Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
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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!
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 are interested:
Did you know?
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
As 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 off the saute function. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
Lock the lid into its position and cook under pressure on manual mode for 3 minutes. When finished, wait 7 minutes before manually releasing the pressure.
To make this pressure cooker chicken risotto as close to the Italian version, I stirred in butter and grated Parmesan cheese. Those two ingredients should not be omitted as they give this risotto a ton of flavor.
Finally, I sprinkled some chopped chives over it because I had some leftovers 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 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 to look for short-grain rice in case you can’t find any of the ones I mentioned above.
Tips for making chicken risotto
You can use store-bought or homemade stock/broth (I have a recipe for 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 it is cooked and after the butter and Parmesan has been added. It’s better to add more salt at the very end rather than end up with a dish that is way too salty. I also noticed that bouillon cubes make saltier stock than ready-made stock.
Don’t overcook 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!
Watch how to make instant pot risotto
Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
Ingredients
Risotto:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion (medium)
- 7 ounces button mushrooms (200 grams)
- 1 pound chicken breast , diced (440 grams)
- 2 cups risotto rice (400 grams), see note 1 & 2
- 4 cups chicken broth , see note 3
Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Other:
- 1.5 ounces unsalted butter (45 grams)
- 3 ounces parmesan cheese (90 grams), see note 6
Optional:
- fresh chives
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion. Turn on the pressure cooker and press the SAUTE function. Adjust to high. Pour in 2 tablespoons 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
- 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 risotto rice, they would both be a great substitution.
- Two cups of risotto rice weighs about 14 ounces/395 grams.
- Chicken Stock or broth (any will work just fine) might have different amounts 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 an 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 ounces/60 grams.
- 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 undercooked or overcooked.
This is amazing! Your recipes are the very best. Your helpful hints are are awesome. I always check to see if you have new instant pot recipes. Would love some easy vegetarian recipes. Thank you!
Hey Lori! Thanks for your comment. I will try including more meat-free recipes for instant pot!
I have a question. Do I have to fully cook the chicken or just brown it?
Browning is enough. It will cook under pressure.
All I have is long grain rice……can that be used instead of me having buy Arborio rice?
Hi Megan. I tried it with long grain rice and it did not turned out well for me so I would not suggest it. The arborio rice makes a huge difference here.
I want to make this next week and don’t have dried rosemary. I could buy some but always have fresh on hand. Could I use fresh or do you recommend the dried for this? Thanks!
Hi Kate. I’d say you could try using the fresh one but not sure how much though (Try increasing it to 2 tbsp). Also, chop it finely, if you do. Or you could try using dried thyme if you have it on hand. Hope this helps.
Hi, I’ve only used my IP a couple of times so I was a little confused where you say to “count 20 minutes” or something like that. So after I saute and turn it to high pressure, approximately how many minutes do I set the timer to? The recipe has fantastic reviews and I’m making half a recipe tonight. Love finding your site. You have so many amazing sounding recipes!
This recipe is fantastic! I use boneless chicken thighs and don’t season them and instead of mushrooms I use chopped broccoli. This turns out delicious every time and has become a frequent meal!
Happy to hear that, Susan! Thank you so much for the feedback!
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!!
You are welcome, Brittany! Hope you will find here more recipes that you like :)
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!!!!
Thank you so much Kathleen for your feedback and rating! This is my absolutely favorite rice dish to make in IP and everyone loves it. Your adjustments sound good! :)
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!
Thanks so much for finding time to leave feedback, JT!
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.
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. :)
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! :)
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.
I doubled it in a 8qt IP and kept the cooking time the same, it turned out perfect! It was plenty of food for 12 of us.
Excellent! Thanks for letting us know, Stacy.
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?
Hi Dean. Yes, it is 3 minutes on high pressure (after the pot is pressurized). Hope this helps.
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.
Thank you for finding time to write a feedback. I am really happy you like it!
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.
That’s great to hear it works for the mini as well. Thanks for your comment, Kristin!
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.
Cheryl, that’s so good to hear! Thanks so much for finding time to leave comment and rating.
Excellent recipe! I actually had to make this the night before as we have too many activities tonight and needed to feed kids before practices. Absolutely delicious, even heated up!! Thank you :)
Can you add white wine to this? If so, would you just reduce the amount of chicken stock?
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.
Made this tonight as my first instant pot meal. So tasty! I will definitely make this again.
I am happy to hear that, Elizabeth :)
Think I could add sliced carrots (cooking them with the onions until soft) instead of mushrooms? We have a ton of carrots I’d like to start using tonight and no other veggies.
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!
That’s so great to hear, Mark! Please do let me know when you try other recipe as well! Thanks for finding time to leave feedback.
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!
You are welcome, Lori! I am so delighted to hear that. Thanks for letting us know that this recipe also works well with other pressure cooker brands.