Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Risotto with Tarragon & Pickled Shallot Salad

Serving size

1 person 2 people 4 people

Ingredients

40g mixed salad leaves
80g Soft Cheese (Milk)

(10% fat cheese base (skimmed milk, cream, bacterial starter culture), salt)
500g cooked short grain brown rice

(Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
1 handful of fresh tarragon
20g italian hard cheese (Eggs, Milk)

(cow's milk, salt, microbial rennet, preservative (lysozyme protein from egg).)
10g chicken stock powder

(Chicken Stock Powder(Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil), Cornflour)
240g chestnut mushrooms
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

(red wine vinegar (100%))
3 shallot
600g British Free Range chicken thighs

Allergens

Contains: Milk, Eggs

Nutritional Information

Typical values	per 100g	per portion
Energy	131Kcal	588Kcal
	547kJ	2459kJ
Fat	5.4g	24g
of which saturates	1.9g	8.7g
Carbohydrates	11g	51g
of which sugars	0.9g	4.2g
Protein	9.2g	41g
Salt	0.3g	1.3g
Fibre	0.8g	3.7g

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High protein New 6 plants Slow Cooker

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Risotto with Tarragon & Pickled Shallot Salad

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: Italian

Food group: Poultry

A comforting risotto that comes together in the slow cooker: perfect for busy weeknights. It stars tender British free-range chicken thighs and earthy chestnut mushrooms - all infused with fragrant tarragon. Swirls of soft cheese make it irresistibly creamy. Serve alongside a crunchy pickled shallot salad, to balance the flavours. And don't worry: if you don't want to slow cook, you can still cook this recipe on the hob in under 30 mins!

Cooking Instructions

The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.

As of December 2025, we've revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.

Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.

Before you start

Pull out a large lidded frying pan, a slow cooker (if using), a medium bowl, a measuring jug & a grater

Pickle the shallot & fry the chicken

Peel 1 shallot, keeping it whole, then thinly slice into rings. Combine the vinegar with a pinch of salt and pepper in the medium bowl, then add the shallot rings and toss to coat. Set aside to pickle
Meanwhile, heat the large frying pan with 1 tsp olive oil on high heat. Once hot, lay the chicken thighs flat into the pan and cook for 4 mins on one side. Season with salt and pepper

Time to slow cook

Thinly slice the remaining shallot. Thinly slice the mushrooms
After 4 mins, flip the chicken, add the mushrooms and sliced shallot and cook for 4-5 mins, until soft and golden. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 450ml water and stir in the stock
Bring to the boil, then transfer to your slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours
If using the hob, lower the heat, pop a lid on the pan and simmer for 18-20 mins

Finishing touches

Finely grate the cheese. Pick the tarragon from the stalks and finely chop
When the chicken has 5 mins remaining, add the rice and break it up with a wooden spoon. Stir through the soft cheese, two-thirds of the tarragon and half the grated cheese. Simmer for the final 5 mins. Add a splash if water if it's a little dry
Check your chicken is cooked through by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the meat; the juices should run clear
When ready, shred the chicken using two forks. Season to taste

Plate up

Toss the salad leaves through the pickled shallot
Serve the chicken risotto into bowls, with the shallot salad alongside. Garnish with the remaining tarragon and cheese