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Mmmm, risotto. I’ll admit I didn’t have the first clue what risotto was before I really got into cooking a dozen or so years ago. One of my favourite first cookbooks was the this Jamie Oliver cookbook, and it has a whole section on risotto so I figured it must be important. I dove right in, trying all the different varieties and let me tell you, I fell in love with risotto. It’s creamy, richly flavoured with little gems of goodies tucked in and on top. Some of my favourite varieties are Spring Green Risotto, Grilled Mushroom Risotto, and Butternut Squash Risotto.

The funny thing to me, now that I’ve been making risotto all these years, is you’ll see it in fancy restaurants at incredibly premium prices… but you want to know what the main ingredients are? Broth, rice, onion, a splash of white wine…. its actually a pretty frugal meal! It is worth noting risotto uses a specific variety of rice, called Arborio Rice. It’s shorter and thicker than a typical grain of rice and its high starch content makes it the perfect candidate to make creamy risotto, slowly releasing its starch as you cook and stir it continuously. Which leads us to the only drawback of making risotto… it’s a bit time consuming. Traditional stovetop risotto demands continuous stirring for about a half an hour while slowing adding broth. If you leave it, it will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan in a matter of minutes and your smooth creamy texture will be compromised. Now, before I had kids I found this to be no trouble at all. I’d pull up a kitchen stool and sip on some wine while I blissfully stirred away, no worries. These days, with 4 kiddos under foot, any recipe that demands my attention “continuously” for 30 minutes… well it just isn’t going to happen! And I wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂

When I saw Instant Pot risotto recipes floating around Pinterest, I have to say, I was skeptical. Could there really be a shortcut to my favourite meal I no longer have the time to make? Well, I figured it was worth a shot. Let me tell you, I was SHOCKED, just shocked, at how good it turned out. I am sure I would not be able to tell the difference between an instant pot risotto and a stovetop risotto. The instant pot method is not completely hands off, you still get the risotto started the same way you would on the stovetop, but for the bulk of the cooking time, that 20-30 minutes of “continuously” stirring and adding broth, the pressure cooker does the work. And it’s a magical thing. During this time I can prepare my protein and garnishes and then the whole thing comes together seamlessly and quickly. If you were once intimidated by risotto, you need not be. You’ve totally got this 🙂

One thing I learned from that Jamie Oliver cookbook was that risotto basically follows the same formula no matter the variety: sauté onions/celery/garlic, add arborio rice, deglaze with wine, slowly add broth, finish with butter and parmesan. All the different varieties come about by adding different veggies/herbs/cheese/protien as desired. So, I’ve labeled this recipe as Instant Pot Risotto without a specific flavour because I want you to feel free to experiment with flavours you like! One of my favourite ways is with mushrooms, so I’ve added those optionally below. If I don’t do mushrooms, adding frozen peas at the end and loading up on lemon and parmesan is another delicious method. Asparagus and mint are a delicious combination, as are the fall flavours of butternut squash and pancetta. As long as you keep the same measurements and method with the rice, onion, wine, and broth, you can customize it any way you like! If it’s a vegetable that benefits from a long cook time, add it with the onions before the pressure cook. Or you could opt to roast or grill your vegetables and add them as a garnish. Play around with different proteins (chicken, salmon, shrimp, pancetta, bacon, etc.), cheeses (parmesan, goats cheese, burrata, mascarpone, etc), and herbs (mint, parsley, basil, thyme, scallions, etc). I’ve never had a kid turn up their nose at risotto, so if you’re worried about your family liking it, remember this is basically a big cheesy rice dish – they’re going to love it!! Also, if you’re reading this now thinking you’d really love to try risotto but you don’t have an Instant pot, never fear, I’ve included the stovetop directions in the notes of the recipe!

I am so excited to hear what you guys of think of this and how you dress it up – tag me on instagram with your creations or leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear! Let’s dive in.

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5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Risotto

Finally a shortcut to achieving creamy, perfectly cooked Risotto at home – with the trusty Instant Pot! This is one of my all time favourite meals and it is infinetly customizable to suit your family's taste. Don't like mushrooms? Leave them out and opt for peas instead. Serve with seared chicken, salmon, or shrimp, or go vegetarian and leave it as is! The options are limitless 🙂

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword gluten free, instant pot, risotto, supper

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Garnish At Home, adapted from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

Risotto:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced optional
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
• 3/4 cup white wine or substitute more chicken broth
• 1 tsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tbsp cold butter cubed
• 1 cup frozen peas (if not using mushrooms) optional
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional Protein:

• 4 portions boneless skinless chicken breasts, salmon, or shrimp
• olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Optional Garnishes:

• 1/4 cup fresh chpped green herbs (parsley, dill, thyme, basil, or scallions would work welll)
• handful finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or soft goats cheese
• drizzle olive oil extra virgin
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• lemon wedges for squeezing

Instructions

For the Risotto:

• Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Melt the butter and olive oil. Add the onion and celery, and saute until translucent, 6-8 minutes.
  
• Add the mushrooms and saute until softened, another 5-7 minutes.
  
• Add the garlic and arborio rice and stir for a minute until the outer layer of the rice turns translucent.
  
• Add the white wine and stir continually until the alcohol smell is gone and the wine is mostly evaporated/absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the stock and coconut aminos. Turn off saute mode. Secure the Instant Pot lid and cook on manual pressure for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes are up, perform a quick pressure release by tapping the pressure valve to venting. If serving with protien, prepare your meat while the risotto pressure cooks.
  
• Once the pressure is released, remove the lid (it will look watery at first, do not worry!). Add the frozen peas, if using, and stir the risotto continuously for an additional 1-2 minutes until creamy and slightly loose but not watery (the rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits so you want to leave it slightly looser than you might think). If your risotto has gotten too stiff, you can add some more broth to loosen it up.
  
• Add the Parmesan, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir until well incorporated, taste and adjust seasoning by adding sea salt and fresh ground pepper, more butter, Parmesan, or lemon as needed. Keep covered with lid until ready to serve (best if served right away).
  

Optional Protein:

• While the risotto is pressure cooking, cook your protein. Season the protein generously with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Sear in a hot cast iron pan, flipping once, until cooked through. For more detailed instructions, see my Perfect Pan Seared Chicken or Pan Seared Salmon recipes.
  

Optional Garnishes:

• Serve the risotto topped with the optional protein, and any optional garnishes you wish to add. I like a sprinkle of fresh herbs, a drizle of olive oil, fresh grated Parmesan (soft crumbled goat's cheese is also very good!), and fresh ground pepper. Eat immediately!
  

Notes

*To prepare this on the stovetop instead of the instant pot, follow steps 1-4 in a large shallow saucepan on medium low heat. Have the broth on a low simmer in a small saucepan. Add the broth to the rice 2 ladlefuls at a time, every 2-3 minutes (after each portion of broth has absorbed) as you stir continuously the rice on low heat. Continue until all the broth is used up and the rice is just cooked through, and creamy (should take about 15-20 minutes). Pick up at step 7 and garnish as directed. 

Featured in This Post:

This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!

Arborio Rice – short grain Italian rice perfect for making risotto due to its high starch content.

Instant Pot (8 Quart) – This is my most used kitchen appliance, I am obsessed with this thing! It saves me so much time and hassle in the kitchen and serves so many purposes that I think it is definitely worth the purchase. My favourite things to make are hard boiled eggs, rice, whole chickens, broth, pulled beef and pork, chili, soups, ribs, mac’n’cheese…. the list goes on!

Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Pan – My everyday go to, most used pan. I keep it on the stovetop because I use it so often there is no point in putting it away. I keep it nicely oiled and it is better than any non-stick pan I’ve ever had. It gives the best sear and I am happy knowing there are no weird chemicals or coating potentially going into our family’s food. The size is perfect for our large family. This is probably my number one staple piece of equipment in the kitchen.

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