This Creamy Chicken & Leek Risotto is an easy one pot meal that’s packed full of flavour and is the perfect comfort food that can be enjoyed by the whole family. This version is dairy free and & gluten free too.
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Making risotto is like a labour of love… Yes you may have to stand for 20 minutes stirring to make sure you get the perfect creamy consistency but trust me, once you taste this Creamy Chicken & Leek Risotto recipe you will agree that it is all worth it! It’s the ideal family dinner for a cold day.
Delicious served with some Dairy Free Garlic Bread.
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❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe...
- Easy to make - this midweek dinner can be on the table in 40 minutes!
- This creamy risotto is dairy and gluten free! (remember to check stock cube ingredients)
- It’s rich and creamy but at the same time really nourishing!
- Can be easily frozen!
- Great tasty one-pan meal the whole family will love!
🥘 Ingredients, Notes & Substitutions
- Chicken - I have used skinless chicken breasts but you can also use the same amount of skinless, boneless, chicken thighs. You can also use leftover chicken thats already cooked, just add it to the pan when you add the rice.
- Stock - I love the Knorr Chicken Stock Pots as they are free from the top 14 allergens. As stock can be high in salt, if you are cooking for small children you may wish to swap to these very low salt stock cubes from Kallo, they are dairy and gluten free but do contain celery. You can also use a vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Rice - Arborio rice is most widely used in risottos and is what I have used & tested this recipe with. Other alternatives are carnaroli or Vialone Nano.
- Pancetta - If you don’t have any pancetta this can be substituted for smoked bacon.
- Butter - I have used Flora Plant vegan butter to make this recipe dairy free, but you can use regular butter if you don’t have a milk allergy. Coconut oil can also be used in replacement of the butter.
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
✏️ How to Make This Recipe
Heat a large heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish on the hob and add the butter and olive oil.
Once melted, add the chicken pieces and pancetta and cook on a medium heat for 7-8 minutes until the chicken has cooked on the outside. Keep stirring to ensure all sides are cooked .
Add the garlic, chopped leeks and mushrooms and cook for another few minutes until softened.
Next, add the arborio rice & dried or fresh thyme to the pan and stir until all of the grains have been coated and mixed into the meat and vegetables. Adding the rice to the pan without any liquid is called toasting the rice and is done to prevent the exterior from breaking and seals in the starch of the grain creating a much nicer texture when cooked.
Pour the hot chicken stock into the pan, a ladle full at a time and stir until the liquid has been absorbed, then add another ladle full. Keep going until all of the stock has been absorbed and you are left with a creamy consistency, this should take around 20-25 minutes. Season to your taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Serve and enjoy!
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the stock is nice and hot when adding to the risotto and only add a ladle full at a time, you don’t want to pour it in all in one go!
- To clean the leeks, slice down the middle lengthways and rinse under the tap to remove any dirt or grit, then pat dry with a paper towel.
- Freeze into individual portions, this makes it easy for a quick kids meal when you need it.
⚡ Variations
- Mix up the veg! - Why not stir in a handful of frozen green peas five minutes before the end of the cooking time for some extra added veg.
- Cheese - I haven’t added any cheese to this recipe but if you want some extra decadence stir through a spoonful of vegan or normal parmesan cheese once the risotto is cooked. You can also add a spoonful of nutritional yeast for a cheesy, nutty flavour.
- Make it Veggie! - Swap the chicken and bacon for a soya meat or firm tofu and use a vegetable stock.
- Oven baked - If you prefer a more hands off approach, you can follow the recipe up to step 5, then pour in all of the stock & place the casserole dish with the lid on, in the oven at 180˚C Fan / 350˚ F for around 30-40 minutes. Give it a good stir when it comes out of the oven and you will find the same creamy consistency.
🔪 Equipment Used
🥡 Storage
If you cool the risotto quickly on the kitchen side, it can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Re-heat in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, until piping hot, stirring half way through.
I would recommend freezing this in individual portions, which can then be taken easily from the freezer when needed. Defrost in the fridge overnight and re-heat as above.
💬 Recipe FAQ
The most common ratio is 3:1. This means for every 1 cup of rice you use, add 3 cup of liquid.
You want to cook your risotto al dente so it is soft but still has a little bite to it. If your risotto is crunchy it means you will need to add some more stock and cook it for a little bit longer. A risotto should cook in around 20-25 minutes.
💫 Love this recipe? It would be great if you could leave a 5 ⭐ rating and comment below! Thanks x 💫
💖 More Dinner Recipes You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken & Leek Risotto
Ingredients
- 350 g skinless chicken breasts approx 2 medium, chopped into bitesize chunks
- 750 ml Knorr chicken stock pot or any gluten free chicken or veg stock
- 300 g arborio rice
- 65 g pancetta
- 250 g mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 medium leeks thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme fresh can also be used (double the amount for fresh)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 20 g Flora plant butter or any dairy free butter
- 3 teaspoon olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter & olive oil in a large, heavy based saucepan or casserole dish on a medium heat.
- Once melted, add the chicken pieces and pancetta and cook on a medium heat for 7-8 minutes until the chicken has cooked on the outside. Keep stirring to ensure all sides are cooked .
- Slice the leek lengthways and then slice thinly. Chop the mushrooms into thin slices & mince the garlic with a garlic press.
- Add the garlic, chopped leeks and mushrooms to the pan and cook for another few minutes until softened.
- Next, add the arborio rice & dried or fresh thyme to the pan and stir until all of the grains have been coated and mixed into the meat and vegetables, around 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the hot chicken stock into the pan, a ladle full at a time and stir until the liquid has been absorbed, then add another ladle full. Keep going until all of the stock has been absorbed and you are left with a creamy consistency, this should take around 20-25 minutes.
- Season to taste and serve!
Notes
- Make sure the stock is nice and hot when adding to the risotto and only add a ladle full at a time, you don’t want to pour it in all in one go!
- To clean the leeks, slice down the middle lengthways and rinse under the tap to remove any dirt or grit, then pat dry with a paper towel.
- Freeze into individual portions, this makes it easy for a quick kids meal when you need it.
- Chicken - I have used skinless chicken breasts but you can also use the same amount of skinless, boneless, chicken thighs. You can also use leftover chicken thats already cooked, just add it to the pan when you add the rice.
- Stock - I love the Knorr Chicken Stock Pots as they are free from the top 14 allergens. If you are cooking for small children you may wish to swap to these very low salt stock cubes from Kallo, they are dairy and gluten free but do contain celery. You can also use a vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Rice - Arborio rice is most widely used in risottos and is what I have used & tested this recipe with. Other alternatives are carnaroli or Vialone Nano.
- Pancetta - If you don’t have any pancetta this can be substituted for smoked bacon.
- Butter - I have used Flora Plant vegan butter to make this recipe dairy free, but you can use regular butter if you don’t have a milk allergy. Coconut oil can also be used in replacement of the butter.
Phil
I didn’t realise how good risotto could be without loads of cheese. You don’t miss it in this recipe and the kids loved it.
Lauren Woodger
It's funny how you really don't need it isn't it! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂