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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!

Overhead view of a bowl of risotto on a table surrounded by bread pieces.

❤️ What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • Rich, decadent, delectable risotto is one of my favorite dishes. I mean, one bite is all it takes to instantly transport me back to our favorite little Italian restaurant. It’s great for holidays, special occasions, or any time you just want to treat yourself a little. This recipe in particular is one my friends and family request I make every time I cook for them, so you KNOW it’s good!
  • Don’t let risotto intimidate you. Yes, there’s a lot of stirring involved, but that’s really all there is to it! It’s more time-consuming than complicated, but that low-and-slow method is what makes it so incredible.
  • This can be a meal all on its own, or you can pair it with something equally as amazing like Marry Me Chicken, lobster bisque, or seared scallops.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

  • Don’t rinse the rice first! Rinsing the rice removes the starch from the outside of the grains, which is fine for some dishes, but you want that starchiness here. That’s what makes the dish so creamy!
  • Make sure the chicken broth stays warm. If you add cool broth to the rice, you’ll stop the cooking process with each ladle.
  • I mentioned before there’s a lot of stirring in this process. Basically, don’t ever stop stirring. Add the broth to the rice in very small increments, let it fully evaporate before adding more, and stir constantly until you’ve added all of the broth.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Angled view of a large bowl of risotto with a spoon in front of glasses of white wine.

🍚 More Rice Dishes You’ll Love

Close up view of risotto in a ceramic bowl
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
4.97 from 26 votes

The Best EVER Risotto Recipe

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour
Rich and creamy, with plenty of parmesan, this homemade risotto reminds me of the risotto we've eaten in Italy.
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6 servings

Equipment

  • 2 large saucepans
  • ladle
  • Small bowl

Ingredients

For the Risotto

  • 5 cups chicken stock plus more if needed
  • 1 pinch saffron threads optional, see Notes
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 cup finely chopped white onion approximately 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups dry risotto rice unrinsed, see Notes
  • ½ cup dry white wine or water
  • 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter softened
  • ⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese at room temperature

To Serve

  • ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese at room temperature

Instructions

  • Place large saucepan on stovetop over high heat. Add 5 cups chicken stock to saucepan and bring liquid to rolling boil. Once stock begins to boil, immediately reduce heat under saucepan to low. Note: keep saucepan of stock warm over low heat throughout entire process.
  • Transfer 1 ladle (approximately ½ to ¾ cup) of chicken stock to small bowl. Add 1 pinch saffron threads to reserved stock and set bowl aside.
  • Place second saucepan on stovetop over high heat. When saucepan is warm, add 4 tablespoons butter and allow butter to melt completely, tilting and swirling saucepan as needed to distribute butter.
  • Once butter has melted and begins to foam, add 1 cup finely chopped white onion and stir to incorporate onion into melted butter. Sauté onion 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • When onions begin to soften, add 2 cloves garlic and stir to incorporated. Continue sautéing until onions and garlic have softened, approximately 1 minute. Note: do not brown onions or garlic.
  • Add 1 ½ cups dry risotto rice to saucepan with onions. Cook rice 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice appears golden and translucent.
  • When rice is ready, pour in ½ cup dry white wine and stir to incorporate, making sure to scrape up any bits of onion, garlic, or rice that may have stuck to bottom of saucepan.
  • After deglazing saucepan, reduce heat under saucepan to low and allow mixture to simmer until liquid in saucepan is mostly reduced.
  • Once liquid has reduced, add 1 ladle of warm stock from saucepan, entire bowl of saffron-infused stock, 1 teaspoon salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to rice mixture. Gently stir ingredients together until liquid has been fully absorbed into rice.
  • Continue adding warm stock in small increments, stirring after each addition until rice has completely absorbed liquid before adding more. Stir mixture constantly until all stock has been added to rice and fully absorbed. Once all stock has been added and fully absorbed, risotto should be golden and creamy, with tender (not mushy) rice. Note: process can take 20 to 25 minutes. Do not rush!
  • Remove saucepan from heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and ⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and gently stir mixture until butter has melted completely.
  • Taste risotto and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Divide risotto evenly between serving plates (or bowls), top with remaining ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, and serve hot.
  • 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.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 servingCalories: 373calProtein: 13gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 733mgPotassium: 247mgTotal Carbs: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 42gVitamin A: 422IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 220mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
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.

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Cheryl Malik

In addition to being a certified health coach, certified yoga instructor, and mom of 3, Cheryl is also the recipe developer, editor-in-chief, food photographer, and passionate foodie behind 40 Aprons. Having spent the last 10+ years as a food blogger, she's become known for her flavorful recipes, detailed instructions, gorgeous photography, and down-to-earth approach to food and cooking in general.

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65 Comments

  4. This risotto was truly very good! It was very flavorful. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of leaving out the onions (my husband is allergic) and it still had tons of flavor!5 stars

    Reply

  7. Which stock to add the saffron to could be clearer. I had a hard time understanding if it was to the stock pot or the reserve bowl.

    Reply

    1. Hi Shawnie! It goes into the reserved bowl, and then the saffron-infused stock is returned to the pot at step 4 of the recipe. So sorry for the confusion! We hope you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  8. My first time making risotto, everybody loved it said it was absolutely fantastic. There was not much left either.5 stars

    Reply

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