When my husband starts making a grocery list and the first thing he asks me is, “What ingredients do I need for that risotto you made?” I know I have a winner! That was actually the topic of conversation this afternoon before the kids and I left for AWANA.
By the time I got home, the ingredients were fully stocked and ready to go for Monday night dinner. That dish was my large family creamy chicken risotto for the Instant Pot. IP for the win!
From the first time I made risotto in my Instant Pot (it was this purple cabbage risotto), I’ve been wanting to figure out how to make a main dish risotto with chicken for my entire large family in the IP. Not only did I figure out how to make an awesome risotto for eight people in one Instant Pot, I figured out how to cook the chicken and the risotto at the same time, which adds a ton of flavor and makes it easier than ever. No pre-cooking the chicken in a skillet!
This large family creamy chicken risotto for the Instant Pot uses three cups of arborio rice, and easily makes eight servings of your main dish with several people having seconds.
I wasn’t really sure if I could make three cups of risotto in the Instant Pot at one time, but I figured somebody has got to try this or we will never know! I cooked all of it in the six-quart IP, all at the same time, and it turned out so perfect and creamy and delicious we were all thrilled!
I have cooked 1.5 cups in the IP many times for quick and tasty lunches, but I’ve never cooked three full cups of risotto at one time. I’ve also never cooked the chicken at the same time; in the past I’ve always thought I needed to pre-cook the chicken. Not so! This method turned out perfectly and kept all the flavor in the pot instead of losing some of that yummy goodness to a skillet.
Some of you who’ve read my blog and newsletters for a while might remember me talking about making risotto in the microwave. The microwave does a fantastic job at making risotto, but the recipe does not scale well for large families at all. Plus, you have to cook onions two minutes and remove, then cook risotto kernels two minutes and remove, then add liquid and cook some more (like twenty minutes) and it’s just too many steps. Once I finish the first bowlful, half my family can eat and the other half has to wait while I start the process all over again. I’ve done that once or twice when I literally had nothing else in the house to cook, but it’s not ideal.
With Instant Pot Risotto you do a quick saute, seal the pot, and walk away. No extra steps, and now I can make enough for my entire family at one time, which is a lot more practical for an evening meal. Now we can have delicious, rich, creamy risotto as often as we want for dinner with very little effort! And the best part is, risotto can take on so many different flavors, so if our Creamy Chicken Risotto isn’t the right flavor this week, you can make my butternut squash risotto in your Instant Pot instead and change things up.
Will You Have Any Leftovers of Your Creamy Chicken Risotto?
Save the leftovers! Large Family Creamy Chicken Risotto for the Instant Pot heats up really well in the microwave with a pat of butter to freshen it up a little. A couple of us might have had a small tussle over who got the serving we had left!
Large Family Creamy Chicken Risotto for the Instant Pot
Rich, creamy, chicken risotto with saffron, made in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Butter
- 2 Onions
- 3 Cups Arborio Rice
- ~3 Pounds of Chicken (I used three of those large chicken breasts that weigh a little less than 1 pound each)
- 6 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Pinch (approximately 25 strands) of Saffron
- 1 Teaspoon of Salt
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 1 Cup Grated Parmesan (fresh is best)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute and add the olive oil to the inner pot.
- Chop the onion and dice up the chicken in bite-sized pieces.
- Start sauteeing the onion first, then add the chicken after a couple of minutes.
- Stir until the chicken is starting to sear on the outside. This helps seal in the juices.
- Add the three cups of arborio rice and stir for two more minutes.
- Add the liquid and saffron and stir well to deglaze the pot.
- Turn off your IP and switch it to pressure cook mode (newer models may not require you to turn the machine off first). Set the time to 12 minutes on high pressure.
- Allow a natural release of pressure for about five minutes, then turn the valve to quick release the remaining pressure.
- Add a stick of butter and stir the risotto to incorporate liquids that have risen to the top.
- Stir in parmesan.
- Allow the butter to fully melt and stir one last time.
- Serve! Goes well with peas or salad and crusty bread.
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