Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Can this recipe be frozen? My kids loved it
Hi Jolene. I am happy to hear you kids enjoyed this risotto! I have never tried freezing it but I would not recommend doing so. Its texture will change and might not be to everyone’s liking. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 days though (just note it will become drier). This can be fixed by heating it on a stove with a splash of stock/broth and constant stirring until warmed up. Hope this helps.
Great dish! I’ve been making it for a couple years now!
Wonderful recipe!
Can I double it, if so, do the times stays the same?
Thanks!
Hi Sergio. Yes, you can double it, but note that the consistency may change slightly – mine was too liquidy when I tried, but this can also depend on how well the rice absorbs liquids. As for the time, it stays the same. Please do let me know, you give it a go!
Just tried this and it was so super easy and so incredibly yummy! I added peas at the end and the family loved it! Thanks so much for sharing it. It will become a regular for us!
Thanks so much for finding time to leave feedback, Bridgette! I am glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this and hope you try more recipes from our blog. Happy pressure cooking! :)
I have made this several times, using various meats and flavors. I have the 3qrt so cut the risotto and broth in half. It turns out excellent every time!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Helen! I hope find more recipes on our blog that you might like to try. Happy instant pot cooking! :)
LOVED IT!!! Thank you so much! My chicken bone broth came out to only 3 3/4 cups, so I added 1/4 cup of cream. Also I always swap out shallots in the place of onions, they practically disintegrated and left all that heavenly flavor. Everyone I made it for loved it, definitely going to become a regular recipe.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Lux. Hope you try some more recipes from our blog! Happy cooking!
We love this recipe! It is so easy and delicious. This was the third recipe we tried using the instant pot. It came out perfect. It has given me alot of confidence experimenting with our instant pot. Thank you.
You are welcome, Robert. Thanks for finding time to write the feedback! Happy instant pot cooking :)
We substituted frozen mixed vegetables for the mushrooms since we didn’t have any mushrooms on hand. Turned out delicious!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Martin!
I am an Indian and trying to move away from the over complicated and spicy Indian cooking, I never leave reviews because most times the recipe I tried never turned out good. But this was exceptional! Loved it. My risotto had a little bit of liquid floating on top once done – is that supposed to happen. Anyways mixing it up and adding butter, cheese and spinach and some frozen veggies soaked it all up and I was left with a creamy consistency of risotto. I have risotto only twice and do not even remember how it looked but remember it being super yummy. This was super yummy! Cant wait to try out other instant pot recipes that you post! Thanks a ton. Can I reduce the butter and cheese next time?
Hi Ekta. Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback! I hope you enjoy some more recipes from my blog. Sometimes you can experience some liquid on the surface (I’d say it’s the rice – some might absorb more water while others), but you just stir the risotto and it should be fine. It should not be dry. Happy instant pot cooking! :)
Hey Julia my insta pot doesn’t have the manual setting it does have the risotto setting should I use the risotto setting if so at what temperature?Thank you,
Renee
Hi Renee, please use the PREASURE COOKING setting with same time. I haven’t tested it with risotto setting. Hope this helps.
This is a keeper! It was very delicious. I had chicken on bone, so I’ve cut them as small as possible and cooked under pressure for 7min. Also added a splash of white wine together with chicken stock :) Kids absolutely loved it.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Martina! I am glad you and your family loved this recipe.
Made the instant pot chicken and rice risotto recipe this evening for my bf and I. Devoured it!! Very 😋 thank you for the delicious recipe!! Can’t wait to make your instant pot Guinness chicken thigh recipe. 🤤🤤
That’s so good to hear, Summer! Thanks so much for finding time to leave feedback :)
Delicious and a new fam favourite. I too added minced garlic, red and green diced capsicum with the red onion and mushrooms. Frozen peas and frozen corn too. Wow! Colourful and tasty
Sounds amazing! I am so in love with my instapot. So not a mushroom household, if subbing with red peppers as I’ve seen some others have done, would I sautés these with the onion or would that make them too mushy and I should just add them in freshly chopped with the rest of the ingredients to cook?
Hi Anna, try adding them with the rest of the ingredients to avoid overcooking. But this will also depend on their size so you might need to test is once or twice to see what works best for you. Please do let us know how it turned out for you, if you get a chance.
We are not fans of mushrooms in my house – is there another vegetable that will work? Should I alter anything if I leave the mushrooms out? I’m not a confident cook – any help is very appreciated!!
Yes, you can use frozen green peas or fresh spinach. One of our readers just stirred the frozen peas at the very end with the butter. I believe they did not change anything else in the recipe. You can do that or you can boil the peas first. Fresh spinach would also go in at the very end. Hope this helps!
So we are renting a house for a short getaway and they have an instant pot. This recipe was my first attempt at an instant pot. This recipe was so good, I now need to go buy one. Wow. So so so delicious. My family LOVED it!! Thank you so much for sharing. Everyone should make this one!
Thank you so much for your feedback and rating, Sara! Hope you enjoy cooking in IP as much as I do :)
We’re in the early stages of figuring out our instant pot, I would like to double this recipe, do you know if that changes the cook time?
Hi Amy. The pressure cooking time should stay the same.
Made this tonight and it was fantastic!! Only change was I used 2 1/2 teaspoon’s of basil and half teaspoon of rosemary!! My wife and I like rosemary, but to us can be overpowering!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for this wonderful recipe!!
You are welcome, Randy! And thank you for finding time to write the feedback!
So so good and easy! I only added more chicken and followed the rest to a T. So good! Can’t wait to make it again.
Yay! :) Thanks so much for your feedback, Tressa! Hope you try some other instant pot recipes from my blog.
I made a double batch in an 8 quart instant pot. It took a long time to get to pressure with that much liquid. The resulting risotto was a bit too thick, but that was fixed by adding a bit of water after cooking. I used smoked paprika, which worked really well.
Hi Mark. Thanks for your feedback! Yes, the more liquid in the pot the longer it takes to come to pressure, so when doubling recipes you should always count with extra time.