Chicken and Leek Risotto
Chicken and Leek Risotto, An oven-baked risotto that is easy to make with no continuous stirring and tastes delicious
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Servings: 4 adult serves
Calories: 448kcal
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Equipment
- Large oven proof saucepan with lid.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 150 g leek
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 250 g arborio rice approx. 1.25 cups
- thyme 2 x 10cm stalks, or 1tsp dried thyme.
- 750 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 300 g skinless chicken breast or thigh
- 130 g frozen peas 1 cup
- 50g parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prep
- Thinly slice the leeks, I do this by first slicing the leek in half lengthwise, I then thinly slice the leek.
- Thinly slice the chicken breast
- Heat the chicken stock. This can be done on the stove top or in a microwave. You want the stock to be hot but not quite boiling.
- Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius or 350 Fahrenheit
Cook
- Use a large oven proof dish that has a lid. Start by heating the oil on the stove top.
- Add finely sliced leek and garlic sauté until softened and fragrant.
- Add the arborio rice and thyme, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so that the rice does not catch on the bottom of the dish.
- Add the stock you heated earlier.
- Add the thinly sliced chicken breast, and 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 and then return the risotto to the oven for 5 mins with the lid on.
- Serve
Notes
Substitutes
- Arborio rice: Arborio rice is the best rice for making a risotto, however at a pinch you can sub it for another short-grained rice.
- Chicken stock: Any flavourful stock or broth will work, although if you are making a chicken and leek risotto I would stick with a vegetable or chicken stock for the best flavour profile.
- Thyme: I use fresh thyme, this can be subbed for dried.
- Chicken breast: This can be subbed for leftover roast chicken, prawns/shrimp, bacon or ham.
Tips
- Trust the process! The rice will absorb the liquid, it will become a creamy texture even without you stirring the risotto throughout cooking.
- Choose a low salt stock or broth: If you are making this recipe and serving it to young children be mindful of the sodium content of commercial stocks. You can always season it with extra salt or parmesan if needed for older members of the family at the table
- You can add bacon, add 1-2 rashers cooking it off with the leeks before you add the rice.
- I find freezing it in silicone muffin trays makes a great toddler portion, particularly if it is a side dish to grilled meat and vegetables.
FAQs
Can I scale up this recipe? Absolutely, the key is to keep ratio of liquid (stock) to rice the same. For this baked risotto a ratio of 1:3 rice to liquid works well. Can you freeze risotto? Risotto is at its best when eaten fresh, however, if you aren't concerned about perfect texture (the rice grains can go a little mushy) then yes you can freeze and reheat this chicken and leek risotto. It makes the perfect quick reheat meal for little ones.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 896IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 4mg