Gordon Ramsay Chicken Risotto Recipe

Gordon Ramsay’s chicken risotto is creamy, savoury and proper comfort food, made with poached chicken, Arborio rice, white wine, Parmesan and butter, ready in about 40 minutes. The trick is poaching the chicken in the same stock that cooks the rice, so nothing gets wasted.

I built this recipe around his poaching method from Sunday Lunch, where he calls it “the perfect way to cook chicken breasts” because the meat stays incredibly moist. In Home Cooking he also mentions using white chicken stock specifically “for delicate broths and risottos.”

What makes this work is the tearing. Once the chicken is poached, you pull it apart into rough chunks with a fork rather than slicing it, which is how Ramsay handles chicken across Fit Food and Bread Street Kitchen.

Gordon Ramsay Chicken Risotto Recipe

Recipe by Sophie LaneCourse: Dinners, RisottoCuisine: British, ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

420

kcal

Total time

40

minutes

Creamy Parmesan risotto with tender poached chicken torn through at the end. The chicken cooks in the same stock as the rice, so the flavour builds from the bottom up. About £2 per person.

Ingredients

• For the Chicken and Stock:

• 2 skinless chicken breasts (about 350g)

• 1 litre chicken stock

• 1 bay leaf

• Few thyme sprigs

• For the Risotto:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 banana shallots, finely diced

• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced

• 250g Arborio or Carnaroli rice

• 125ml dry white wine

• 50g cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 50g Parmesan, finely grated

• Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Poach the chicken: Bring the stock to a gentle simmer with the bay leaf and thyme. Slide the chicken breasts in and poach for 15 minutes until firm to the touch. Lift them out and set aside to rest. Keep the stock simmering.
• Tear the chicken: Once cool enough to handle, pull the meat apart into rough chunks using a knife and fork. No neat slicing needed.
• Build the risotto: Heat olive oil in a wide heavy-based pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots for 2-3 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the rice for 1-2 minutes until the edges go translucent.
• Deglaze: Pour in the wine and stir until it’s fully absorbed and you can’t smell alcohol.
• Ladle the stock: Add the chicken poaching stock one ladle at a time, stirring and waiting until each is absorbed before adding the next. Keep this going for 16-18 minutes until the rice is al dente.
• Finish: Pull the pan off the heat. Beat in the cold butter and Parmesan until everything turns glossy. Fold through the torn chicken and parsley, season well, and get it onto warm plates straight away.

FAQs

Why poach the chicken in the risotto stock?

It means the stock does two jobs at once. While the chicken gently cooks, it releases flavour into the liquid, and that same liquid goes into the rice ladle by ladle afterwards. Ramsay mentions in Home Cooking that white chicken stock is what he reaches for “for delicate broths and risottos,” so this follows his thinking exactly. Cooking chicken separately and stirring it in later gives you bland rice and dry meat.

Can I use thighs instead of breasts?

Thighs are actually more forgiving because they’re harder to overcook, though they need about 20 minutes to poach rather than 15. Ramsay uses both across his books: breasts in Sunday Lunch and Fit Food, thighs in Quick and Delicious where he shreds them after braising. Thigh meat carries more fat so the finished risotto ends up a touch richer. A a rocket salad on the side works nicely as a lighter alternative if you’re after something less heavy.

Can I add mushrooms for a chicken and mushroom version?

Easily. Sauté about 150g sliced chestnut mushrooms in butter until golden, then fold them through with the chicken at the end. If you want mushrooms as the main event rather than a supporting ingredient, the full technique with ground coriander and mascarpone is on our mushroom risotto page.

How much does chicken risotto cost per serving?

About £8 for four servings, so roughly £2 per person. Tesco Chicken Breast Fillets cost £2.86 for a pack of two, and the Parmesan is the next biggest expense at around £1.50. Rice, butter, wine, stock and aromatics cover the rest. That makes this comfortably the cheapest risotto on the site, which is why it’s such a good weeknight option.

Does chicken risotto store well?

It holds up better than any of the seafood risottos because chicken reheats without turning chewy. The rice will stiffen in the fridge overnight, but a splash of stock over low heat loosens it right back up. Keeps well for two days, and you can freeze portions for up to a month though the rice softens a bit. His his roast pork loin takes a similar cook-ahead approach if you like getting meals sorted in advance. I’ve ranked all 15 of his risotto recipes from £4.65 to £22 so you can pick one that fits your budget.