This chicken and leek risotto recipe is a creamy and delicious one pan meal which everyone would love - yes even your children!
I can never get enough risotto, from sweet potato risotto to pesto risotto to pear risotto to risotto al forno to chorizo risotto.
To me, it is Italian comfort food 101. Most risottos, if not all, start with cooking some onion. But one of the most forgotten, but delicious members of the onion group is leeks.
Its mild, yet slightly sweet flavor works great as a base in a risotto. Add in some chicken, lemons and cheese and you've got yourself one tasty meal.
So if you are looking for a one-pan meal, this chicken and leek risotto should be at the top of the list!
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Ingredients Notes
- Chicken - adds some protein and pairs well with the leeks.
- Leeks - has a mild-onion taste that enhances the risotto.
- Arborio rice - when it comes to risotto, Arborio is the way to go as it has just the right amount of starch.
- Wine - it lends flavor and some acidity to the dish, which can help balance out some of the richness.
- Lemons - adds flavor, brightness and acidity.
- Cheese - the combo of goat and Parmesan cheese adds creaminess and a slight nutty, salty flavor.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can replace some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I like to cook my own chicken, you can use rotisserie chicken if desired.
- To me leeks are what makes this dish, but you can replace with sweet onions, white, yellow, red onions or shallots. They all high slightly different flavors.
- Arborio rice is most common, but other short-grain rice like Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo work as well.
- Thyme is an herb which complements the lemon flavor, but parsley, basil or rosemary are good substitutes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove and shred. Add remaining oil and butter and cook the leeks for 5 minutes before adding garlic and cooking for another minute.
Add the rice and cook for a minute before deglazing with wine. Now add the stock 1 cup at a time and stir constantly. Wait for stock to be absorbed before adding more.
Once the rice is tender stir in the remaining ingredients and taste for seasoning.
FAQs
Use only Italian short-grain rice varieties such as Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo.
In the US, Arobrio rice is the most common you'll find. Short-grain rice has a high starch content and tends to absorb less liquid which is perfect for risotto.
No! If you rinse the rise, you rinse the starch off which is key to creating a quality risotto.
Risotto is traditionally made with Arborio rice which has high rice gluten content, but it's not the same thing as the gluten that would bother you.
Because of this, 95% of the time you are safe to consume risotto if you have a gluten allergy. Where the 5% comes into play is if the broth/stock you use has traces of gluten in it. So just read the ingredients of your stock before using.
While leeks are tasty, they can be quite dirty so make sure you clean them before using, otherwise you'll have a mouthful of soil with every bite. Simply recipes has great instructions on how to clean leeks.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Toast/cook the rice in butter/oil so it absorbs the stock slowly without becoming soggy.
- Use quality dry white wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you'd be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the risotto.
- Use hot stock so when you add to the rice it won't cool everything down and mess up the cooking process.
- Slowly add the stock and wait until it is absorbed before adding more which allows the rice to create that creamy starch you expect from risotto.
- Stir the risotto often enough, but don’t stir so much your arm gets tired. It should be just enough to keep the risotto from burning.
- Keep at a medium simmer throughout cooking, otherwise your risotto with take forever.
- Cook until al dente. Risotto should have some body and bite to it and not be too mushy or starchy.
- Wait until rice is finished cooking before stirring in the rest of the ingredients.
Similar Recipes
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Chicken and Leek Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups chopped leeks (2 whole leeks)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 oz goat cheese
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- sea salt + black pepper for taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove and shred.
- Heat remaining olive oil and butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Toss in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add rice and stir to coat, cooking for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and simmer over low heat until almost all of the wine has been absorbed. Add simmering chicken stock 1 cup at a time, stirring the rice constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.
- Once the rice is tender (should be between 20-25 minutes), add the lemon juice and lemon zest. After everything is mixed, add the goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped thyme and shredded chicken. Taste and if needed add salt and pepper. Serve with some thyme and Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- Toast/cook the rice in butter/oil so it absorbs the stock slowly without becoming soggy.
- Use quality dry white wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you'd be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the risotto.
- Use hot stock so when you add to the rice it won't cool everything down and mess up the cooking process.
- Slowly add the stock and wait until it is absorbed before adding more which allows the rice to create that creamy starch you expect from risotto.
- Stir the risotto often enough, but don’t stir so much your arm gets tired. It should be just enough to keep the risotto from burning.
- Keep at a medium simmer throughout cooking, otherwise your risotto with take forever.
- Cook until al dente. Risotto should have some body and bite to it and not be too mushy or starchy.
- Wait until rice is finished cooking before stirring in the rest of the ingredients.
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