How to Make Instant Pot Risotto

Do you ever have dishes that you look at and think, “when I’m really good at cooking, I’ll try making that”? Risotto is one of those dishes for me. Until, of course, I got it in my head one evening that I would try making risotto in my Instant Pot. I’m not sure what came over me that night, but oh man, I’m so thankful for taking on the challenge. Because I am still in shock how easy it is to make Instant Pot risotto.

I mean, I’m telling you right now, if you have an Instant Pot, you’re going to thank me. And if you don’t have an Instant Pot, well, it’s time to get one.

If you’ve been on the fence about getting an Instant Pot, trust me, I get it. I was on that fence for quite a while because I was so sick of all the hype around it, But once I finally decided to give it a try on my own (*cough* was forced to for work), I was hooked. It really does deserve the hype, people.

Since getting an Instant Pot, I’ve made a lot of different types of meals in it. One of my current favorites is this Instant Pot Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork. It may sound strange to cook pulled pork in a pressure cooker instead of a slow cooker, but I promise you, the quality is just as good. It should be your next Instant Pot meal to try—after making this risotto, of course.

Can I use regular rice for risotto?

As you can see, risotto uses a special kind of rice. Arborio rice grains are a bit fatter compared to usual long-grain rice, which results in a really thick, creamy risotto later.

However, when I first tried this recipe out, I actually didn’t have arborio rice on me. I mean, who does on a regular basis? So I tried it with regular white long-grain rice, and honestly, it tasted just as good.

Now, I do highly recommend that you use arborio rice for a classic risotto recipe. I’m just making this note in case you can’t get your hands on arborio rice at the moment, and still want cheesy, creamy rice you can make as a side with your dinner.

Alright, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make Instant Pot risotto.

Sauté shallots and garlic.

Turn on the Sauté feature on your Instant Pot. Once hot, add in one teaspoon of olive oil. Then add in a diced shallot and two minced garlic cloves. Cook for one minute.

Pour in chicken broth and rice.

Add in your 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of arborio rice. Stir to combine, then seal then lid. Switch the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (or Manual Cook) for 6 minutes.

Cook for 6 minutes, then release steam immediately.

After the six minutes are up, release the steam immediately. Your rice should be perfectly cooked and soft.

Add in parmesan and butter.

For this risotto we are keeping it simple—just the usual 1/4 cup of grated parmesan and 2 tablespoons of butter. However, if you want to make a flavored risotto (or add any kinds of vegetables), this is the time to add these things! But for the sake of this tutorial, I kept it a classic Instant Pot risotto recipe.

Continuously stir until the butter is melted.

The stirring step should not take long, but make sure the butter is fully melted. It will help with giving that Instant Pot risotto the proper cheesy, creamy texture that you’re looking for.

And that’s that! If you want the recipe card to save or print for later, here it is.

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Risotto

Make the easiest risotto in your Instant Pot in less then 15 minutes.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 269kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 shallot diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot on the Sauté feature. Once hot, add in the olive oil, diced shallot, and minced garlic. Cook for one minute.
• Pour in the chicken broth and the arborio rice. Mix to combine, then seal with the Instant Pot lid.
• Switch to Pressure Cook (or Manual Cook) and set for 6 minutes. It will take some time to fully pressurize before cooking, so just leave it.
• When the timer goes off, release the steam immediately (safely with a wooden spoon).
• Remove the lid and stir in the butter and grated parmesan. Continuously stir until the butter is fully melted.

Notes

If you want to add cooked vegetables or any kind of seasonings/flavors to your risotto, do so when you stir in the grated parmesan and butter.

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More Instant Pot meals!

I’ll add more as time goes on, but for now, here are more meals you can make with your Instant Pot.

• Instant Pot Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork