How to Make Risotto in an Instant Pot

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Risotto is a creamy, tender rice dish that calls for very basic ingredients. Cooking risotto in your Instant Pot is much quicker than on the stovetop, with the same great tasting results. 

A picture of a white bowl filled with Instant Pot classic risotto topped with a spring of fresh parsley, and a wooden serving spoon to the side.

Risotto is an amazing, creamy rice dish. Traditionally, it can be served as a side dish or a main dish. We generally serve it as a side dish, since its flavor complements other mains. 

Risotto is normally a labor-intensive dish; as you cook it on the stovetop, you need to stay nearby and slowly stir in hot broth a little at a time as the rice absorbs it.

However, with a pressure cooker, you get the same creamy texture without babysitting a cooking pot. You’ll saute the veggies and rice, then it’s all hands off while the risotto pressure cooks. 

Risotto is a fabulous Instant Pot side dish. It goes well with almost any protein you roast, grill, or smoke. At our house, we like to pair it with a Spiral Ham and Roasted Green Beans with Almonds to round out the perfect fancy menu.

Ingredients for making Instant Pot classic risotto, including butter, rice, parmesan, broth, onions, salt, pepper, garlic, and wine.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED to Make Instant Pot Risotto

Other than the Arborio rice, risotto is made of the most basic kitchen ingredients:

  • Arborio rice: Arborio rice, or risotto rice, is an absolute must for this recipe. It holds its shape better, isn’t lumpy, and the starches add creaminess to the finished dish. Do not rinse this rice before cooking.
  • Butter: Some risotto recipes use a combination of olive oil and butter; however, we prefer the pure butter flavor here.
  • Onion: This is one recipe where we’ll take the extra time to really finely dice the onion so it blends better into the finished risotto.
  • Garlic: We generally use a large clove or two small cloves. 
  • White wine: We like to use a chardonnay, but any dry white wine can work. We’re not really wine drinkers, so we like to buy mini bottles for cooking to reduce waste. (It’s not sold in the stores where we live, so we stock up when we visit Las Vegas.)
  • Chicken broth: Like most of our recipes, we typically use reduced-sodium broth, which allows us to have greater control over how much salt is in the finished dish. 
Classic risotto cooked inside an Instant Pot.

How to Make Risotto in an Instant Pot

This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

Start by softening the onion and garlic in butter until translucent. Then, we deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce, then toast your grains for a few minutes.

Add the chicken broth, lock your lid in place, and set the cook time for 5 to 6 minutes! 

Use a quick pressure release, and finish with a little more chicken broth, butter, and parsley for garnish. It’s just that easy!

Risotto is best enjoyed straight away. As it sits, the risotto rice will absorb more liquid and your dish will become tighter and stickier. If this happens before you sit down to eat, you can always stir in more broth—you want it slightly thinner than your ideal consistency because it will cool once it hits the plate.

A wooden spoon scooping classic risotto from an Instant Pot, with parsley and parmesan in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions about Risotto

What can I substitute for white wine? 

Our favorite sub is ¼ cup water or broth mixed with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Since it’s less volume than the wine, you won’t have to wait as long for the liquid to reduce. 

Can I substitute long- or short-grain rice? 

As we mentioned earlier, using arborio makes a big difference in the texture and creaminess of the finished dish. Using another rice will make your finished dish risotto-adjacent. It would also change the timing. If you’re in a pinch, I would follow the instructions in our Creamy Lemon Rice recipe, which is the creamiest white rice we’ve made.

How should I store leftover rice?

Refrigerate leftover rice for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Just know that the rice will continue absorbing liquid as it cools, and it will likely not be as creamy when you reheat it, even if you add extra broth or water. 

An overhead picture of a white bowl filled with Instant Pot classic risotto topped with a spring of fresh parsley, and a wooden serving spoon to the side.

Additional Risotto Recipes

If you love risotto as much as we do, here are a few additional recipes from Pressure Cooking Today and from some of our other blogging friends.

A white bowl of classic risotto topped with fresh parsley, with parmesan, parsley and an instant Pot in the background.

More basic grain recipes you can make in an Instant Pot

We love our Instant Pot cooking grains, because once you’ve found the cook time for your brand and elevation, you get consistent results that come out perfectly every time. Check out our How to Guides for Making


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A close up picture of a spring of fresh parsley on top of a bowl filled with Instant Pot risotto, with a blue and white patterned cloth in the background.

Classic Risotto in an Instant Pot

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 36 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Instant Pot Risotto is a creamy, tender side dish that uses kitchen basics to create flavor and cooks up much quicker than on the stovetop.
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic minced or pressed
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 3 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth divided, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese plus more for serving, if desired
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves optional for serving
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Before you start, make sure all ingredients are prepped and measured. The cooking process can go quickly and having things measured in advance can help you avoid scorching.
  • Select Saute to preheat the cooking pot. When hot, add 2 tablespoons butter to the pressure cooking pot to melt. Add the onion. Saute until tender (about 3 minutes), then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until tender.
  • Add the white wine and stir. Cook until the wine is reduced by at least half.
  • Stir in the arborio rice and saute the rice for 1 to 2 minutes.*
  • Add 3 1/4 cups chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure no browned bits remain.
  • Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 6 minutes** cook time.
  • When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Select Saute and adjust to medium/low.
  • Slowly stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cancel Saute. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Let the risotto rest for 3-5 minutes to thicken. The risotto will continue to thicken as it cools. Add more broth, if needed, to achieve your desired consistency.
  • Serve immediately, topped with additional parmesan, if desired.

Notes

* If at any point in this process, the onion or rice are getting too brown, just add the 3 1/4 cup chicken broth. 
**Some risotto lovers prefer a lot of bite to their risotto and a very thin, saucy consistency. If either of those are your preference, reduce the cook time to 5 minutes and add extra broth after pressure cooking until the risotto reaches your perfect spreadable texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 730mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg

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