The Best Creamy Risotto Recipe
Published October 16, 2019. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Learn how to make this delicious classic Italian dish for the best creamy risotto recipe that makes for the perfect side dish or main entrée for any weeknight or entertaining meal. Pair up this recipe with my Easy Broiled Salmon and my Oven Roasted Whole Chicken!

Risotto is the epitome of Italian comfort food and it’s incredibly easy to make, and still so elegant. In Italy, risotto is most often consumed as the main entrée, not a side dish. No need to go to a restaurant when you can make this amazing risotto recipe right from your own kitchen in under 45 minutes.
Risotto Ingredients
There are basic ingredients that are typically used in a classic recipe.
- Yellow Onions – Small diced Spanish yellow onions are a classic staple in risotto.
- Garlic – This isn’t necessarily traditional in a risotto recipe, but it will help further enhance the flavor of it.
- Olive Oil – Italians most often use olive oil as their way to sauté or use as fat in ingredients.
- Arborio Rice – The typical short-grain rice used in a classic risotto recipe.
- White Wine – It’s common practice to deglaze and use a dry white wine, like chardonnay.
- Chicken Stock – A good homemade chicken stock is what will be used as the liquid to cook the arborio rice with.
- Parmesan Cheese – All risotto is finished with either Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese.
- Salt and Pepper – Always season everything, including a creamy risotto recipe with salt and pepper.

A few other things you can add are heavy whipping cream and butter when your risotto is almost finished.
Recipe Variations.
There are many additions to add to a basic risotto recipe to help enhance or change the flavors and textures of the dish. Here are a few popular variations that are precooked and are folded into the risotto once it is done cooking.
- Mushroom
- Shrimp
- Chicken
- Seafood
- Asparagus
- Lobster
- Butternut Squash
Risotto is not limited to these variations, as you can really add anything you’d like.
How to Make Risotto

- Add olive oil to a large pot or rondeau.
- Pour in the onions and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes while constantly stirring until they are very lightly browned and translucent.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the arborio rice and toast for 3 to 4 minutes in the pot while stirring every 30 seconds.

- Deglaze with the white wine while constantly stirring until it has been completely absorbed into the arborio rice.
- Add 4-8 ounces of warm chicken stock at a time while constantly stirring until it has been incorporated into the arborio rice.
- Repeat the process until the rice is al dente, or slightly crunchy, which takes about 20-25 minutes on low heat.
- Finish by stirring in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Serve with more parmesan cheese, pepper, and optional parsley garnish.

chef notes + tips
- If you want to alter the flavor of the risotto do a full caramelization to the onions, about 20-25 minutes.
- The rice will go from bright white to translucent and may have a little brown on them from toasting.
- I’ve found that it takes about 5 cups of chicken stock to every 2 cups of arborio rice.
Can You Make It Without Wine
Yes, risotto can absolutely be made without wine, which will alter the flavor slightly and not be of a classical nature.
To make risotto without wine, simply start adding chicken stock once the rice is toasted in the pot, see step 4 and jump to step 6 above.
Can You Make It With Jasmine Rice
While risotto is a classical Italian recipe, I believe that it is also a technique. To me, you can risotto just about anything, from Israeli couscous, to orzo, or to even wild rice, which makes it absolutely possible to do with Jasmine rice.
The only difference when using jasmine is that most likely you won’t use as much chicken stock since it will cook quicker.
What Does Risotto Go Well With
Risotto goes fantastic as a side dish with several main dish entrees, and here are a few:
This is seriously so amazing and really so good when homemade. It’s also a great way to get your kids to eat veggies because you can jam-pack it with vegetables! If you have any leftover, I highly suggest you put it to good work in my Arancini balls recipe.

More Italian Recipes
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Video
The Best Creamy Risotto Recipe

Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled small diced yellow onion
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- 4 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup chardonnay
- 10 cups chicken stock, heated
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot or rondeau over medium-low heat.
- Pour in the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and translucent.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2minutes.
- Next pour in the rice and toast for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring every 30 seconds.
- Deglaze with the wine and stir constantly until all of it has been absorbed into the rice.
- Add 4-8 ounces of warm chicken stock at a time to the rice while constantly stirring until it has been absorbed and then repeat the process until the arborio rice is cooked and al dente, or slightly crunch.
- Stir in the cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.
- Serve with more parmesan cheese, pepper, and optional parsley garnish.
Notes
- How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a sauce pan and heat over low heat while adding in a ladle of chicken stock at a time until the risotto is heated up and creamy. You can also heat it in the microwave, but it will lose its creaminess.
- How to Store and Freeze: Risotto stores well covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze risotto once cooled, covered for up to 2 months. It will lose quite a bit of moisture so be careful not too overcook when reheating.
- You can also add cooked vegetables or proteins to risotto once it is done cooking.
- If you want to alter the flavor of the risotto do a full caramelization to the onions, about 20-25 minutes.
- The rice will go from bright white to translucent and may have a little brown on them from toasting.
- I’ve found that it takes about 5 cups of chicken stock to every 2 cups of arborio rice.
If your lucky enough to have any left over this recipe makes great arancini
yes!
Holy smokes! This is delicious! I made it for lunch today! It’s hard to stop at one serving! Creamy and flavorful and perfect for our gray spring days in the Pacific Northwest!
so good!!
Wow, worked out perfectly . Everyone enjoyed it. Shared it with friends.Thank you
My pleasure!
Excellent risotto
thank you so kindly!!
Easy. Elegant. And most important delicious! Pairs beautifully with lamb but honestly, I could just eat a bunch of this for a meal.
Perfect
Hi, i love risotto and your recipes are always spot on and delicious. The only thing i’ve always asked myself is should i rinse the rice before making this beautiful risotto. Thanks
Do not rinse
Easy to make, at the end I added sautéed porchini, shiitake, cremeni mushrooms and used vegetable stock. Delicious.
Can i leave out the wine….dont keep alcohol in my home!!!!
Yes
We use an alcohol free wine called FRE, and they make a Chardonnay and reds. I use this in many of chef parisis recipes that deglaze with wine and the flavor is great. Without the alcohol! In fact I used fre for my risotto today, and will use it again tonight for chef’s pan seared halibut. Always get rave reviews!
Thanks for sharing.
Ok, new to this chef and followed instructions to the T-Amazing results! Absolutely delicious risotto!!!
I’ve been following your lessons intently for the last 3 months or so. I’m an old guy; boys in my generation weren’t typically taught how to cook. I do okay, but I struggle with my confidence in the kitchen. Add to that I’m a single parent of a son who wants to know how to cook.
I just made this with my son joining in sous-cheffing. I think that’s the term, anyway. We went to the Italian store and bought block parmesan and the right kind of rice. We had no chardonnay and it was cold out so we substituted Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry. Holy smokes it turned out so well! Creamy, flavorful, solid mouthsful of al dente delight. I think we ate about three side servings each, as we made a full meal of it. That leaves enough to make the leftover recipe Arancini Risotto Balls, which is actually what initially caught my interest.
Anyway, yummy. Thanks, Billy. Another bullseye.
So delicious! I finished mine with sautéed cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced asparagus & baby peas. Such a great base recipe!!
I feel like you’re my go-to guy for risotto recipes. LOL. The recent ones have been awesome. Please let me know whenever you make a vegan one! Is that possible? Cause I’d love to try it for my son.
Use vegetable stock. Works well have a daughter who’s vegetarian.
perfect!
Delicious and simple risotto recipe! Love the delightful combination of perfect ingredients. Good instruction, too. I always struggle making risotto correctly. Thanks for the tips.
This risotto is so creamy! I love risotto and this makes it so easy to prepare and so good!
I LOVE risotto! And this did not disappoint. I love that I can make it delicious at home.
I LOVE risotto in all its simplicity, and this looks like a really nice version. Looks amazing!