Creamy chicken asparagus risotto, with Arborio rice, Parmesan cheese and mushrooms is a delicious, filling, “all in one” Italian inspired dish!
I recently made Chicken Asparagus Risotto for our dinner. And let me tell you… it tasted GOOD. Lip-smackin’ GOOD. Creamy Arborio rice, chicken breast, Parmesan cheese, asparagus and mushrooms all come together in this flavor-filled, delicious meal! We loved it!
I couldn’t get enough of this chicken asparagus risotto! Even the leftovers for lunch the next day were wonderful! If you love risotto, you might also enjoy my recipe for Mushroom Risotto with Pan-Seared Shrimp!
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
What Kind Of Rice Is Used To Make Chicken Asparagus Risotto?
Did you know that risotto is made with Arborio rice, which is shorter and fatter than most grains of rice? Arborio rice is almost exclusively used to make risotto, which is a Northern Italian classic dish.
To put it into very basic terms, risotto is rice which has been cooked in broth or stock with other ingredients to a creamy consistency. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice, and let me tell you, risotto is DELICIOUS!
The recipe for making chicken asparagus risotto is pretty straightforward. If you do the prep work right at the beginning, then this chicken asparagus risotto is a breeze to put together. I used some baked chicken leftovers, which also saved some prep time!
Prepare The Asparagus
The first thing you will need to do is remove the woody ends of the asparagus stalks, and discard. Cut each of the stalks into 2″ pieces.
Place asparagus pieces into 1 inch of simmering water in skillet, and cook on medium high heat until asparagus is fork-tender, adding more water, if needed (about 10 minutes). Once cooked, you will need to drain the asparagus.
Prepare the Mushrooms And The Chicken
While the asparagus cooks, lightly sauté sliced the mushrooms in butter until tender, in a separate pan.
Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces and cook. You can boil, broil, or grill it OR use rotisserie chicken or leftovers. I used leftover chicken from my recipe for Homemade Shake And Bake Chicken). Set aside the cooked asparagus, mushrooms and chicken pieces. See NOTES section of printable recipe (below)for a quick way to cook chicken for this recipe.
Make The Risotto
Start the risotto by melting butter and olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring the onions frequently.
Add the Arborio rice to the cooked onions; stir frequently and continue cooking until the rice begins to turn a light golden brown color.
Pour the white wine into the pan. Let this liquid come to a boil, then cook, stirring occasionally, until it has been absorbed into the rice.
“Building In The Flavor” To The Risotto
Yes… the flavor is slowly “built in” to the risotto! Pour 1 cup of chicken stock (or broth) into the pan. Stir the risotto frequently, and keep the heat at a medium simmer. Continue cooking the risotto until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, then add 1/4 cup more of the broth, stirring well.
Repeat this process (rice absorbs liquid, add 1/4 cup more liquid) until all the broth is gone. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes. (By adding the broth a little bit at a time then cooking until it has been absorbed, it allows the rice to get really creamy. Don’t rush this step!)
Finishing The Chicken Asparagus Risotto
After you’ve added the last portion of broth, but just before it is fully absorbed, add the cooked asparagus and mushrooms to the risotto. Continue cooking the risotto, letting the liquid finish being absorbed into the rice. When finished, the risotto should be creamy and tender.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cooked chicken pieces to the creamy risotto. Now the chicken asparagus is looking good, and is close to being done!
Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the chicken asparagus risotto. Stir well, to combine all the ingredients fully. Take a bite, and lightly season with salt and pepper, to suit your taste.
Serve The Chicken Asparagus Risotto!
Make sure everything is fully heated through, then dish up the chicken asparagus risotto onto individual plates or into bowls. Garnish each serving with some finely grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh chives (or parsley), if desired. There you have it… a nice serving of chicken asparagus risotto!
Grab a fork, and prepare to be delighted! I really think you will love this creamy, flavor-filled chicken asparagus risotto!
Enjoy the creamy rice, chunks of chicken, Parmesan cheese, and the fresh asparagus in this comforting, filling dish. It truly tastes wonderful! Sure hope you will consider trying this recipe for chicken asparagus risotto. We LOVE it, and hope you will, too!
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Recipe Adapted From: http://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/mushroom-risotto-with-pan-seared-shrimp/
- 6-8 asparagus stalks (woody ends discarded, cut into 2 inch pieces), cooked until crisp-tender.
- 2 pre-cooked lightly seasoned chicken breasts (baked, boiled, grilled,rotisserie), cut in 1-2" cubes.
- 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms , (sautéed in 2 teaspoons butter)
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1 cup Arborio rice (no substitutes)
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2½ cups chicken stock (or broth)
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and Pepper , to taste
- Additional Parmesan cheese
- Fresh chives , sliced thin (may substitute chopped parsley, if desired)
- Remove woody ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut remaining stalks into 2 inch pieces. Place asparagus pieces into 1 inch of simmering water in skillet, and cook on medium high heat until asparagus is fork-tender (about 10 minutes). Drain.
- While cooking asparagus, in separate pan lightly sauté sliced mushrooms in 2 teaspoons butter until tender.
- Cut and cook chicken into small bite sized pieces (boil, broil, grill OR use rotisserie chicken or leftovers. Set aside asparagus, mushrooms and cooked chicken.
- Melt olive oil and butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add Arborio rice to onions; stir constantly and cook until rice turns a light golden brown color. Add white wine. Let the liquid come to a boil, then cook until it has been absorbed into rice.
- Pour 1 cup of chicken stock (or broth) into pan. Stir frequently, and keep heat at a medium simmer. Continue cooking until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, then add 1/4 cup more broth, stirring well. Continue this process (rice absorbs liquid, add 1/4 cup more liquid) until all broth is gone. This will take between 20 and 25 minutes. (By adding the broth a little bit at a time then cooking until it has been absorbed, it allows the rice to get really creamy. Don't rush this step!)
- After you've added the last portion of broth, but just before it's fully absorbed, add cooked asparagus and mushrooms and stir. Continue cooking, letting liquid finish being absorbed into rice. When finished, rice should be tender.
- Remove pan from the heat. Add cooked chicken to rice. Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese to rice. Stir to combine all ingredients. Taste, and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Make sure everything is warm, then serve onto individual plates or bowls. Garnish with additional finely grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh chives (or parsley), if desired. Enjoy this chicken asparagus risotto!
If you do not have pre-cooked or leftover chicken, a quick way to get this done is to cut chicken breast into cubes, lightly season with salt and pepper, then quickly cook in a hot skillet (with a Tablespoon of olive oil) on medium-high heat. Will only take a few minutes.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
I made this on Sunday & we are still raving about it! Sooooo creamy! It took time & attention, but it was worth the effort!
Hi there! Thanks for writing. I am so happy you and your family enjoyed the risotto! Yes, you are completely right… it does take a little extra time and effort, but it IS worth it. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Have a fantastic evening!