French onion risotto in the Instant Pot

Ingredients

	1.5 cups uncooked arborio rice
	1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms (white or button mushrooms)
	1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
	1/3 cup of bacon, lardons, or smoked ham
	1 medium sliced onion
	2 tablespoons of butter

Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:

	6 cups of beef stock
	Garlic powder or flakes
	(Optional) 1/2 cup dry white wine *
	Salt and pepper

Substitutes for the wine:

	2 tablespoons of lemon juice
	6 tablespoons of grape juice

How to make French onion risotto

1. Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, except the Parmesan cheese. Give it a quick stir to distribute everything evenly.
2. Seal and cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes.
3. Allow a natural release once the cooking cycle finishes and the pot beeps.
4. Open carefully and stir the risotto thoroughly — it will look loose at first, that’s normal.
5. Incorporate the grated Parmesan and stir until melted and creamy.
6. Adjust texture if needed: if there’s excess liquid, press Sauté and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until thickened.
7. Serve warm.

A classic risotto is the perfect dish if you are looking for a comforting meal that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. And if you are making it in the Instant pot, it is easier than ever. Just put all the ingredients in, and turn it on.

The original recipe may come from Italy, but here in France it has become popular enough to adopt as our own. With a touch of onion, bacon lardons, mushrooms and wine, it is a quick weeknight dinner idea that can even be prepared in advance, to heat up before serving.

Risotto alternatives and cooking without alcohol

The traditional recipe for a risotto has white wine it it. The cooking time is meant to assure that any alcohol has long been cooked off. Nevertheless, for various reasons you may not want to cook with alcohol.

If you don’t want add white wine, you can add that slight touch of tanginess by mixing in a bit of grape juice and lemon juice. Add about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 6 tablespoons of grape juice.

In addition, for a French-style risotto, I generally add bacon lardons into the risotto. Lardons are small enough to cook in the instant pot during the risotto cooking time, but if you substitute it for Canadian bacon or pancetta, I recommend browning it lightly beforehand. (No one wants uncooked bacon!)

You can also choose to add smoked ham, if you don’t want to take the extra step of cooking it, or leave it out entirely. I sometimes add a handful of fresh spinach as well, to get the recommended dose of veggies in.

What to serve with it?

What drinks to serve with it?

How to store it?