Easy Risotto Recipe

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This easy risotto recipe is creamy, comforting and flavorful, and tastes delicious and made with or without white wine. Learn how to make risotto at home in 40 minutes that is just as delicious as your favorite Italian restaurant.

a bowl of risotto topped with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper

I’ve always been slightly intimated by risotto. I think of it as a “designer” Italian side dish, slightly elevated above the rest.

Well, this easy risotto recipe delivers designer results with discount prices, if you know what I mean. It’s simple to make in 40 minutes with only 6 ingredients. And the end product is purely delicious – a rich and creamy, flavorful dish that will give your favorite Italian restaurant a run for it’s money.

Plus, I created this recipe to be made with or without wine, so if you find yourself feeding people who don’t love the taste of wine (like 6 cute little kids), you can easily make this risotto without wine.

a fork in a bowl of risotto

Risotto Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead photo of the labeled ingredients in this Easy Risotto Recipe
  • Chicken broth. You can replace up to ยฝ cup of the chicken broth with dry, white wine for a more authentic flavor. See recipe for instructions on how to do this.
  • Salted Butter. unsalted butter works well too.
  • Onion. I suggest a sweet white or yellow onion.
  • Arborio Rice. There is no substitution for this rice.
  • Parmesan Cheese. you can substitute up to half of the parmesan cheese for grated Romano cheese if you’d like.
a bowl of risotto with a fork topped with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper

How to Make Risotto

We’ll walk through this risotto recipe step-by-step. Don’t forget to watch the video!

Begin by brining the chicken broth to a simmer in a 5-quart saucepan. Once simmering, reduce heat and keep simmering while you cook the rice.

broth in a pot simmering to make this risotto recipe

Then, in a separate saucepan or dutch oven, melt 3 Tablespoons of butter with onion, and garlic over medium heat and cook until the onion just starts to soften โ€“ about 3 minutes.

two photos showing how to make risotto -  cooking butter, onion and garlic

Once the onion is soft, add the rice and stir to coat.

two photos showing how to make risotto - adding rice

Then, add ยฝ cup broth and cook over medium-low heat until mostly absorbed (takes about 3 minutes). Or – add ยฝ cup dry white whine instead of broth in this step only.

two photos showing how to make risotto - adding broth to rice in a stockpot

Stir to ensure broth is absorbed, then add additional ยฝ cup broth and cook without stirring until liquid looks mostly absorbed.

two photos showing how to make risotto - adding more broth

Repeat until the broth is used and rice is cooked (about 25 minutes)

two photos showing how to make risotto - adding more broth
two photos showing how to make risotto - adding more broth

Turn off the heat and add sea salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter and stir until combined and creamy. 

two photos showing how to make risotto - adding butter, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese

Serve

Serve garnished with fresh parsley (if desired for a pop of color), a dash of salt and pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I suggest serving this easy risotto recipe alongside your favorite Italian recipes:

a spoon taking a scoop of risotto in a bowl

Store/Freeze

Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat, covered, in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.

up close photo of a fork taking a bite of risotto in a bowl

Risotto Recipe FAQS

What is the trick to making good risotto?

Here are my tips for the perfect risotto:
1) Patience – don’t rush the cook time, let the broth/wine slowly absorb into the rice.
2) Don’t rinse the rice! In doing so, you remove the starch that is so important to the creamy outcome of the recipe.

What is the secret ingredient in risotto?

For some, it’s wine. For our family, it’s parmesan cheese and plenty of butter.

Do you use stock or broth for risotto?

Either one works well in this rcipe.

What not to do when making risotto?

When making this recipe, do not:
Use the wrong rice (only use arborio rice).
Rinse rice with water.
Use oil instead of butter.
Toast the rice too long.
Cook the rice over high heat (low and slow is the way to go).
Cook the rice too fast.
Over-stir the mixture.
Add final ingredients over heat.

Do you rinse risotto rice before cooking?

No. Never rinse the rice before cooking. It washes away the starch, which imparts the creamy texture in the rice.

What makes risotto creamy?

The this risotto is extra creamy because of the starch from the rice, butter, and cheese.

a bowl of this Easy Risotto Recipe with a fork

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Easy Risotto Recipe

Laura
This easy risotto recipe is creamy, comforting and flavorful, and tastes delicious and made with or without white wine. Learn howto make risotto at home in 40 minutes that is just as delicious as your favorite Italian restaurant.
5 from 3 votes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 203
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a 5-quart saucepan. Reduce heat and keep simmering.
  • Melt 3 Tablespoons butter with onion, and garlic in a 5 quart saucepan over medium heat and cook until the onion just starts to soften โ€“ about 3 minutes.
  • Then add rice and stir to coat.
  • Add ยฝ cup broth and cook over medium-low heat until mostly absorbed (takes about 3 minutes). (If using white wine, replace the chicken broth in this step only with ยฝ cup dry white wine).
  • Stir to ensure broth (or wine) is absorbed, then add additional ยฝ cup broth and cook without stirring until liquid looks mostly absorbed. Repeat until the broth is used and rice is cooked (about 25 minutes)
  • Turn off the heat and add sea salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and remaining 1 TBS butter and stir until combined and creamy.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitution Notes
  • Chicken broth. You can replace up to ยฝ cup of the chicken broth with dry, white wine for a more authentic flavor. See recipe for instructions on how to do this.
  • Salted Butter. unsalted butter works well too.
  • Onion. I suggest a sweet white or yellow onion.
  • Arborio Rice. There is no substitution for this rice.
  • Parmesan Cheese. you can substitute up to half of the parmesan cheese for grated Romano cheese if you’d like.
Store/freeze
Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheat, covered, in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 755mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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