Instant Pot Parmesan Risotto: This pressure cooker risotto is the perfect side dish for a busy weeknight meal, but it’s fancy enough to serve for a dinner party if you want to! Risotto doesn’t have to be difficult; this one is ready in under 30 minutes and is so easy to make!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Risotto is such a classy dish, but traditional risotto often gets a bad reputation for being difficult to make properly. This Instant Pot risotto is a one pot, quick and easy version of risotto that requires minimal effort and will make you wonder why you ever did it any other way!
In just a few simple steps, and using simple ingredients, you can have a fluffy risotto with a creamy texture that’s ready to serve alongside your weeknight meals or your fancy dinner party main course!
If you love cooking with a pressure cooker, make sure to check out our other Instant Pot recipes too!
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Ingredients for Instant Pot risotto recipe
You will be able to find everything you need to make this creamy rice dish in most grocery stores!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
- ⅓ cup chopped onion (I used white, but red or sweet onion works as well)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (can use unsalted if you like)
- ¾ cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
See the printable recipe card below for a full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions for making this easy instant pot risotto!
Instructions
The Instant Pot is by far the easiest way to make risotto! Let me show you how…
- Set the Instant Pot to the saute function and add oil, onions, and crushed garlic clove. Using a spatula mix and cook until the onions are softened.
- Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes. The rice will start to look transparent; you need to constantly stir so it does not burn or toast.
- Mix in the spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder. Mix well to coat.
- Add the chicken stock and mix well, making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Turn off the Sauté mode. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 6 minutes cooking time. Make sure the valve is sealed.
- Once cooked, do a quick release. Once the pressure is out, open the lid.
- With a fork, fluff up/stir the risotto. Add in the butter and the cheese.
- Using your fork, mix until butter and cheese is melted, and risotto is creamy. Serve and enjoy your perfect risotto!
Substitutions & Variations
- When looking for fresh Parmigiano, you will see Grana Padano. You can use Grana Padano as well, it’s also made in Italy. Compared to Parmigiano (made in the region of Parma with strict rules of aging and storage) the Grana Padano is made only a few miles west in the region next to Parma. It’s a hard cheese, milky, but without the strong taste of the Parmigiano. Both cheeses can be interchangeable
- You can serve the risotto with more cheese or fresh herbs on top.
- You could if you want on step 4 add ¼ cup of dry white wine (sweet wine will caramelize and give a weird taste to the Risotto). Keep your IP on Sauté mode, add the wine and mix until the wine has evaporated. Then add the Chicken broth and proceed to cooking.
- You can use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth/stock in this recipe.
- You can also add some bacon bits when sautéing the onions for some extra flavor
- Wanting to make this risotto a main dish? Try adding some cooked shrimp or cooked, shredded chicken to your parmesan risotto and serving it as a main course!
- Add a handful of sliced mushrooms to the Instant Pot and saute along with the onions and garlic to turn this into a mushroom risotto!
Equipment
We used an Instant Pot for this recipe, but you could make it with other brands of pressure cookers as well.
Storage
Risotto is best when served immediately. I would not keep the Instant pot on warm as it will overcook the Risotto and become mushy.
You can store your leftover Instant Pot risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When warming up the leftovers, I like to place a wet paper towel on top of my portion, in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minutes, mixing at 30 seconds.
Expert Tips and FAQs
It’s so simple to make risotto in the pressure cooker. First you saute your aromatic ingredients (garlic and onion), add the rice and cook for a few minutes, and then you add the liquid and cook just like you would any other rice! One pot, super simple, and ready in under 30 minutes.
You can use any cheese in place of the parmesan cheese, but a sharp, hard cheese will give you the most similar taste. Pecorino, gruyere, Swiss would all be quite similar but a sharp cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese would also be delicious!
Absolutely! This recipe doesn’t call for any wine, but it will still create delicious, fluffy risotto. If you do want to use wine, you could if you want on step 4 add ¼ cup of dry white wine (sweet wine will caramelize and give a weird taste to the Risotto). Keep your IP on Sauté mode, add the wine and mix until the wine has evaporated. Then add the Chicken broth and proceed to cooking.
You sure can, but we would recommend sticking with a short grain rice. Short grain rice has higher amylopectin levels in it than long grain rice, which is what helps make the risotto creamy. You could use a long-grain rice if you like, but the resulting risotto may not be quite as creamy.
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Related Recipes
Looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes like this easy risotto recipe? Try our Instant Pot buffalo chicken pasta! This is another quick and easy one pot meal that is sure to be a hit!
Or, if you love using your Instant Pot, then I think you’ll also love seeing how to make Instant Pot White Rice.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Parmesan Risotto
Equipment
- Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) or similar
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or any vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup chopped onion I used white, but red or sweet onion works as well
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons salted butter can use unsalted if you like
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add oil, onions, and crushed garlic clove. Using a spatula mix and cook until the onions are softened.
- Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes. The rice will start to look transparent; you need to constantly stir so it does not burn or toast.
- Mix in the spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder. Mix well to coat.
- Add the chicken broth and mix well, making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom or side of the pan.
- Turn off the Sauté mode. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 6 minutes. Make sure the valve is sealed.
- Once cooked, do a quick release. Once the pressure is out, open the lid.
- With a fork, fluff up/stir the risotto. Add in the butter and the cheese.
- Using your fork, mix until butter and cheese is melted, and risotto is creamy. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Laura Reese says
This was so easy and came out perfectly! Loved the flavor.
Allyssa says
Thanks a lot for this amazing and super easy to make instant pot risotto recipe! It’s really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Kara says
So delicious, and much easier than stirring it over the stovetop! We like to garnish ours with fresh green onions and diced tomatoes. So good!