Chicken Chorizo Risotto

This oven-baked chicken and chorizo risotto with spinach and sun dried tomato pesto is a rich, creamy and comforting meal.

Made with a handful of basic ingredients, chicken chorizo risotto is a delicious weeknight dinner that the whole family will love!

Just 20 minutes prep time and ready to eat in under 50 minutes!

Packed with those traditional bold italian flavours of sun-dried tomato pesto and parmesan, and the richness a little butter adds, this baked risotto recipe is a busy weeknight dinner favourite.

Or whether it's my bacon and roast pumpkin risotto, my 'set and forget' slow cooker chicken risotto, or this baked chorizo risotto, you really can't beat an easy risotto for a comforting winter dinner.

Love easy chicken and rice dinners? Then do try my most popular creamy oven baked chicken and rice with bacon, or a nourishing chicken and rice soup - they both make the ultimate comfort food!

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

• Easy recipe - this no stir risotto takes just 20 minutes to prepare, then leave the oven to do the rest of the work! Risotto has a reputation for being a labour-intensive meal, but this easy chicken and chorizo risotto doesn't require constant attention!
• Family-friendly - tasty risottos are always popular with both young and old, and by using popular kid friendly ingredients like chicken and chorizo, it guarantees clean plates are left at the end of the meal.
• Weeknight dinner - this chicken & chorizo risotto recipe is a perfect option for a no-fuss weeknight dinner.
• A great dish to feed a crowd - just increase the quantities and cooking time, the rice bulks it out into a very budget friendly dish to feed plenty of extra's.
• Freezer friendly - you can freeze any leftover risotto in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Great for lunches too, just defrost and reheat thoroughly before consuming.

What You Need

This flavour packed chorizo chicken risotto is made from just a handful of basic ingredients.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

• Olive oil.
• Chorizo sausage - this smoky flavoured sausage goes so well with chicken and adds such a great flavour to the risotto. Use a good quality chorizo sausage for best flavour. Available from the deli section of your supermarket, or pre-packaged in the chilled section.
• Chicken thigh fillets- I like to use skinless chicken thigh fillets but you can use chicken breast fillets if you prefer.
• Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter in this recipe as the stock, chorizo and parmesan all contain salt.
• Brown onion - adds to the flavour to the risotto.
• Minced garlic - like the onion, garlic adds a delicious flavour. You can use fresh garlic or store bought minced garlic.
• Arborio rice - this short grain variety of rice is traditionally used to make risotto because it can absorb a large quantity of liquid, and produces an extra creamy flavour while still retaining its texture.
• Chicken stock - I like to use liquid chicken stock in this risotto, but feel free to use vegetable stock instead if you prefer to.
• Baby spinach leaves - if you don't have baby spinach leaves you can substitute with regular spinach, roughly chopped into pieces.
• Parmesan cheese - parmesan is a classic ingredient in risottos, it adds a bold rich flavour which just can't be missed! I recommend using a fresh block of parmesan and grate it yourself for the best flavour and texture. Pre-grated/shredded parmesan cheese is often coated in cellulose, which can prevent it from melting into the risotto.
• Sun-dried tomato pesto - sun-dried tomato pesto adds a slight sweet, salty and rich flavour and gives the risotto a slight reddish colour. It can be substituted for basil pesto though, if you prefer. 

Equipment Required

• Frying pan - to sauté the chorizo, chicken and onion.
• Baking dish - I recommend using a large 8 cup capacity baking dish
• Oven - I use a fan-forced oven. If you use a conventional oven, increase the temperature by 10-20 degrees celsius.

Step By Step Instructions

This easy baked chorizo and chicken risotto takes just 20 to prepare, then let the oven do the rest of the work to have dinner on the table in under an hour!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 - Cook The Chorizo & Chicken

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan forced). 

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over a high heat. Cook the sliced chorizo on either side until golden (this takes approximately 2-3 minutes). Set aside in a large baking dish, leaving the excess oil in the frying pan. 

Cook the diced chicken thigh fillets over high heat in the chorizo oil until browned and cooked through. 

Set aside in the same baking dish as the chorizo.

Step 2 - Prepare The Rice

Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Saute the onion and garlic until softened. 

Add the arborio rice and stir for for 30 seconds to coat the rice well.. 

Add the chicken stock liquid and stir. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. 

Step 3 - Bake The Risotto

Pour the risotto in to the baking dish with the chorizo and chicken. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the liquid has absorbed and the rice is 'al dente.' 

Step 4 - Finish The Risotto

When the risotto is cooked, stir through the baby spinach leaves, extra butter, grated parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto. 

Season to taste. Serve with extra grated parmesan cheese.

Expert Tips

• Use risotto rice - to make a delicious Italian style creamy risotto, I recommend you use short grain arborio rice.
• Choose good quality chorizo sausage and preferably grate your own parmesan - these two ingredients provide so much flavour to your risotto, it's worth the extra!!
• Pesto - sun-dried tomato pesto can be substituted for basil pesto if you prefer.
• Storing risotto - risotto tastes its very best when served freshly made. However it also makes delicious left-overs, so if you do have extra risotto, store in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before consuming.
• Freezing - freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost and reheat thoroughly before consuming.

FAQs

Related Recipes

Chicken is such a versatile, and reasonably inexpensive meat for family dinners. For more easy and deliciously comforting chicken dinners, check out these other favourite recipes:

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