Instant Pot Chicken Risotto is a hassle-free alternative to the original Italian stove-top version. No need to be standing by the pot, stirring constantly!
All you have to do is saute the veggies, brown the chicken quickly, add the rest of the ingredients and let the Instant Pot do its magic. It’s that easy!
Now I am not sure whether you have noticed but I do cook with chicken a lot which means that I make a lot of pressure cooker chicken recipes as well. Here are some of them in case you were interested:
Did you know?
According to Wikipedia risotto is a northern Italian rice dish that is cooked to a creamy consistency. It does not really matter what kind of broth you use (chicken, vegetable, fish) but you have to use it to make it the Italian way. The key is adding it at stages, ladle by ladle while stirring constantly.
Well, this is not your traditional Italian risotto so there won’t be any stirring and broth adding happening. Just to clarify things.
How to make Instant Pot chicken risotto
Like I’ve already mentioned, the process is simpler than when making traditional Italian risotto but the result is pretty close to the original if not the same!
Start with sautéing the onions and mushrooms in your Instant Pot. Then quickly brown the diced and seasoned chicken. You can leave the onions and mushrooms in just push them to the side/edge of the pot while browning the chicken. Or you can take them out so you have more space for the chicken pieces.
Just so you know, this can be done in reversed order too – brown the meat first, take it out, saute the onion and mushrooms), etc…
When done, turn of the saute function. Add the rest of the ingredients and give everything a good stir.
Lock the lid into its position and cook under pressure on manual mode for 3 minutes. When finished, wait 7 minutes before releasing the pressure manually.
To make this pressure cooker chicken risotto as close to the Italian version, I stirred in butter and grated Parmesan cheese. Guys, those two ingredients should not be omitted as the give this risotto a ton of flavor.
At last I also sprinkled some chopped chives over because I had some leftover in the fridge. This is however, completely optional so if you don’t have it, don’t worry about it!
Which rice is good for risotto?
Now the Italian short-grain rice (such as Arborio) is the best option obviously. However, I made this Instant Pot chicken risotto with paella rice (the same type I used to make Paella Valenciana) and I find this type of rice suitable for risotto as well. I also tried using sushi rice which turned out great as well.
All in all, try look for short-grain rice in case you can’t find any of the ones I mentioned above.
Tips for making Instant Pot chicken risotto:
- You can use store-bought or homemade stock/broth (I have a recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Stock on the blog, if interested. Just note that it has almost no salt in it so the risotto will definitely need more seasoning). Bouillon cubes are also an alternative.
- Note that every broth/stock (bouillon…) product is different and also has a different amount of salt added. For this reason it’s best to season this risotto after being cooked and after the butter and Parmesan have been added. It’s better to add more salt at the very end rather than ending up with a dish that is way too salty. I also noticed that bouillon cubes make saltier stock than ready-made stock.
- Don’t over-cook the meat when browning it. If you do, it will turn dry after you finish the whole cooking process.
- You can use diced pork or turkey as well. Both needed 6 minutes to be cooked (and pressure released after 7 minutes).
- This Instant Pot chicken risotto tastes best when eaten right away.
- Guys, this is a very easy risotto recipe.
I have quite a few Easy Instant Pot Recipes on the blog so if you need some inspiration, have a look. They are all tried and tested!
Want to see how to make Instant Pot Chicken Risotto? Watch the video!
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion
- 7 ounces Button Mushrooms (200g)
- 1 pound Chicken Breast , diced (440g)
- 2 cups Risotto Rice (400g). See note 1 & 2
- 4 cups Chicken Broth See note 3
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1.5 ounces Unsalted Butter (45g)
- 3 ounces Parmesan Cheese (90g). See note 6
- Fresh Chives
Finely chop the onion. Turn on the pressure cooker and press the SAUTE function. Adjust to high. Pour in 2 tbps of olive oil and add the chopped onion. Saute until translucent. Add cleaned and sliced mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile dice the chicken. Combine all the seasoning ingredients and season the chicken pieces.
Take out the sautéed vegetables, pour in the remaining olive oil and add the chicken pieces in.
- Quickly brown the meat. Turn OFF the saute function and deglaze the pot with some of the chicken stock. Throw the onions and mushrooms back in, as well as the chicken. Add the rice and chicken stock/broth and give everything a good stir.
- Cover with the lid and lock it into its position. Turn the vent to the SEALING position. Press the MANUAL button (pressure cooking) and adjust the time to 3 minutes. When the cooking is finished, wait 7 minutes before releasing the pressure manually.
- Stir in the butter and grated Parmesan. Taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives (optional) and serve.
- This recipe works also with sushi or paella rice. Each had a slightly different texture by the end of cooking. However, they all were cooked through so if you don’t have a risotto rice, they would both be a great substitution.
- 2 cups risotto rice weighs about 14 ounces/395 g.
- Chicken Stock or broth (any will work just fine) might have different amount of salt added so I recommend seasoning the risotto at the very end, after you have already stirred in the butter and Parmesan. It might or might not need more salt.
- This recipe was developed for a 6-quart/6-liter Instant Pot pressure cooker.
- The amount of time needed for the pot to come to the pressure and time needed to release its pressure is not included in the overall cooking time. Count with extra 20 minutes.
- Parmesan can be substituted with Grana Padano or Pecorino. The amount you add is simply up to you but I don’t recommend omitting it – add at least 2 oz/60 g.
- This recipe can be easily halved.
- I used dry-ingredient measuring cups for all cup measurements in this recipe.
- Make sure to cut the chicken breasts into same-size pieces. This will cook all of them equally without some being under-cooked or over-cooked.
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Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says
Risotto is one of my favorite things to both eat and cook, but it does get tedious doing all that stirring! I am totally digging this instant pot recipe! It looks easy and amazing! Now I’m craving risotto! LOL 🙂
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Sherri, you will love it! 🙂
Natalie says
I love risotto! Looks so delicious and comforting – such a stunning dish. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Yay! 🙂 Let me know how you like it!
Jill says
I love risotto. It’s so exciting to know that it can be made in the Instant Pot. I have to try it now!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Yes! And it’s so easy! 🙂
Ginny says
I love my instant pot and thanks so much for showing me how to make risotto in it. Love the button mushrooms in there too!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You are welcome!
Sandi says
We love instant pot recipes. They are our go to way to especially during school so we can focus on homework. This looks like a perfect meal to try.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Definitely! Hope you like it as much as we do!
Jim Ruggirello says
Needs garlic. But great technique.
Lynne says
I made this for supper tonight, and it was delicious! Thanks!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Yay! I am super happy to hear that, Lynne 🙂 Thank you for finding time to leave the feedback.
Michelle Dacosta says
This looks amazing! However i dont own an instant pot. I do have a sow cooker, would it cook ok in there?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
I’ve never tried it but I would say no. I think the rice would be way over-cooked by the end of the cooking time.
Mandy says
I’m here in Nebraska and use cups and teaspoons for measuring still… do you know approximately how many cups or teaspoons/tbsp for the butter and cheese?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Mandy. It’s about 3 tablespoons of butter and about 2/3 cup of the cheese. Now you can adjust these to your liking :).
Jenny says
We made this tonight, extended the cooking time a little, added garlic and wine for deglazing. Delicious!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Glad to hear you liked it, Jenny!
Emily says
Can I omit the mushrooms when making this? Or will or mess up the ratio of ingredients and cook time?
If yes, is there a veggie you’d recommend subbing for the mushrooms?
Thanks!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Yes, you can omit the mushrooms. Cook time stays the same so no worries there! You could use frozen peas if you like (I would boil it according to package instructions and just throw it in the finished risotto). Hope this helps.
Laura C Lindblad says
This recipe was amazing!!! I made it exactly as written and it was amazing!! My husband I loved it and will make often!!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
That’s so good to hear, Laura. Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback.
Bonnie says
Just tried this and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for this great, easy recipe. It turned out absolutely perfect!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Bonnie :). I am so happy you love this recipe as much as we do! Thanks so much for finding time to write this feedback!
Leah says
I have a 3 quart Instant Pot. Should I adjust the cooking time?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Leah, I have never used other than the 6 quart instant pot so can’t say for sure but once I read an article that said that the cooking time is the same no matter how large your pot is. It will just take a different time to come to pressure. I am guessing for the 3 quart IP it will be quicker. Hope this helps.
Sarah says
Can this be made without the chicken? I was thinking about making the mushroom onion risotto as a side but grilling chicken or steak to serve with while it cooks. Didn’t know if that impacted flavor/time.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Sarah! Definitely! Now you will have to experiment a bit here. I would use the same seasoning except for paprika and maybe reduce the amount of rosemary to 2 tsp and oregano to 1 tsp. Active cooking time: 1 minute and wait max 5 mins before releasing the pressure manually. I would add a little less than 4 cups of stock (maybe 3 and 3/4). Hope this helps. Let me know how it turned out for you, if you get a chance.
Emily B says
Made last night, thanks for the recipe! I did a few modifications – I used already cooked leftover chicken and just tossed it in with the spices after sauteeing the vegetables. I added a whole chopped red bell pepper as well, since I only had two mushrooms, ha ha! And I didn’t have rosemary and don’t like oregano, so I did 2 tsp of herbes de provence with the paprika and salt. My seven year old and husband each had two bowls.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Love your substitutions and changes! Some recipes are pretty versatile and this is definitely one of them. Thanks so much for finding time to write the feedback!
Krystal says
I was looking for a quick rissotto recipie and stumbled upon this one… and it was AMAZING! So easy!! I used chicken thigh (which was fiddly but worth it).
It just tasted amazing, I think we put a little more parmasen cheese and the rice was perfect! Thank you so much!
Give it a try, it is soo good!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Chicken thighs are an excellent substitution – so flavorful, aren’t they? Thanks so much for finding time to write the feedback, Krystal. I really appreciate it!
Tim says
I’ve had my instant pot for about 4 months and I’ve tried many recipes online since then and this is the first time I’ve felt compelled to write a comment on how good it was.
WOW. This was full of flavor, it exceeded all expectations, it’d easy to pack for lunch and it’s my new favorite. Thanks for taking the time to share these online.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Tim! Your comment means a lot! Thank you so much for the feedback and rating.