Risotto made with boneless chicken breasts, marinated artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives makes this Mediterranean style dish the perfect all in one meal.
Do you ever find yourself craving a hearty and flavorful meal that is also easy to prepare? If so, you're not alone.
According to a recent survey, 6 out of 10 people struggle with balancing convenience and taste when it comes to their food choices.
But fear not, because I have the perfect solution for you: Mediterranean style chicken risotto. This Italian-inspired dish is bursting with delicious flavors and can be made in about 40 minutes.
Not only is it a great option for a busy weeknight dinner, but it also provides a healthy and satisfying option for any occasion.
What is risotto?
Risotto is an Italian rice dish slowly cooked with liquid until it's creamy. Arborio rice is used; which is a starchy, short grain Italian rice and gently absorbs the liquid while not becoming too mushy.
Suggested Equipment
- 3-Quart Skillet with a lid (I like to use stainless steel)
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Serving Bowl
Ingredients Needed
To make this Mediterranean style chicken risotto you're going to need the following ingredients:
Boneless Chicken Breasts: You'll want to trim any fat; then dice into bite sized pieces before cooking.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I use Bertoli as it has a light flavor and versatile in recipes.
Fresh Garlic: Slice the garlic into thin pieces or mince.
Marinated Artichoke Hearts: The marinade will be added to the risotto to give it that little extra tang. Chop the artichokes into bite sized pieces before adding them to the risotto.
Kalamata Olives: We like to use the ones that have already been pitted and sliced in half; which makes it easier to use in recipes.
Fresh Chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes
Fresh Chopped Basil
Chicken Stock: Or any form of broth.
Butter: Finishing the risotto with a little butter gives it that creaminess
Pecorino Romano Cheese: Either grated or shaved as a garnish. You can also use crumbled Feta.
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Prepare the Risotto
Gather all of your ingredients to ensure you will have all you need to prepare this risotto.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; then add the diced chicken and cook 3-5 minutes until mostly cooked through and no longer pink.
Add the minced garlic and arborio rice and saute for 1 minute until the garlic starts to release flavor.
Next add the chopped marinated artichoke hearts and liquid, Kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, basil and 1 cup of the chicken stock.
Mix well, reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Ensure the heat isn't too high and the risotto is cooking at a low temperature. You do not want it to boil.
Cook the risotto for several minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed; then add the 2nd cup of chicken stock. Repeat this process for the 3rd and 4th cup of chicken stock.
After the 4th cup of stock has mostly absorbed into the risotto, check to make sure the rice is cooked. If it's still bit hard; which can happen if the heat is too high, add ½ cup more of chicken stock until the rice is cooked through.
Remove the risotto from the heat, add the butter, salt and pepper; then mix well until the risotto is creamy. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl; then garnish with the cheese
Substitutions
This recipe is versatile so substituting Italian sausage or seafood would work as well. I would suggest cooking the protein separately; then adding it in at the end if using these two options.
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Mediterranean-Style Chicken Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts (small dice)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced or minced)
- 1- (12-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts (diced)
- 1 cup kalamata olives (pitted and sliced)
- ¼ cup diced sun dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 4 cups chicken stock (divided)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup pecorino romano cheese (grated or shaved; garnish)
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients to ensure you will have all you need to prepare this risotto.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; then add the diced chicken and cook 3-5 minutes until mostly cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the minced garlic and arborio rice and saute for 1 minute until the garlic starts to release flavor.
- Next add the artichoke hearts and liquid, Kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, basil and 1 cup of the chicken stock.
- Mix well, reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Ensure the heat isn't too high and the risotto is cooking at a low temperature. You do not want it to boil.
- Cook the risotto for several minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed; then add the 2nd cup of chicken stock. Repeat this process for the 3rd and 4th cup of chicken stock.
- After the 4th cup of stock has mostly absorbed into the risotto, check to make sure the rice is cooked. If it's still bit hard; which can happen if the heat is too high, add ½ cup more of chicken stock until the rice is cooked through.
- Remove the risotto from the heat, add the butter, salt and pepper; then mix well until the risotto is creamy. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl; then garnish with the cheese
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