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 broth (perfect for small portions) 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 broth for vegetable broth.
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 broth
- 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 broth 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 broth can be used for the chicken broth.
- Stir in more stock with leftovers. When reheating leftovers, stir in more broth as needed as the rice will continue to soak up the broth.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was so delicious! I love risotto, but as a mom of littles, I don’t have much time to cook. This came out perfectly and was even husband approved! I was out of chicken broth so I used Better Than Bouillon and it worked great.
Prepared this today for the first time:wife and I both loved it.Have enough Arborio rice on hand for about three more batches. Every bit as easy as claimed. Only thing I did differently was deglaze the pot with a bit of white wine after onions and garlic were sauteed. Definitely a 5-star result. Thanks.
Can o double this recipe
I made it exactly as in the recipe. Amazingly tasty! Quick and easy! I will make this again.
One of the highest reward for effort recipes I have at my disposal thanks to you…..!!
This is probably my most used Instant Pot recipe.
I have wowed a high level restaurant chef with this….and a multi-generational family favourite too 🙂
Does this recipe yield 6 main dish servings or 6 side dish servings?
6 entree-sized servings. Although quite filling.
This is the easiest and best risotto we’ve ever had. My entire family loves it!
Did it with first time using my instant pot and making risotto
Very easy and very good!
Love this. I make it at least twice a month. It also makes great leftovers for work the next day.
This is fail proof!! We have made it so many times and folks can’t believe its an instant pot recipe! Thank you
Made this tonight and it’s only the fourth time I’d used my new Instantpot. Really happy with how it turned out, thank you. I did add some lemon juice along with the parmesan etc at the end and it was great.
Excellent recipe ! Was super easy. I had some leftover grilled shrimp that I added to it. You can easily eat it as is or add some sort of protein.
Thanks for such a delicious and easy to do recipe for risotto! Tonight I could finally make use of the bag of risotto that had been sitting in my pantry for ages! I used a mix of different mushrooms and added celery and ham too, because I didn’t have spinach and enough mushrooms. It was delicious and the technique is so versatile for whichever ingredients you have on hand.
BTW I do not have an Instapot and just used my pressure cooker. Worked beautifully too.
So amazingly simple even I could do it. I’ve made this recipe several times and I serve it with roasted asparagus and each time it’s absolutely perfect. Tonight I’m doubling the stock and rice and suddenly don’t know if I have to also lengthen the cook time — we will see!
Sooooo simple & sooooo good. I used vegetable stock and dbl’d the mushrooms with no peas or spinach and it was esquisite. A definate recipe to do over and over again. Yummmm!
Fantastic recipe. I’ve used it countless times. My modifications are… double the garlic and parm, at least!
Delicious!!! I’ve never tried to make risotto before in any way, but this looked good, and was dang good!!! Super simple to make. Didn’t have crimini mushrooms, so just used your run of the mill sliced mushrooms from the produce section.
This is one of my absolute favorite and go-to recipes. I make this almost weekly! It’s so easy to make and it really makes a delicious risotto without any burning (something other instapot rice recipes sometimes struggle with)! I do always add a side of protein and salmon is my favorite to have with this dish. Also my partner is mildly allergic to mushrooms, so I sautee those in a separate pan and add just to my portion after cooking and it’s just as good. If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favor and try this recipe!
Delicioso! Made some mods to up the veggies and lower the calories. I didn’t use water and instead used just a bit of water. I also added a minced celery and upped the spinach. It was really delightful and will definitely make again.