The new way of one pot cooking….making TWO dishes in one pot! Anyone for a creamy, dreamy risotto AND crispy roasted chicken? Making this baked risotto with chicken on top means you get extra flavour from the chicken dripping juices into the rice. This is easy and so delicious!
I used to work in corporate finance. Suits and heels and 15 hour days, jetting around the world on the job. I took a huge risk, throwing it all away to pursue my passion for food.
The irony is, I work harder now than I did “in corporate”. But I’ve never been happier.
Sharing food I love and helping people cook fabulous food for their family and friends is what I was meant to do. I really feel like I’ve found my calling in life. And it’s because of you, all of you, who read my recipes, anecdotes about my life, share your tips, stories about your life, help other readers with suggestions, send me lovely messages and ask questions about my recipes.
It really brings me so much happiness. So thank you!
OK, back to dinner!! I’m raising the “one pot wonders” bar with this creamy, dreamy risotto topped with crispy roast chicken….look how creamy the risotto is!! (AND how beautifully golden and crispy the chicken is….!)
I’m pretty excited to be sharing this with you! I wasn’t sure if it was something you would like, but the One Pot Greek Chicken with Lemon Rice is fast becoming one of the most popular recipes on my blog. So I figured you might like this too. 🙂
This recipe uses the same technique. Sear chicken first to render out the fat and partially cook it. Then add the rice ingredients, get it started on the stove and finish it in the oven with the chicken plonked on top of the rice.
Cooking the rice with the chicken on top is like the rice has been cooking in triple strength chicken stock which means serious flavours. And you know how I’m all about big flavours. “Kapow” flavors, as my family describes it. Well actually, they spend more time mocking me for my lack of appreciation for subtle, delicate flavours. I really wish I knew how to do a hmph! emoticon with my tongue sticking out because it would have been perfect to insert right there.
So mature, aren’t I?! 😉
There is one major difference between the One Pot Greek Chicken with Lemon Rice and this recipe. It’s the rice. The rice in the One Pot Greek Chicken with Lemon Rice is fluffy and fresh with the lemon flavours. The rice in this recipe is creamy because it’s a risotto.
YES it’s possible to make a great risotto in the oven! Until a couple of years ago, I was quite cynical. Many recipes call for the risotto to be baked for close to 1 hour which is just so wrong. You end up with a pot of sludge, the rice so soft and mushy that it’s really unappealing.
But if you get the liquid to rice ratio right and make sure you don’t overcook it in the oven, it comes out fabulously! I won’t lie to you. You will not get the exact same result as you do from standing over the stove, stirring constantly for 25 minutes with homemade stock. That’s what it takes to make a perfect restaurant risotto, and I promise to share one very soon. (Along with my tip for how restaurants make risotto ahead….I was so amazed when I learnt how they do it!)
This is a midweek version. A risotto that takes 5 minutes of prep, then just pop it into the oven. The rice comes out slightly softer than making it the proper way because it’s not being stirred constantly. But it is a very small compromise for the convenience.
Also, I’ve been really exact with the liquid to rice ratio and baking time, to make sure you end up with a risotto that is creamy and rice that is tender, not mushy. 🙂
I’d love to know what you think if you give this a go! And any questions, just leave a comment below and I’ll reply promptly! – Nagi x
MORE RISOTTO RECIPES!
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One Pot Creamy Parmesan Garlic Risotto with Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thighs , skin on and bone in (5 pieces) (Note 1)
- 2 - 3 tbsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning (Note 2)
Risotto
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups risotto rice (arborio)
- 1/2 cup white wine , any (or stock or water)
- 4 cups chicken broth (stock)
- 1 cup milk (I use low fat)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Risotto Finishes
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan (lightly packed)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 to 1 cup milk (preferably warmed)
- Fresh thyme leaves , or finely chopped parsley, chives or oregano (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (fan forced) / 200C/390F (conventional).
Chicken
- Coat chicken with Lemon Pepper Seasoning, using most of it on the skin.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large oven proof fry pan (Note 3).
- Place the chicken in the pan skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes then turn the heat up to medium high and cook for a further 2 minutes or until browned. Turn and cook for 3 minutes. (Note 4)
- Remove chicken onto a plate. Discard excess oil in the pan and wipe the pan with a paper towel.
Risotto
- Return the pan to the stove, still on medium high.
- Melt butter in the pan. Add garlic and onion and cook for 2 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Add rice and stir until the grains turn from white to translucent. Add wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the wine is mostly evaporated.
- Add chicken broth, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer on the stove. Give it a quick stir then place the chicken on top of the rice (pour juices on the plate in too). Then place a lid (or foil) on the pan and transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the rice is firm but just cooked (not mushy!) and the chicken is crispy.
- Remove the chicken from the rice. Stir through Risotto Finishes, using the milk to get the risotto to a creamy consistency.
- Return chicken on top. Serve immediately, with fresh thyme leaves and extra parmesan, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Thanks so much for this recipe! Is there a way the risotto could be substituted for quinoa or brown rice?
Hi Jessica! I haven’t tried I’m sorry 🙂
Hi , this recipe is just wonderful and I will do this again on Sunday , but need help with the liquid rice ratio as I want to do a bigger portion …
Can you help ? Thank you so much
Hi Andrea! Just click on servings and slide, it will scale up the recipe for you! N x
This Is such a killer dish, so tasty and the chicken is so tender. I’m making again tonight. Thanks so much for your recipes nagi, every recipie works out so good. we pretty much live off your site lol.
I’ve made Nigella Lawson’s lemon risotto for years, adding chicken most of the time, but unlike Nigella I don’t find it relaxing to stand at my stove for half an hour stirring a risotto while trying to bath the kids etc.. so I had to try your recipe. I ended up making my own little things like:
– instead of using lemon pepper seasoning, I grated the zest of a lemon. I used chicken breasts which were in a ziplock bag, so I put in it the zest, salt, pepper and a little olive oil, massaged the chicken and let it rest a bit. It worked great!
– as in nigella recipe I also added a finely chopped celery stick to the onion,
– and I also added the juice of the lemon I grated into the finishings.
It was yum !! So thank you again Nagi for another killer recipe !!
I made this tonight as I am trying to use up everything in my freezer and pantry, even using the parsley from the garden. This dish was absolutely delicious. My husband is not a fan of risotto but loved it and went back for seconds. We will have leftovers now for Friday night. Nagi, every dish I make of yours always turns out fantastic. You are a national treasure. Thank you 😊
They’re good and then they’re is this dish. Amazing!!!!!! My wife could not stop ravening about it. I was surprise at how good it is as well. I meant to add broccoli to it but forgot. I did add some Cajun pepper and fresh squeezed lemon over the top when I uncovered it for the second baking. I will definitely be cooking more of your recipes including the Greek lemon chicken tonight.
So pleased to hear you enjoyed this Gary, thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know! N xx
Excellent! Making it again tonight and want to see what I can prepare beforehand…do you think I can brown the chicken 2-3 hours beforehand?
I made this tonight and it was terrific! My family loved it! I ended up omitting the last cup of milk because the risotto was cooked and creamy when I pulled it from the oven. I also put the chicken under the broiler at the very end to add back the crispness and brown color that faded while it was in the oven. Other than that, I followed the recipe to a t and it was perfect! My family loved it!
That’s terrific to hear Lorrie! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
Absolutely love this dish! I did not have lemon pepper seasoning so I used Italian seasoning. Turned out great. I bought some lemon pepper seasoning and tonight I will make again, but I might cut the rice down, it was a bit too much for the 2of us, but was delish left over. . My husband really liked this, he is a great cook, so I was feeling proud of myself. Thank you so much.
That’s so great to hear Karen! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
Saw you on studio 10 and liked your simple no fuss style. Checked out your website and saw 1 pot wonders thats my style of cooking, tried this one first off and WOW its going straight on the keep recipe list.
Love hearing that Dee, thank you! So glad you loved this! N xx
Next is the risoni bolegnese, this is my new goto recipe website there is alot here i want to cook. What i like most is, there are no obscure ingredients to try and buy then use a bit and the rest of it is wasted. I had everything already just normal stuff in the cupboard all i had to buy was chicken thighs. Very happy i found you Nagi.
I’m happy you found me too Dee!! N xx
My family loves this! I used black pepper with thin breast fillets and used freshly squeezed lemon juice ( 1 lemon) in the rice along with the wine. Thank you for this recipe.
That’s terrific to hear Scott! So glad you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x
Omg omg omg. I mean this was just so delicious I don’t know how to thank you!! I have a little dairy allergy so I usually avoid cheese and milk (butter is okay) and amp up other flavors to compensate. I tripled the garlic, doubled the wine, skipped the milk, (adjusting stock to adjust the total liquid amount), and used vegan Parmesan substitute with nutritional yeast. It was INSANELY good. I was worried about the liquid volume at first but then I just left it to cook for an extra 15 min without the lid and it was perfect. My partner is raving about it still.
That’s terrific Sarah! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
I just found this recipe, but I do not have any arborio/ risotto rice. I only have long grain white rice and package of jasmine rice. Could I possibly use the jasmine rice instead? I didnt see subs on rice in the notes. You do list jasmine as alternate on your Greek chicken & lemon rice recipe though ..ive never made risotto, as im not sure i like it, i havent tried the jasmine rice either,but bought it one day for some reason,and it sits in my pantry, lol,( and I Do like lemon pepper chicken!) but this recipe looks and sounds good to try it, and easy 🙂 thanks in advance
Hi Sue! Sorry to say that this won’t work with ordinary rice, it needs to be risotto rice 🙂 N xx
Oh my god! This was to die for! Yes the rice turns out a little softer than on the stove top but such a small price to pay for ease and those flavours!!! I couldn’t find any thighs with skin on so I used 2 marylands. I added leek and mushrooms to the soffito for extra veggies and wow!!! I was concerned initially being soupy like in past comments so I only used half a cup of milk beforehand and found when you mix it afterwards with the finishes most of the liquid gets absorbed anyway. I didn’t use any milk afterwards as I didn’t think it needed it. I also shredded my meat and mixed into the risotto. I don’t normally comment on recipes but I just wanted to thankyou for delivering a recipe that actually promises on flavour and fail proof!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this Karen! Thanks so much for letting me know – N x
HI Nagi, Thank you so much for the so many delicious recipes – I had just found your sites a few minutes ago and now busy checking the different recipes that you posted. I live in Papua New Guinea – I was in Tokyo for almost 5 years accompanying my husband in his posting. I really love Japan – the Japanese people especially – so kind, polite and generous. We lived in Minami Senzoku – very close to Senzoku Ike – so beautiful during the Hanami. I had many friends around my neighbourhood. All the best with what you do – your photographs are amazing.
Regards,
Yogi
Hi Yogi! I’m so pleased you enjoyed your time in Tokyo 🙂 I do love visiting – I go almost every year! Thank you for your kind words about my recipes and photos, I do hope you try some! N xx
Hello Nagi,
I cooked this exactly as per your recipe and it turned out perfectly.
The risotto was so nice my wife & I found it difficult to stop eating.
It is such a lovely meal we plan to treat our friends and family with the delights when we next get a chance.
Thank you so much for providing the recipe.
I’m so pleased to hear that John! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Hi Nagi,
I wondered if I could halve the recipe. Most recipes are for large families and I am an empty nester.
Thanks
Tracy
Hi Tracy! yes you can halve this but please use a smaller skillet or baking dish, otherwise the rice will be spread out too thinly 🙂
Nagi! i write this review while i am eating the risotto. Just want to let you know that your recipe never fail! I subscribe to your mail and among all those subscribe mails, yours the one that i never swipe away without reading it. I’ve tried some your recipe and the result never fail, always great, and on top of it, easy to follow. I love the way you describe everything so clear that everyone, whether he/she a pro or just a beginner in the kitchen, can follow. So thank you so much and please keep those recipe coming! ❤
Btw i tried this recipe to the T and it ended up perfect, so good, all of my family member lovee it, that include hubby, in laws and my toddlers! I didn’t find any soupy result as some of the reviewers write. I did add just a bit of milk at the end of the risotto, as they are already creamy and beautiful enough
All and all, thanks Nagi! You’re the best! ❤❤
Wow what a lovely message to receiving on a cold Wednesday evening! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Tash, thank you for letting me know! N xx
My Husband does not like any kind of wine. Can I omit the wine?
Hi Maria, yes that’s fine 🙂
I have made risotto a few times the traditional way (I’m no expert, that’s for sure). This recipe was amazing, considering it was cooked in the oven. I cooked 20 minutes with the lid and 20 minutes without the lid and it was perfectly cooked. I only added about 1/2 cup milk when finishing and let sit about 10 minutes covered. A big hit in my house with boneless, skinless chicken thighs
That’s so fantastic to hear Shelley! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it! – N xx