This Mushroom Risotto with Chicken is a perfectly simple way to make this often difficult dish easier than ever. It’s creamy, earthy, and completed with savory chicken.
Do you love mushrooms? If so, you’ll enjoy our Chicken Mushroom Pasta and Mushroom Puff Pastry Pinwheels.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this simple recipe because it makes risotto so much easier and more accessible to everyone. The flavor and satisfying texture are just what you need after a cold day.
- TASTE: Earthy mushrooms, savory chicken, and fragrant garlic and shallots give this dish plenty of flavor. You’ll love the rich depth added by the cream and Parmesan cheese.
- TEXTURE: Creamy and thick, this Mushroom Risotto with Chicken also has plenty of chunks of sauteed mushroom and tender meat.
- TIME: This recipe will take just under an hour.
- EASE: Risotto seems intimidating, but this recipe is going to make it easy and doable even for beginners. The step-by-step images will walk you through.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Rice- For risotto, you want to use Arborio rice, which is short-grained and starchy. This gives the dish extra creaminess while also having grains that are firm and chewy.
- Chicken- I used tenders because they are boneless, skinless, and thin enough to cook quickly. You can use other cuts, but make sure they are cubed small enough.
- Dry sherry- This ingredient adds a dryness and acidity that cuts some of the richness in this Mushroom Risotto with Chicken. The alcohol burns off, leaving just the flavor.
- Chicken broth- You can use a store-bought broth or make your own easy Homemade Chicken Broth. Either works fine, but keep an eye on the sodium so you don’t overseason.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute different mushrooms- Besides cremini mushrooms, you could also make this recipe with shiitake, porcini, portabella, and morel mushrooms.
- Skip the sherry- You can substitute wine in the dish, or if you prefer to avoid alcohol, you can use a cooking vinegar or skip it altogether.
- Add bacon- If you want a more savory risotto, then add diced cooked bacon to your dish. Try this easy recipe for Crispy Air Fryer Bacon.
- Substitute different cuts of chicken- Instead of tenders, you can also use chicken breasts or even cut the meat directly off a cooked rotisserie chicken. Just remove any bones or skin.
How to Make Mushroom Risotto with Chicken
- Cook the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and cook them in a pan with oil over medium-high heat. Remove and let cool, then cut it into cubes.
- Cook the mushrooms. In the same pan, add the sliced mushrooms and stir until thoroughly cooked.
- Saute the garlic and shallots. In a heavy bottomed pot, add the oil, minced garlic, and chopped shallots. Stir over medium heat until the shallots are translucent and cooked.
- Add the rice and sherry. Add in the Arborio rice and stir for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Then add the dry sherry.
- Add the broth. Add the chicken broth about a quarter at a time, letting it absorb before adding more.
- Combine with chicken and mushrooms. Once the rice is fully cooked, add the cubed chicken and sautéed mushrooms, then the salt and pepper to your liking.
- Finish with cream and Parmesan. Cook the rice for another 2 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Serve.
Pro Tip: For an even lighter and silkier texture, whip the heavy cream and fold it in.
Recipe Tips
- Let the chicken cool- Cubing the chicken tenders will be easier once the meat has cooled. This also allows the juices to reincorporate so the meat it moist and tender.
- Add the broth slowly- Add the chicken broth about 2 cups at a time, letting the rice absorb it each time to avoid gluey lumps. Also, keep the broth warm as cold broth will lower the temp of the risotto suddenly.
- Add salt carefully- Start off with 1 tsp of salt and keep adding according to your liking. Because the broth may already have salt, this keeps it from becoming too salty.
- Add fats last- The fat in the heavy cream and cheese will break under the heat, which will ruin your risotto’s texture. Add these last to avoid this.
FAQs
Mushroom risotto is delicious with meats like chicken, pork, prime rib, or seafood, such as prawns, salmon, and scallops. You can also serve it with roasted vegetables, soup, or a fresh green salad.
You can use a variety of mushroom types in your risotto, including portabella, cremini, shiitake, porcini, oyster, or morel mushrooms. They all have a chewy, meaty texture paired with intense earthy flavors that will complement your rich risotto.
Serving Suggestions
This Mushroom Risotto with Chicken is deliciously satisfying on its own, or can be served with any number of sides. You can even make it without the chicken and pair it with another meat dish.
- Meats: You can serve your Mushroom Risotto with Pork Crown Roast, Prime Rib, or Easy Baked Cod with Vegetables (cod en papillote).
- Salad: Start your meal with a Caprese Salad, Spinach Pomegranate Salad, Cabbage Cucumber Salad, or Broccoli Cranberry Salad.
- Soup: Perfect for cold nights, serve your Mushroom Risotto with Chicken alongside a bowl of Easy French Onion Soup, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, or Homemade Chicken Meatball Soup.
- Vegetables: Serve it with Roasted Air Fryer Vegetables, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, or Crispy Broccoli.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Prepare this risotto ahead of time by cooking it a little under, so the rice will not reheat mushy. Let it cool in a shallow pan and store in the fridge. Reheat and serve. You can also just prep the chicken and mushrooms and then make the risotto fresh.
Storing: Store any leftover Mushroom Risotto with Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can reheat it in a skillet by warming and stirring with some chicken broth until it reaches the right consistency.
Freeze: Risotto does not freeze well because the rice becomes gooey and clumpy, while the mushrooms get soggy. This is best eaten within a few days of making it.
More Comfort Foods!
Full Recipe Instructions
Mushroom Risotto with Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 chicken tenders
- 5 Tbsp Olive oil divided
- 20 mushrooms baby bella or crimini sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 cups Arborio rice
- 3/4 cup dry sherry
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
- Fill a pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil and bring to medium high heat. Cook both sides the chicken just until fully cooked. Remove the chicken and let it cool. Once it’s cooled, cut it into cubes.
- In the same pan, add the sliced mushrooms and stir until thoroughly cooked.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, minced garlic, and chopped shallots. Stir over medium heat until the shallots are translucent and cooked.
- Add in the Arborio rice and stir for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Then add the dry sherry.
- Add the chicken broth, about 2 cups at a time letting the rice absorb the chicken broth each time.
- Once the rice is fully cooked, add the cubed chicken and sautéed mushrooms. Then add 1-2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Start off with 1 tsp of salt, and keep adding according to your liking.
- Cook the rice for another 2 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Add the broth slowly- Add the chicken broth about 2 cups at a time, letting the rice absorb it each time to avoid gluey lumps. Also, keep the broth warm as the cold broth will lower the temp of the risotto suddenly.
Nutrition
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Lynn Smith says
Delicious & very easy to follow & make. I reduced the amounts of rice from 3 to 2; and broth from 8 to 6 cups. We are a family of 3. Thanks.
Dina says
Hi Lynn 🙂 Happy to hear you and your family loved this chicken risotto recipe! Making this recipe work to feed your family is perfect 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂 I hope you find more recipes on my blog for you and your family to enjoy!
Ellena says
Wow!!! So simple to make yet so delicious!! Just made this recipe and it’s defiantly going into my recipe book. Thank you so much! So happy I bumped into your website
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much Ellena! I’m glad you found my blog 🙂 I hope you continue to find more recipes you enjoy from here.
Anna says
So, I made this 2 nights ago, and really enjoyed it. Great flavor!
I do want to ask for a bit of advice…every time I make risotto- instead of it coming out creamy, it comes out drier -like rice. Yours looks perfectly creamy! I’m not sure what I have to do differently. I did take it off the heat sooner than I normally would.
Any suggestions?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Anna, did you add the broth in little by little, or all at once? Maybe that had something to do with it. It does tend to thicken after its done cooking. If I reheat it the next day, I usually add a little bit of cream to thin it out.
Anna says
Btw, what kind of pot do you have?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Anna, I believe I used a Dutch oven pot.
Anna says
Incredible!! I can already taste it….