Lemon Risotto

Lemon Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish cooked in broth with bright and zesty flavors of lemon. The flavors of lemon are present in every bite of smooth buttery rice, along with bites of garlic, butter and parmesan cheese.

We expand on the popular classic risotto dish in such a delicious way with this lemon risotto recipe. It’s the perfect side dish to your favorite protein dishes.

Risotto with Lemon

If you have tried classic risotto, lemon risotto is similar in texture but less rich with a more vibrant flavor profile.

Risotto reminds me a lot of orzo pasta but it is actually a rice dish. The grain or rice is exclusively alborio rice, which is a type of short-grain rice that produces a creamy, slightly chewy texture for the risotto.

If you liked my Creamy Parmesan Orzo, you will probably enjoy this as well.

The creamy texture of our Lemon Risotto is a product of cooking arborio rice cooked slowly along with chicken broth until the starch from rice thickens the dish, making it creamy without the need of heavy cream.

It is packed with flavors from chicken broth, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Originated in Northern Italy, Risotto is made with simple pantry-friendly ingredients and is typically a side dish. While it may appear to be a fancy dish, risotto is actually a very simple dish with humble beginnings.

Here in the U.S., risotto is sometimes considered high-end and often served in fancier restaurants and with protein such as steak, chicken or seafood.

When people hear the word ‘risotto’, they automatically get intimidated. Well, I am here to encourage you – there’s no need to be intimidated!

Lemon Risotto actually a pretty simple dish using very simple and straight forward ingredients but requires a bit of attention when cooking. In other words, you have to babysit it for 15-20 minutes while it’s cooking on the stove top, but that’s really the hardest part!

The three things I would say you will absolutely need to make risotto is about 20 minutes set aside, some patience and a bit of arm strength!

I cannot in good conscience say that to make risotto, you “set it and you forget it” like some of my other recipes that requires minimal no stirring. But it will be so worth it!

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make lemon risotto:

• Arborio rice – this is a special Italian short-grain or medium-grain rice that is high starch and will yield the best creamy texture. It is the only rice you should use when making risotto.
• Onion – a key flavor base for the lemon risotto. White onions or yellow onions work best.
• Butter – provides a rich and creamy flavor to lemon risotto.
• Garlic cloves – brings about a nice flavor and aroma to the dish. Avoid substituting with garlic powder in this recipe as the fresh garlic bring the very best flavors to the dish.
• Lemon zest – zesting the outer skin of the lemon using a zester or grater to capture the lemony flavor.
• Lemon juice – adds a bright and tangy flavor to the risotto.
• White wine – dry white wine such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio works best. Avoid cooking with sweet white wines as that will make the risotto overly sweet. Wine is a key addition to the flavor profile of this lemon risotto. If you do not want to use wine, substitute wine with chicken broth.
• Chicken broth – chicken brings a subtle but nice flavor to the risotto. Vegetable broth can be used as a substitute.
• Parmesan cheese – shredded or grated parmesan cheese is a key addition to bring in a nice flavor as well as creaminess to the final product. Avoid using low quality parmesan as they just don’t taste as good.
• Salt – salt really ties all the flavors together and opens up the flavor. Add to taste but don’t skip it completely.
• Olive oil – used for sautéing onions and garlic. Another neutral oil can be substituted.

Steps to Making Lemon Risotto

Let me break down the steps for you…

We are setting the building blocks for flavor as we cook this lemon risotto. First, we are building the flavors by cooking the rice in aromatics and broth.

We are bring together diced onions and garlic onto a buttered skillet, and sautéing it under medium low heat. Then zest the lemons and bring that vibrantly citrus flavors into the party.

Even though lemon is this dish’s primary flavor, you only really need the lemon zest from one small lemon for flavoring. A little goes a long way and you don’t need a whole lot – remember zest is the best part of the lemon where a bulk of the flavors lies.

Bring that beautiful aborio rice onto the party, and toss it in the butter, garlic, onions and lemon zest mixture for a bit.

Then we will deglaze the sticky bits on the bottom of the pot with white wine…

After that we will begin the slow process of cooking the rice in chicken broth. This is the part that will take a bit of patience and tender loving care.

Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the skillet, bring to a boil then lower to medium low heat. Keep stirring until mixture is dissolved.

Then add ½ cup of broth at a time, stir it as it absorb into risotto.

Repeat the process of adding broth and stirring constantly until the rice is tender/soft. This may take up to 15 minutes or so to fully cook the rice.

You can even add more chicken broth than called for in the recipe if you want your rice softer or if you want to cook it longer.

When our risotto is the creaminess and cooked-ness consistency we are looking for, remove from heat and fold in the lovely parmesan cheese.

This will add to the flavors and creaminess of the risotto. And honestly, when parmesan is at play, good things are happening to us all.

At the end, all I ask is for you to gaze upon your dreamy lemon risotto and smile proudly because you, my dear friend, have made homemade lemon risotto! 💛

What to Serve Lemon Risotto With

Lemon Risotto is a lovely light and bright risotto side dish to be serve with steak, chicken, or seafood. Here are some of my favorites to goes with lemon risotto:

• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
• Dill Garlic Butter Salmon
• Baked Pesto Chicken
• Pork Milanese

Tips and Tricks

Here are a few helpful techniques and tips to keep in mind when making lemon risotto on the stovetop.

• Wine tips: When making risotto use a dry white wine that you love the taste of (this makes all the difference!). Don’t skimp here. Its taste will be present in the risotto, so if you don’t like it alone, you won’t like it in this recipe. That said, a good wine doesn’t have to be an expensive wine.
• Stir, stir, stir! Slowly add in chicken broth to the rice, one cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Be patient and continually stir the rice. This process is what gives risotto its creamy texture.
• Cooking time may vary: Depending on the heat of your stove, risotto may cook faster or slower than the 15 minutes given.
• Avoid rinsing rice: Do not rinse arborio rice before cooking as rinsing the rice removes the rice’s outer layer of starch, which is important to get that creamy and starchy consistency risotto is known for.
• Flavor additions: Experiment by mixing in your favorite vegetables, herbs or seafood to this base risotto recipe to further personalize it.
• Serve Immediately: Risotto is best served immediately while the texture is the creamy and perfect.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Side Dish Recipes

• Roasted Broccolini
• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Creamy Parmesan Orzo
• Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice
• Oven Roasted Green Beans