One-Pan Chicken Marsala Orzo

This hearty, flavor-packed one-pan dinner blends the rich, earthy-savory profile of classic chicken Marsala with tender, perfectly cooked orzo pasta. It requires minimal cleanup, comes together in under an hour, and works beautifully for busy weeknights or casual weekend meals.

| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings |

|-----------|-----------|------------|----------|

| 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 45 minutes | 4 servings |

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Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into evenly sized bite-sized chunks

• Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

• Sweet paprika, to taste

• ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into two portions

• 8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced

• ¾ medium white onion, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste

• ½ cup dry orzo pasta

• ⅓ cup dry Marsala wine, divided into two equal portions

• 1 ¼ cups low-sodium beef broth

• Fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Season the chicken chunks evenly all over with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Toss the seasoned chicken into the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains in the center of the largest pieces, roughly 5 minutes total. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate and set it aside.

2. Keep all the flavorful browned bits from the chicken in the pan, then add 1 ½ tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the sliced mushrooms and chopped onion, cooking and stirring until both are softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste and cook for 30 more seconds until aromatic.

3. Add the dry orzo to the pan, and stir frequently to coat every grain in the pan’s savory juices. Keep cooking until the orzo turns a light golden, toasted color. Pour in half of the Marsala wine, and continue stirring until almost all of the wine is absorbed into the pasta.

4. Add the beef broth to the pan and bring the entire mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover the pan partially, and cook for roughly 10 minutes, until the orzo is plump and tender to the bite. Taste the mixture, then adjust the seasoning with extra salt and pepper if needed.

5. Add the reserved cooked chicken, the remaining Marsala wine, and the last of the butter to the pan. Stir to combine all ingredients, and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the chicken is heated through and most of the excess liquid is absorbed into the dish. Spoon the finished orzo into wide shallow bowls, top with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley, and serve immediately.