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Instant Pot Chicken Risotto

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!

Instant Pot Chicken Risotto

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.

Instant Pot Chicken Risotto Ingredients

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.Step by step how to make Instant Pot Chicken Risotto collage

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.

How to make Instant Pot Chicken Risotto step 1

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!

How to make Instant Pot Chicken Risotto step 2

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.

Instant Pot Chicken Risotto topping with parmesan cheese

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.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken Risotto

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!

4.92 from 25 votes
Homemade Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
Print
Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
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!
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Instant Pot Recipes, Pressure Cooking
Servings: 4 Portions (served as a main)
Calories: 688 kcal
Ingredients
Risotto:
  • 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
Seasoning:
Other:
Optional:
  • Fresh Chives
Instructions

  1. 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.

  2. Meanwhile dice the chicken. Combine all the seasoning ingredients and season the chicken pieces.

  3. Take out the sautéed vegetables, pour in the remaining olive oil and add the chicken pieces in.

  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Stir in the butter and grated Parmesan. Taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives (optional) and serve.
Recipe Notes
  1. 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. 2 cups risotto rice weighs about 14 ounces/395 g.
  3. 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.
  4. This recipe was developed for a 6-quart/6-liter Instant Pot pressure cooker.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. This recipe can be easily halved.
  8. I used dry-ingredient measuring cups for all cup measurements in this recipe.
  9. 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.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
Amount Per Serving
Calories 688 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Total Carbohydrates 86g 29%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 2g
Protein 41g 82%
Vitamin A 21.2%
Vitamin C 26%
Calcium 30.6%
Iron 34.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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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. #happyfoodstube #instantpot #chicken #risotto #pressurecooker #pressurecooking #easyrecipe #recipe #italian #food #italianfood #cooking #homecooking
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Comments

  1. 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 🙂

    Reply

  4. 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!

    Reply

  5. 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.

    Reply

  8. This looks amazing! However i dont own an instant pot. I do have a sow cooker, would it cook ok in there?

    Reply

  9. 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?

    Reply

  10. We made this tonight, extended the cooking time a little, added garlic and wine for deglazing. Delicious!

    Reply

  11. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  12. This recipe was amazing!!! I made it exactly as written and it was amazing!! My husband I loved it and will make often!!

    Reply

  13. Just tried this and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for this great, easy recipe. It turned out absolutely perfect!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  15. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  16. 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.

    Reply

  17. 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!

    Reply

  18. 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.

    Reply

  19. Made this last night and it was divine! I did substitute cremini mushrooms for the button mushrooms and added a large clove of garlic. I could see using this as a basic risotto recipe but making it Mexican or Greek by changing the spices. Thanks so much for sharing with the IP community!!

    Reply

    • Hi Lynn. I am so happy to hear that :). Yes, this risotto is pretty versatile and changes can be made easily. Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback! Hope you will try make some more IP recipes from my blog 🙂

      Reply

  20. Hi Julia—I’ve had my Instant Pot for about a week (living in London, UK, I think we’re a bit late to the Instant Pot craze that seems to have taken off in North America), and have used it about twice a day to try all sorts of things. I love it already. What I hadn’t tried was risotto—partly because we really love a traditional risotto, and I was worried it would be mushy and flavourless in the Instant Pot. How wrong I was! I stumbled upon your recipe this evening, and thought I’d give it a go. I used some left-over chicken from yesterday’s roast, and throw in some pancetta to brown at the start; also added a stick of finely chopped celery with the onion. I’ve never added dry herbs or paprika to a risotto before, but followed your recipe—it was lovely! I used the chicken stock my husband made yesterday (in the Instant Pot!) and the whole dish was utterly delicious—each grain of rice seemed suffused with flavour. Just beautiful. I will make it for the kids next :). thank you so much for posting such a great recipe with such clear instructions for an Instant Pot neophyte!

    Reply

    • Hi Julia. Thanks so much for finding time to write a feedback! I am so happy you loved it and I also like your version with pancetta and left-over chicken. Hope you will try more IP recipes from my blog! 🙂

      Reply

  21. I have never ever made risotto cause it’s so time consuming BUT I just got the Ninja Foodi and made this and OMG!!!! THE BEST EVER! Followed the recipe exact and yes i will be making this often! Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply

  22. We just got an Instant Pot and so now we’re trolling for great recipes. Your Chicken Risotto is spectacular! The entire family loved it and it took no time at all. Great flavors and definitely easy to make. Thanks so much Julia! Can’t wait to make another one of your recipes!

    Reply

  23. Made this tonight as my first instant pot meal. So tasty! I will definitely make this again.

    Reply

  24. Can you add white wine to this? If so, would you just reduce the amount of chicken stock?

    Reply

    • Yes, I would do it that way, Leah. Just bear in mind that the wine will not evaporate if you do it that way so add only a little amount. You could also use it to deglaze the pot. Hope this helps.

      Reply

  25. I made this tonight for dinner and it was phenomenal. My granddaughters were here and one ate 3 servings and the other ate 2. They must have told me 4 times after dinner just how good it was. The only thing I did different was I added about 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bullion, roasted chicken flavor into the broth before I added it to the other ingredients. Everything was perfect.

    Reply

  26. This was DELICIOUS and so easy. My hubby loved it too. Got an instant Pot mini for Christmas and am trying a new recipe each night. This one is a keeper. 😊 I halved the recipe since cooking for two in the mini. It was still perfect. I think the whole recipe would have fit in the mini Pot.

    Reply

  27. This is delicious! We love Risotto but were not sure if the Instant pot recipe would taste a creamy. It does.
    This recipe keeps the flavor, the creaminess, and the rice remains fluffy. It is not crunchy or overcooked at all. Perfect.

    Reply

  28. I’ve got an old-school pressure cooker so not completely clear on the cooking time. Would it be correct to read this as 3 minutes on high pressure, once it has been attained?

    Reply

  29. Hi! This looks delicious and I’m looking to make this recipe for 4 adults…however, my husband and dad can sure eat a lot. Is it possible to double this recipe? If so, does it change any of the cooking directions? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Becca. I have to say that I have not doubled the recipe but I’d give it a go. What I can advise you is keep the cooking time the same, there should not be any need for increasing the time. Try to follow the cooking instructions – I don’t see a reason why it shouldn’t work. And if you find time, please let us know how it worked out for you.

      Reply

  30. This was my very first recipe using the Instant Pot. It was delicious! I was a bit nervous, but the instructions were so clear that I pushed through the fear. My boyfriend said this was in his top 5 of all the meals I’ve ever made for him. I would agree. It was excellent and I will definitely make this again! Thanks for helping me break in the Instant Pot.

    Reply

    • It’s so good to read comments like this! Thank you for finding time to write your experience, Liz. I have more instant pot recipes in the blog so hopefully you will find more inspiration here. 🙂

      Reply

  31. I love this recipe! I can’t have onions or garlic but it is still good. I chop up carrots and add them in. So very good!

    Reply

  32. I’ve got to say, I was sceptical. I lived in Italy for 3 years and ate plenty of delicious risotto dishes. Could this classic Italian dish really be so easy? Worth a shot! I was absolutely blown away! A fantastic recipe. Beautiful risotto. My only adjustments, having read the comments were to add about 2/3 of a large red pepper and a Tbsp of minced garlic. Delicious!!!!

    Reply

  33. This is now one of my favorites!!! Due to some dietary restrictions in our household I only used about 1/2 the mushrooms and chopped them up VERY tiny and only used 2 tsps of Rosemary. The flavor was so and it couldn’t have been any easier to make. Thank you so much for my new favorite risotto recipe!!

    Reply

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