Did you know that you can make a delicious and tender chicken and leek risotto in the oven? My Oven Baked Chicken and Leek Risotto recipe is flavoursome and so much easier than standing around and stirring a risotto on the stovetop for ages. With only 15 minutes of hands-on cooking time and the rest cooked for you by the oven, this is a great weeknight recipe when you have a tonne of other things you need to be doing in the evenings.
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What’s to Love About Oven Baked Chicken and Leek Risotto?
- allergy friendly – this recipe is gluten free and egg-free and easily nut free and dairy free.
- minimal hands-on cooking time – this recipe is ready in about an hour, with only 30 minutes of hands-on cooking and prep time.
- simple ingredients – make this healthy dinner with just a handful of easy to find ingredients.
- one pan – everything comes together in one pan, which means less mess!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Below is a list of all of the ingredients that you will need to make this Oven Baked Chicken and Leek Risotto, as well as any possible substitutions or ingredient notes. Find the full recipe as well as ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs – you can swap the chicken thighs for chicken breast, however I do find the thighs to be more moist and flavoursome. I recommend trimming the chicken thighs before cutting into little bite sized pieces.
- leek – I’ve used the whites of the leeks. I like to save the green tops to make stock with. You can use brown onion in place of leeks if leeks aren’t available.
- garlic – I’ve used fresh garlic cloves in this recipe, however you can swap for jarred minced garlic to save more time.
- extra virgin olive oil – as a nutritionist, extra virgin olive oil is my preferred oil as it is filled with nutrients and has incredible health benefits. For this recipe, you can swap olive oil for butter.
- arborio rice – arborio rice is a short grain rice that is traditionally used for making risotto. It is the best rice for this recipe.
- chicken stock – I’ve used a store bought chicken stock for this recipe. You can also use chicken broth, chicken broth or stock concentrate or homemade chicken stock. If you’re using a store bought chicken stock or broth, check the ingredients and try to avoid one that has added colours or flavours. You can also swap for vegetable stock if that’s what you have on hand.
- kent pumpkin – I tested this recipe with and without the pumpkin and it worked well both ways so the pumpkin is optional. You can swap for butternut squash if you like.
- parmesan cheese – to make this recipe dairy free you can omit the parmesan, however I would recommend adding more salt to taste as the parmesan does add a lot of flavour.
- white wine – use a dry white wine for this recipe. This recipe is still safe for kids to eat as the alcohol is cooked off the wine during cooking.
- baby spinach – I love wilting baby spinach in right at the end for a veggie boost. If you have picky eaters then you might want to serve theirs up first before adding the spinach.
- pine nuts – I love adding some toasted pine nuts before serving to add a little texture and nutty flavour. If there are nut allergies then don’t add the pine nuts.
- sea salt flakes
- cracked black pepper
- fresh parsley – you can swap for other fresh herbs like basil or fresh thyme.
Variations
- extra veg – add 1 cup peas to the pan about half way through cooking in the oven.
- spicy – top with chilli flakes or crispy chilli before serving.
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken and Leek Risotto
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to see how to make this easy one-pot meal. It really is such a simple dish to make, making dinner time a breeze.
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First, bring a large shallow casserole pan to a medium heat and add the olive oil and leeks. Sauté the leeks until tender and then add the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until tender and then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. You may need to reduce to a medium-low heat if there is too much browning.
Add the arborio rice and stir until translucent. Next, add the white wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to lift any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Now add the diced pumpkin and chicken and then the one litre of chicken stock. Stir to combine and place the lid on. Very carefully place the pan into a pre-heated oven to bake for 35 minutes. Make sure you are using an oven proof pan.
Once baked, very carefully remove from the oven and remove the lid. Add the parmesan and stir through and then top with the spinach. Place the lid back on and let the pan sit for 5 minutes to wilt the spinach. Take the lid off and stir the wilted spinach through the risotto.
The risotto will have some extra juices when you first remove the lid but after a stir and sitting with the lid on for 5 minutes it thickens up nicely and ends up with a creamy consistency.
Serve topped with finely chopped fresh parsley and toasted pine nuts.
Storage
Store leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat before eating. Or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Oven Baked Chicken and Leek Risotto
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Shallow casserole pan oven proof
- Spatula
- Microplane
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, washed and halved, white end thinly sliced
- 200 grams button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 500 grams skinlees boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 500 grams Kent pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 2cm cubes
- 100 grams parmesan, finely grated
- 100 grams baby spinach
- ¼ cup pinenuts, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced.
- Place a large shallow casserole pan onto the stovetop and bring to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the leek and sauté until tender. Next add the mushrooms, stirring while sautéing. Once the mushrooms are tender, add the garlic and sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the rice to the pan and stir, sautéing until translucent.
- Pour the white wine into the pan and stir, lifting any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Next add the chicken stock, salt, pumpkin pieces and chicken pieces. Stir to combine. Carefully place the lid on and then place into the oven to bake for 35 minutes.
- After 35 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven and remove the lid. Add the parmesan and stir through. Top with the spinach and then place the lid on and allow to sit for a few minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir the wilted spinach through the risotto. Serve warm topped with extra grated parmesan and finely chopped parsley.
Notes
To make nut free
- omit pine nuts.
To make dairy free
- leave out the parmesan cheese, taste and add more salt if needed.
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