Creamy Lemon Chicken Risotto Recipe (with Seared Chicken Thighs)

Thighs stay tender and full of flavor in a way chicken breast rarely does, and the browned bits they leave behind become the savory base for the rice.

We make it in the new Dual Handle Always Pan, which is built for exactly this kind of cooking: a hard sear on the chicken, then a splash of white wine to lift every browned bit into the risotto. Its wide base gives the rice room to cook evenly, so every grain gets its turn with the stock, and the lid comes in handy for the final rest that turns this lemon chicken risotto glossy and loose. The stock stays warm right beside it in the Ceramic Nonstick Perfect Pot 2.75 qt. If you’ve been looking for an easy risotto with chicken, this is it.

For the chicken

• 1 ½ pounds (680g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon (4g) kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon (1g) ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon (13g) neutral flavored high heat oil

For the risotto

• 6 cups (1.4kg) low sodium chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ cups (300g) arborio rice
• ½ cup (120g) dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
• 1 teaspoon (4g) kosher salt, or more to taste
• ⅓ cup (55g) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 3 cups (60g) baby spinach

To finish

• 1 cup (60g) finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Pour the chicken stock into the Ceramic Nonstick Perfect Pot 2.75 qt and bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat, then turn the heat to low and keep it warm on a back burner while you cook. Adding warm stock keeps the rice cooking steadily.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in the Dual Handle Always Pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the thighs in a single layer and sear without moving them until golden brown and they release easily from the pan, 5–6 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is browned and the chicken reaches 165°F inside, 5–6 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board to rest.
3. Lower the heat to medium and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the chicken, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the arborio rice and stir to coat every grain in the butter. Toast until the edges of the rice look slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift any remaining browned bits, until the wine has almost completely absorbed, 1–2 minutes.
5. Add the salt and a ladle (about ¾ cup) of warm stock and stir until it is mostly absorbed. Keep adding stock one ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is almost absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is creamy and tender with a slight bite in the center, 18–22 minutes. You may not need all of the stock. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes for the last 2 minutes.
6. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the spinach until just wilted. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, the Parmesan, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. The risotto should be loose enough to slowly spread on a plate, so add another splash of stock if it looks stiff. Cover with the lid and let it rest for 2 minutes.
7. While the risotto rests, taste it and adjust with more salt, pepper or lemon juice. Arrange the chicken thighs and any resting juices over the top, sprinkle with parsley and extra Parmesan, and serve straight from the pan.