This easy risotto recipe is filled with chicken, lemon, and leeks. It’s great as a side dish or as a main dish for a weeknight dinner.

I am SO glad you came back for day 2 of my ‘Week of Risotto’ series! I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you…this easy risotto recipe is so good, you may not want to share it with your family. You may be like me and make this, then eat it for lunch everyday and not share one little morsel. ????

By the way, have you tried the easy caprese risotto recipe that I shared a few days ago?

This risotto recipe makes enough to serve as your main dish.  I like it because it has a more loose, creamy texture than some risotto recipes do.  Sometimes I like mine to be a little ‘thinner’. If you don’t, then reduce the broth by a 1/2 cup or so.

 This easy risotto recipe is one that you should definitely bookmark or save to your favorite Pinterest board!

Easy Chicken Risotto with Leeks

For an updated, printable recipe and updated pictures, please visit my post: Lemon Chicken Risotto Recipe

2 TB olive oil
2 TB of butter
2 medium leeks. remove thick green tops and thinly slice
3 small cloves of garlic
3/4 TSP of dried thyme
2 C Arborio rice
1 1/2 C dry white wine.  I used Chardonnay
5 1/4 C stock or broth, Keep warm on the stove
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 C cooked chicken, cubed
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
3/4 C Parmesan and Romano cheese.

Add olive oil and butter to a large, deep skillet.  Heat to medium.  When butter has melted add the leeks and saute for 1 minute or until translucent.  Add garlic and thyme and saute for another 30 seconds.

Next, add the Arborio rice and wine.  Stir 1-2 minutes or until wine is absorbed.
Stir in 3 C broth/stock.  Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer, uncovered, until broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
Add the lemon zest at this time along with the remaining 2 1/4 C broth.

You will see that the rice is becoming tender and creamy.  Now you can fold in the chicken and cheese.  Give a few squeezes on the lemon and add as much juice as you want, to taste.  I like a heavy lemon taste so I squeezed all of the juice I could from this lemon.
Reduce heat to low and continue to gently stir the rice, letting the flavors mingle.

Serve immediately.

I served this easy risotto recipe with sauteed asparagus and a fresh crusty bread.  This meal would go nicely with a nice glass of Chardonnay.  Well, for me it did ????