Learn how to make Instant Pot Risotto in 30 minutes! Easy to make this luxuriously Rich & Creamy Italian Parmesan Risotto with few ingredients. No need to tend the pot yet consistently yields delicious, evenly cooked arborio rice in Instant Pot!
What is Risotto?
Risotto is one of the most common Italian rice dishes, often served as a primo (first) course. Key ingredients include high-starch rice, broth, butter, white wine, and Parmesan cheese.
The traditional way of cooking risotto requires constant attention & nurturing. That’s why many people often save this elegant dish for a gourmet meal, special occasions, or a dine-out treat.
But with the help of your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, making Risotto at home can be super easy!
We’ve done multiple tests to find the best method & cook time for arborio rice in Instant Pot that consistently yields great risotto.
And yes! You don’t have to babysit the pot & continuously stir the risotto with care, worry about temperature control, when to add how much stock, or what type of pot to use.
What We Look for in Great Risotto?
- Rice Texture: Evenly cooked risotto that’s tender but firm to the bite arborio rice; arborio rice is not mushy, gluey, sticky, watery, dry, soft, overcooked, or hard.
- Risotto Mouthfeel: Smooth, rich, creamy sauce with body that’s satisfying & comforting to eat.
- Flavors: Flavorful with balanced flavors – cheesy, umami (savory), nutty, aromatic; not flat or bland.
Ingredients for Making Risotto in Instant Pot
Try to use the best ingredients you can find to make this simple yet fancy risotto.
Rice Choice: We used Arborio Rice to develop our risotto recipe because it’s readily available and contains one of the highest amounts of starch. This gives our Instant Pot risotto a nice creamy texture. No need to pre-rinse the rice, or else it’ll lose the starch content needed for the risotto’s creamy consistency.
Cheese Choice: Make sure to use freshly-grated Parmesan Cheese. Parmesan cheese is traditional & it adds creaminess and nutty flavor to the risotto. One of our favorite go-to is freshly grated Parmesan cheese that has been aged for 36 months.
Wine Choice: Go with a bottle of dry white wine. We are using a bottle of Pinot Grigio from Italy. The wine not only enhances the flavors, but the acidity in the wine will help balance the overall risotto as well. We only used half a cup, so you will have enough leftover wine to pair with your luxurious risotto. 🙂
Oil Choice: For simplicity, you can use either unsalted butter or olive oil. If you want more complex flavors in your Parmesan risotto, go with both unsalted butter and olive oil.
Unsalted Butter & Unsalted Chicken Stock: Different brands or even different boxes of the same brand of salted chicken stock & salted butter can differ in levels of sodium, so we prefer to develop recipes using unsalted chicken stock & unsalted butter for more control & consistency on the dish’s overall flavor profile.
Soy Sauce: Soy sauce may sound like a strange choice, but it’ll increase the savoriness (umami) of your risotto. Different brands & bottles can differ in saltiness, be sure to taste & adjust according to your bottle of soy sauce.
Tools for Instant Pot Risotto
How to Make Risotto
5 simple steps to impress your guests with your homemade Instant Pot Risotto:
- Saute aromatics
- Toast arborio rice & Deglaze with wine
- Pressure cook risotto
- Stir & Melt cheese
- Garnish & Serve risotto
Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Risotto
Saute Onions & Garlic
First, heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says “HOT”.
*Pro Tip: Make sure the Instant Pot is as hot as it can be in order to induce a maillard reaction.
Then, add 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or olive oil in Instant Pot’s inner pot. Ensure the whole bottom is coated with oil.
Saute diced onions and optional shallot in Instant Pot for 2 minutes.
Add minced garlic in Instant Pot, then saute for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Toast Arborio Rice in Instant Pot
Now make some room in the Instant Pot by pushing the onions and garlic to the side of the inner pot (as shown in the photo below).
First, add 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter to the empty side of the Instant Pot.
Then, pour 2 cups (400g) arborio rice in Instant Pot. Ensure all the rice grains are coated with butter. Give it a quick stir to mix everything together.
Toast the arborio rice in Instant Pot for 2 – 3 minutes to give the dish a really nice nutty flavor.
*Pro Tip: We don’t want to brown the rice for this Instant Pot Risotto Recipe. The edges of the arborio rice should become translucent, while the center remains white.
Add Wine to Instant Pot
Pour ½ cup (125ml) dry white wine in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot (as shown in the photo below).
Let the wine simmer for roughly a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
Pressure Cook Risotto
Now, add 2 tbsp (30ml) regular soy sauce and 4 cups (1000ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot.
*Note: Soy sauce sounds like a strange choice for making risotto, but it’ll increase the savoriness (umami) to the overall Instant Pot risotto.
Give it a quick mix and make sure no rice grain is sticking to the sides of the Instant Pot.
With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
- Pressure Cooking Methods: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 5 minutes + Quick Release
Once the pressure cooking cycle is done, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.
When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.
*Optional Fancy Step – Warm Plates: Warm serving plates in the oven (we warm our plates in a 200°F toaster oven), this helps ensure the risotto has the best consistency when served.
Add Green Peas & Cheese
*Note: The risotto in Instant Pot will look soupy at first. Don’t panic! It’s normal. 🙂
First, add ½ cup – 1 cup (85g – 170g) green peas to the risotto. Stir to combine and form a creamy smooth consistency.
*Pro Tip: If the Instant Pot Risotto is too runny, simply stir and cook for another few minutes over medium heat (Instant Pot: press “Sauté” button).
Then, add 42g freshly grated Parmesan cheese in Instant Pot. Mix well to melt the cheese.
When the parmesan risotto in Instant Pot reaches your desired consistency, taste and season with kosher salt & black pepper (for reference: we used 2 pinches of salt for seasoning).
*Pro Tip: Taste your shredded prosciutto as they can taste mild to very salty.
Serve Instant Pot Risotto
Finally, add parmesan risotto to a warmed plate.
Garnish with shredded prosciutto, grated Parmesan cheese, and finely chopped chives.
*Pro Tip: For the best tasting experience, the parmesan risotto should be served hot (immediately).
Enjoy luxuriously creamy Instant Pot Risotto!
Instant Pot Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) arborio rice
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter (or 2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil)
- 1 (200g) onion , diced
- 1 (20g) small shallot (optional) , diced
- 4 (14g) garlic cloves , minced
- ½ cup (125ml) dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)
- 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) regular soy sauce
- ½ - 1 cup (85g - 170g) green peas
- 42 grams Parmesan cheese , freshly grated
Garnish
- Shaved Parmesan cheese
- Chives , finely chopped
- Prosciutto , cut or shred into small pieces
Equipment
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Instructions
- Saute Onions & Garlic: Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says “HOT”. Add 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or olive oil in Instant Pot. Ensure the whole bottom is coated with oil. Saute diced onions and shallot for 2 minutes. Add in minced garlic, then saute for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Toast Arborio Rice in Instant Pot: Make some room in Instant Pot by pushing the onions and garlic to the side of the inner pot.Add 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter to the empty side of the Instant Pot. Pour in 2 cups (400g) arborio rice. Ensure all the rice is coated with butter. Give it a quick stir to mix everything together. Toast arborio rice for 2 - 3 minutes to give the dish a really nice nutty flavor. *Pro Tip: We don't want to brown the rice. Ensure the arborio rice’s edges become translucent, while the center remains white.
- Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour in ½ cup (125ml) dry white wine, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer for roughly a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Pressure Cook Risotto: Add in 2 tbsp (30ml) regular soy sauce and 4 cups (1000ml) unsalted chicken stock. Give it a quick mix and make sure no rice is sticking to the sides of the Instant Pot. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure 5 minutes, then Quick Release. Open the lid carefully. Optional Fancy Step - Warm Plates: Warm serving plates in the oven (200°F toaster oven) to ensure the best risotto consistency when served.
- Add Green Peas & Cheese: The risotto will look soupy at first. Add ½ cup - 1 cup (85g - 170g) green peas to the risotto. Stir to combine and form a creamy smooth consistency. *Pro Tip: If the risotto is too runny, stir and cook for another few minutes using "Sauté" function. Add in 42g freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well to melt the cheese. When the risotto reaches your desired consistency, taste and season with kosher salt & black pepper (we used 2 pinches of salt for seasoning).
- Serve: Add risotto to a warmed plate. Garnish with shredded prosciutto, grated Parmesan cheese, and finely chopped chives. Enjoy~*Note: For the best tasting experience, serve risotto immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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