Instant Pot Risotto
Instant Pot Risotto is the easiest way to make risotto! This simple recipe made with garlic, Parmesan and lemon is wonderfully creamy and so comforting.
There are a few recipes that anyone who owns an Instant Pot must try, and risotto is one of them. (The others include this Instant Pot Pot Roast and Instant Pot Pulled Pork!)
What makes Instant Pot risotto so magical? If you’ve ever made risotto on the stove you know that it’s a commitment. One that involves lots of time standing by a pot stirring, as you add liquid to the risotto bit by bit, stirring constantly and waiting for the liquid to be absorbed. By making risotto in the Instant Pot, you get to skip most of the work and still be rewarded with an incredibly creamy, delicious risotto.
In this Instant Pot risotto recipe, garlic, lemon, Parmesan and thyme mingle together to add layers of subtle flavor. This risotto is a comforting main dish, served with a salad, or enjoy it as a side dish with chicken, pork or fish. Mushroom lovers might also enjoy this Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto.
Use the Right Kind of Rice
There’s only one kind of rice to use when making risotto: arborio rice, which is a type of short grain rice with a high starch content. Another key tip for success when making risotto? Don’t rinse the rice. Rinsing would remove some of the starches from the rice. The starches are what gives the risotto its signature creamy texture, so it’s crucial that you don’t rinse them away.
How to Make Instant Pot Risotto
Find the full printable recipe, including ingredient amounts, in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onion in olive oil using the Instant Pot sauté function.
Stir in the rice and garlic and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. This toasts the rice to develop more flavor.
Deglaze the pot. Pour in the wine and stir it into the rice until absorbed. It will soak into the rice pretty quickly. Then stir in the broth and scrape up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Place the thyme sprigs on top of the rice and broth.
Pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. When the cook time ends, quick release the pressure.
Add remaining ingredients. Open the pot and discard the thyme stems. Stir in the butter, grated Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Season the risotto with salt and pepper, to taste. Don’t skimp on the seasoning! Serve the risotto, with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Variations
- Peas: Stir in frozen peas after pressure cooking.
- Spinach: Stir in chopped fresh spinach after pressure cooking. The spinach will wilt in the hot risotto.
- Butternut Squash: Add about 2 cups of cubed butternut squash on top of the rice/broth before pressure cooking. Or, stir in Roasted Butternut Squash cubes after pressure cooking.
- Mushrooms: Use this Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto recipe.
- Bacon: Add cooked, crumbled bacon after pressure cooking.
- Chicken: Stir in chopped Poached Chicken or Baked Chicken Breast to the finished risotto.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian risotto is hearty enough to be a main course, served with a green salad. It also makes a lovely side dish, served alongside your favorite protein. Here are a few suggested dishes to pair with Instant Pot risotto:
- Salad: My top picks would be this Arugula Salad or this Kale Salad.
- Salmon: The flavors in this risotto complement this Baked Salmon in Foil.
- Chicken: Serve Instant Pot risotto as a side dish for Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Grilled Chicken.
- Pork: Try this Baked Pork Tenderloin.
To Store and Reheat
- Refrigerator: Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Reheat risotto in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a little extra broth to make it creamy again.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
The Instant Pot is an amazing appliance that can help you get quick and easy meals on your table. Try one of these Instant Pot recipes next.
- Instant Pot Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
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Instant Pot Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
- 2 cups arborio rice*, do not rinse
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste, as needed
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. Add the onion and sauté, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in the rice and garlic and sauté, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and stir, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed, 2-3 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Stir in the broth and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Press any bits of rice on the sides of the pot down into the broth. Then place the thyme sprigs on top of the rice and broth.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and move the valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. (The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.) As soon as the cook time ends, quick release the pressure by carefully moving the valve to the venting position.
- Once all of the steam has escaped and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid. Remove and discard the thyme stems (most of the leaves will have fallen off).
- Stir in the butter, grated Parmesan and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Do not substitute other types of rice.
This risotto recipe is so creamy and delicious, the best. Thank you.
Nice recipe, thanks! FYI–Arborio is not the only choice of rice. There are several rice varieties you can use in Risotto–we never use Arborio unless it is the only option. In case you want to branch out, Carnaroli rice is what my Italian family prefers–it just tastes better and is creamier, but will need an additional minute to cook in the IP. Vialone Nano is a shorter grain and harder to find, but my favorite.
Thank you for the information! Out of what’s available at most grocery stores, arborio is the option that works best. Thanks for sharing other rice options for those who have access to them.