Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
by Chungah
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Easy no-fuss restaurant-quality mushroom risotto! A fool-proof recipe with the most perfect consistency every time. So creamy, so velvety!
Featured Comment
So freaking good. made it twice, once with the veggies and one without the peas and spinach. Will forever be on the menu as a special treat! So fast with the IP also, when you forget to make a starch it’s a perfect go-to.
Why you’ll love this instant pot mushroom risotto
- Restaurant-quality and affordable. Homemade risotto is incredibly budget-friendly, yielding restaurant-quality results (if not better) with a simple push of a button on your Instant Pot®, giving you complete control of all the ingredients.
- Ridiculously easy. This recipe is unbelievably easy – we’re talking no stirring, no babysitting, no fuss of any kind. The pressure cooker does all the heavy lifting for us.
- Fool-proof. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or it’s your first time making risotto, this is a fool-proof recipe that is impossible to mess up!
- Perfect consistency. The consistency of the risotto is simply perfect every single time – creamy, velvety, and al dente with a slight bite.
- Leftovers are even better. If you are graced with any leftovers, you can repurpose the extras into arancini (fried Italian rice balls!).
How to make mushroom risotto in the instant pot
- Sauté the aromatics. First, cook the garlic and onion in a 6-qt Instant Pot® until the onions are softened and translucent.
- Brown the mushrooms. Then really brown the mushrooms until tender with golden brown edges for a deeper, richer base.
- Toast the rice. Stir in the arborio rice until toasted.
- Pressure cook. Stir in the chicken stock and thyme, pressure cooking for 6 minutes on high with an immediate quick release to avoid overcooking the risotto.
- Add the greens. Stir in the butter, spinach, peas, and Parmesan, seasoning one last time with salt and pepper.
- Serve. Serve warm, garnished with additional Parmesan.
Pro tip
Toast the arborio rice first.
This will bring out all the rich, toasty, warm, nutty flavors in the risotto.
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto: Frequently Asked Questions
What mushrooms are best here?
Cremini, baby bella, chanterelles, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms are all great options. You can use an assortment or just one variety.
Can I use fresh herbs instead?
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. For example, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme = 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
What can I substitute for the spinach?
Arugula or shredded kale are both excellent options.
Why does my risotto look soupy?
After opening the lid, the risotto may look soupy but with a few stirs (and a little bit of rest), the residual starch will help thicken the risotto naturally to its final creaminess.
Can you halve the recipe?
Yes! I have had much success halving the recipe by halving all the ingredients except decreasing the arborio rice to 1/3 cup and decreasing the cook time to 5 minutes.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Sure! Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
Is risotto freezer-friendly?
Risotto will not hold up very well in the freezer and can result in a grainy texture when reheated.
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
Easy no-fuss restaurant-quality mushroom risotto! A fool-proof recipe with the most perfect consistency every time. So creamy, so velvety!
Video
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Melt 2 tablespoons butter; add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in arborio rice until toasted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken stock and thyme. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 6 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Stir in spinach and remaining 2 tablespoons butter until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in peas and Parmesan until heated through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Use a variety of mushrooms. This recipe uses cremini mushrooms for convenience and simplicity but feel free to substitute baby bella, chanterelles, shiitake or oyster mushrooms, using an assortment or just one variety.
- Do not rinse the rice prior to using. Typically it is recommended to rinse rice under cold water to remove any excess starch. In this case, the excess starch is essential to risotto, providing its creamy consistency. Removing the starch (washing the arborio rice) can lead to gummy risotto.
- Deglaze with a splash of wine. Add a splash of dry white wine (pinot grigio or chardonnay) to deglaze the bottom of the pot. This helps prevent the dreaded burn signal while also adding deep flavor by lifting up all the browned bits (fond) and bright acidity to the risotto.
- Freshly grated Parmesan goes a long way. Pre-packaged shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can hinder their ability to melt smoothly. Freshly grated cheese is always best, melting more smoothly and evenly, and creating a far superior creamy risotto.
- Let it rest. The risotto may look soupy initially but allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes before stirring frequently. It will thicken as it sits, transforming into restaurant-quality creaminess.
- Make it vegetarian. Vegetable stock can be used for the chicken stock.
- Stir in more stock with leftovers. When reheating leftovers, stir in more stock as needed as the rice will continue to soak up the stock.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can i sub water for broth? I don’t have any at hand
If you have bouillon cubes, you can use those to make a faux broth with water (I do it a lot)
What’s really an easy trick is to put your veggie scraps that you would throw away into a zip lock bag and put it in your freeze. When you have plenty then use it to make a veggie broth with water. I’ve done this when I’ve had no canned broth, no boullion cubes and no better than boullion jars. Works like a charm.
It is the best recipe ever! Waoo I could not believe that I did it!
I made this according to the recipe except I didn’t add peas. I’m not a fan. It came out creamy and delicious. I will make it again. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Made this for dinner last night to have alongside grilled salmon & salad. I’m new to the Insta Pot thing and totally amazed it was as quick and delicious as it was. So much faster than standing at the stove adding small amounts of broth and stirring! Thank you for the great recipe Chungah!
This recipe is out of this world – my husband is Italian, he knows his risotto and he thought this was one of the best he’s ever had – easy as anything – tastes fantastic – ready in minutes – no stirring of broth – doubled the mushrooms – used button as well and it was amazing!
I added shredded chicken to mine after the quick release and skipped the spinach. I actually forgot to add the thyme entirely but it was still amazing.
Oh, so yummy! My husband and I loved this! I also added about 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms with the broth. I used a regular pressure cooker and timed it for 8 minutes after it reached full heat as I have to have food that is not too chewy due to some medical issues.
Not even close to being done after 6 mins ….
Did you use an instant pot…or can you just not read?
No need to be rude towards someone else’s experience. Learn some manners, Bryan.
Did you use cold broth by chance? This happened to me as well because I used already opened broth from the fridge. The second time I tried I used room temp broth that I actually warmed further in the microwave and it turned out amazing! Definitely give it a second try.
This was delish as is all of your recipes.
Question- I want to make this later this week again but only have stock and not chicken broth. Trying to not go out of the hosue just for that as I have everything else. CAn I substitute that?
chicken stock, chicken broth, water with bullion, are all good to use
Thank you so much for this recipe I always wanted to make risotto but was too lazy to be stirring and stirring…. didn’t have any spinach but it turned out fabulous and I will be making this a lot.
I LOVE Risotto, and like you say, will pay a lot in a restaurant, but never quite got it right at home. This is a game changer! We are now locked in quarantine and bored with cooking every day. But this uses easy ingredients (still able to get mushrooms, but I have some frozen just in case). Rice a bit more tricky. Yesterday I added Chard from the garden as my spinach is not quite ready, and that worked well too. My fussy husband loves this recipe too. Well done! Two of us finished the whole portion, so can’t quite see it as 6 portions. Have now made it 5 times already, and will experiment with adding different greens. I also add dried mushrooms that I ‘powder’ in the Vitamix. Never quite liked reconstituted dried mushrooms, as they always end up chewy, but this gives it that extra flavor.
This was a delish recipe! I doubled it & made it pretty much as-is, including cook time. I did miss quick-releasing it by a few minutes, but it is excellent!!
Sooo good and easy to make! I subbed vegan butter + parmesan and veggie broth, and added a splash of kelp-flavored soy sauce at the end. It came out perfect! Thank you for the recipe!
Very good. Added fresh broccoli florets and 1/4 C white wine with rice and chicken broth, and pressure cooked for 7 minutes. Did not add peas or spinach. Will definitely make again, adding chicken perhaps! Delicious!
GENIUS recipe and so adaptable. We all loved it. I have one child that doesn’t like mushrooms so I added 2/3 C. blanched green beans and asparagus along with peas at the end. Also added the juice and zest of 1/4 lemon. SO YUMMY!!
Made this with some mushrooms I needed to use up. Delicious. I added 1/2 cup of white wine and I did let it NPR for around 8 minutes. Only because I don’t like, chewy rice. Easy pesy.
I just made this risotto. So creamy and delicious. Bonus that it was filled with veggie goodness and it was super easy to make. It was a hit with my teenage boys. Thanks!
I did this wonderful recipe multiples times and was wondering if you would suggest freezing? Thanks!
Outstanding! Thank you so much. I love your recipes
We thought this was excellent…. now I want to use shrimp and would like to know how to use fresh or frozen shrimp. Do I put in with mushrooms if frozen or add wth spinach defrosted at end…
I’m new to Instapot and am amazed how well things turn out… thanks for this recipe!
We add shrimp every time BUT we cook raw shrimp separately and add when risotto is done. Most Likely it would overcook the shrimp.