Mushroom Risotto

This creamy mushroom risotto recipe is the perfect side dish or complete meal.  It’s packed with delicious flavors from sautéed mushrooms, garlic, onions, parmesan cheese and fresh thyme all stirred in a flavorful broth with creamy Arborio rice.

Making risotto may take slightly longer than your basic rice recipe but it is so worth it!  Risotto is a traditional Italian classic that is know for it’s thick and creamy consistency and is always favorite in my house. We love it with some of this homemade Italian bread too!

Love Italian food? Be sure to make these other classics like this popular classic baked ziti recipe, our easy lasagna recipe, and this shrimp scampi recipe.

Tips for the Best Creamy Risotto

Use Arborio rice only – This is non-negotiable for getting  the right texture. The starchiness from this r

Take Your Time – stir gently and often over medium-low heat for the best creaminess.

Warm your broth – Cold broth cools the rice down and disrupts the cooking process.

Taste as you cook – Cook the rice just until the rice is just tender.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The complete list of ingredients with amounts are listed in the full recipe card below.

• Olive oil and butter – I love using both for extra flavor! Feel free to use all olive oil or all butter if you’d like.
• Mushrooms – Thinly sliced. Baby Bella, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, or classic white mushrooms all work beautifully. You can even use a mixture of different shrooms. Add an another cup more if you want extra mushroom goodness.
• Onion – Finely minced small white onion or sweet onion. Or use a whole diced shallot.
• Garlic – Fresh Minced is best but use jarred if that’s all you have. You can also swap it for a teaspoon or two of garlic powder.
• Arborio rice - Essential risotto rice. It’s a short-grain rice that releases starch as it cooks giving it that signature creamy texture.
• Chicken stock - I warm the broth in the microwave in a large measuring up for 30 seconds. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock for a vegetarian version.
• Fresh thyme - Use ½ teaspoon dried thyme instead if you’d like.
• Parmesan cheese - Grated. You can also use Romano or Pecorini.

Variations to Try

1. Add white wine in place of the first ½ cup of broth.
2. Stir in a couple handfuls of baby spinach at the end and let it wilt.  You can actually add in other veggies if you’d like. Sweet peas or sautéd zucchini or asparagus are all delicious additions.
3. Use different herbs like rosemary or sage instead of thyme.
4. Add a ½ cup of heavy cream to make it more creamy.

How to Make This Mushroom Risotto Recipe – Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Sauté the mushrooms. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter and heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring often until they are your desired consistency. 

Step 2: Remove the mushrooms from the pan, place them in a bowl or plate and set aside.  Add the other tablespoon of olive oil into the same pan, then add rice, minced onion, and garlic.  Cook the rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously until the onion is translucent and the rice is just barely lightly brown.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add ½ cup of chicken stock and stir constantly for 5 minutes until all of the liquid has absorbed into the rice.

Then add another ½ cup of broth and stir constantly again until all of the liquid has absorbed once again.  Repeat with ½ cup more of the broth until all of it has been added. If the rice isn't tender after adding 3 cups, add ½ cup more, stirring continuously until the rice is tender.

Step 3: Once the rice is tender, stir in the parmesan cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.

Serve the risotto topped with the sautéed mushrooms or stir the mushrooms into the risotto and garnish with fresh parsley or basil if you’d like.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat on a microwave safe plate or bowl for 30 seconds then stir and heat in 15 second intervals.

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