The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (2024)

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The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (1)

4.94 from 15 votes

This is the BEST risotto recipe ever, and it's my most requested dish from family and friends. Rich and creamy, it reminds me of the risotto we've eaten in Italy but made easily in your very own kitchen. With plenty of freshly grated parmesan, a pinch of saffron if you have it, and enriched with some dry white wine, this risotto is the perfect accompaniment to chicken, salmon, or shrimp, or as a standalone dish to wow!

6 servings

Ingredients

  • 5 cups chicken stock plus more if needed
  • 1 pinch saffron threads optional, see Notes
  • 5 tablespoons butter softened, divided
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups risotto rice see Notes
  • ½ cup dry white wine or water
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese room temperature, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Equipment

Instructions

  • In large saucepan, bring chicken stock to boil, then reduce to low simmer. Transfer 1 ladle of stock to small bowl. Add saffron threads and set aside while saffron infuses.

    The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (2)

  • Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in second saucepan over high heat. Once butter begins to foam, add onions and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. After 2 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Note: cook only until onions and garlic are softened, not browned!

    The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (3)

  • Add rice to saucepan with onions and stir until grains begin to swell and burst. Add white wine to deglaze pan, being sure to scrape any browned or stuck bits from bottom of saucepan. Let simmer until liquid is mostly reduced.

  • Once liquid is mostly reduced, stir in 1 to 2 ladles of stock, all of saffron-infused stock, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir constantly over low heat until liquid has been fully absorbed.

    The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (4)

  • Continue adding stock in small increments, letting the rice absorb the liquid completely before adding more. Stir constantly and taste frequently, until all stock has been added and absorbed. After about 20 to 25 minutes, rice should be just tender (not mushy!) and risotto should be golden and creamy.

    The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (5)

  • Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in ⅔ cup of parmesan cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Mix until butter has melted completely. Taste and season as needed, then transfer to serving plates or bowls, top with remaining parmesan cheese, and serve hot.

    The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (6)

Notes

  • Saffron: The saffron is optional, but highly, highly encouraged! It gives the risotto a rich flavor and a gorgeous golden color. A “pinch” of saffron threads could be anywhere from 5 threads to 50, just depending on your personal tastes. A little goes a long way, so I recommend using 5-10 to avoid overpowering the rest of the dish.
  • Risotto Rice: Arborio rice is the most common rice for risotto, but you could also use a short-grain sticky rice. Also, don’t rinse the rice before cooking it. You want that starch to make the risotto creamy.
  • Make sure the chicken broth stays warm the whole time. If you add cool broth to the rice, you’ll stop the cooking process with each ladle.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1serving, Calories: 370kcal, Protein: 13g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 1165mg, Potassium: 235mg, Total Carbs: 44g, Fiber: 2g, Net Carbs: 42g, Vitamin A: 422IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 218mg, Iron: 3mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

The Best EVER Risotto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good risotto? ›

Always use warm stock.

Warming the broth before adding it to the warm rice coaxes more starch out of each grain of rice and helps prevent it from overcooking. Cool broth takes longer to warm up in the risotto pan and may shock the grain into holding onto its starches while the rice itself continues to cook.

What is the secret ingredient in risotto? ›

Use Salted Water Instead of Broth in Risotto

It's an ingenious tip on many levels.

What is Gordon Ramsay's recipe for risotto? ›

ingredients
  1. 1 large shallot, chopped finely.
  2. 4 tablespoons olive oil.
  3. 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced.
  4. 10 ounces arborio rice.
  5. 12 cup dry white wine.
  6. 4 cups low sodium chicken broth.
  7. 8 ounces plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely chopped.
  8. 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped.

What is the most famous risotto? ›

A bit later in Milan, the most famous risotto dish, Risotto alla Milanese, was created. It was suffused with saffron, like paella. The year was 1829 and the name Risotto alla Milanese appears for the first time in the recipe book Nuovo Cuoco Milanese Economico.

How do restaurants make risotto so creamy? ›

Risotto technique: cook a starchy ingredient slowly, adding liquid bit by bit and stirring. Aim: pull starch out for creaminess. What is the secret to best risotto?

Is it better to make risotto with butter or olive oil? ›

According to Salvatore, it all depends on the ingredients. The chef prefers oil over butter (and oil works particularly well with seafood risottos), but butter is better for vegetable-based dishes like Rampoldi's black truffle with mushroom or mixed vegetable and ginger risotto.

What to add to risotto to make it taste better? ›

A sprinkle of parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper adds the finishing touch. From intimate gatherings to lavish dinner parties, this savory dish promises to soothe, satisfy, and impress at the same time!

Why do you put vinegar in risotto? ›

If you are able to get white wine vinegar then you can add a tablespoon of this to the rice and let it boil away before adding any stock and this will often give some of the flavour of wine, whilst reducing the alcohol content.

Why add cider vinegar to risotto? ›

Add a teaspoon of vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar both work) to the cooking liquid of your pot of rice. The acid of the vinegar is thought to break down more of the starches inside the rice, helping each grain of rice absorb more liquid. How is risotto commonly made?

What is a perfect risotto? ›

Never wash your rice beforehand as this removes the starch, which is what helps give risotto its smooth texture. Cook your risotto on a low, simmering heat and add the stock gradually, one ladle at a time. This gives the rice time to fully absorb the liquid and flavours. Rushing your risotto will only ruin its texture.

How do chefs cook risotto so quickly? ›

The key is to spread the rice out into a thin, uniform layer so that it cools rapidly and evenly. Giving it a few gentle stirs as it starts to cool can hasten the process. *If you're cooking your risotto in a pressure cooker, just cut the cooking time down by about 25%, and leave out the last spoonful of liquid.

What is the king of risotto rice? ›

Often called the "king of Italian rice," carnaroli from Riso Buono is the risotto variety of choice for cooks in the know. With a higher starch content and firmer texture than the arborio you may see at the grocery store, this rice makes an ultra-creamy, restaurant-quality risotto that's almost impossible to overcook.

What is the best broth for risotto? ›

I prefer the flavor of chicken broth or stock in risotto. If you're vegetarian, vegetable broth or stock will be just fine. I use regular broth for this recipe and not low-sodium, if you use low sodium just be sure to taste test and add more salt at the end as needed. Parmesan cheese.

Do you have to stir risotto constantly? ›

With the right cooking temperature, the rice will naturally move around in the pot. As such, when cooking risotto on a stovetop, you only need to quickly stir it every 30 minutes so that the rice doesn't stick. One of the most surefire ways to ruin risotto is by overcooking it.

What can I add to risotto to make it taste better? ›

A sprinkle of parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper adds the finishing touch. From intimate gatherings to lavish dinner parties, this savory dish promises to soothe, satisfy, and impress at the same time!

What are the rules when preparing risotto? ›

Risotto rules: how to cook the perfect risotto
  1. Choose the right rice. There are different types of traditional risotto rice. ...
  2. 2. ... and the right amount. ...
  3. Use hot stock. ...
  4. Measure your stock. ...
  5. Add your stock little and often. ...
  6. Let it rest. ...
  7. Leave a little bite. ...
  8. Consistency is key.

How do restaurants get risotto so fast? ›

In his post, López-Alt writes that the speediness of restaurant risotto boils down to the fact that chefs “par-cook it to around 75 per cent done then cool it rapidly by spreading it in a thin layer on a sheet tray and refrigerating it”.

References

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