If you're after a fuss-free, flavour-packed dinner that brings all the comforting creaminess of risotto without constant stirring, this Oven Baked Chicken and Chorizo Risotto is for you!
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A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Oven Baked Risotto
🕒 Ready In: 35 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 647 per serving
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken Breasts, Chorizo, Risotto Rice, Chicken Stock, Onion, Garlic, Parmesan.
📖 Dietary Info: Good source of protein.
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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Baked in a single casserole dish, it's an easy midweek recipe that combines tender chicken, smoky Spanish chorizo and creamy arborio rice with fragrant garlic, onion and Parmesan - all baked together for an effortless one-pot meal.
Perfect as a quick weeknight risotto dinner or a hearty family supper, this oven baked risotto recipe takes minimal hands-on time and delivers maximum flavour. By baking the rice in the oven, you get a satisfying creamy texture with no standing and stirring required!
Love risotto? You'll also want to try my butternut squash and bacon risotto, oven baked prawn and pea risotto, and hot smoked salmon and prawn risotto recipes.
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Ready and on the table in just 35 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
- A delicious combination of tender chicken, smoky chorizo and creamy, cheesy risotto rice packed with rich, savoury flavour.
- An easy oven baked risotto that requires no constant stirring, freeing up your time while it cooks.
- A family-friendly dinner recipe that both kids and adults will love thanks to its comforting, cheesy finish.
🥘 Ingredients
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon, for frying.
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped.
Onion - 1 medium onion, finely chopped.
Dried thyme - adds subtle herb flavour (rosemary works well too).
Chicken breasts - 2, cut into bite-size pieces.
Chorizo sausage - 100g, sliced into 1cm rounds for smoky flavour.
Frozen petit pois - or frozen peas, for sweetness and colour.
Arborio rice - essential for a creamy risotto texture.
White wine - adds depth and richness to the risotto (optional).
Chicken stock - made using a stock cube or stock pot.
Parmesan - finely grated and stirred through at the end for extra creaminess.
Salt and black pepper - to season to taste.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
📖 Variations
- Swap the chorizo for smoked streaky bacon, pancetta or smoked sausage for a similar savoury flavour.
- Add extra veg such as peppers, mushrooms, courgette or spinach to make the risotto more nutritious.
- Replace Parmesan with cheddar, Gruyère or blue cheese for a different cheesy finish.
- Stir in chilli flakes or smoked paprika for a gently spicy chicken risotto.
- Use fresh thyme, rosemary or sage instead of dried herbs for extra aroma.
- Make it alcohol-free by swapping the wine for extra chicken stock or a splash of lemon juice.
- Use leftover roast chicken to make this oven baked risotto even quicker.
- Finish with a spoon of crème fraîche or mascarpone for an extra creamy risotto.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4). Heat the oil in a large lidded ovenproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the chicken, chorizo and thyme and cook for a few minutes until the chicken has turned opaque.
Two: Add the arborio rice and stir well so it's coated in the oils and flavours. Pour in the white wine and allow it to simmer until reduced by about half.
Three: Pour in the chicken stock and bring everything to the boil. Cover with the lid, transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through if you like.
Four: Stir in the petit pois for the final 5 minutes of cooking. If the risotto looks a little dry, add a splash of freshly boiled water from the kettle. Season with salt and pepper, then serve with plenty of grated Parmesan.
Top Tips
- Use a large, lidded oven-safe casserole dish so the risotto cooks evenly and has room to bubble without overflowing.
- Keep an eye on the liquid - if the rice has absorbed most of the stock when you add the petit pois, pour in a splash of freshly boiled water from the kettle to keep the risotto creamy.
- Leftover roast chicken works perfectly in this recipe - stir in around 200g at the same time as the peas to prevent it from drying out.
- Finish with cheese off the heat: stirring in Parmesan at the end gives a smoother, creamier texture without overcooking the cheese.
- Taste before serving: seasoning levels can vary depending on your stock and chorizo, so adjust salt and pepper at the end of cooking.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the chicken and chorizo baked risotto with garlic bread, a green salad, and lots of grated Parmesan.
Storage
Store - if you have any leftover chicken and chorizo risotto, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat - When reheating, you may need to add a splash of chicken stock or water to loosen up the risotto and prevent it from drying out.
Freeze - It's not recommended to freeze this dish, as the texture may be affected when thawed and reheated. It's best to enjoy this dish fresh.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes - chicken thighs work beautifully in this oven baked risotto, giving extra juiciness and flavour, though chicken breast is perfectly fine too.
The chicken and chorizo risotto can be made with regular white rice instead of arborio rice if you prefer, but you will lose a bit of texture and creaminess. Cooking times will also need to be altered.
Traditionally, risotto is cooked on the hob and stirred continuously, therefore not requiring a lid. Oven-baked risotto is best cooked with a lid, however, to ensure the risotto doesn't dry out too much in the oven.
While this dish is best enjoyed fresh, you can make it ahead of time and reheat it when ready to serve. Keep in mind that the texture may be slightly different when reheated.
Yes - simply replace the white wine with extra chicken stock for a rich, alcohol-free alternative.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Risotto too dry | Gradually stir in additional hot stock or boiling water until the risotto becomes creamy and reaches the desired consistency. |
| Rice grains still firm/undercooked | Use a high-starch, short-grain rice such as Arborio, and cook a little longer or add extra liquid to ensure the grains are tender. |
| Risotto too soupy | Cook a few more minutes to let excess liquid evaporate. |
😋Related recipes
Some more family-friendly chicken dinners to try:
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Recipe
Oven Baked Chicken and Chorizo Risotto
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 Onion peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Thyme dried or fresh
- 2 Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces
- 100 g Chorizo cut into 1cm slices
- 250 g Arborio Rice
- 100 ml White Wine
- 600 ml Chicken Stock
- 150 g Petit Pois frozen
- 75 g Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 °fan/ 350°F/ Gas 4).
- Heat the olive oil in a casserole with lid and fry the garlic and onion for a few minutes to soften. Add in the chicken breast pieces, chorizo and thyme and cook until the chicken has changed colour.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1 Onion, 2 Chicken Breasts, 100 g Chorizo, 1 teaspoon Thyme
- Stir in the risotto rice and then add the white wine. Let the wine reduce by half.250 g Arborio Rice, 100 ml White Wine
- Pour in the stock and give it a stir, bring to the boil then pop on the lid and oven bake for 20 - 25 minutes.600 ml Chicken Stock
- Stir in the peas (and a little boiling water from the kettle if the risotto is looking a bit dry) and cook for a further 5 minutes or so.150 g Petit Pois
- Stir in the grated Parmesan and serve.75 g Parmesan
Notes
- Use a large, oven-safe dish with lid so the risotto cooks evenly and has space to bubble without spilling.
- If the rice absorbs all the liquid before it's tender, add a little boiling water to keep it creamy.
- Leftover roast chicken works well instead of chicken breasts - stir it in with the peas near the end of cooking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning at the end, as the saltiness of the stock and chorizo can vary.
Beth says
Yummy! This looks so delicious and tasty! My family is going to love this recipe!
Alisa Infanti says
I was getting bored of my usual chicken recipes so gave this a try. What a treat. So excited to have a new chicken recipe on my rotation with this one!
Beth Sachs says
So glad you enjoyed it!
April says
What a yummy combination!! I can't wait to try this for my family.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Love the combo of chicken and chorizo and I've never made a risotto in the oven either. Sounds perfect!
Beth Sachs says
Oven baked risotto's are the way to go. So easy and no stirring!
Toni Dash says
This is so good! I will definitely make it again!