Many people put risotto into the too-hard basket for cooking an easy dinner. But it truly is an easy dinner to whip together, and it’s on the table in 45 minutes. The result is bowls of creamy rice interspersed with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, garlic and parmesan. Oh, and the cook snuck in a bit of bacon, too. Delish!
How to make creamy chicken risotto: key tips
There are a few basic tricks to perfecting a creamy risotto. When you add the rice in step 6, ensure that you stir it around in the butter for 1-2 minutes or until the grains start to become glassy and translucent. This creates a shell around the grains, allowing the rice to slowly absorb moisture without becoming soggy.
Cook your risotto over a low heat and add the stock gradually, just half a cup (or one ladle) at a time. This will give the rice time to absorb the liquid and flavours.
Remember, you do need to stir your risotto to release the starches in the rice which makes it creamy, but overstirring can ruin the texture and cause it to become gluggy. Stirring every 30 seconds or so should be okay. You’re looking for a consistency erring on something slightly soupy rather than sludgy.
Key ingredients in this creamy chicken risotto recipe
For the perfect creamy risotto, you need to use an Italian rice that is high in starch. The most readily available is arborio.
This recipe uses chicken breast which is a lean and economical cut. Chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces can easily be used instead.
I like to use sliced flat mushrooms for a risotto. I simply find they are a bit more meaty and tastier than button mushrooms. They also add a bit of colour so that your chicken risotto isn’t nearly all white.
Here are some more risotto recipes to sink your fork into. And if you’d like some more chicken meal inspiration, these chicken dishes will delight at dinner time.
This recipe was originally submitted by tonypolony, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.
Ingredients
- 2 tbs butter
- 4 cups salt-reduced chicken stock (liquid)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups mushrooms diced
- 450 g chicken breast fillet diced
- 3 short-cut bacon rashers diced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
Method
-
Step 1Heat 2 cups of salt-reduced chicken stock to a simmer.
-
Step 2Saute garlic in butter over medium-low heat.
-
Step 3Add chicken and bacon, and cook for 2 minutes.
-
Step 4Add mushrooms and stir for 3 minutes.
-
Step 5Remove chicken, bacon and mushrooms and set aside.
-
Step 6Add rice and coat with butter from pan.
-
Step 7Add heated chicken stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring until each each addition is absorbed before adding the rest.
-
Step 8After final addition of stock, add chicken, bacon, mushrooms, spinach and cheese.
-
Step 9Stir together to melt cheese and wilt spinach until the stock has reduced.
Recipe Notes
Can I add wine to this creamy chicken risotto?
It’s clear from all the reviews that many of you love to add a splash of wine to your risottos! That’s quite okay. Add ½ cup (125ml) white wine in place of ½ cup of the stock. Choose a dry white wine, such as chardonnay or pinot grigio.
Why do I need to cook the meat and veg first?
Cook the garlic, then brown the meat and vegies in the saucepan and set them aside before adding the rice to the pan. Not only will this leave a lot of deliciousness on the bottom of the pan which the rice will then soak up, all the elements will be ready to add to the rice mixture once the stirring is done. If you try to cook the meat and vegies in with the rice, the meat won’t be able to brown to seal in its moisture, and the vegies will release their liquid into the rice mixture, making it more watery than it should be.
Recipe Reviews (16)
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Log in Register