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This risotto recipe is simple to make, ultra creamy, and has a delicate lemon flavor. No fancy techniques are needed for that luxe, restaurant-style texture!
You may also like my Stick of Butter Rice or Coconut Lime Rice next.
Why you’ll love it
It’s a myth that risotto is hard to make. It’s actually way easier than its reputation suggests! This classic risotto recipe just takes a bit of patience and love and a good amount of stirring, but there’s nothing complicated about it. It also uses everyday ingredients.
This cozy, bright risotto makes a perfect side dish, or you can add a protein right into it to make it a meal. It has that irresistible chewy bite in a good risotto! Parmesan cheese gives it that velvety quality, perfectly complementing the fresh lemon juice and parsley.
What you’ll need
- Broth – use chicken or vegetable broth as the liquid base. It’ll infuse lots of yummy savory flavor into the rice.
- Butter – for sautéing and adding that irresistible buttery taste
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.)
- Dry white wine – a touch of elegance! Use one you’d also enjoy drinking (not cooking wine). Try your favorite pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
- Rice – the gold standard for risotto is arborio rice
- Lemon juice – for acidity and brightness
- Parsley – a pop of freshness
- Parmesan – it gives a silky, delicately cheesy finish
Is there cream?
Nope! Risotto does not contain cream. Arborio rice has a high starch content, and stirring causes the starch from the surface of each grain of rice to break down and release. The starch then mixes with the gradually added hot liquid, creating that wonderfully silky, naturally creamy and indulgent texture.
Helpful tips
- Cooking time may vary a bit depending on your stove, cookware, the temperature it’s cooked at, etc. Don’t force it by turning up the heat or adding in the broth faster. Risotto should be a bit of a slow process, and having a little patience is definitely worth it. 🙂
- If you have a gas stove or you know your stove runs hot, I recommend reducing the heat more than the recipe suggests.
How to make risotto
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat up the chicken broth in a saucepan. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot or deep skillet. Sauté the onion until softened. Add in the garlic and arborio rice.
Stir constantly for a few minutes. Pour in the white wine, and then stir until it’s absorbed in by the rice. Working one ladle at a time, add in the broth. Add more once it’s absorbed. Stir constantly!
Once all the liquid has been used up and the rice is al dente, stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Remove from the heat, and stir in the parmesan. Season with salt & pepper, and serve with extra parm and/or a pat of butter.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I recommend cooking risotto in cast iron. Here’s my Le Creuset Dutch oven.
- For all the stirring, use a quality wooden spoon.
- Grate the parmesan with a Microplane, and mince the garlic with a garlic press.
Substitutions and variations
- Try adding some lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor.
- Use carnaroli rice instead of arborio rice if you prefer. Regular white or brown rice won’t work the same way.
- A shallot or two would be great instead of the onion!
What to serve with risotto
- I’d be happy eating risotto with pretty much anything. Try it with my Filet Mignon or Easy Chicken Piccata for a special dinner, or level up a weeknight dinner by serving it with my Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs or Parmesan Crusted Chicken.
- It’s also great with fish like my Creamy Dill Salmon or my Shrimp Scampi. You could also eat it as a meatless main course if you’re craving some comforting carbs.
- If you happen some have some fancy finishing salts like truffle salt, they’re great to top this risotto with!
Leftovers and storage
- Risotto will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat on the stove, and stir in more chicken broth to revive it.
- I don’t recommend freezing risotto because the texture can become mushy.
If you made this versatile risotto recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! What did you serve it with? You can always tag me on Instagram with your photos.
Simple Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or stock)
- 2 tablespoons butter + more for serving
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup uncooked arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken broth to a fairly large saucepan/pot over high heat. Reduce the heat to low just before it boils, and keep it on low heat for the duration of the recipe. Keep your ladle handy – you will be gradually adding the hot broth to the risotto starting in step 6.
- Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté until softened (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add the garlic and rice and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and stir until the rice fully absorbs it.
- Add the broth in, one ladle at a time, only adding more once the rice absorbs it. Make sure you stir almost constantly. Repeat this process until you've used up all the liquid and the risotto is al dente (give it a taste – it should have a little bite to it and not be mushy). Important: If the risotto is bubbling too much/seems to be cooking too quickly, you may want to reduce the heat to medium-low. This step should be a gradual process for best results (about 25-30 minutes). If the rice is still undercooked, heat up more broth and add it gradually until desired texture is reached.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
- Take the risotto off the heat and stir the parmesan cheese and season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve with extra parm grated/shaved on top and a pat of butter if desired.
Notes
- Cooking time may vary a bit depending on the heat you use and how quickly the rice soaks the liquid up. Don’t force it by turning up the heat… risotto can be a bit of a slow process, but it’s worth it.
- Serves 4-6 as a side dish (or add some protein to make it a meal!). Nutrition info is for 1/4 of the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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