Instant Pot Chicken Risotto

This easy Instant Pot chicken risotto takes my reader-favorite Instant Pot risotto and turns it into a restaurant-quality one-pot meal, combining cheesy, creamy arborio rice with bites of tender, perfectly-cooked chicken.

How to Make This Recipe

See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.

Sauté the Chicken

With the Instant Pot set to Sauté mode, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the insert, then add your chopped chicken. Sauté the chicken until all of the pieces are cooked through and 160° Fahrenheit internally, then transfer them to a bowl. We’ll add them back later.

Sauté the aromatics

Add another 2 tablespoons of butter to the Instant Pot and let it melt, then add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions until they’ve softened, then add the minced garlic and sauté everything until the garlic’s fragrant. Add the rice to the pressure cooker and stir until the rice is completely coated in melted butter.

Deglaze the Instant Pot

Stir in white wine (or water, or chicken broth) and use it to help loosen any bits of onion, garlic, or rice that may have stuck to the bottom of the insert. Let that simmer a couple of minutes, then add chicken broth and repeat.

Pressure Cook

Lock the lid onto the Instant Pot and change the cook mode to Manual High Pressure. Set the cook time to 6 minutes. It’ll take 10 minutes or so for the Instant Pot to pressurize, and then the cook time will start.

Add the Finishing toUCHES

Immediately (and carefully) take the lid off the pressure cooker once the cook time ends. Stir the rice mixture until all of the liquid is absorbed, then add the parmesan and last of the butter. Stir until those are melted, then taste the risotto and season it with salt and pepper as desired. When you’re happy with its flavor, fold in the cooked chicken and serve!

What I Love About This Recipe

• It’s an elevated version of my Instant Pot chicken and rice. An easier version of my stovetop risotto (the best EVER!). A protein-packed version of my meatless Instant Pot risotto. This Instant Pot chicken risotto recipe combines all the very best aspects of those dishes into one easy, effortless, restaurant-quality meal.
• It’s a creamy, cheesy, luxuriously rich mixture of white wine, rice, parmesan, chicken, and savory aromatics, pressure cooked to perfection.
• It’s fancy enough for an anniversary or Valentine’s Day meal, but also easy enough to throw together any night of the week.

Recipe Variations

• Make it on the Stove: No Instant Pot? No problem. My best EVER risotto recipe is a foolproof stovetop alternative.
• Take to the Sea: If you’re not in the mood for chicken, turn this into Instant Pot shrimp risotto! The process will be the same. Instead of chicken, sauté medium shrimp for 3-4 minutes, flipping them halfway. Once they’re opaque and curled into a loose “C” shape, transfer them to a bowl and continue with the risotto as written.
• Un-fung-ettable Chicken Risotto: For an Instant Pot chicken & mushroom risotto, add thinly sliced mushrooms to the Instant Pot after sautéing the onions and garlic. Cook the mushrooms, stirring them periodically, until they’re tender – 3 or 4 minutes. From there, continue with the recipe as written!
• Popeye Style Risotto: Want to add a little green? Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add 1-2 cups of baby spinach leaves. Stir for 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted, then add the parmesan and butter to finish up the recipe.