Creamy Chicken Risotto Recipe (with vegetables)
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A super easy and mouthwatering Chicken Risotto recipe that is perfect for the whole family. Get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Boom!
Risotto is huge favorite! This basic Risotto Recipe is one of the most popular recipes on Kylee Cooks, as well as my Instant Pot Risotto Recipe!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below, but you can jump right to the recipe card if you wish!
This Chicken Risotto is an Italian classic that has become popular all around the world, for good reason, and is one of my favorite dishes to make. It’s pure comfort food and is similar way to how I feel about pasta (and I love pasta!).
It is a perfect meal for any occasion, whether it’s a family dinner or a special occasion.
This is a really basic, really easy homemade risotto. You can certainly substitute different vegetables if you don’t like the ones I used, or you don’t have them on hand. I sometimes use roasted butternut squash and peas too, but any combination will do.
The first time I made this recipe was when my oldest son was first eating real food. It’s perfect for little fingers to pick up the pieces. The rice is sticky enough that kids can cram handfuls into their mouths.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe will work with regular white rice, but it won’t be as creamy. It is definitely worth seeking out the arborio rice. Known as u0022risotto riceu0022, it can be found in most grocery stores.
A mix of vegetables, rice and chicken with stock and other flavorings
Yes, you can make chicken risotto ahead of time, but it may require a little extra attention when reheating.
To make chicken risotto ahead of time, prepare the recipe as usual but stop cooking it a little bit earlier than usual, so the risotto is a bit underdone. Then, transfer the risotto to a large, shallow container and spread it out so that it cools quickly and evenly. Once it’s cooled, cover the container and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days.
When you’re ready to serve the risotto, transfer it to a pot or saucepan and add a bit of chicken broth or water to loosen it up. Reheat the risotto on the stovetop, stirring frequently until it’s heated through and creamy. If the risotto has become too thick, you can add a bit more broth or water until it reaches your desired consistency.
It’s important to note that when reheating risotto, you may need to add a bit more liquid to the dish as the rice grains will have absorbed most of the liquid during the initial cooking process. Additionally, reheated risotto may not have the same texture as freshly made risotto, but it should still be delicious.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Adaptable: You basically need 2 cups of vegetables. Try broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, baby spinach, mushrooms, butternut squash, peas or beans.
- Affordable. Budget-friendly ingredients, and a great recipe for using up what you have in the refrigerator, but easy enough to pick up at the grocery store.
- Family Friendly: Typically I make risotto with white wine. However, I leave out the wine when serving my kids (and just drink it while I’m cooking). Reasonable cook time, too!
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Key Recipe Ingredients
Remember: this is just an overview and the why of the ingredients I choose here. The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken Stock: Use stock or chicken broth.
- Olive Oil & Butter: A blend of fats for the best flavor (and smoke point)
- Onion: Dice this finely. Add some garlic cloves if you’d like.
- Chicken. I use chicken breasts, but you could absolutely use chicken thighs if you prefer. Dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Vegetables. For this recipe I used 3 colors of bell peppers, but you can use any combination you like. You’ll need 1.5-2 cups of chopped vegetables.
- Arborio rice. The type of rice used is important. Arborio rice has a high starch content. It’s perfect for risotto as it helps blend the flavors and get that creamy consistency.
- Parmesan cheese. I use freshly grated parmesan cheese, as it melts into the risotto. The pre shredded kind doesn’t blend as well.
- Salt and Black Pepper. Use these to taste. I like freshly ground salt and pepper for best results.
How to make this recipe
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
JumpGet prepped. Heat the chicken stock, and keep on the stove simmering. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high.
Cook the onions, chicken and veggies. Add the onions and cook until clear. Add the chicken. Cook until the outside is just white (not fully cooked). Add the vegetables to the chicken and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
Add the rice. Add the rice. Stir to coat fully in butter/oil. Reduce to medium heat. Add a 1/2 cup of the simmering broth at a time stirring frequently but not constantly. Add more as the stock is absorbed. Repeat this until you have used almost all of the stock- it should take about 17-25 minutes. Continue until the rice is fully cooked and the dish is creamy.
Finish and serve. Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Kylee’s Tips for Making Perfect Risotto
Use hot stock. The heat helps maintain the starch content of the rice. Either keep it simmering in another saucepan beside you while you cook the risotto, or heat in the microwave.
You may use more or less stock than I used. You want your risotto to be creamy, al dente and not mushy.
Cook at the right heat – a gentle simmer is perfect, we don’t want a full-on boil!
Stir REGULARLY but not CONSTANTLY – contrary to what you might think – you don’t need to be stirring constantly!
If you want have leftover cooked chicken, or have a rotisserie chicken on hand, you can use that instead of cooking the chicken into the risotto. Add it towards the end to heat through.
Chicken Risotto (with vegetables)
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1.5 pound chicken breast boneless, diced
- 2 cups red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 4 cups chicken stock, and keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan. Add 1 small onion (diced) and cook until clear.
- Add in the 1.5 pound chicken breast (diced) and fry until the outside is just white (not fully cooked).
- Add 2 cups red bell pepper (diced) to the chicken and cook an additional 3-4 minutes
- Add 1 cup arborio rice. Stir to coat fully in butter/oil
- Add the hot chicken stock in – 1 ladle at a time – to the chicken and rice mixture, stirring often. Add more as the stock is absorbed.
- Repeat this until you have used almost all of the stock- it should take about 17-25 minutes.
- Continue until rice is fully cooked and the dish is creamy.
- Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Video
Notes
- Use hot stock. The heat helps maintain the starch content of the rice. Either keep it simmering in another saucepan beside you while you cook the risotto, or heat in the microwave.
- You may use more or less stock than I used. You want your risotto to be creamy, al dente and not mushy.
- Cook at the right heat – a gentle simmer is perfect, we don’t want a full-on boil!
- Stir REGULARLY but not CONSTANTLY – contrary to what you might think – you don’t need to be stirring constantly!
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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About Kylee Ayotte
I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee
Hey chick! Also from NZ my whole life and still here in the north island. I’ve been craving risotto for ages and I’m finally about to make it (googling recipes and decided on yours lol) but i forgot arborio rice and with 3 kids I can’t be bothered going out to get it lol or what if I don’t have enough money etc. If I used normal short grain rice would adding cream, cream cheese or ricotta cheese help with the creaminess? I only have ricotta atm so going to try that, was just wondering if adding something creamy might help or not make a difference?
Thanks Kylee!
Hope you and whanau are well 🙂
Kia Ora, Ameria! Lovely to talk to a fellow kiwi. Unfortunately, no, you won’t get the same rice texture or creaminess with normal rice. It’s one of the few essential ingredients that I don’t deviate from. You could absolutely add some ricotta if you have it on hand, but it’s the texture that would be affected by using long grain rice that you would lose. I mean. I’m not above TRYING it, but it just won’t have the same bite.