Instant Pot Brown Rice Risotto | Healthy Risotto Recipe

When I think of risotto, I think of a creamy indulgence that’s hard to make. This easy and healthy brown rice risotto cooks in the Instant Pot and is seriously super easy and delicious!

This gluten free Instant Pot Brown Rice Risotto can be made in any electric pressure cooker.

Take me to the recipe!

To better serve my community of all levels of experience here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts. This includes healthy eating plan information, how to meal prep, and how to substitute ingredients. 

If you’d like to skip over the extra information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy printable Instant Pot Brown Rice Mushroom Risotto recipe! 

Is this a true risotto?

Traditional risotto is made with arborio rice, a superfine short grain white rice that is high in starch. To make it healthier, I used short grain brown rice, but trust me guys it’s still creamy and delicious.

While this is not a traditional risotto, it is a way to enjoy the flavors and texture of risotto and still maintain a healthy lifestyle with whole grains.

Ingredients for Brown Rice Risotto:

• Olive oil 
• Shallots: While a member of the onion family, shallots are milder in flavor and grow in clusters like garlic.
• Mushrooms: Loaded with antioxidants, and B vitamins mushrooms are a vegetable you should be eating.  
• Asparagus: Help regulate blood sugar, are loaded with antioxidants, and can help stabilize digestion due to high amounts of protein and fiber. 
• Chicken thighs: I prefer the way chicken thighs cook in the Instant Pot over breasts. Make sure to get boneless skinless thighs. 
• Short grain brown rice: Short grain brown rice works well as a substitute for arborio. It is similar in texture and has a creamier texture than long grain.  
• Ground pepper 
• Chicken stock: I prefer homemade chicken broth for this recipe. It gives you some extra  nutrients and a stronger flavor. However, if you purchase it, make sure it’s low sodium.  
• Parmesan: Grab a better quality wedge of parmesan from the refrigerator section and shred it yourself. The shelf stable pre-grated variety does not melt nicely, and has additional ingredients to stop clumping. 

Recipe tips:

• If you dislike mushrooms, leave them out and add more asparagus.
• If you dislike asparagus leave it out and add more mushrooms. ;) This recipe is incredibly versatile, you can even omit the vegetables completely if you’d like. 
• This recipe is delicious and hearty even without the chicken. If you don’t want meat in your risotto, leave it out. If you do this, I’d use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
• If you have trouble finding shallots, you can replace it with 1/4 cup chopped onion and a clove of minced garlic.
• This recipe is perfect for meal prep. Freeze in individual serving size containers for up to 2 months. To reheat, microwave for 2 minutes. 

How to cook this healthy risotto:

1. Set your Instant Pot to sauté and add olive oil to the bottom. Once your oil is hot add chopped shallots, mushrooms, and asparagus.
2. Stirring frequently, cook until the shallots become fragrant and translucent. Transfer the veggies to a plate and set aside.
3. Add your frozen chicken breast to the hot Instant Pot and sear on all sides. Turn off the Instant Pot, add black pepper, rice, and broth.
4. Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 25 minutes.
5. Once the cook time is complete let the pressure release naturally. This means don’t touch the sealing valve–just give it 15-20 minutes to slowly release on its own and finish cooking.
6. Once the pressure valve drops remove the lid and shred chicken thighs with two forks. A stand mixer can be used to make shredding easier.
7. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and stir in cooked shallots, mushrooms, asparagus, and parmesan cheese.
8. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat and serve immediately. For meal prep, see the tips section for freezing and reheating instructions.

Healthy Eating Plans

This delicious and healthy Instant Pot Brown Rice Risotto fits into many diets perfectly. Whole grains, minimal oils and cheese, and plenty of vegetables makes this a meal that you can feel good about.

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix:

• For the entire recipe: 6 Yellow Containers, 3 Green Containers, 4 Red Containers, 1 Blue Container, 6 Teaspoons.
• Per ¾ cup serving: ½ Yellow Container, ¼ Green Container, ⅓ Red Container, ½ Teaspoons.  

2B Mindset:

Add a side of vegetables for a complete lunch.

Other delicious and healthy Instant Pot Recipes:

• Healthy Crack Chicken Instant Pot, Crock Pot, and Stove Top directions!
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites: I love making these when I crave wings–it’s delicious and easy!
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip One of my favorite lunch recipes.
• Brown Rice and Quinoa Just like the store bought Seeds of Change brand, but healthier!
• Homemade Egg Drop Soup An easy weeknight recipe.
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice One of our family favorites, and healthier than traditional fried rice.
• Instant Pot Ground Turkey Goulash This is one of our weekly staples!
• Healthy Beef Stroganoff Easy and healthy!