Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto
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You are going to love this Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto. No more sweating over the stove – this Instant Pot method is the easiest way to make risotto! Made with arborio rice, asparagus, freshly grated parmesan and lemon, this is a delicious vegetarian meal or side dish.
This post was updated June 4, 2020 for photos and content. Originally published on July 13, 2019.
Say hello to one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes you’ll ever find. This recipe is one of my favourite ways to use asparagus when it’s in season. The best part is the entire recipe is made in the Instant Pot, so there are no other dishes to clean!
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
- Olive oil
- Asparagus, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- Onion, small dice
- Garlic, minced
- Vegetable broth
- Arborio rice, see comments below about using budget-friendly jasmine rice instead
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Unsalted butter, or salted if that’s what you have on hand
- Fine-grain sea salt, reduce slightly if using salted butter
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated or store-bought shredded/shaved to save time
How to make it
Step one: Sauté the asparagus
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot. Heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil until
glistening, then sauté the asparagus for 3-5 minutes, until fork tender. - Turn off the sauté function and transfer the asparagus to a bowl. Set aside.
Step two: Sauté the onion and garlic and deglaze the insert
- Turn on the sauté function again and heat another 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sauté
the onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to soften and become translucent. - Add a small amount of the broth to the onion and garlic. Use the broth to deglaze
the bottom of the insert, using the spatula to make sure there is no food stuck to the bottom.
Step three: Add remaining ingredients and pressure cook
- Add the remaining broth and all ingredients except the parmesan. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid, set to sealing and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. It will take 5-10 minutes to come to pressure.
Step four: Stir in the parmesan and cooked asparagus
- At end of cooking time, quick release the pressure, carefully remove the lid, add the parmesan and stir well. Add the cooked asparagus and stir until evenly distributed. Serve immediately.
Can I make this with jasmine rice instead of arborio?
Yes! Although traditional risotto is made with arborio rice, I’ve made this recipe with jasmine rice and it’s absolutely delicious (see instructions below or in the recipe card for how to adjust the recipe for jasmine rice). Use what you’ve got! Bonus: jasmine rice tends to be more budget friendly.
How do I adapt this recipe to use jasmine rice?
If you decide to use jasmine rice, increase the amount of broth to 2.5 cups and increase the pressure cooking time to 10 minutes. I like to use 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, because the flavour is diluted a bit by the additional broth.
Tips for Success
- If you remove the Instant Pot insert to tip the asparagus into the bowl, be sure to wipe the rim of the insert clean before moving on to the next step (be careful, the insert will be hot!). If the insert rim is dirty, it could prevent the Instant Pot from sealing during pressure cooking.
- Adjust the amount of lemon juice to taste. I like it with 2 tablespoons, but if you love lemon, increase it to 3 tablespoons.
- Pre-packaged grated or shaved parmesan work just as well as freshly grated and can save you some time!
More delicious Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Golden Cauliflower Soup
- Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Healthy Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- No-Drain Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Applesauce (4 ways!)
Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto
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Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 lb asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch pieces – about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup arborio rice (see note 1 for using jasmine rice)
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
For serving
- Additional grated parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. Heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil until glistening, then sauté the asparagus for 3-5 minutes, until fork tender. Turn off the sauté function and transfer the asparagus to a bowl. Set aside.
- Turn on the Sauté function again and heat another 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sauté the onion for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to soften and become translucent. Add the garlic, then turn off the Sauté function and let it cook in the residual heat for about a minute, until fragrant.
- Add a small amount of the broth to the onion and garlic. Use the broth and a spatula to deglaze the bottom of the insert, making sure there is no food stuck to the bottom (this will help prevent a burn warning).
- Add the remaining broth, rice, lemon juice, butter and salt. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid, set to sealing and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. It will take 5-10 minutes to come to pressure.
- At end of cooking time, quick release the pressure, carefully remove the lid, add the parmesan and stir well. (Note that it's completely normal for it to look like there's too much liquid right after you remove the lid. It will be perfect once it's stirred!). Add the cooked asparagus and stir until evenly distributed and warmed through. Serve immediately with additional grated parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- To make this with jasmine rice, increase the amount of broth to 2.5 cups and increase the pressure cooking time to 10 minutes.
- If you remove the Instant Pot insert to tip the asparagus into the bowl, be sure to wipe the rim of the insert clean before moving on to the next step (be careful, the insert will be hot!). If the insert rim is dirty, it could prevent the Instant Pot from sealing during pressure cooking.
- Inactive time is the time it takes for the Instant Pot to get up to pressure.
- This recipe was tested in the 6-quart Instant Pot model.
Nutrition Estimate
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Hey, I’m Laura!
Creator of The Recipe Well
If you’re looking for easy meals and Instant Pot recipes, you’re in the right place! I use my nutrition degree to create simple, approachable recipes that will help you find your happy place in the kitchen.
Easy, yummy, and I ate way too much. Will make again. Thanks!
Love this one, tasty and easy to make.
So glad you enjoyed it!
To double the recipe do you just literally double everything? I don’t know if that would mess anything up?
Hi Lisa, yes, double all the ingredients, but keep the same pressure cook time.
Simple and delicious. This made just enough for two people as a main course, so when I make again I will double so we have leftovers. I think you could easily double everything but the asparagus and have enough asparagus (this was almost too much).
I love this recipe and so does my family. I leave the asparagus and onion in the pot while cooking the rice. My family likes their veggies to be soft. I also add sliced portobello mushrooms sauted with the asparagus and onions. Delish!
OMG! So good! I did everything exactly per recipe, except I added the zest of my lemon! Perfection!
I’ve read comments that say you can double it, but does that also include the liquid? Thanks so much in advance! Made this and it was so good I want to make a ton!
Hi Chris, yes you double all the ingredients, including the liquid. So happy to hear you love it!
This is one of my favorite go-to recipes! I know people have asked about doubling, but have you tried tripling or quadrupling? How would that work?
Thanks!
Hi Amanda, so glad you enjoy the recipe! I haven’t tried a triple or quadruple batch myself, but if you have a 6- or 8-quart model, you should have enough room. No change to the pressure cook time! Because you’d be sautéing so much more asparagus, I might do that separately in a large skillet on the stovetop (larger surface area vs. the Instant Pot). Let us know how it goes if you try!
Loved it. Hubby (mega carnivore) loved it. I might cook asparagus a bit longer at the start but think this may be due to Scottish asparagus being a bit more sturdy than normal and no reflection on the recipe. Will now start looking for other recipes. thank you.
Adding some mushrooms to it this time! We really like this recipe. Thank you
This was delicious! Would making a double batch be okay? Or would it come out bad?
Yes, you can double it with the same cook time. So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Really easy, and delicious! Trying this again tonight with peas instead of asparagus.
Thanks for a great recipe!
I added shrimp and spinach to this recipe. It was a delicious one pot meal!
Outstanding! I did halve the recipe. Made plenty for 2 of us. Will be fantastic with mushrooms too. As I had a bottle of white wine open I added just a bit before serving. As good as the best risotto I’ve had!
Love hearing this! So glad you enjoyed it!
The most delicious risotto I’ve ever made!!!
Thank you for the recipe, but I am wondering if I could add to it a little bit of white wine?
Hi Marie, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes, you could use white wine for deglazing. I would add the rice to the pot with the onion and garlic (leave the sauté function on), toast it for a minute, then add up to a quarter cup of wine to deglaze the bottom of the insert. Cook until the wine is mostly absorbed by the rice, the turn off the sauté function, add the broth and continue with the recipe as written. Hope this helps!
This was delicious! Very easy. I have never made risotto before and it turned out amazing. Thank you
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I’ve just made this recipe in my Ninja Foodi and it came out perfectly! It’s so easy and so delicious! Would the cooking time be the same if I doubled the recipe?
Yes, same cooking time for a double batch! So glad you enjoyed it, Mandy!
I adore this dish!!! I’ve modified it to include sautéed mushrooms and shrimp with a bit of Old Bay Seasoning. Absolutely delicious!! It is a family favorite. So easy to make in the Instant Pot!
Those additions sound wonderful! So glad you like the recipe!
This was so quick simple and delicious!!
So happy you liked it! Thanks for leaving a review, Aimee!
If I want to double the recipe, do I need to change the cooking time?
Hi Carole, same cook time for a double batch. I’ve tested that myself!
Looks really easy and quick to make. I am excited to try making this! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! 🙂
This was delicious. Loved the light lemon flavor. I sauteed the asparagus on the stove because I was pressed for time but otherwise cooked as written. Thank you!
I would add a little white wine to make it 5 stars.
Yes, you could deglaze with white wine, if that’s your preference! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kathleen!
This recipe was So easy and the results were really great, super creamy 🙂 this recipe got rid of all my left over asparagus and Parmesan cheese from another recipe that would have otherwise gone to waste, My boyfriend and I are really happy 🙂
Awesome! It’s so great when you can use what you have in the fridge! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Laura,
I’m an old man recovering from open heart surgery and am so glad I purchased an Instant Pot before my surgery. I’ve just also come to enjoy asparagus in my later years and always purchase it when it’s on sale and then I look for new recipes. I’m so glad I found your recipe for Asparagus Risotto. Made it tonight with Jasmine rice and it turned out perfect. Love it. Thank You!
You’re so welcome, Dominick. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I made this tonight to go with my husband’s grilled chicken. I made him hurry up so we could, this is the best risotto recipe I have ever tasted! Perfection!
So happy to hear that, Kelly!
If I wanted only 2 servings instead of 4 … do I cut all ingredients in half?
Hi Nancy, yes, you would cut all ingredients in half. This should work because you’ll still have the minimum 1 cup of thin liquid needed to bring the pot to pressure (assuming you have a 6qt or 3qt model). Pressure cook time stays the same! Keep in mind, the recipe as written serves 4 as a side dish, so if you think you might want more (or to serve it as a vegetarian main), I’d stick to the original quantities. Hope that helps!
This is the first time that I have tried asparagus (I am 24) and I am amazingly satisfied with this recipe!!
My coworker is a vegetarian so I was looking for recipes that I could cook for the two of us and I have now made this 3 times and will continue to make this. I HIGHLY recommend this! I didn’t modify this whatsoever and it came out perfectly! <3
Thrilled to hear this Rachael! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Made this last night with roasted chicken. The risotto was so good I will definitely be making this again. Still have enough for tonight’s dinner.
I am so glad I found this recipe. Directions were easy to follow and so simple. It was delicious and is now my go to dish for a side. Thank you
Used Chicken Broth and topped with pepper and parsley. Amazing!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!
Oh yummy! I just fixed this for lunch today, and it’s awesome. It was a really good idea to saute the asparagus separately, then add it back in once the rice was cooked. I like my asparagus tender-crisp and bright green, and that did the trick. I probably used more asparagus than called for in the recipe….only because I had it on hand and wanted to use it before it went bad. Thanks for the recipe! I make a regular mushroom risotto in the instant pot (with arborio rice), and I love how easy it is to prepare in an instant pot. I used Basmati rice for this, and it turned out great. The cooking time was perfect.
Thanks for such a lovely review, Jane! So glad you enjoyed it!
Very happy I [accidentally] found you! I’ve only glanced at some of your other recipes, but I have a feeling I’ll be trying a few more.
This makes my day! Thanks Jane!
Would I have to do any alteration to the cooking time/liquid volume if I use basmati rice in place of jasmine? I have basmati on hand!
Hi Katy, I haven’t tested this with basmati, but I’ve had success using it in place of jasmine in other recipes. I wouldn’t change the liquid ratio or cook time – the rice will definitely be cooked in 10 minutes. Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Excellent – made this for dinner tonight with some fresh local asparagus and used long grain carnaroli rice — turned out perfect…..better and quicker than on the stove top!
So happy you enjoyed it, Brad!
Thank you for his recipe! It was so easy and absolutely delicious. It’s my first time ever making risotto and I was a little nervous but you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
So happy to hear this, Laurie! Thanks for leaving a review!
If I double the recipe do I add to cooking time?
Should be the same cooking time under pressure!
This is such a lovely recipe! It turned out perfectly! I will definitely be making this again!!
I’m so glad to hear you liked it Chloe, thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
So easy and delicious! I just purchased an instant pot and we loved how much easier this is to make than traditionally cooking risotto.