This Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto is insanely creamy thanks to three kinds of cheese: asiago, romano, and parmesan! It’s loaded with butter, onions, baby Bella mushrooms, spinach, peas, a splash of wine, and lemon. A decadent vegetarian main or a creamy side dish to your favorite protein!
I’m absolutely obsessed with this instant pot mushroom risotto. It’s SO creamy and SO delicious and the perfect combination of flavors and textures.
The best part? No slaving over a stove for an hour while the risotto cooks… thank you, instant pot!
What is risotto?
Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish that is often made up of butter, onion, wine, and cheese.
Risotto is different from a “regular” rice dish, because it uses a special kind of rice called arborio rice. It’s also cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Why cook risotto in an instant pot?
The short answer: because it’s faster and less labor intensive to make risotto in the instant pot.
The long answer: cooking risotto is often thought to be a long and tedious task because the method, called the “risotto” method, involves adding little bits of broth into the rice at a time so the liquid is absorbed as you go.
So what if I told you that you could have your cake and eat it too? Or in this case, risotto. 😉
Enter: the trusty instant pot!
The instant pot is a LIFESAVER when it comes to making risotto. Not only does it make it SO much easier, but it takes no time at all to achieve that delicious, creamy, elegant dish that was previously so hard to perfect! Well, here’s your chance! 🙂
Ingredients
The cooking method may not be traditional, but this instant pot risotto is packed with classic ingredients like butter, onion, arborio rice, wine, and plenty of cheese:
- Unsalted Butter – used to sauté the onion and give depth to the risotto.
- Yellow Onion – adds texture and a slight sweetness.
- Salt and Pepper – brings out the taste of the other ingredients and adds a little spice.
- Red Pepper Flakes – provides just a little heat. Add more if you like things extra spicy and less if you don’t!
- Baby Bella Mushrooms – mushrooms sponge up all the delicious flavors and add texture and moisture.
- Garlic – adds a slightly nutty flavor.
- Arborio Rice – the classic risotto rice. Arborio rice is extra starchy which mixes in with the broth to make this dish even creamier. Do not substitute with another rice.
- White Wine – I love to use pinot grigio for this recipe, because that’s what I love to drink, but feel free to use your favorite type of white wine. Not a wine drinker? Try white grape juice instead! You may need a little vinegar to balance out the sweetness. (*not tested)
- Vegetable Broth – is absorbed up by the rice to achieve that ultra creamy texture.
- Baby Spinach – soaks up the flavor of the butter and wine and adds color and texture.
- Peas – give a nice pop to each bite.
- Cheese – I use a shaved asiago, romano, and parmesan blend! They melt super well into the rice to create that cheesy, gooey, creamy texture. If you can’t find that blend, just use the one(s) you can.
- Lemon – I use both lemon juice and lemon zest to give this risotto extra tang.
Usually cooking is forgiving, but risotto is a little more particular than your standard recipe. Do not play around with ratios and ingredients. Everything from the mushrooms (they release extra liquid to be absorbed by the rice) to the special arborio (starchier than other rice that create a creamy texture) play an important role in this recipe!
How to make instant pot mushroom risotto
This instant pot risotto takes just 40 minutes TOTAL (prep and cook time) to make. That’s almost unheard of for a risotto dish!
- Sauté onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in butter in your instant pot.
- Add in mushrooms, garlic, and rice and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often. Deglaze with wine, then stir in veggie broth.
- Seal your instant pot and cook on high pressure. Quick release, then stir in remaining ingredients.
- Taste, re-season if necessary, and enjoy!
A previously complicated dish isn’t so complicated anymore, is it? 😉
What rice do i use for my risotto?
The classic risotto rice is a short-grain variety called Arborio rice. This kind of rice has a high starch content which, as it’s cooked, comes off the rice and mixes with the broth to create an ultra-thick and creamy texture. Arborio rice also absorbs less liquid than other types of rice which helps the risotto to achieve the preferred texture.
I do not recommend using any other kind of rice.
Should i rinse my rice before using it for mushroom risotto?
No, you should not rinse your rice. Arborio rice has a high starch content which, when made into risotto, mixes into the broth adding thickness and creaminess to the dish. If you rinse the rice, the starches will come off the rice grains making it more difficult to reach the consistency you want in a risotto dish.
What to serve with mushroom risotto
This instant pot mushroom risotto is DELICIOUS as a stand alone entrée but if you want to bulk up the meal a bit with protein, extra veggies, or a crisp salad, here are some recipes to pair with risotto:
- Easy Lemon Honey Baked Salmon
- Walnut Baked Scallops
- Blackened Tilapia with Homemade
- Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Sheet Pan Spring Salmon
- Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
- Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
- Pear, Blue Cheese, Candied Pecan Salad
Pair any of these with your perfectly cooked rice, earthy mushrooms, bright lemon juice, and creamy cheeses… just trust me. You want to try this!
How to store
Risotto is definitely at its best when it’s fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing it because cooked rice becomes hard when frozen and will not reach its original texture when reheated.
How to reheat risotto
Bring broth to a boil in a pot on the stove then add leftover risotto and stir until the rice warms up. If it’s still too thick, continue adding broth, a little bit at a time, until the risotto reaches your desired consistency.
The leftover risotto will thicken as it sits because of the starch in the rice, so when you reheat the risotto, be sure to add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth for every 1 cup of risotto you’re reheating (so if you’re reheating 2 cups of risotto, that’s 1/2 cup vegetable broth.)
You can also reheat in the microwave, but the texture may not be as desirable.
– Jennifer
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1/2 large yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
- 2 (8 oz) package baby bella mushrooms thinly sliced
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- ¼ cup white wine I love pinot grigio
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup peas
- 1 cup shaved asiago, romano, parmesan blend
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Press sauté button on the Instant Pot.
- Once the Instant Pot reads “hot” add in 2 tablespoons butter.
- Allow butter to melt.
- Add in onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Cook for 3 minutes to soften the onions, stirring occasionally.
- Add in mushrooms, garlic, and rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Press cancel on the Instant Pot.
- Deglaze with wine, then stir in veggie broth.
- Cover and lock lid (ensure steam releasing handle is pointing to “sealing”).
- Cook using the manual (or pressure cook) button (set to high pressure) and adjust timer on the Instant Pot to 5 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will beep when it's finished.
- Flip the valve to "venting" for a quick release.
- Give the mixture a stir, then add in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, baby spinach, peas, cheeses, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Taste and re-season, if necessary and enjoy!
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Notes
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
This post has been updated to provide more detailed content.