Apple Cider Chicken Marsala with Wild Rice Pilaf.
Everyone… I made use something SO delicious today!
Though it may not be the prettiest thing I’ve ever made, I am still beyond excited to be sharing this simple autumn recipe today!! 🙂
So here’s the deal, within the last week and a half I’ve made and photographed this recipe a grand total of three times. Honestly, the recipe was perfection the first time I made it, but the photos just did not do it justice, so I tried again, and when I still wasn’t happy, I tried one more time. The conclusion I finally reached is this… while I LOVE this recipe, I simply cannot make it pretty. I’ve tried, and tried… and tried, but the reality is… it’s just not that pretty of a dish.
And you know what? I’m cool with it, because like I said, this recipe is SO GOOD, and not everything that’s soo good can also be pretty. And now that we have gotten to experience this dish so many times, it’s quickly becoming a family favorite. Even after making and serving it three times in two weeks, not only did my family did not get sick of it… everyone agreed that no matter how I felt about the pics, this was a recipe that needed to be shared.
Yup, it’s THAT good. Plus, I’m on a major honeycrisp apple kick right now – without fail, it happens every single September.
Speaking of apples, did any of you happen to go apple picking over the weekend? That is definitely on my fall bucket list this year. Wait, do they have apple picking in Colorado?? Hmmm, anyone? Colorado peeps, where should I go?
Any other fun things happen this weekend? I did something a little different on Friday afternoon. I was beyond tired of looking at my computer screen and it was just so gorgeous out, so I decided to walk down to my local Starbucks, park myself at a table outside and work from there. I think I just really needed to change-up my location because in the three plus hours I was there, I basically cleared out my inbox and got a whole bunch of other computer busy work done.
YES.
It was perfect because Starbucks is only about a fifteen minute walk from my house. I walked down in sunshine and then walked back up at sunset… SO pretty. I cannot even begin to describe just how pretty it is here right now. Our leaves are the perfect shades of orange and yellow and the sunshine feels amazing against the crisp air. I know that most of you haven’t even gotten a taste of fall yet, but where I am, we are literally in the heart of it and it’s going to be over come the first week of October. Totally sad, but it’s just the way it goes in the mountains.
Also, on Saturday night I spent a good hour trying to get shots of the “kids”, aka the baby goats, but umm, when you put them in a field all they do is jump around. Like consistently jump and run and then jump and run. Capturing them was probably the hardest thing ever…going to have to try again. Most of my photos came out blurry. UGH.
Good news is that is was super fun to watch the baby goats running around and playing. They are the cutest, and I still just cannot get over them. LOVE.
OKok, so sorry for rambling there. It’s Monday and I oddly, feel super chatty!
So on to this Apple Cider Chicken Marsala with Wild Rice Pilaf! This is actually pretty traditional, and semi-close to classic chicken Marsala. I simply used half Marsala wine and half apple cider and then tossed in some honeycrisp apples, which cook down so nicely and create just the most delish chicken dinner.
I then cooked up a big bed of wild rice pilaf and served the chicken over it – and done! So simple, so quick and easy, but yet so full of the flavors of fall!
If you’re thinking it sounds weird to have apples in your Marsala, just get over that thought right now. The apples truly are everything in this dish. The perfect mix of sweet to savory. The rice adds a nice hearty carb and is just right for soaking up that sweet sauce!
Autumn dinner PERFECTION! 🙂
OH, and there’s a little prosciutto involved in here too. You see, you see?!? Apples, prosciutto, a little chicken, a little wine, some good cider?!? Simply the best dinner to start off your week!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Apple Cider Chicken Marsala with Wild Rice Pilaf.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: apple cider, chicken, chicken marsala, wild rice
Though it may not be the prettiest thing I've ever made, I am still beyond excited to be sharing this simple autumn recipe today!! 🙂
Ingredients
Wild Rice Pilaf
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Marsala
- 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets (or breast pounded)
- all-purpose flour for dredging
- kosher salt + pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more if needed
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms halved
- 2 small honeycrisp apples sliced (or 1 large)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup marsala
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Wild Rice Pilaf
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Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the orzo and cook about 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted and golden, stirring often (watch this closely as it burns fast). Add the wild rice and toast another 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add the chicken broth and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 25-30 minutes or until the rice is fluffy. Serve aside the marsala chicken.
Chicken Marsala
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Add the flour, about 1 cup to a shallow bowl and season generously with salt + pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken through flour turning to coat. Shake any excess flour back into the bowl. Lay the chicken on plate and repeat.
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Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and ad the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add 2 pieces of chicken to the skillet and fry 5 minutes per side or until golden. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of chicken.
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To the skillet, add the prosciutto and cook until the fat renders, about 1 minute. Now add the mushroom, apples and another drizzle of olive oil if the skillet is seems dry. Cook five minutes or until the mushrooms are golden and the apples soft. Add the thyme and season with salt + pepper. Slowly pour in the marsala and cider. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly. Add the butter + cream and then slide the chicken back into the sauce. Cook until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and top with parsley. Serve the chicken over the wild rice.
Monday blues be gone! ?
I actually think this dish is very, very pretty indeed, it’s the kind of image that appeals to me the most, foodwise.
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt
Wow! Well thank you so much Ruth!! So happy you like it!!
Monday blues gone indeed! This is awesome – and it does too look pretty, no need to be worried about it not looking good, you did a stellar job!
Rxx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Ah thank you so much!! So happy you still liked it!!
Omg, so totally delicious! I just have to thank you for being honest about not liking your pictures. It’s such an inspiration, since they are always incredible, to know how hard you work for that. I think these pictures look amazing though and considering the dish being photographed it’s really impressive. I’m dying to taste this now!
Thank you Tori!! I don’t know sometimes I’m just not feeling them! Always means so much to hear from you and I really appreciate it!! Hope you love it (:
Love the autumn twist on one of my favorite dishes to make and eat! I think this will be the meal to officially welcome in the new season this week at my house.
YAY! I hope everyone loves it!! Thank you Jean!
literally anything with rice is probably my favorite. All the mushrooms and wild rice! How absolutely beautiful!
https://www.searedandshameless.com
I have to say I love my rice too!! Thanks so much Jessica!
Ok. So you live in this absolutly gorgeous barnhouse, next to your family, have goats and all, AND the nearest starbuck is just at a 15 minutes walk? WHAT?! Are the neighbors selling ’cause I wanna move there !!!
Forget what you said about the not-so-pretty photos ’cause it ain’t true ! I like these photos, I like the monochrome vibe to them ! It sure is different than the usually vibrant and full of colors photos of you, but that’s not a bad thing at all ! I think it give perfectly this autumn vibe, earthy flavors and all.
And this recipes DOES look good ! I’ll try it when it get colder here, which hasn’t happened yet, as of yesterday I still had to take a cold shower before going to bed because it was so freakin’ hot ! Please, it’s almost October !
Good monday to you 🙂
Haha yes it is amazing, and feels more private where I am! Thanks so much, really happy you love the photos and the recipe Erika! I hope you love it! (:
I love chicken marsala and anything apples so I’m beyond pumped to try this. Thiughts on whether this would freeze and reheat well?
Hi Alyson!! This freezes great ( I have done it!) and it a;so reheats well. It’s best after made, but still delish! Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
Tieghan, how would you go about reheating this after freezing? Microwave or stovetop? I”m assuming you wouldn’t freeze the rice with the chicken? This is on my menu for next week, but I only cook for one, so I”m hoping to be able to save some leftovers for the following week. Thanks so, so much!
Hey!! I would thaw overnight and than reheat on the stove. Freeze the rice in a separate bag and also just thaw overnight. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Hey Tieghan, what lens do you use for low light photography, and is it a fixed zoom? Are you a Canon or a Nikon girl??
Hi Lizzie!! I shoot with a Cannon, mostly fixed lenses, including a 35mm, 50mm, and an 85mm. The only zoom lens I have is a 24-70mm. I don’t really shoot my photos in low light though! Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions!
Hi Lizzie! I use a 50mm 1.2 and a 100mm. I use Canon and the 100mm is a zoom. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks!
This sounds and looks soo amazing! I would never have thought to use apples this way. So perfect for fall!
Thanks so much Andrea! Hope you love it!
Sounds so good! The leaves are starting to fall here too, I’m beyond excited. GIMME ALL THE APPLES.
And yes, a simple change can sometimes go a long way. Happy you got stuff done 🙂
Right! Agreed! Thanks so much Maëva!
This is gorgeous- not even just in a rustic sort of way but the kind of gorgeous that makes you want to dive right into it! Can’t wait to try it out. Bring on fall!
Awh thank you so much Aimee! I hope you love this!!
Oh my goodness, this photograph is so gorgeous!! And I’m sure your other attempts were too! Thank you so much for all your hard work that makes all your posts so enjoyable for all the rest of us! And this recipe looks so delicious, I definitely want to try it sometime this autumn!
YAY! So happy to hear you love this one Rhian, and I hope you enjoy it when you get to try it! Thanks so much!
I like the picture of the apples.
I’ve had apples and recipes on my mind this past week–pinning this but not making it with mushrooms.
I hope you love it Nancy!
Please clarify the amount of butter for the rice pilaf. I am so ready to make this for dinner! Thanks.
So sorry about that! Recipe is fixed. It is 4 tablespoons. Hope you love this and thank you! 🙂
That looks really fabulous to me, something I’d like to try on this cold gray day.
Awesome! I hope you love this Charlie! Thanks!
I disagree, this dish looks beautiful! And delicious!
Thanks so much Jen!
I think that you must have pretty high standards for what deems a dish attractive;) This looks lovely to me. And so so delicious! Wow! I love that you used a mixture of wild rice and orzo! Orzo can be too blah, and wild rice can be too overpowering, what a clever idea;)
Thanks so much Maria and ya know we are all our own worst critics… haha. But thank you and I hope you love it!!
tieghan… literally eating this right now and it is unreal. i want it every day forever. you’re the best.
AH!! Thank you!! I’m so happy you liked it Aleksandra! (:
This looks good, Tieghan! Contrary to what you said, I don’t think I have seen any pics of yours that don’t look appetizing! Like I wish all the time that I can just grab everything from my screen! But, the next best thing to do is just to recreate those dishes. And oh speaking of apples, yes, love it. My cousin from WI just sent me a package the other day full of apples from their orchard! I haven’t really tried apple picking but hopefully when we go back there, there’s still apples to pick! I’m so jealous ‘coz our leaves here are not turning yet! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE fall colors and flavors! I love that air too, not too hot and not too cold. Ah..I can’t wait! My family and I, we always try to have our pic taken especially around fall.
Just more nice words!! Thanks so much Sheila! I love how much stuff of mine you make!!
Apple picking is so fun!! I’m sure the one your cousin sent will be AMAZING though. You have no idea how much I love the colors, though I am not very excited for the cold to come!! Sounds so nice Sheila!!
Hi there! I guess I’m the only one that’s having a hard time finding Marsala..
I found the wine, but nothing else like it. Is this a stupid question?
Anyways I know your a busy girl, just hoping you could get back to me. Got all the ingredients just lacking the marsala.
P.S Love your Bolg! Thank you so much for doing what you do!!❤️
HI Brittney!! I am actually talking about Marsala the wine, so I think maybe you have it?? If you can’t find Marsala wine, just use and equal amount of apple cider. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you so much! 🙂
This looks amazing! I love adding marsala to chicken. So sweet and delicious. What a great idea to add apple cider, too.
And I noticed a small typo in the very first sentence … Just thought you would want to know. 🙂
Haha thank you! I’ll get right on fixing that lol! Hope you love this recipe!
Just made this for dinner with my boys and my parents. Another amazing recipe Teighan! You NEVER disappoint!
Thank you (: So happy everyone enjoyed!
Just made this for my boys and my parents. Another amazing recipe Teighan! You never disappoint!
I made this for dinner a couple nights ago & it’s arguably one of the best recipes on this site so far. SO DELICIOUS! Thank you for this & all the other yummy recipes you post!
Thank you so much Cristina! So happy you love this!
Love your creative recipes! Since I am allergic to apples and try to make all my meals with way more veggies/fruit than meat, can you suggest any alternative to the apples? Not sure if I should try making the recipe leaving out the apples, or if there would be something amiss in the overall flavoring.
Hi Christine!! Just omit the apples and double the mushrooms. The dish will still be great! Please let me know if you have other questions. Thanks! 🙂
Your pictures encouraged me to make this recipe. So happy that I did as the flavor combination of the apple, Marsala and chicken with the orzo with combination is amazing. Thank you!
Thank you so much Michael!! SO happy you liked it!
I made this recipe tonight and it tasted very good. I used rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and chicken thighs, though. Thanks for creating a hearty dish with just the right amount of sauce to accompany the rice and chicken.
So glad this turned out so well for you Melissa! Thank you! xTieghan
This chicken Marsala was delicious. I decided to use pasta because I have tons of it. I’m not sure why my sauce looks lighter than yours but it was scrumptious. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you so much for trying this Melissa! I am so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
This was fantastic and screams autumn
Mushrooms and Apples, who knew it was such a delicious combo?
Hey Brian,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan
My daughter and have both come to the realization that your website is the only place we ever need to go for recipes. You are outstanding in your ability to make winner after winner.
With that said, as I usually do I had some chicken and felt like chicken Marsala. I looked and of course you have an unusual take on it with this recipe. We loved it and the leftovers were fantastic the next day.
Hey Mark,
Thanks so much for your kind message! I am so glad this dish was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan