Chicken Risotto
Chicken Risotto is an easy weeknight dinner that features flavorful skinless boneless chicken thighs (seasoned with smoked paprika, Cayenne pepper, and Italian seasoning). You can also use leftover chicken, grilled chicken, or cooked rotisserie chicken. This risotto is pure comfort food made with Arborio rice and is elevated with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Impress your family and friends by making this restaurant-quality dish!
CourseMain Course
CuisineAmerican, Italian
KeywordChicken Risotto
Prep Time15minutes minutes
Cook Time30minutes minutes
Total Time45minutes minutes
Servings4 people
Calories811kcal
Ingredients
Risotto
4 cups chicken stock
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped (drained of any oil)
5 cloves garlic minced
1.5 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter
⅔ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated or shredded, at room temperature
4 oz fresh spinach
salt and pepper
Seasoning for chicken
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
Chicken
1.5 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
parsley chopped (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
Risotto
Use a heavy-bottomed pan such as a cast-iron skillet to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Note: while you cook the risotto, you can also cook the chicken as directed in the recipe card below.
Heat chicken stock in a separate saucepan until hot and keep it hot.
Drain oil from sun-dried tomatoes, leaving just enough (about 1 tablespoon) for sauteeing garlic. Sautee minced garlic with chopped sun-dried tomatoes for about 1 or 2 minutes in a cast-iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed pan).
Add rice and stir it with a wooden spoon or spatula to coat it with olive oil. Saute the rice in olive oil for about 1 minute on medium heat, stirring. Make sure the rice doesn’t burn.
Add white wine and cook on medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the wine is completely absorbed by the rice.
Add ½ cup of hot chicken stock to the rice and stir occasionally on medium-low heat until the stock is almost absorbed. You don’t have to stir constantly, just once every minute or two.
When the stock is almost absorbed, add another ½ cup of chicken stock to the rice and repeat the process. Continue to add chicken stock in ½ cup increments until the texture of the rice is soft but not too soft. You might not have to use all of the chicken stock. Or, you might have to use more. The rice should have an “al dente” texture (a bit hard to bite but in no way crunchy) and the grains should be visibly separate (not mushy).
Reduce heat to low and add butter and grated parmesan. Stir everything well until the parmesan is melted.
On low heat, add spinach and stir it in. Remove from heat, cover the pan with the lid and allow the spinach to wilt for a couple of minutes. Stir again to incorporate wilted spinach into the risotto.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook chicken
Note: you can cook the chicken at the same time as you make the risotto.
Combine seasonings for chicken in a small bowl. Slice chicken thighs into smaller pieces (but not too small). Generously season the chicken thighs with the seasonings on both sides. You don’t have to use the whole amount.
Heat an empty large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet (such as stainless steel or cast iron) over medium heat for 3 minutes. This allows the skillet to heat through.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken thighs. Cook the chicken on one side on medium heat for 5 minutes, without moving it. This allows the chicken to sear.
Flip the chicken thighs over, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes or longer until it’s cooked through. The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from heat. Remove chicken from the skillet.
Assembly
Add cooked chicken on top of the risotto and serve. Top with chopped fresh parsley, if you like.
