Easy Lemon Risotto
This lemon risotto recipe is deliciously bright, creamy, and surprisingly easy to make at home! We’re using the ratios of traditional risotto recipes, but adding in some brightness with both the juice and zest. It’s elegant enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Creamy, citrusy, and completely irresistible 🍋✨
I used to think risotto required constant attention and expert technique, but it’s actually much more forgiving than you might think. And once you make it, you’ll see!
The key is keeping your broth warm and adding it slowly. You don’t need to stand there stirring non-stop, just check in every minute or so. It’s…
🍋 Creamy & bright: The fresh lemon zest and juice add a citrusy pop that balances the creamy richness perfectly.
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: You don’t need much to pull off this restaurant-quality dish.
⏱️ Ready in 25 minutes: From start to finish, this comes together quickly enough for a weeknight dinner.
🌱 Easy to make vegetarian: Simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock for a completely vegetarian meal.
💚 Endlessly customizable: Add peas, asparagus, fresh herbs, or protein like shrimp or lobster to make it your own.
🍽️ Perfect main or side: Serve it as a satisfying main course or as an elegant side dish alongside seafood or chicken.
You’ll also want to try lobster risotto, scallop pasta, or lemon-baked halibut next time.
Great recipe. Super easy. I used fish stock from my recent catch. Added a bit of butter at the end. Super creamy and perfect lemon flavor. –Kitt
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need olive oil and butter for sautéing, shallots (or substitute yellow onion), Arborio rice, dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio works well), broth, fresh lemon for both zest and juice, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt and black pepper.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: To build the creamiest texture, add the warm broth gradually while stirring gently. Don’t rush the process, slow absorption is key to classic risotto texture.
- Shortcuts: You could use store-bought grated Parmesan to save time. While freshly grated tastes better, the convenience can make this dish even more weeknight-friendly.
- Feeding kids without pressure: If it’s a new food, serve it with some other sides you know they will eat like bread and butter, fruit, and/or milk.
- Additions: Top with grilled shrimp, scallops, or lobster for a more substantial meal. Sautéed mushrooms or spinach are also delicious mix-ins.
Lemon Risotto Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Let me show you how to make this lemon risotto recipe at home! It’s restaurant quality, but the method is easy and it’s ready in 30 min.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 3 Tbsp. shallots, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups hot chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. When butter foams, add shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 1-3 minutes.
- Add rice to dutch oven and stir so that oil mixture coats rice. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, to lightly toast the rice.
- Deglaze pan with wine, stirring to combine until wine is absorbed.
- Add 1 cup of broth to pan and stir until absorbed. Add broth, 1 cup at a time, until absorbed, stirring constantly.
- Continue to add broth and stir until rice is cooked to al dente.
- Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat gently in a sauté pan with a splash of broth or water, stirring to incorporate the liquid until hot. Add more liquid as needed to loosen the texture. Freezing risotto is not recommended as the texture will change, and the rice can become hard and grainy.
- Ingredient notes: Arborio rice is widely available at most grocery stores and is the most common risotto rice. If you can find Carnaroli rice, it’s considered the best for risotto, but Arborio works beautifully. Don’t substitute regular long-grain rice; the high starch content in risotto rice is essential for the creamy texture. Use a dry white wine that is not sweet – sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, pinot gris, or pinot blanc are good options.
- Prep ahead: You can mince the shallots and grate the Parmesan ahead of time, but risotto is best made fresh and served immediately. It doesn’t hold well once cooked, so plan to make it right before serving.
- Helpful tools: A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or large sauté pan, a separate pot to keep broth warm, a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula for stirring, and a microplane zester for the lemon zest.
- Serve with: This pairs beautifully with air fryer lobster tails, seared scallops, grilled shrimp, roasted chicken, or keep it vegetarian with a simple green salad and roasted asparagus. For a lighter option, serve alongside sautéed greens or a fresh arugula salad.
- Need help planning dinners? I’ve got 100+ recipes, cooking strategies, and meal plans for busy families.
Serving Suggestions
Risotto is the type of meal that can stand alone as a main course, or round it out with a green salad, quick vegetable, or protein:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Pros:
Easy to make
Flavor is AMAZING!
A little bit goes a long way
Cons:
This recipe demands your full attention.
Depends on if you like your risotto like “rice” or “creamy polenta.” Recommend reducing amount of Chicken broth. I stopped at 4 cups, and it was pretty soupy.
Hi Kristina, thanks so much for your feedback! Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Emily, this is now my go to lemon risotto recipe. your recipe is spot on
tks tony
Ahhh! Amazing, thanks for sharing, Tony.
Great recipe. Super easy. I used fish stock from my recent catch. Added a bit of butter at end. Super creamy and perfect lemon flavor.
Love these two additions, yum! So glad you enjoyed it.
This is exactly how I make mine. I never used lemon but that sound like a great addition.
It is really bright and delicious!
Just made this for dinner and it was very tasty! I also stopped at the 4 1/2 cup mark for adding stock because the rice was al dente. I did double the lemon zest and juice because I really wanted it to pack a punch! I served it with some air fried chicken thighs and it was a great Saturday night meal! Thanks for a great recipe!
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