Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Risotto in 30 Minutes
Home » COOK » Recipes » Instant Pot Recipes »This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Risotto brings a warming taste of the Mediterranean to your dinner table. A simple one-pot comforting meal, created using chicken breasts, Arborio rice, Parmesan, parsley, and lemons and takes just 30 minutes.

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Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. It’s one of the most common ways to cook rice in Italy.
It is also a dish that is a bit of a labor of love, not because it takes a long time to cook, but because you have to stir the rice while cooking. Adding a ladelful of broth at a time, stirring until it has been absorbed into the rice.
Speaking of rice, risotto is made using short-grain rice, such as Arborio, which is higher in starch and absorbs liquids.
But what if the hankering for risotto hits, but you don’t have time to do the traditional “stand and stir” method? Well, this Instant Pot risotto recipe takes care of that!
This satisfying lemon chicken risotto is the ultimate “one-pot” comfort food. Once you see how easy it is to make risotto this way, you may never return to the traditional “stand and stir” method again.

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It may not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Protein – Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Fresh Produce – Red Onion, Parsley, Lemons
- Dairy – Unsalted Butter, Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Thyme
- Arborio Rice – a short grain rice used to make risotto.
- Dry White Wine – use a wine that you enjoy drinking
- Chicken Broth/Stock
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

More Recipes Using Chicken
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is chicken, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup
- Rustic Chicken and White Bean Stew with Andouille Sausage
- Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Recipe with Rosemary and Lemon
More Instant Pot Recipes
Looking for more dishes to make in your Instant Pot? Check these recipes out next:
- Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe with Potatoes, Carrots and Green Beans
- How to Make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Porked)
- Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Vegetarian & Vegan Recipe)

How Do I Make Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Risotto?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter divided
- 1 lbs 450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ medium red onion chopped
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1¾ cup chicken broth
- 1½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
To serve
- Additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Select the “Sauté’ function on the Instant Pot and adjust the setting to high.
- Add one tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Once hot, add the chicken and generously season with salt and black pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chicken is browned on all sides.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and add the remaining olive oil and two tablespoons of butter to the pot.
- Add the chopped onion and sprinkle with the garlic powder and dried thyme. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and begins to develop some color.
- Add the Arborio rice and “toast” for 1-2 minutes by stirring continually in the hot butter and oil.
- Add the white wine and deglaze the pot by gently scraping with a spatula to remove any browned bits from the bottom.
- When the liquid is reduced by one-half, turn the Instant Pot off by pressing the “Cancel” button.
- Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pot and pour the chicken broth on top.
- Cover and lock the lid into place. Set the pressure release valve to “Sealing” and then select the “Manual” button on the high setting. Set the cook time to 6 minutes.
- When cook time is complete, do an immediate quick release of the pressure. Once the pin drops and there is no more steam coming out, carefully remove the lid.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, and stir to combine.
- Cover and let sit for 4-5 minutes to allow any excess liquid to be absorbed.
- Remove the lid and give the risotto a quick stir before transferring to individual serving bowls.
- Serve immediately with additional grated Parmesan cheese on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Special Dinner!
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party!
- Appetizer: How to Assemble An Italian Charcuterie Board For Parties & Entertaining
- Soup: Easy Vegetable Soup
- Salad: Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Croutons
- Side Dish: How to Cook the Most Amazing Oven Roasted Artichokes
- Beverage: Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail with Citrus Vodka & Lime
- Dessert: Gluten-Free Black Cherry Crisp Recipe
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.
Annabelle
March 23, 2022 @ 12:10 am
Made this almost immediately after you posted it! Delish!!!!! Seriously! I think we will leave out the thyme next time but we loved it!