What Do I Make With Leftover Chicken? How About Everyday Chicken Risotto?
A warm, comforting dish like chicken risotto can be an excellent way to transform leftovers into something special. This recipe gives tender pieces of leftover chicken new life in a creamy, flavorful risotto.
Prepared with a few pantry staples, this dish allows the leftover chicken to be infused with rich broth, garlic, and Parmesan flavors, creating a satisfying meal with minimal effort. Rice is slowly cooked to a tender consistency, absorbing the aromatic broth and harmoniously blending with the chicken.
Traditional risotto techniques are followed to achieve the perfect texture, with the rice stirred continuously until it reaches a creamy yet slightly al dente finish. Garlic and onions are sautéed gently to release their flavors before being mixed with the rice, lending an irresistible fragrance to the dish.
A sprinkle of fresh herbs and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese add the finishing touch, enhancing the risotto’s richness and balancing the chicken’s savory taste. This simple yet satisfying risotto is a delicious and easy way to use up leftovers, offering a comforting meal that can be enjoyed any night of the week.
Chicken Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin plus more for finishing at the end
- 1 large red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 7 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup carrots we used leftover honeyed carrots, chopped
- 1 cup steamed zucchini we used leftover zucchini, chopped
- 1 piece roasted chicken breast chopped up into bite sized pieces
- salt & Pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese Freshly grated, to taste
Instructions
- You can start by prepping your ingredients. This means combining everything and chopping the onion, garlic, carrots, zucchini, and chicken. You'll also want to heat the stock in a large saucepan and have it ready to add to the rice.
- Heat a large sauté pan, or maybe you are using a large pot, but it is essential to get it hot before you add the oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until it turns translucent. I cook this at medium heat on my gas stove top.
- Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Be sure to continuously stir the onion and garlic so they don't burn.
- Move the onion and garlic to the sides of the pan and add the Arborio rice.
- Sauté for a few minutes to slightly toast the rice, and then combine the rice with the onion/garlic.
- Start adding the hot broth to the rice one cup at a time, stirring continuously until it is absorbed by the rice before adding more. If the rice starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, turn down the heat a little and keep stirring.
- Add the carrots, zucchini, and chicken to heat through when just one cup of stock remains. Add the rest of the stock and keep stirring.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If you taste the rice and think it needs more time, add hot water until the risotto reaches your desired creaminess.
- Serve in individual plates topped with extra virgin olive oil and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Side Dishes That Go Well With Chicken Risotto & Why
| Side Dish | Description | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted Asparagus | Fresh asparagus roasted with olive oil, garlic, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. | Adds a crisp texture and slightly bitter flavor to balance creamy risotto. |
| Garlic Sauteed Spinach | Spinach quickly cooked with garlic and olive oil, finished with a squeeze of lemon. | Provides freshness and a touch of acidity to cut through the richness of the risotto. |
| Mixed Green Salad | Combination of arugula, baby spinach, and radicchio with a light vinaigrette. | Light and refreshing, adding a crisp contrast to creamy textures. |
| Grilled Zucchini | Zucchini slices grilled and drizzled with olive oil and herbs. | Smoky flavor and firm texture complement the soft, creamy risotto. |
| Roasted Cherry Tomatoes | Cherry tomatoes roasted with olive oil, balsamic, and fresh herbs. | Sweetness and acidity brighten the dish and enhance chicken flavors. |
| Crusty Garlic Bread | Warm, crunchy bread with a garlic and butter topping. | Perfect for scooping up risotto and adding a crunchy contrast. |
| Steamed Green Beans with Almonds | Green beans lightly steamed, tossed with butter and toasted almonds. | Provides a nutty crunch and fresh green flavor to complement the creamy risotto. |
What do I love about everyday risotto?
- It is great when you can’t think of what to cook tonight and need a meal in a hurry.
- You can make it every week and never make the same dish the same twice.
- Perfect as a starter, side, or main dish.
- Versatile – depending on what else you’re serving, devise a risotto that will work with it.
- Easy to prepare, and you can make a meal in 45-30 minutes or less.
- Risotto is rice, which is low in fat, has no cholesterol, and is gluten-free.
What’s On Hand Every Day Risotto
My wife called and said, “Let’s make risotto tonight.” So I started looking through the refrigerator for available ingredients. I knew I had a box of risotto in the pantry and plenty of commercial and homemade chicken stock in the freezer.
There was even some leftover turkey stock in the freezer that I wanted to use up. You usually find plenty of onions and garlic in our house on hand; the remaining ingredients are leftovers.
We had leftover steamed zucchini, honeyed carrots from Maddie’s birthday dinner, and a roasted chicken breast from a previous meal, with some incredible extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese to finish the dish, and we were set to go.
At the start, I didn’t measure anything except the two cups of risotto rice, so I needed at least 7 cups of stock. I used a combination of homemade turkey stock and commercial chicken stock.
2 Responses
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! I am definitely a reluctant cook and find your advice helpful and recipes easy to follow. I just wanted to share an error in your recipe above that may cause confusion for the very reluctant cook who is dependent on step-by-step input (I’m still at that point). It’s the line that reads: “Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Be sure to continuously stir the onion and rice so theyit doesn’t burn.” I think you mean to stir the onion and garlic since you add the rice later.
Thanks again for your help and inspiration! I can’t wait to try my first risotto!
Thanks Jaime for catching this mistake. Fixed now.