This Chicken Pumpkin Risotto is proper comfort food, and it's on the table in 45 minutes.
Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and toasted pine nuts make it feel a bit special - if creamy risotto is your thing, my Bacon Pea & Pesto Risotto and Chicken Chorizo Risotto are just as good.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
🍚 Recipe: Chicken Pumpkin Risotto
⏰ Ready In: 45 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 6
🔥 Calories: 692 per serve
🎃 Main Ingredients: pumpkin, chicken, arborio rice, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach
🌱 Dietary Info: Freezer-friendly • easily made vegetarian
💛 Why You'll Love It: proper comfort food that's actually fuss-free enough for a weeknight
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This is one of those dinners that looks and tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did - it's become a genuine family favourite here.
Great with a side of Roast Pumpkin Salad with Feta, Pine Nuts & Spinach if you want to lean into the flavours even more, or try my Pumpkin & Bacon Risotto for a different take on the same comfort-food vibe.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Genuinely creamy, no cream needed - just rice, stock and a bit of patience
- A fuss-free family dinner that still feels a bit special
- Freezer-friendly, so it's worth making a double batch
- Easy to make vegetarian if you need to
Risotto Ingredients
A handful of ingredients, but a couple are worth knowing more about:
- Arborio rice - this is what gives risotto its creamy texture, thanks to the starch it releases as it cooks. Long-grain rice won't give you the same result, so it's not a substitute here.
- Pumpkin - jap or kent pumpkin both work well and hold their shape nicely once roasted.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - the kind packed in oil have the best flavour. Drain them well before chopping so you don't add extra oil to the pan.
Variations
- Use leftover chicken: shredded rotisserie or leftover roast chicken works well - stir it through with the pumpkin instead of browning fresh chicken from raw.
- Vegetarian: leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Swap the pumpkin: butternut squash works just as well if that's what you've got.
- Bacon instead of chicken: if you want to switch things up completely, my Pumpkin & Bacon Risotto is worth trying.
How To Make Chicken Pumpkin Risotto
- Step 1: Roast the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced). Toss the pumpkin with oil, salt and pepper on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes until tender.
- Step 2: Brown the chicken. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, then set aside and cover to keep warm.
- Step 3: Sauté and add the rice. Melt the butter and sauté the onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 30 seconds to coat, then add the wine and stir until it evaporates.
- Step 4: Add the stock gradually. Add 750ml of the warm stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, until nearly evaporated. Add the chicken, pumpkin and remaining stock, and cook until the rice is al dente.
To finish: remove the pan from the heat and stir through the baby spinach, butter and grated parmesan. Taste and season if needed, then serve topped with extra parmesan and toasted pine nuts.
Recipe Tips
- Don't rinse the arborio rice before cooking - the starch is exactly what makes risotto creamy, and rinsing washes it away.
- Keep the stock warm in a separate saucepan while you cook - adding cold stock slows everything down and can make the texture uneven.
- If the risotto looks too dry before the rice is fully cooked, add a splash of extra water or stock.
- Season at the end, not before - the stock and parmesan are both already salty.
- Leftovers idea: shape cold leftover risotto into balls, coat in breadcrumbs and pan-fry until golden for a quick arancini-style lunch the next day.
- Storage: keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat thoroughly before serving.
Chicken Pumpkin Risotto FAQs
Not really - arborio (or another short-grain risotto rice like carnaroli) is what gives risotto its creamy texture. Long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine won't release the same starch and won't turn out creamy.
It helps a lot. Adding cold stock to the pan drops the temperature and slows the cooking right down, which can leave you with unevenly cooked rice. Keep it simmering gently in a separate saucepan and ladle it in as you go.
Yes - freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge and reheat thoroughly before serving.
Shape cold leftover risotto into balls, coat in breadcrumbs and pan-fry until golden and crispy - a quick, kid-friendly arancini-style lunch the next day.
Stirring in a little extra butter right at the end gives the risotto that glossy, extra-creamy finish restaurants get - it's a small step but it makes a real difference.
More Creamy Risotto Recipes
If you loved this one, here are a few more creamy risottos worth trying next.
Chicken Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 500 g pumpkin peeled and diced into 2cm cubes
- 1 tbs olive oil
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 500 g chicken thigh fillets diced into 2cm cubes
- 30 g butter
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 50 g sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
- 250 g arborio rice
- 125 ml white wine or sub for extra chicken stock liquid
- 1 litre chicken stock liquid
- 80 g baby spinach leaves
- 40 g butter
- 120 g parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbs pine nuts toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan forced). Place the pumpkin cubes onto a non-stick baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until just tender. Set aside.
- While the pumpkin is cooking, heat a large frying pan with 1 tbs olive oil over high heat. Cook the chicken pieces until browned and cooked through. Set aside in a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter and melt. Saute the onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 3 minutes or until softened.
- Add the arborio rice and stir for 30 seconds to coat the rice well. Add the white wine and stir until evaporated. Add the 750ml of the chicken stock liquid and stir.Bring to a low simmer and allow to cook (stirring occasionally) until the liquid has almost evaporated.
- Add the reserved chicken, pumpkin and the remaining 250ml of chicken stock liquid. Continue cooking until the rice is al denté and the liquid has almost evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and stir through the baby spinach leaves, butter and grated parmesan cheese.
- Season to taste. Serve with extra grated parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.
Notes
- Servings - this makes 4 very large serves (or 6 smaller serves).
- Use risotto rice - to make a delicious Italian style creamy risotto, I recommend you use short grain arborio rice.
- Preferably grate your own parmesan - this provides so much flavour to your risotto, it's worth the extra effort!
- Storing - store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before consuming.
- To reheat risotto - heat in a pan with a few tablespoons of liquid (either water or more stock) per cup of risotto. Cook over a medium heat, stirring often, until piping hot.
- Freezing - freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost and reheat thoroughly before consuming.
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