Creamy Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Risotto

Use the Instant Pot to make a quick creamy lemon Parmesan risotto for a perfect side dish to any meal ready in under an hour.

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t’s been fun to learn the best way to use the instant pot. I’ve made a little bit of everything in there lately, other than dessert. A pressure cooker is a great way to make food since it cuts the cooking process almost in half or more for most recipes. 

The first time I took it out of the box, I was surprised to see it had so many settings. For this risotto rice recipe, you’ll use the saute option and the pressure cook option. 

Lemon Parmesan Risotto Serving Suggestions

This creamy lemon risotto recipe is the perfect side dish for so many main course recipes. My first thought is to pair it with seafood since lemon goes so well with most fish and shellfish. It works especially well if you cook your main dish with fresh lemon juice or lemon peel. 

You can also make this with other meats, such as grilled chicken breast for a lighter meal. 

Simple Ingredients

Olive Oil

I prefer to cook with extra-virgin olive oil because we like the taste it gives to our food. You could also use other light oils such as avocado oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, or canola oil. 

Pearl Onions

We like the taste of the small pearl onions for this recipe. If you can’t find those, you could substitute it with some shallots, white onion, cocktail onions, or leek. 

Arborio Rice

The kind of rice you use will make a big difference in your instant pot risotto. You want to use a short-grain rice or rice substitute. We were able to easily find the arborio rice with the other rice at our local grocery store. The best substitute would be carnaroli rice. If you can’t find those, you could also make it with orzo pasta, although that’s not rice so will change your dish a little bit. 

White Cooking Wine

Bottled white cooking wine can usually be found near the oil in most grocery stores, or on the baking aisle. If you can’t find cooking wine, you can also purchase a dry white wine to use for the dish. 

Chicken Stock

While chicken stock adds the most flavor to this creamy risotto, you could make this a vegetarian meal and substitute it with vegetable stock. Another option is chicken broth or vegetable broth. The hot broth is what gives the creamy texture to this risotto dish, so make sure you use the correct amount. 

Lemons

The best lemons are used fresh. Make sure you zest your lemon before you juice it to make it easier. If you can’t get fresh lemons, then the store-bought lemon zest and lemon juice will do. One lemon usually makes about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice. 

Parmesan Cheese

Freshly grated parmesan cheese will give the most flavor to your instant pot lemon risotto. You can use the grated cheese from a container, but it won’t have as much flavor. If you need a substitute for the parmesan cheese, I suggest pecorino, halloumi, or feta cheese for the closest flavor. You want something that will melt easily and mix into the finished dish. 

Salt

​The salt is optional, and will usually depend on how salty your stock or broth is. When I get the low-sodium salt, sometimes it needs that little bit more flavor to season risotto recipes and others. 

Lemon Parmesan Risotto Step by Step

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 pearl onions, minced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation

Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the olive oil.

Once warm, add the minced onions and cook until softened.

Pour in the arborio rice and mix until the rice absorbs the oil.

Stir in the white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, zest and juice the lemons.

Add the chicken stock, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Cover and set to high pressure for 6 minutes.

Manually release the pressure, open, and stir in the parmesan cheese and salt.

Serve immediately.

Lemon Parmesan Risotto Leftovers

Storage: Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat the risotto is in a medium saucepan over medium heat. If it’s too dry, add a bit of chicken stock, a tablespoon of olive oil, or 2 tablespoons butter to loosen it up. 

Freezing: If you want to freeze leftover risotto, place it in a freezer-safe container and label it with the date. Risotto will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw by placing it in the refrigerator overnight. Do not let it come to room temperature before cooking to reduce the risk of bacterial growth. 

Recipe

Creamy Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Risotto

Use the Instant Pot to make a quick creamy lemon Parmesan risotto for a perfect side dish to any meal ready in under an hour.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Course:

Side Dish

Cuisine:

American

Diet

Vegetarian

Keyword:

instant pot

|

lemon

|

parmesan

|

rice

|

risotto

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Gluten-Free

Cooking Method:

Instant Pot

Servings: 8

5 from 12 votes

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 pearl onions (minced)
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Recommended Equipment

• Instant Pot

Instructions

• Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the olive oil
• Once warm, add the minced onions and cook until softened
• Pour in the arborio rice and mix until the rice absorbs the oil
• Stir in the white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes
• Meanwhile, zest and juice the lemons
• Add the chicken stock, lemon zest, and lemon juice
• Cover and set to high pressure for 6 minutes
• Manually release the pressure, open, and stir in the parmesan cheese and salt
• Serve immediately

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Nutrition Facts

Creamy Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Risotto

Amount Per Serving (0.5 cups)

Calories 308 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Sodium 420mg18%

Potassium 229mg7%

Carbohydrates 48g16%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 59IU1%

Vitamin C 15mg18%

Calcium 90mg9%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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