Creamy Chicken and Leek Risotto (30 Minute Meal)
This chicken and leek risotto is the perfect comfort food. It’s everything risotto should be: velvety, rich and mouth-watering.
Made with traditional arborio rice, chicken, butter and parmesan cheese, this creamy risotto is a household favorite. Yes, it takes constant stirring to get the perfect creamy texture. You have to continuously stir the chicken broth into the rice so it absorbs the moisture properly.
You definitely need to give this one lots of love. I suggest making it when you know you won’t be distracted. If you’re a parent with little kids, that means, come back in 15 years and you’ll be ready.
Kidding! You really only need to dedicate about 20 minutes and the end result is SO worth it.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Chicken and Leek Risotto:
- Easy one-pot meal.
- Rich creamy consistency.
- Make for special occasions.
- Kids and babies love this one.
- You get an arm workout!
- Minimal Ingredients.
🍲 Ingredients
Arborio Rice
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs
Leeks
Chicken Bone Broth
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Butter
Yellow Onion
Garlic
Parsley
👩🍳 How to Make a Chicken and Leek Risotto
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the onion and leeks. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the Arborio rice and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, allowing the rice to toast slightly.
- Pour in 1 cup of the chicken bone broth and stir until it is mostly absorbed by the rice.
- With one ladle at a time, continue adding the bone broth. Allow the liquid to be mostly absorbed before adding the next ladle. Continue this process until the rice is creamy and cooked to al dente, which usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
- About halfway through the cooking process, add the cooked chicken pieces back to the risotto.
- When the rice is cooked, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish the risotto with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken from the night before to make this recipe easier.
- Cut off the darker green parts of the leeks. These are very tough and don’t taste great.
- This might be a messy one, but toddlers love this chicken risotto. I put a little on their tray and watch them go nuts.
- Add diced zucchini or carrots for more veggies!
🗒 Substitutions
- Use plant-based butter and nutritional yeast in place of parmesan cheese to make this dairy-free.
🗒 Best served with
- Serve this as a meal in itself or with a side of veggies like my Green Beans or Crispy Broccoli.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. If you’ve found it dried out a bit, add a splash of water or butter.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes.
Absolutely! Use a dairy-free butter and omit the parmesan cheese. I love to use nutritional yeast in place of parmesan cheese. It has a nutty flavor and makes the dish creamy, very similar to parmesan.
Arborio is the traditional risotto rice for good reason. It’s the best rice for risotto because it soaks up the flavors beautifuly and makes it creamy and perfect. I don’t suggest using a different rice.
Chicken and Leek Risotto
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups arborio rice
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 leeks thinly sliced
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces, garlic powder, and pepper and cook until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the onion and leeks. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the Arborio rice and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, allowing the rice to toast slightly.
- Pour in 1 cup of the chicken bone broth and stir until it is mostly absorbed by the rice.
- With one ladle at a time, continue adding the bone broth. Allow the liquid to be mostly absorbed before adding the next ladle. Continue this process until the rice is creamy and cooked to al dente, which usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
- About halfway through the cooking process, add the cooked chicken pieces back to the risotto.
- When the rice is cooked, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish the risotto with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
This was absolutely fabulous; My first time making risotto without messing it up! Win for a family meal and especially if you have a toddler, like me, who will decide if a meal is “not good” just by looking it at – my 23mo devoured this.
The boneless skinless chicken thighs are a game changer if you have a little one who is reluctant to eat meat proteins. The juiciness and tenderness is unmatched. I marinated my chicken a bit differently and added a ton of veggies to the risotto- this base recipe is unmatched for ease and versatility. Love, love. For sure a new staple in our meal rotation.