This chicken and leek baked risotto recipe has literally been one of my kiddo’s favourites since I started making when my eldest was around 8 months old. Which means I have now been making it for going on 3.5 yrs and it is still going strong.
The oven-baked risotto recipe is very very flexible so please do not feel that you need to stick with chicken and leek. In the notes section, I have included some other combination ideas.
Oven-baked risotto is such a simple way to make risotto, but another no-stir method is to use your slow cooker, I have a recipe for that too! Slow Cooker Risotto
Butternut pumpkin is always a fav with young kiddos, I assume it is the sweetness, as such I have an entire recipe for baked risotto made with butternut pumpkin.
This baked chicken risotto is part of my allergy-friendly recipe collection, these recipes are free from the top 8 food allergens: Dairy, wheat, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts, fish & crustaceans
stock for baked risotto
Commercial chicken stock is fairly high in salt/sodium. I usually make my own, which I promise is very easy.
Whenever we have a chicken dish cooked on the bone: i.e. a roast or drumsticks. I pop the leftover bones in a pot. Add a very roughly chopped onion and carrot and then boil for around 30 minutes.
I’m not trying to make restaurant-quality stock, so once boiled, I just remove the bones and vege by pouring it through a colander and store in the fridge for a day or so or freeze it for later use.
I do use commercial stocks some times as well… I typically water them down a bit just to reduce the salt content. I always choose low salt stocks if I am buying them
Chicken and Leek Baked Risotto
Chicken and Leek Risotto, An oven-baked risotto that is easy to make with no continuous stirring and tastes delicious
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 150g Leek
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 250g Arborio rice (approx. 1 Cup)
- Thyme
- 750 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 300g skinless chicken breast or thigh
- 130g frozen peas
Instructions
- Use a large oven proof dish that has a lid. Start by heating the oil on the stove top
- Heat the stock (this can be done on the stove top or in the microwave)
- Add finely sliced leek and garlic sauté until softened and fragrant
- Add the arborio rice with 1 -2 10 cm stalks of fresh thyme, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so that the rice does not catch
- Add the heated stock
- thinly slice the chicken and add to the rice and stock
- Bring to the boil
- Cover with a lid and bake in an oven at 180 degrees celsius or 350 Fahrenheit for 20 mins
- Stir in frozen peas
- Return to the oven for 5 mins
- Serve
Notes
- You can add parmesan cheese to this dish, add 50 g when you add the frozen peas
- Other vegetables that work well
- You can add bacon, add 1-2 rashers cooking it off with the leeks before you add the rice.
- Instead of fresh chicken, leftover roast chicken works well, or prawns/shrimp
- I find freezing it in silicone muffin trays makes a great toddler portion, particularly if it is a side dish to grilled meat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 408Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 255mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 40g
Please know this nutrition analysis is based on the ingredients only, this recipe has not been sent to a laboratory for independent testing
btw, where I can buy risotto?
Arborio rice is risotto rice, in New Zealand all supermarkets carry it