter: Mushrooms are ALWAYS better when cooked in butter, and this recipe is no exception! If you want to keep this recipe dairy-free, you can opt to use dairy-free butter.
- White Onion: White onion adds the perfect mild, onion-y flavor to this dish.
- Mushrooms: You can use any sliced mushrooms that you’d like in this recipe. I like using white button mushrooms, but any mushrooms work well here.
- Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible. The flavor is truly unbeatable!
- Orzo: Orzo is a short-cut pasta that looks like a large grain of rice. It’s a delicious form of pasta to eat when you don’t want to feel super full and sluggish!
- Marsala Wine: While I try to keep most of my recipes full of pantry staples, one of the keys to making this recipe is to use marsala wine. And I promise, it is well worth the splurge!
- Chicken Broth: While I love using chicken broth to add flavor to the orzo, you can also use water, if you prefer.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream: I prefer to use full-fat coconut milk to keep this recipe dairy-free, but heavy cream also works well, here.
- Italian Parsley: Fresh Italian Parsley adds the perfect touch to this chicken marsala orzo.
How to Make This Creamy and Comforting Chicken Orzo
To make this chicken marsala, start by preparing the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and cut it into cubes. Set it aside. Next, heat a deep skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken, alongside the sea salt and black pepper. Cook the chicken until it’s almost cooked through – about 6-7 minutes. A little pink is okay, as it will finish cooking later on.
Next, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside. In the same pan, add the butter, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. The pan will look full, but the mushrooms will shrink as they cook! Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions begin to look translucent.
Then, add in the orzo and actively stir it in the pan for about 3 minutes, toasting it lightly. Add in the marsala wine and broth, and bring the mixture to a boil, allowing it to cook for 2 minutes. Then, reduce the heat, add the chicken back into the pot, and cover the pan and allow it to cook for 12 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.
Once the orzo is cooked, remove the cover and add in the coconut milk/heavy cream and chopped parsley. Stir to coat everything well. Finally, taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, then remove it from the heat. Sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley on top, then plate, serve, and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Butter, salted
- 1 Large White Onion, finely diced
- 12-16 Ounces Mushrooms of choice, sliced — I use a white button mushrooms, but any mushrooms will work here!
- 4 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- 1 Cup Orzo
- 1 Cup Marsala Wine
- ⅔ Cup Chicken Broth
- ⅔ Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Italian Parsley, chopped, plus more for garnishing
Instructions
- To make this chicken marsala, start by preparing the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and cut it into cubes. Set it aside.
- Next, heat a deep skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil.
- Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken, alongside the sea salt and black pepper. Cook the chicken until it's almost cooked through – about 6-7 minutes. A little pink is okay, as it will finish cooking later on.
- Next, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- In the same pan, add the butter, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. The pan will look full, but the mushrooms will shrink as they cook!
- Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions begin to look translucent.
- Then, add in the orzo and actively stir it in the pan for about 3 minutes, toasting it lightly.
- Add in the marsala wine and broth, and bring the mixture to a boil, allowing it to cook for 2 minutes.
- Then, reduce the heat, add the chicken back into the pot, and cover the pan and allow it to cook for 12 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.
- Once the orzo is cooked, remove the cover and add in the coconut milk/heavy cream and chopped parsley. Stir to coat everything well.
- Finally, taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, then remove it from the heat.
- Sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley on top, then plate, serve, and enjoy!
Rate & review
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What others are saying
How can this be “dairy free ” when there’s heavy cream in it?
I made this with seitan tonight. Even my picky eater said it was good. We all enjoyed it. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
That sounds delicious! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
My family loved this! It was delicious and agree it is a weeknight staple. It was like going out to dinner with all the benefits of staying in.
I am so happy to hear that, Elicia! Thank you for your review!
This was delicious! I took some liberties substituting leftover rotisserie chicken, angel hair pasta, and full-fat Greek yogurt. It was
tangy and had a lot of umami flavor. Will definitely make again!