Baked Risotto
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Baked Risotto is risotto without the work! This restaurant-quality recipe is made with sweet peas, lemon, and parmesan for a side dish or vegetarian main course that’s perfect for weeknights and date nights.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
No stirring! The oven does all the work in this recipe, making it so much easier than traditional risotto.
Fresh & simple – Frozen peas, a burst of fresh lemon, and melted parmesan cheese create a risotto that feels light yet satisfying.
Perfect anytime – I love how baked risotto is quick enough for a busy weeknight dinner but still sophisticated enough for date night.
Table of Contents
Risotto is one of those notoriously intimidating meals that needs a little more babysitting than your average easy dinner recipe. Is the babysitting worth it? I certainly think so! But do I want to stand over a hot stove and constantly stir every time I make this fantastic dish? Not really.
Luckily, my Easy Baked Risotto recipe takes care of that. It has everything you love about risotto, except for the babysitting. Just add rice, broth, and veggies to a pot, pop it in the oven, and let it bake. It’s the ultimate low-effort, high-reward meal I like to quickly throw together after work or for date night with Miguel.
Risotto Ingredients
Arborio rice – This is the only rice I use when I make risotto (with the exception of my orzo risotto recipe). It’s a type of short-grain rice with a high starch content, giving risotto its signature creaminess (without needing any cream).
Stock – I’ll use chicken stock when I want my risotto to be super savory, or vegetable stock when I’d rather keep things vegetarian.
Lemon – I used freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten the whole dish (bottled is fine, too). For an extra hit of lemony flavor, feel free to zest the lemon before juicing it, then sprinkle it on top at the end.
Frozen peas – Remember to thaw the peas in the fridge before stirring them into the risotto.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- Swap the peas – Out of frozen peas? Use another frozen veggie you have, like green beans, broccoli, or zucchini.
- Use seasonal vegetables – I recommend substituting the peas for asparagus tips in the spring, sliced leeks in the summer, and roasted butternut squash in the fall.
- Extra-creamy baked risotto – Stir in a dollop of mascarpone at the very end to make it extra mouthwatering.
- Vegan option – You can make vegan baked risotto with vegetable broth, non-dairy butter, and vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
How to Bake Risotto
Step 1: Heat the broth. Heat the broth in a pot over medium heat until it’s warm, but not boiling. Remove the pot from the heat.
Step 2: Make the base. Add the rice, warm broth, shallot, garlic, and some of the butter to a large, oven-safe pot (I used a shallow Dutch oven). Stir gently to combine.
Step 3: Bake the risotto. Cover the pot and move it to the oven to bake.
Step 4: Add the rest. Take the pot out of the oven and stir in the lemon juice, cheese, peas, and salt, then finish with the butter. Add more lemon juice, salt, or pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- Warming the broth ahead of time helps the rice start cooking the second it hits the oven. Cold broth might give you unevenly cooked or crunchy rice.
- Rest the risotto for a few minutes before serving to give the rice time to absorb any extra broth and become nice and fluffy.
- Every oven is a little different, so I would start checking for doneness around the 25-minute mark. You’re looking for rice that’s tender but still has a slight bite (al dente).
My Pro Tip
Toast The Rice
I’m a big believer in toasting the rice first! It’s a tiny step that makes a massive difference in texture and flavor. For this recipe, melt a little butter in the pot over medium heat before adding the rice and aromatics. Let them sizzle for a few minutes or until the rice starts to smell nutty, then add the broth and make the recipe as directed.
Baked Risotto FAQs
You’ll know it’s ready when the liquid is mostly absorbed and the grains of rice are al dente (slightly firm but soft in the middle). If it’s soupy or the rice is still crunchy, pop the lid back on and give it another 5 minutes.
You can, as long as you use an oven-safe pot that’s wide and large enough to bake the rice in a thin, even layer. A high pile of risotto in a small pot will yield a mushy bottom before the top is done cooking. You may also need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.
Serving Suggestions
Miguel and I serve risotto for any occasion, whether we’re having a casual dinner or a date night. We like to pair it with a simple spring salad like this radish salad or this baby kale salad with honey-mint vinaigrette, and a side of sautéed asparagus.
Baked risotto is pretty filling on its own, or you can top it with a grilled chicken thigh, pan-seared shrimp, or a baked salmon filet.
Storage
Refrigerator: I find that risotto is best served fresh, but if you have leftovers, keep them covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Pack the cooled risotto into a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Reheating risotto can be a little tricky, but I find that warming the leftovers in a skillet with a splash of broth and gently stirring works wonders.
More Risotto Recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Baked Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups arborio rice
- 32 oz. chicken or vegetable stock, warmed
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- Juice from 1 lemon
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- ½ tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pour the broth into a pot and heat over medium heat until warm, but not boiling; remove from heat.
- To a large, oven-safe pot (I used a shallow dutch oven), add the rice, broth, shallow, garlic, and 3 tablespoons of butter and gently stir.
- Place a lid on the pot, then place it into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Once the time is up, remove from the oven, then add the lemon juice, parmesan cheese, peas, and salt and stir to combine.
- Lastly, stir in the final tablespoons of butter, along with more lemon juice and/or salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
