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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Delish! Easy to make and a favorite at our house. So.etimes I’ve added spinach at the very end, just wilted in, or asparagus that I blanch and at at the very end. Don’t pressure cook spinach or asparagus because they will be total mush. I also declare the pan with wine for a depth of flavor.
This recipe tasted amazing and was so quick to prepare. Thanks so much!
Never made risotto, but this was delicious and crazy easy. Didn’t have spinach, but it was great even without it.
Will absolutely be making this every week!
I make this on a weekly basis. My husband loves mushrooms and looks forward to this dish every Wednesday. I use one large shallot and 1/3 cup of white wine. Those are the only changes I make and it comes out perfectly every time. The depth of flavor is insane for such a quick process. I’ll never make risotto on the stove again!
This is amazing, and so easy to make. I shared this recipe with a friend, and she had the same reaction. I’m making it again tonight!!
Excellent, and fast. We substituted kale for spinach, and served with poached eggs, delicious!
Never felt confident enough to make risotto due to some unfortunate past disasters with simple rice, but with my Instant Pot I finally found this recipe and read through the reviews. Loved the small tweaks everybody shared and followed a few based on my personal preference.
You guys were right! It turned out fantastic. From textures and flavors, to how easy it was, this recipe is a new staple in my home.
Easy and yummy. My picky husband said I can make this anytime. Thx!
This is perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m so happy to find one that allows me to make PERFECT risotto without having to spend so much time on it.
I am so glad I found this recipe. I love risotto but I used to dread coming back from work and stirring for 45 minutes. So I would never make it. This was really delicious. I did put a little bit more cheese and deglazed with white wine. Thank you!
Delish! It really does work! I deglazed with a bit of white wine and added twice as much parmesan. Also sautéed mushrooms first, then took out and stirred back in at the end. I think the texture is better that way and it still had a ton of mushroom flavor from all being done in the same pot. This is gonna be my go to!
Great Recipe. Subbed Kale for spinach and added 1 minute to cook time. But absolutely fool proof.
So quick, easy, and delicious!!! I forgot to thaw out my peas 1st, but didn’t mind the extra crunch haha.
This recipe will definitely be on my regular rotation, yum!
I love this recipe. I have recently acquired some dried mushrooms. How might you change the recipe to use these?
I have used dried mushrooms in risotto to give more mushroom flavor IN ADDITION to fresh mushrooms. What I did, was pulverize the dried mushrooms in my food processor, to make a powder. I add it to the risotto along with the sautéed fresh mushrooms, and it intensifies the mushroom flavor.
I’ve made this a few times now! So easy. I reduced the cooking time to 5 minutes so the rice is more al dente and add a drizzle of truffle oil.
I have made this recipe countless times, and consider it to be a “go to” when looking to impress foodies/lucky dinner guests. As written, it is literally risotto perfection, but I usually up the cooking time to 8 minutes to suite our own particular tastes. Even without the spinach and peas, it is quite delectable…but, it is definitely worth the time to add those ingredients if one is able to do so.
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this.
We have made this so many times and love it! I usually double the parm and sometimes swap out the peas and spinach for asparagus.
So delicious! Great recipe 🙂
My first ever risotto in my brand new instant pot. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was absolutely delicious, thank you! ( I didn’t have any spinach and used garlic and herb broth)
Know what else would be a game changer? A “jump to recipe button” . Great recipe though
It’s amazing to me, with comments such as yours, that people still put in the time & effort to share fantastic recipes on various internet sites/blogs.
With a “thank you” such as this, I can only imagine what a pleasure you must be to those around you….♂️
Very easy, and so yummy!! SO is a happy camper. Risotto is one of his favorite things, and now he can have it much more frequently.
Like others, I put the arborio in after the butter, onion and garlic to coat the grains. Then, mushrooms 1/2 c white wine and 1-1/2 c broth. Didn’t have spinach or peas. Next time. It was still darn good eating! Thanks for making risotto accessible to the average home cook.
This is SO GOOD! I was skeptical but willing to give it a try even though I know how to stir and stir and stir to make an excellent risotto. And then I wondered if it would reheat well enough for the next day lunch. This did not disappoint! I added some shredded chicken for the lunch with a splash of chicken stock to reheat in the cafeteria microwave and it was wonderful!
Arborio rice wasn’t available at either grocery store today, so I made this with our regular short grain brown rice. We also doubled the recipe, and subbed kale and veg broth. Followed recipe otherwise, but cooked for 23 minutes instead of 6, them did quick release. Rice was perfect – al dente but still soft and creamy. Kids approved too! Saving to make again.