One Skillet Creamy Artichoke Chicken Marsala & Orzo

My parents are in town this weekend for Mother’s Day weekend. It’s so nice to be able to spend time with them again now that everyone has been (Covid) vaccinated. It’s been a long year, ya know!

Anyway, my parents love eating straight forward, uncomplicated, 2-3-ingredient dishes, like: grilled chicken and broccoli (no sauce), baked salmon and zucchini, spaghetti and meatballs… you know, not complicated dishes. So when they come to visit us, I try to challenge them a bit and make things they wouldn’t normally eat.

So for dinner last night, I made this chicken marsala dish (yum!) with artichokes. Neither of them ‘like’ artichokes, yet they’ve also never eaten artichokes. So there you go. Do you think they tried it? YES! Do you think they liked it? YES. Do you think they even knew they were eating it? Nope. 🙂 Sometimes, you just have to be brave and try new things and in this case, it paid off! We have a new favorite dish and will enjoy this one again and again!

(Thanks again for another great recipe, Tieghan!) img_3541_jpg

One Skillet Creamy Artichoke Chicken Marsala & Orzo

Servings: 4
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons salted butter
12 ounces (1-2 jars) marinated artichokes, drained
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry orzo pasta
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup dry marsala wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken through the flour mix, pressing to adhere.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon butter and allow the butter to brown around the chicken, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the artichokes. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes or until golden. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the shallots, garlic, thyme, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the orzo. Cook another 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine and broth. Cook 10-12 minutes until the orzo is al dente, then pour in the cream. Add the chicken and lemon juice to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
Serve the chicken and orzo topped with fresh thyme. Enjoy!