Risotto ranks right up there as one of the greatest dishes you can make with rice. Originating in Italy, risotto is a recipe made by simmering a starchy variety of rice in broth, with flavor-boosting ingredients added like onions, garlic, vegetables, meats, spices, herbs, and cheese. This 5-star recipe for mushroom risotto has thousands of ratings and reviews, and is a top-rated favorite for our Allrecipes community of home cooks.
What is Mushroom Risotto?
There are all kinds of tasty add-ins to risotto, and mushrooms are just one of them. Mushrooms add an earthy, savory flavor to risotto that makes it a good complement to main dishes like roast chicken, pork, or beef. You can serve mushroom risotto as a side dish, a main dish, or a starter to a multi-course Italian menu.
Ingredients for Mushroom Risotto
These are the ingredients you'll need to make this mushroom risotto recipe:
- Broth: Homemade chicken broth is always the best choice for flavor, but you can use store-bought chicken broth for convenience. Choose low-sodium broth and adjust the seasonings at the end. Since you'll keep it hot on the stove while you're stirring it into the risotto, you can bump up the flavor of the broth by simmering it with scraps of shallots, chives, and mushroom stems left over from prepping the risotto ingredients. To make this vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth.
- Olive oil: For sautéing the mushrooms and shallots. You won't be cooking at high heat, so it's okay to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Mushrooms: This recipe uses a combination of portobello and white mushrooms. See how to clean mushrooms.
- Shallots: If you don't have shallots, you can substitute finely chopped yellow onion.
- Rice: To get that signature creamy risotto texture, you must use a particular type of short-grain, high-starch rice like Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano that releases its starch as you cook and stir. No other rice will give you the same results.
- Wine: The first liquid you add to the pan after you sauté the rice is a half cup of white wine — it will absorb into every grain and create an essential layer of flavor. Choose wisely. Go for a crisp, dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. If you don't want to use wine, just start with the broth.
- Butter: A generous amount of butter at the end adds more creamy texture and rich flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: You've come this far. Don't shortchange the flavor of your risotto by using anything other than freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Chives: Chives cut through the richness and add visual appeal, too. If you don't have chives, fresh parsley is a good substitute.
How to Make Mushroom Risotto
You'll find the measurements and step-by-step recipe directions below, but here are top tips to make the best mushroom risotto:
- Hot broth: Keep the broth hot the whole way through. Measure out a little more into the broth pot than the recipe says to make up for evaporation as it sits.
- Toast the rice: An essential step to making risotto is to toast the grains in hot oil until they start to turn translucent around the edges. This could take a couple of minutes. Stir continuously during this process.
- Stir, stir, stir: Yes, you stir risotto as it simmers. That's what helps release the starch from the grains of rice to make that creamy texture you want. Do you have to stir constantly? No. Stir after each half cup of broth you add to make sure the broth is distributed evenly, then stir again every 30 seconds or so until almost all the broth is absorbed. Add another half cup of broth and repeat. Listen to music. Sip some wine. Good risotto is worth the time it takes.
- Low and slow: Keep the broth hot and the risotto at a low simmer throughout.
- The perfect texture: Risotto is done when the rice is al dente: firm but not crunchy when you bite into it. It should not be as dry as steamed rice, but should have enough liquid to make it loose. Add just a touch more broth if needed before stirring in the butter and Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately: Risotto waits for no one. It will continue to cook as it sits even when it's off the heat, so be prepared to dish it up right away.
How to Store Mushroom Risotto
Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can reheat risotto, but it won't have the same creamy texture as freshly made risotto. Try forming leftover risotto into patties using an egg and fine breadcrumbs as a binder, and fry them in oil to make risotto cakes.
Can You Freeze Mushroom Risotto?
You can freeze mushroom risotto in an airtight container for up to three month, but the texture won't be the same as freshly made. Use a freezer-safe zip-top bag with the air squeezed out of it. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise
"Great! With the leftovers I make Risotto al Salto. I shape about a half cup of the cold risotto and pan-fry it with olive oil until it is golden brown. About 2 to 3 minutes per side. Then I sprinkle it with Parmesean cheese. It's delicious," raves one Allrecipes community member.
Allrecipes home cook Ann says, "This was delicious. I love mushrooms and risotto so this was a no-brainer. It's not difficult to make, just takes a little time, which is totally worth it. I made it as written the first time around but when I made it again, I added more white wine. That's just my preference. Will definitely add this to my 'go-to' recipes."
Heatherh rated this recipe a solid 5 stars and says, "I learned how to make risotto from a friend who grew up in Italy. Their regional specialty was risotto with entire restaurants devoted to it. I had the pleasure of traveling to his hometown and I ate many bowls of risotto. All this to say: This is very close to the method he taught me. It's authentic and delicious."
