How To Make Perfect 15-Minute Risotto in a Pressure Cooker

Risotto is one of those delicious dishes that not enough people make at home because it has a reputation for being fussy and time-consuming. If you make it the traditional way, you have to spend about 20 to 30 minutes at the stove, all of it hands-on time as you stir and add stock, stir and add stock, stir and add stock.

What about a delicious, creamy risotto in about 12 to 15 minutes that includes some precious hands-off time? If that interests you, then you’ll want to try making risotto in a pressure cooker! Get this recipe, Risotto alla Milanese, which is simply flavored with onions (or shallots), saffron, and Parmesan cheese, and cooked in a pressure cooker.

The pressure cooker method begins just like the traditional method with sautéing the onions and toasting the rice. After spending about five to six minutes on this, things will take a very different turn.

First, all of the liquid is added at once, then the lid of the pressure cooker is snapped on and the pot is brought to high pressure. (Hint: If you heat the stock while you sauté the rice, it should come to pressure in about two minutes, if not less.) Pressure cook for six minutes and quick release by either running the pot under cold water or pressing the quick release valve. In the final minute or two, we are back in traditional mode when we stir in butter, Parmesan, or any herbs as a final seasoning.

One of the challenges with pressure cooking is that you are not able to keep an eye on things and adjust the timing while your food is cooking. Everything is locked in tight behind the heavy duty lid and there’s no peeking allowed! Because there are so many variables in risotto (such as the quality of the rice, how dry it is, the way your pressure cooker functions, and so on), I only pressure cook it for six minutes — a minute less than most recipes. That way, I can do some final tinkering if needed and I don’t have to worry about overcooking the rice.

If the rice is a little undercooked or too soupy, it only takes a minute or two of further cooking and stirring with the lid off to bring it to the right consistency. Keep the flame at medium and stir until it is just a tad too soupy (the rice will continue to absorb liquid as you add the final touches and plate it).

If the rice has absorbed all the liquid and has separated into dry, individual grains, add some more stock or water. Stir over medium heat until it is just a little soupy, but has started to bind together in a creamy emulsion. Then add the final touches and plate.

Classically, risotto is finished with a knob of butter and Parmesan cheese just before serving (mantecato). This is an important step to add a final note of creaminess and flavor. This is also a good time to add in fresh herbs, if using.

The recipe below is basically a Risotto alla Milanese, which is simply flavored with onions (or shallots), saffron, and Parmesan. This simplicity is a big part of its charm and specialness. However, if you are interested in adding vegetables to your pressure cooker risotto, I have to warn you that it can get a little tricky. If they are already cooked, then stirring them in the end during the final touches stage is easy. But if you want to cook the vegetables along with the rice and stock, then you have consider the vegetables as liquid since they are often 95% water. Laura Pazzaglia over at Hip Pressure Cooking has a great method for figuring this out.

→ Pressure Cooker Risotto in 7 minutes! Basic Recipe with 7 Classic Italian Variations at Hip Pressure Cooking

I recommend doing a simple, non-vegetable risotto like this one first so you have the basic method under your belt before adding the complexity of vegetables (or even proteins such as shrimp or chicken). That said, stirring in defrosted frozen peas at the mantecato stage of this recipe is a delicious variation!