Skinnymixer’s Butter Chicken Risotto features in the Fast section of the cookbook Dinners 4.

The Butter Chicken Risotto is a cookbook exclusive recipe…

This might upset a few people… Butter Chicken is better as a risotto

All that rich, buttery, spiced butter chicken flavour… but the rice cooks right in the sauce like a creamy risotto. One pot. No takeaway wait. No extra pans. And honestly? It’s faster than ordering delivery.

It sounds a bit wrong at first… but once you try it, it just makes sense. Comfort food meets weeknight dinner. (Don’t you usually mix up your butter chicken and rice anyway for even sauce distribution?!?)

Butter Chicken Risotto is one of the recipes in Dinners 4, our cookbook full of simple dinners you’ll actually cook.

If you love our Butter Chicken recipe, you are going to love this fusion recipe. This Butter Chicken Risotto doesn’t take an hour to make and cooks your rice in the bowl with the chicken and deliciously spiced sauce. Think Butter Chicken but made into an easy mid-week meal.

What ingredients you will need

apple cider vinegar
arborio rice
brown onion
butter or olive oil
Chicken Stock Concentrate? We highly recommend making Niks Chicken Stock Concentrate for best results! Vegetable stock concentrate will work. You can also replace the water with liquid stock.
chicken thigh
coriander powder
cracked black pepper
cream of choice
cumin powder
fresh coriander leaves
fresh ginger
garam masala
garlic
ground chilli powder
honey
passata
salt
smoked paprika
tomato paste
turmeric powder

What you will need to make Butter Chicken Risotto from Dinners 4

This page exists to help people find what cookbook the Butter Chicken Risotto is in and also to provide a basic shopping list for when you are out and about and have forgotten your eBook or shopping list. (Handy I know!). Plus extra recipe information – tips, FAQs and videos.

Tips & Dietary Needs

Protein swap – You could swap the chicken for prawn meat and add in the last 6 min.
No Chicken Stock Concentrate? We highly recommend making Nik’s Chicken Stock Concentrate for best results! Vegetable stock concentrate will work. You can also replace the water with liquid stock.
Boost the protein – you can increase the chicken up to 500 g but you may need to add some seasoning and cook it longer. You may find it has more sauce than usual.
Dairy-free – you can use olive oil instead of butter and dairy-free cream of choice like coconut cream or Flora plant-based cream.
Gluten-free – this recipe is naturally gluten-free. If you are cooking for a coeliac, make sure you check your ingredients and spices for ‘May contain traces of gluten’.
Nut-free – This recipe is nut-free.
Low carb – The low carb variation substitutes honey for compliant sweetener and uses cauliflower rice instead of arborio rice.
Lower calorie – Use low-fat cream to further lower the calories. You can also use chicken breast instead of thigh.
Paleo – Use cauliflower rice instead of arborio rice.
Go veggie – Pan-fried paneer is delicious in this recipe. You could also use chickpeas.
Low Fodmap – Omit garlic. Replace onion with leek (green part only) and use garlic infused olive oil. Use compliant stock concentrate and lactose-free dairy.
Spice Level – This is a very mild recipe, you can easily increase the chilli or serve with some chilli flakes on top.

How to Cook

First we coat the chicken with marinade to add flavour while we proceed with the recipe.

Then we chop the aromatics and sauté the paste for maximum flavour.

We combine all ingredients except for the cream and cook until the rice is tender.

Then stir through the cream and allow to rest for 5-10 min before serving – ie. when you try to round up the family for dinner!

How to Serve

Toppings – Fresh coriander, drizzle of cream and some chilli flakes if desired.
What to serve with – you don’t need to serve it with anything but Lailah’s Naan would be beautiful to clean the sauce up with!

Lailah's Naan (3 Ways!) — Don’t forget the incredible Garlic, Cheese & Spinach Naan guest recipe from Lailah!

Storage & Meal Prep

Fridge – Store up to 3 days in the fridge.
Freezer – IMPORTANT – This risotto doesn’t freeze, defrost, reheat well. The rice goes mushy. If you do freeze it, try mixing through some extra cream to improve the texture.
Reheat – Gently reheat, stir to distribute heat. It is best fresh.
Make ahead – We don’t recommend making ahead. You can however prep parts of the recipe to make it quicker to get on the table. Prepare the chicken and spices.

From the Testing Team

Angie G – Used leftovers Butter Chicken Risotto and made most delicious Arancini! They have a nice chunk of mozzarella cheese in the middle. Served on top of some butter chicken sauce plus extra sauce on the side for dipping !! OMG sooo good.
Leia S – It’s my most made recipe from testing. So quick, easy & full of flavour. Quick easy low fuss recipes are the best for busy mid week meals. This recipe will be a favourite for many. Yummmm.
Hayley M – Just did the dairy-free version of this. Used Flora Thickened Plant Cream and olive oil. Absolutely delicious. Perfectly cooked after resting time. Served with fresh coriander and some chili oil. Plenty of leftovers for work lunches.
Cassie – Massive hit with my family. Cooked in my TM7

Some other Skinnymixer risotto recipes you might love:

Want to know more about Dinners 4 cookbook?

All of our cookbooks have a strong focus on Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegetarian and Low FODMAP.

All of our cookbooks are gluten-free friendly.

FAQs

Can I freeze this recipe?
No, this recipe doesn’t freeze well. The rice goes very soft due to the acidity of the sauce.

Can I use chicken breast?
Yes you absolutely can.

Method Variations

For this recipe we have cooking methods for:

✔️ Thermo cooker
✔️ Conventional

This recipe can be also:

✔️ Halved
✔️ Doubled

THMD4: Butter Chicken Risotto