The Perfect Risotto Recipe for Beginners (2024)

The best, creamiest risotto requires some patience but it's easy to get down pat.

Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.

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Updated on 02/8/24

Tested by

Victoria Heydt

Tested byVictoria Heydt

Victoria Heydt is a food photographer, stylist, and the Editorial Director for The Spruce Eats. An Institute of Culinary Education grad, she also develops and tests recipes.

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Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Yield: 3to 4 cups

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Is there anything more luxurious than a creamy dish of risotto?This traditional Italian rice dishis madefrom a short-grained, starchy variety of rice called Arborio rice, and it's wonderful as a first course or gussied up with vegetables and other ingredients to make a full meal.

The Perfect Risotto Recipe for Beginners (3)

What Should Cooked Risotto Look Like?

A properly cooked risotto should form a soft, creamy mound on a dinner plate or in a bowl—it shouldn't be runny, nor should it be stiff or gluey. While not difficult, some essential tips will help you make restaurant-worthy risotto at home.

Learn the Risotto Method

This basic risotto recipe is made with Arborio rice, butter, fragrant sautéed shallots or onions, dry vermouth or white wine, chicken stock, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. It's a perfect recipe to start with if you've never made risotto before.

Risotto takes a while to cook properly, and it requires your attention as well as your time. For upward of 20 minutes, you have one job and one job only: Add hot stock a ladleful at a time to the rice and cook slowly, stirring often, until the stock is absorbed.The technique, which is called the risotto method, releases the rice's starches, producing a creamy, velvety dish.

Can I Use Another Kind of Rice?

Arborio rice is the traditional choice for risotto, and it's readily available in grocery stores and online. This medium-grain, high-starch rice becomes fantastically creamy when cooked, making it ideal for risotto.

The best Arborio substitutes are Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. Both high-starch rice varieties are commonly used in Italian kitchens for risotto. Farro and sushi rice will work in a pinch, but avoid long-grain rice, such as jasmine and basmati because they won't become creamy when cooked.

Why Restaurants Don't Use This Traditional Risotto Method

What's interesting about the risotto method is that it's so time- and labor-intensive that most restaurants don't use it. It would take too long to make, and patrons don't like waiting half an hour to be served. Plus, Arborio rice will turn glutinous and sticky if held too long, so many restaurants don't make a true risotto. Instead, restaurants use an alternate method that involves parcooking the rice and finishing it at the last minute.

How to Serve Risotto

Risotto is best served warm—it's even better if you serve it in heated bowls or plates. It can be a side dish to a meat or fish entrée and is often served in restaurants as the first course. Once you perfect a basic risotto, you can try a variety of risotto recipes that include vegetables and proteins, such as lobster and chicken. Serve the risotto with a salad or cooked vegetables and Italian bread.

Tips for Making Really Good Risotto

Timing is key to a perfect risotto—When you add a ladle of broth to the risotto, make sure that you wait until the rice has almost completely absorbed the liquid and the pot is nearly dry before you add the next ladle. Rushing the process will result in rice that may be mushy on the outside and crunchy on the inside.
Stir, but not nonstop—Although many risotto recipes say to stir constantly, this can change the texture of the rice and make it gluey. After adding a ladle of hot stock, stir every once in a while to incorporate the liquid and keep the rice from sticking to the pot and scorching.
Water can stand in for stock in a pinch—If you run out of stock and the risotto is still crunchy, finish cooking it with hot water. Add the water a ladle at a time (just like you did with the stock), stirring often until it's absorbed.

"Classic, relatively inexpensive, and easy to make, this creamy risotto recipe is on point. The result feels lavish, without having to go to an upscale restaurant. Once you get the method down pat, you can customize to your liking. I made this dish several times because I enjoyed it so much." —Victoria Heydt

The Perfect Risotto Recipe for Beginners (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

4 cups (1 quart) chicken stock
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 mediumchopped shallot or onion, about 1/2 cup
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry vermouth, or dry white wine
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
Fine salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 4 cups chicken stock to a simmer. Lower the heat to low so the stock stays hot while you cook the risotto.
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In a large, heavy-duty saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoonunsalted butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add 1 medium chopped shallot or onion. Sauté until slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice to the pot and stir it briskly with a wooden spoon so that the grains are coated with the oil and melted butter. Sauté until there is a slightly nutty aroma, about 1 minute. Don't brown the rice.
Add 1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine, and cook while stirring continuously, until the liquid is fully absorbed.
Add a ladle of hot chicken stock to the rice and stir often, until the liquid is fully absorbed. When the rice appears almost dry, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process.
Continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, until the grains are tender but still al dente without being crunchy, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter, 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve in warm bowls and enjoy.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Make it a meal—Turn this risotto recipe into a main dish by adding cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, or sautéed mushrooms during the last step.
Switch up the cheese—Change the flavor of the dish by swapping out the Parmesan for Pecorino Romano, mozzarella, fontina, or Gruyère.
Swap the stock—Try a different stock or broth like vegetable broth, and bone broth.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover risotto should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within two days. It does not freeze well.
To reheat on the stovetop, start with 1/4 cup of chicken stock or water per 1 cup of risotto. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the risotto, stirring often until it's heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add another splash of liquid if the mixture is still too thick.
To reheat in the microwave, add 1 tablespoon of butter and a splash of white wine or water to the risotto. Microwave on medium-high, stirring after 1-minute intervals, until the risotto is to the desired temperature and texture. Add more liquid and continue to microwave if the mixture is still too thick.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
363	Calories
17g	Fat
35g	Carbs
10g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	363
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g	22%
Saturated Fat 7g	37%
Cholesterol 35mg	12%
Sodium 607mg	26%
Total Carbohydrate 35g	13%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 3mg	13%
Calcium 72mg	6%
Iron 2mg	10%
Potassium 354mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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FAQs

What is the trick to making 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.

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What is the proper risotto making sequence? ›

Instructions

Warm your broth. ...
Sweat the shallot. ...
Toast the rice. ...
Deglaze the pan with wine. ...
Slowly add the broth in increments, stirring in between. ...
Continue adding broth until the rice is al dente and the broth is creamy. ...
Finishing and serving the risotto.

Read On ›

What are the 4 stages of cooking risotto? ›

The Steps to Making Risotto

Saute Aromatics. You can start risotto with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, etc. ...
Toast the Rice. Now that your aromatics are starting to pick up some color (or not if you decide to skip them), add your rice. ...
Cook the Rice. This is where things may get controversial. ...
Add Your Finishing Touches.

Aug 15, 2021

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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?

Get More Info Here ›

What thickens risotto? ›

Rice contains two molecules that make up its starch content, amylose, and amylopectin. Generally speaking, rices with a higher proportion of amylopectin to amylose will tend to soften more completely and thicken their sauce more strongly.

View Details ›

Should you constantly stir risotto? ›

"Don't stress about constantly stirring risotto," Salvatore says. "It's much better to stir once every 30 seconds and trust the cooking process to do its thing." Over-stirring is one way to quickly ruin a risotto's texture.

Read The Full Story ›

When to add butter to risotto? ›

Remove the pan from the heat, add 1 knob of butter and the Parmesan, then stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes – this is the most important part of making the perfect risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be.

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What is Gordon Ramsay's recipe for risotto? ›

ingredients

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

More items...

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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.

Is risotto better with broth or stock? ›

Stock and broth are equally great for thinning out sauces, making risotto, or as a base for quick soups. Broth is better for consuming as is because it has seasoning that makes it tastier on its own. Broth may be preferred as a flavor enhancer for cooking plain white rice or grains.

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What makes risotto creamy? ›

Yes, the foundational creaminess of well-made risotto should come from the starches that the grains release slowly over the cooking process—but a bit of actual cream doesn't hurt, either. Make sure to season the risotto with salt after you've added the whipped cream.

Keep Reading ›

How do restaurants cook risotto so fast? ›

The key, instead, is to undercook the risotto and cool it rapidly to prevent that rice from overcooking, so you can easily finish cooking it later.

Why is my risotto always hard? ›

If your risotto is still hard, it hasn't finished cooking.

Keep Reading ›

How do restaurants get risotto so fast? ›

The key, instead, is to undercook the risotto and cool it rapidly to prevent that rice from overcooking, so you can easily finish cooking it later.

Discover More ›

How to cook risotto like a pro? ›

13 Tips For Making Risotto Like A Pro

Your cookware matters. Paolo Gagliardi/Getty Images. ...
Start with the right rice. ...
Use enough fat. ...
Don't skimp on the quality of your cheese. ...
The wine you pick makes a big difference. ...
Your stock should always be warm. ...
Keep your heat consistent. ...
Make sure you stir — but not too much.

More items...

Jul 7, 2023

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