• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work With Me
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms and Conditions

Easy Peasy Foodie

easy, delicious, stress-free, family food

  • Recipe Index
    • Popular Recipes
    • Easy Midweek Meal Ideas
    • Under 30 Minutes
    • Traybakes
    • Easy Entertaining
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Soups, Salads & Light Meals
    • Sandwiches & Burgers
    • Main Courses
    • Side Dishes
    • Sauces & Dips
    • Desserts, Puddings & Cakes
    • Vegetarian & Vegan
    • Roundups
  • Reviews
  • Blogging Tips
  • Meal Plans
  • Easter
Home » All Recipes » Easy Midweek Meal Ideas » Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto

All Recipes Easy Entertaining Easy Midweek Meal Ideas Main Courses

Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto

811 shares
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto

Quick, very simple to make and super tasty, this Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto is ready in under 30 minutes and only uses one pan. The perfect meal for busy weeknights!

Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto

 

A super easy way to make risotto

Risotto has a reputation for being tricky and time consuming… the good news is, this Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto is neither of those things!

The main reason for this is that I do not do that thing you are ‘supposed’ to do to make a good risotto – carefully adding the stock one ladleful at a time every few minutes. I just chuck all the stock in right at the beginning, once I’ve fried off the onions, garlic, chorizo, chicken and rice. And do you know what? It tastes just the same as the labour-intensive ladleful at a time version. I’ve tried it both ways on multiple occasions and you just can’t tell the difference!

All you need to do is remember to give this risotto a good stir from time to time – it’s the stirring that gives risotto it’s classic creaminess. Then when the rice is almost cooked, add in some parsley and frozen peas. Warm them through and you are good to go – all in under 30 minutes!

Overhead shot of Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto in a pan, next to a bowl, two forks, parmesan cheese and a grater

 

Tips for making a great risotto

Now, while we’ve established you really don’t have to stand at the stove lovingly ladling stock into your risotto, there are a few things you DO need to do if you want to make a really good risotto:

 

1. Always use risotto rice

Sounds obvious really, but you’d be amazed at the number of ‘risotto’ recipes I’ve read that tell you to use regular rice or ‘pudding’ rice. I’m not really sure why – it’s not like risotto rice is prohibitively expensive or hard to come by these days, but anyway… if you want to make a great Italian-style risotto, you need to use risotto rice. I prefer arborio, personally, but you can use carnaroli if you prefer.

 

2. Never rinse risotto rice before cooking

Please, please, please don’t rinse risotto rice before cooking. The whole point about risotto is it is rich and creamy… and that creaminess comes from the starch on the surface of the rice grains. If you rinse the rice, you lose the starch and your risotto will not be creamy.

 

3. Stir your risotto – but not too much

If you want your risotto to have that lovely classic creamy texture, you need to regularly stir your risotto. This will also stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan. HOWEVER, one of the biggest risotto mistakes is stirring your risotto too much… if you stir your risotto too much you will end up with a big mushy mess, not the classic silky and creamy texture risotto is supposed to have. I recommend giving your risotto a good stir every couple of minutes to get the best texture.

 

4. Don’t overcook your risotto

Another big risotto making no-no is overcooking it. While the overall texture of a risotto is creamy, you want the actual rice to still retain a little bit of ‘bite’ (AKA ‘al dente’). It shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes from the time you add the stock to achieve the correct consistency. Again, if you overcook your risotto, you will end up with a big mushy mess!

Overhead shot of risotto rice, chicken, chorizo and onions in the pan before the stock has been added

Overhead shot of risotto rice, chicken, chorizo and onions in the pan after all the stock has been added

 

Why no wine, cream or butter?

You may notice that I have not added any wine to this Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto… the reason is simple – I usually eat risotto midweek, and I only drink wine at the weekends… I am not going to open a bottle just to add one glass to my risotto! But if you want to add wine you absolutely can – just see the recipe notes for how to adapt the recipe to include wine.

I have also not added cream or butter to this risotto. This is partly to make this risotto a little bit healthier, but mostly because I really don’t think the combination of chorizo with butter and cream really works. But if you want to add butter or cream to this risotto – feel free!

 

Chorizo in a risotto, really?

OK, OK, I admit… chorizo is not a classic risotto ingredient! Chorizo is most definitely Spanish while risotto is most definitely Italian… but that should not stop you making a Chicken and Chorizo Risotto!

Chicken, chorizo and rice go famously well in paella, so why on earth shouldn’t they work just as well in a risotto?

And honestly it works really really well – it takes plain old chicken risotto to a whole other level.

Eye-level shot of Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto in a pan, next to 2 bowls, two forks, parmesan cheese and a grater

 

Can you use leftover roast chicken in this risotto?

Absolutely! Simply shred the leftover chicken and add it into the risotto at the same time as you add the peas and parsley. Ensure the chicken is piping hot before serving.

 

What to serve with chicken and chorizo risotto?

Personally, I think this Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto is an entire meal in its own right and doesn’t really require any accompaniments, but if you want to serve this with a side dish, I recommend serving this with a simple green salad.

 

What to drink with chicken and chorizo risotto?

I recommend either a Sauvignon Blanc or lightly-oaked Chardonnay as the best wine matches for this Chicken and Chorizo Risotto. Alternatively, a crisp Italian white, like Soave, would work very well. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend red wine with this dish.

Overhead shot of Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto in a pan and 2 bowls, next to two forks, parmesan cheese and a grater

 

 

Can you reheat risotto?

Risotto really is at it’s best when it is freshly made… however, if you do end up with some left over, simply store it in a plastic lidded container in the fridge, where it will keep for 1-2 days maximum.

To reheat, place the risotto in a pan and add a big splash of water and stir to combine. Heat the risotto for about 5 minutes over a low-medium heat until the risotto is piping hot all the way through, stirring occasionally. If the risotto is too thick, add a splash or two more water, to loosen it up.

 

Can you freeze risotto?

Yes, you can freeze risotto. The texture won’t be quite as good as freshly made risotto, but it will still be perfectly acceptable. Make sure you cool the rice quickly and get it into the freezer, in a plastic lidded box, within 1 hour of when you finished cooking it. It will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Defrost the risotto overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

 

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

  • Easy One Pot Chicken and Chorizo Paella
  • Spanish Style Macaroni Cheese with Chorizo and Manchego
  • Tomato, Pepper and Chorizo Pasta
  • Easy Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpea Stew
  • Simple Mushroom Risotto

 

Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto
Print Pin
5 from 12 votes

Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto

Quick, very simple to make and super tasty, this Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto is ready in under 30 minutes and only uses one pan. The perfect meal for busy weeknights!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Main Course
Cuisine Fusion, Italian, Spanish
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 471kcal
Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 100 g chorizo diced
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bitesize pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves grated or crushed
  • 300 g risotto rice (I use arborio)
  • 1 litre chicken stock from a cube is fine (I use 1 Kallo organic chicken stock cube)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 100 g frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
  • Grated Parmesan to serve optional
  • Green salad to serve optional

Instructions

  • Fry the chopped onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large wide saucepan (lid on) over a gentle heat for 3 minutes until the onions are softened but not brown. Stir occasionally.
  • Turn up the heat a little and add the chorizo and chicken. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Turn the heat down and add the garlic. Fry for 1 minute, stirring regularly.
  • Add the risotto rice and cook for 1 more minute, stirring regularly.
  • Add all of the stock to the rice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir thoroughly to combine.
  • Bring the risotto to a gentle bubble, then turn the heat right down, but leave the lid off. Cook the risotto until almost all of the stock has been absorbed (roughly 18 minutes). Do remember to give the risotto a good stir from time to time, while it is cooking.
  • Stir in the parsley and frozen peas and cook for 2 more minutes. By this time the rice should be ‘al dente’ – that is, it should be mostly cooked, but with a little bit of bite.
  • Serve sprinkled with grated parmesan and a side salad, if you wish.

Video

Notes

  1. If you wish to add wine to your risotto add 150ml white wine into the pan straight after you have added in the rice. Cook the rice in the wine for 1 minute and then add the stock (but reduce the quantity of stock down to 850ml.)
  2. If you wish to make this risotto with leftover roast chicken, simply shred the leftover chicken and add it into the risotto at the same time as you add the peas and parsley. Ensure the chicken is piping hot before serving.
  3. Suitable for freezing.
  4. Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto
Amount Per Serving
Calories 471 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 107mg36%
Sodium 344mg15%
Potassium 446mg13%
Carbohydrates 66g22%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 387IU8%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 5mg28%
* % Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet
Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comments below.

 

Pin Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto for later

Easy Chicken and Chorizo Risotto - pinnable image with text for Pinterest

 

FREE 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan

Have you got your hands on a copy of my meal plan yet? If not CLICK HERE to download a copy of my FREE 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan today!
 

Don’t want to miss a thing?

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get delicious, stress free recipes straight to your inbox every week?

 

Linkies

I am linking this up to Cook Blog Share.

811 shares


28 Comments

GET FREE MEAL PLANS!

Get my 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan plus ready-made shopping lists...

« Easy Peasy Yorkshire Puddings
Easy Leftover Roast Chicken Pasta »

Comments

  1. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says

    11th August 2020 at 2:40 pm

    I rarely make authentic risotto precisely because I’ve used the “ladle-by-ladle” method, and it IS a production. I’ve even taken to subbing in orzo pasta as a quick, albeit not authentic (DISCLAIMERS AND CAVEATS ALL OVER THE PLACE!) alternative. But now I’m happy to know that I can go back to using arborio rice with much less fuss. The flavor combination in your risotto is fabulous. This will be a regular!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      12th August 2020 at 10:56 am

      Aw, thanks Michelle 🙂 Yeah, you definitely don’t need to laboriously add stock ladle by ladle – it tastes just the same! (OK, I expect a few Italian Nonnas might disagree, but there’s no difference to the rest of us!!) So happy to hear this will be a regular at your house 😀 Eb x

      Reply
  2. Sarah James says

    12th August 2020 at 5:06 pm

    I haven’t made risotto for such a long time, so good to know you can add all the stock at once. Thanks for the recipe Eb, you’ve made life so much easier. I love the chicken and chorizo combo, pinning for later 🙂

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      13th August 2020 at 11:33 am

      Thanks Sarah! So pleased you like it 😀 Eb x

      Reply
  3. Rebecca - Glutarama says

    16th August 2020 at 1:42 pm

    I actually really enjoy making risotto, I like the fact I have to focus on one thing and find it quite therapeutic! Defo going to give this a go…even if the family won’t eat it…I’ll have second helpings

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      17th August 2020 at 10:37 am

      I know what you mean… sometimes cooking can be very therapeutic… especially when you have lots of time and it’s a chance to destress and unwind… but sometimes you just need risotto in a hurry, and that’s what this recipe is for 😀 Eb x

      Reply
  4. Chloe Edges says

    17th August 2020 at 12:58 am

    I haven’t made risotto yet but I’ve been craving one all week after seeing this! I will do better this week!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      17th August 2020 at 10:37 am

      Haha – I’m glad it has inspired you 😀

      Reply
  5. Michelle Rolfe says

    17th August 2020 at 9:16 pm

    I love a risotto and this flavour combo of chicken and chorizo is probably one of my favourites so definitely worth adding to the dinner menu. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle x

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      18th August 2020 at 2:30 pm

      Thanks Michelle 😀

      Reply
  6. Cat | Curly's Cooking says

    17th August 2020 at 9:40 pm

    Love the flavour combination of chicken and chorizo. I don’t make risotto nearly enough so I will have to change that ASAP.

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      18th August 2020 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks Cat – glad I’ve inspired you to make more risotto 😀

      Reply
  7. Janet McLoone says

    22nd August 2020 at 12:28 pm

    Thank you for this. I used leftover chicken from the Sunday Roast and stock made from the bones. It was delicious and I will add it to my staple recipes. I too had been put off risotto because of the ladle by ladle business.

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      7th September 2020 at 10:39 am

      Yay! I am so happy to hear this. Thanks for the lovely feedback 😀

      Reply
  8. Steve Watkinson says

    30th January 2021 at 6:10 pm

    Found this recipe and went with thank you

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      1st February 2021 at 9:36 am

      That’s good to hear! And thanks so much for the 5 stars 😀

      Reply
  9. Holly says

    9th February 2021 at 3:30 pm

    This is my go to risotto recipe, everyone I’ve made it for loves it, would 100% recommend trying it because it’s easy and delicious!!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      10th February 2021 at 10:38 am

      Aw, yay! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for this lovely review! Eb 🙂

      Reply
  10. Clare Daykin says

    24th February 2021 at 11:46 am

    Wow what an amazing recipe!
    Only thing I changed was using chicken breast and added some Sherry before the stock.
    Clean plates all round and Hubby declared it as in his top five of his favourite teas this decade.
    Thank you for such an easy meal we will be making it again x

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      25th February 2021 at 10:21 am

      Yay! I am so happy you enjoyed this so much. Delighted to make it into the top 5! Eb 🙂

      Reply
  11. Julie says

    10th April 2021 at 11:31 pm

    How would/could you substitute cauliflower rice to this recipe. Strict keto…

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      12th April 2021 at 10:21 am

      Oooh – good question! I’m a big fan of cauliflower rice. I’ve not personally tried a cauliflower rice version of this recipe, but it should be fairly easy to adapt. I would follow the recipe exactly up until the end of step 3, then add half the stock (plus seasoning) and allow the meat to cook in the stock for 5 minutes. Then I would add the riced cauliflower, frozen peas and parsley and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the cauliflower rice is done to your preferred texture. Let me know how you get on! Eb 🙂

      Reply
  12. Annabelle says

    23rd September 2021 at 1:19 am

    How many cups is 300 gram of Arborio rice and how Many cups is 100 gram of peas please. I would like to make this it looks amazing!
    Please advise thank you

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      23rd September 2021 at 8:37 am

      Hi Annabelle – thank you for your kind words about my recipe! 300g arborio rice is 1 and 1/2 cups. 100g peas is 3/4 of a cup. Hope you enjoy making it! Eb 🙂

      Reply
      • Annabelle says

        30th September 2021 at 2:49 pm

        Thank you very much! Cooked this finally for the 1st time tonight and my partner who is Argentinian loved it! Will definitely cook this again and May add pumpkin next time to try too! 😊

        Reply
        • Eb Gargano says

          1st October 2021 at 8:44 am

          Aw yay – that’s so good to hear. Thanks for this lovely feedback! Eb 🙂

          Reply
  13. Kate Holt says

    18th March 2022 at 8:12 am

    Great recipe. Made for friends last night and it was a hit. I added a red pepper to mine for some extra colour 😊

    Will definitely make again. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      18th March 2022 at 8:16 am

      Aw, yay – I am so pleased to hear that! Love the idea of adding a red pepper 😀

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect with Me

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Me

Eb Gargano Headshot

Hi and welcome to Easy Peasy Foodie! I’m Eb – a professional blogger, busy mum and passionate foodie and it is my mission in life to make cooking EASIER and MORE DELICIOUS! READ MORE

Find a Recipe

Get my 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan!

COPYRIGHT © 2023 EASY PEASY FOODIE · DIVINE THEME BY RESTORED 316 · BUILT ON THE GENESIS FRAMEWORK · POWERED BY WORDPRESS
811 shares