Chicken Risotto Recipe

This Easy Chicken Risotto is creamy, comforting, and made in just one pot—perfect for using up leftover chicken on busy weeknights. It’s family-tested, budget-friendly, and comes together in about 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.

At Eating on a Dime, we focus on affordable, family-tested meals for real life. This Chicken Risotto Recipe is one of those dinners I rely on when time and money are tight.

This is one of my go-to stovetop dinners when the week gets busy. It’s simple, satisfying, and a great way to use up leftover chicken without making another boring meal.

If you love skillet chicken recipes as much as my family, then you should try our most popular recipe, Cheesy Chicken and Rice Skillet Recipe. We have even made Skillet Chicken and Rice Burritos for a quick and easy meal idea.

We rely on one-pot meals to keep dinner simple and affordable, and if you do too, you’ll love our Easy One Pot Dinners for Busy Families series.

What is Risotto?

Risotto is a classic Italian dish that is made with high starch white rice that creates a creamy texture when cooked. Parmesan and butter is added to make this dish even creamier to be served as a main dish or as an appetizer.

Why You Will Love this Recipe

• Complete Meal Idea – We love this recipe as it is a complete meal. Adding in the cooked chicken with the rice makes the perfect skillet dinner.
• Amazing Texture – We love that this risotto rice is full of flavor and is the ultimate comfort food.
• Simple Ingredients – We love making this dish for an impressive meal idea. Since the ingredients are simple, I can make it as a date night in or for a weeknight dinner idea.

Recipe Snapshot

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Budget-Friendly: Uses pantry staples and leftover chicken
• Freezer-Friendly: Yes, can freeze after cooking
• Best For: Weeknight dinners, date nights, or using up leftovers
• Family-Tested: Creamy, comforting, and kid-approved

Ingredients

• Olive Oil – A little goes a long way in sautéing your chicken and veggies. If needed, substitute with canola or vegetable oil to save a few cents.
• Chicken Breast – Using leftover or rotisserie chicken makes this dish even more affordable. If cooking from scratch, boneless skinless chicken thighs are often cheaper and still flavorful.
• Salt and pepper – Pantry staples that don’t require any extra shopping — simple seasonings that add big flavor without cost.
• Onion – Just one onion adds tons of depth. Yellow onions are usually the most affordable and work great in risotto. Learn How to Freeze Onion to chop ahead of time.
• Minced Garlic  – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
• Arborio Rice – While Arborio rice is slightly more than regular rice, it’s still affordable per serving and essential for that creamy risotto texture. Buy in bulk for even more savings.
• Chicken Broth, warmed – Use boxed broth, bouillon cubes, or Better Than Bouillon — whatever fits your budget. Bouillon is the most cost-effective and stores well.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese – A little Parmesan goes a long way in flavor. Grate your own from a block for better quality and savings — or use store-brand pre-shredded if that’s easier.
• Unsalted Butter – Adds creaminess and richness without needing extra ingredients. Use store-brand or whatever you already have in your fridge.
• Fresh Parsley – Great for color and garnish, but totally optional if you’re trying to save. Dried parsley also works in a pinch.

How to Make Chicken Risotto

Step 1 – Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper.

Step 2 – In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Step 3 – Add the chicken pieces and cook until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Step 4 – In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed, and cook the onions until they’re translucent.

Step 5 – Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Step 6 – Stir in the Arborio rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the edges of the grains start to turn translucent.

Step 7 – Add ½ cup of the warm chicken broth to the pan to deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to add the remaining chicken broth one ladle at a time, stirring frequently.

Step 8 – Once the rice is al dente and creamy (you may not need all the broth), stir in the cooked chicken to warm it through.

Step 9 – Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter until the risotto is creamy and rich.

Step 10 – Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the risotto garnished with chopped parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy! 

Recipe Tips

• Diced Chicken – Dice chicken in about the same size so that it cooks evenly.
• Adding in Chicken Broth – Wait until each addition of the chicken broth is almost fully absorbed before adding the next ladleful.
• Cooking Rice – Cook the rice until it is al dente or according to package.
• Use the right rice – When making this risotto, make sure to use Arborio rice. This recipe will not work for Jasmine or Basmati rice or any long-grain rice. The starch content is not high enough to create this creamy texture.
• Doubling Recipe – You can easily double this recipe for larger families. Just use a deep skillet or Dutch oven and stir frequently to avoid sticking.

Easy Variations & Add-Ins

• Chicken – We used chicken breasts in this recipe, but you can also make it with chicken thighs. I leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe, especially on nights when we’re rushing between activities—it saves time and cuts food waste!
• Dry White Wine – Feel free to substitute the chicken broth for white wine or chicken stock.
• Seasoning – Feel free to change the spices to what you prefer. You can add in paprika, fresh thyme, or red pepper flakes.
• Veggies – You can also add in veggies towards the end of cooking time for added flavor. Slice mushrooms, chopped broccoli and asparagus are always a great addition.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe is a complete meal idea. But we do like to make sure we serve with a side of roasted vegetables such as roasted asparagus or zucchini. Make sure to also serve with a side of homemade garlic bread to make sure to every last drop.

Storage & Freezer Instructions

• Fridge – Store your leftover risotto in the fridge in an airtight container. It will stay good for up to 3 days.
• Freezer – Once the risotto has cooled to room temperature, store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
• Reheat – When ready to serve, thaw the risotto in the fridge overnight. Then reheat the risotto in a baking dish in the oven.