Instant Pot Risotto Recipe (2024)

This Instant Pot Risotto recipe couldn’t be any easier! Creamy and rich, with no fussing over the stove; this hands-off risotto recipe can be made in 35 minutes and is easily adaptable.

This Instant Pot Risotto recipe is wonderfully fast and easy! An entertainer’s dream! I honestly had no idea how good it would turn out; it was surprisingly creamy and delicious with such little effort! A godsend! Such an easy side dish for entertaining or even quick weeknight dinners.

The best part is how creative you can get with this basic risotto recipe. Here, I’ve kept it intentionally very simple with lemon zest, cheese and fresh herbs… but ohhhhhh, the many ways you can go with this! Truly endless!

Prep time is minimal here! And to jazz things up, you could add seasonal mushrooms, roasted butternut squash, baby spinach, sauteed asparagus, English peas, a veggie medley from all the strays in your fridge, etc. Stir in goat cheese instead of traditional parmesan, or try pecorino or manchego, which was super yummy. Use leeks instead of onions. You get the idea. 🙂

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Ingredients in Instant Pot Risotto

• Olive oil (or unsalted butter)
• Onions and cloves garlic –or shallot or leek
• Arborio rice or short grain Spanish rice (Bomba) and…in a pinch, sushi rice will work too.
• Dry White Wine- sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot grigio, all work.
• Stock or Broth- chicken stock or vegetable broth
• Salt and Pepper
• Freshly Grated Pecorino or parmesan – or try manchego, goat cheese , vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast.
• lemon zest from one lemon (optional)
• Fresh herbs- for finishing : parsley, basil, tarragon, dill, mint, or chives.

How to Make Instant Pot Risotto (instructions)

Step 1: Set Instant Pot to the “Saute” Function, and sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until tender and golden.

Step 2: Add the aborio rice and coat it with the oil, stirring for one minute.

Step 3: Add the dry white wine, and cook this off.

Step 4: Add all 4 cups of veggie, chicken, or stock. The nice thing about making risotto in the instant pot is that you don’t need to add warm broth gradually, like you do in stovetop risotto.

Step 4: Pressure cook on high pressure for 6 mins , let it naturally release for 5 minutes, then use the manual release, releasing the pressure valve, before opening the lid. Give it a good stir, and you will find it perfectly cooked! I have cooked a LOT of Risotto recipes for catered events over the years… and this version is truly just as good!

Step 5: Stir in any additions you like. Here I’ve added parmesan cheese, a little more stock to give it a creamy texture, lemon zest and fresh dill. Vegans could try a little nutritional yeast and olive oil. Taste the risotto and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Risotto Variations

• Instant Pot mushroom risotto: Saute 1 pound of sliced mushrooms with the onion and garlic then pressure cook them along with the risotto. This would also work well with cubes of butternut, corn, or veggies that would discolor or get too overcooked.
• Add Sauteed/Blanched Veggies: saute asparagus on the stove, or blanch spring peas, or blanch broccoli or other vibrant veggies then stir them into the risotto at the end. I prefer to stir these in at the end so they stay nice and vibrant green.
• Add fresh greens: likebaby spinach or sauteed kale.
• Add seafood! Top with sauteed shrimp or stir in lobster or crab meat.
• Add Roasted Veggies: You can roast and puree veggies, then stir it in, creating an extra creaminess – like roasted butternut, roasted carrots or parsnips, beets, winter squash… you get the idea. 🙂
• Add herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage, chives, tarragon, basil, mint etc.
• Add different cheeses– pecorino, manchego, cheddar, creamy goat cheese, etc.

What to serve with Instant Pot Risotto

• Top it with a piece of this Salmon or this Chicken or this Cod
• These Sauteed Mushrooms
• Tender-Crisp Roasted Asparagus
• Roasted Root Vegetables
• Chimichurri Shrimp
• Pan-Seared Scallops with Citrus Sauce

More favorite Risotto Recipes!

• Mushroom Risotto with Frizzled Leeks
• Asparagus Risotto
• Butternut Squash Risotto
• Spring Pea Risotto
• Tomato Risotto with Saffron
• Seared Black Cod with Meyer Lemon Risotto

Please enjoy the ease of this Instant Pot Risotto and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Hope you are well, all is well here.

xoxo

Sylvia

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