Sweet corn, basil, and arborio rice all come together in this creamy, cheesy Instant Pot Sweet Corn Risotto to create a dish that'll have you oohing and ahhing with every single bite. This is a show-stopper meal, my friends!
Summertime corn. Sigh. It's a serious wonder to behold.
It's the sole reason I agreed to plant a garden this year. There's just nothin' like fresh, sweet, right off the stalk, corn on the cob.
PS: If you happen to be reading this recipe in the dead of winter, have no fear, you can still make this risotto. We'll cover that in a sec.
With the goal to present you with as many ways as possible to enjoy the peak of season corn on the cob, I decided it was most definitely time to bring you one of my top two favorite risotto recipes of alllllll time.
Instant Pot Risotto is quite a miracle. Risotto typically requires 25 – 30 minutes of standing at the stovetop stirring, stirring, and stirring. If you own a pressure cooker, your total minutes of stirring will easily be under 5!
Ironically, I discovered this Instant Pot Risotto trick when my twins were almost 2 years old. To stay in one spot for more than 2 minutes doing ANYTHING, was surely going to end in disaster.
Just ask my husband about the “flushing diapers down the toilet incident” the night I decided to make this Spring Risotto on the stove top . . .
This Sweet Corn Risotto recipe is a dynamite dish, one that will have you happily reminiscing over each delightful bite all night long.
Note to self and anyone else who really loves talking about food:
Kids don't really care to hear how much you loved dinner all night long . . .
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT SWEET CORN RISOTTO
- Risotto (of any variation) is ready in less than 30 minutes in the pressure cooker, with very little hands-on cooking time involved. Five minutes of pressure cook time results in perfectly al dente, ultra-creamy, max flavor risotto – it almost feels like cheating.
- Roasted, caramelized sweet corn. To make this risotto even more special, roast the corn in the oven until it's browned and borderline candy sweet. Do your best to resist inhaling it right off the sheet pan, because that little extra pop of flavor throughout your bowl of risotto is everything.
- A chiffonade of basil gets stirred in right at the end to make things fancy and fresh, just like you ordered it from a high dollar restaurant.
- Risotto can be served as the main entree, but if you're in the mood to grill, just about any protein will go flawlessly with this sweet corn risotto.
HOW TO MAKE RISOTTO IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Add leeks and onions to the pot
- Saute until soft
- Add the rice and stir to toast until it's slightly opaque
- Add broth, salt, and pepper; pressure cook for 5 minutes
- Add extra broth and stir vigorously until thick and creamy
- Add cheese, corn, and basil; stir to combine
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SWEET CORN RISOTTO
- Use Arborio Rice. This rice is more starchy than others which makes it the perfect rice for extra creamy risotto.
- If possible, use fresh corn cut straight off the cob. The crisp, sweet bite is simply unmatched.
- However, if corn on the cob isn't available when you come across this recipe, I've been very happy with canned corn. Frozen corn tends to be a bit softer than I like, but that is also an option if you prefer it.
- Use a combination of leeks and onions. I've tried using one or the other, but the deep flavor just isn't there without both. (More on how to cut leeks in a sec).
- Use fresh basil. Again, if that's not an option, dried basil will do. I love Lighthouse Freeze Dried Basil (buy it online or look for it near the produce section of the grocery store).
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese! Yes, the stuff in the can will work, but fluffy snowflake, freshly grated parmesan cheese is the ultimate punch of flavor every good risotto needs.
- Want it extra, EXTRA creamy? Stir in 1/3 cup whipped cream cheese right at the end. Heavenly!
HOW TO CUT LEEKS
If you're not familiar with leeks, they can be a bit intimidating. I promise that prepping them is simple, and actually quite fun.
- Trim the light/dark green top off, then cut off the hairy root end
- Slice the leek in half
- Cut into thin half moons
- The thinner the better!
- Repeat with the other half
- Place leeks in a colander and place the colander inside a larger bowl (or use a salad spinner). Fill with water and agitate the water to release the dirt from the leeks. The dirt will fall to the bottom. Pat dry and they are ready to go!
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE RISOTTO
- Store: Place cooled risotto in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Warm risotto in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of broth to make it creamy again.
- Freeze: Place risotto in a freezer-safe zip-top bag, press flat, and freeze. When ready to eat, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as directed above.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS FOR SWEET CORN RISOTTO
To make the cooking process quick and effortless, have the leeks and onions cut beforehand, the corn cut off the cob, and the parmesan cheese grated.
Extra make-ahead tip: I like to saute double the amount of onions and garlic, then freeze half of it for the next time I make risotto. This makes the process VERY fast!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH RISOTTO
- Grilled Meat: Grilled steak, chicken, or pork are amazing served with risotto. My particular favorite pairing is this grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken.
- Meatballs: Any homemade or store-bought meatballs go really well with risotto. I prefer a lighter meatball like these Chicken Ricotta Meatballs.
- Roasted Vegetables: Any roasted vegetable will work: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, etc.
- Tofu: Crispy, browned tofu using this Instant Pot Tofu trick is absolutely magical.
VARIATIONS OF RISOTTO
- Basic Instant Pot Risotto
- Instant Pot Roasted Cauliflower Barley Risotto
- Instant Pot Lemon and Spring Vegetable Risotto (pictured below)
Now round up the kiddos and send them out to shuck mama some corn. You've got a serious pot of Sweet Corn Risotto to make.
Enjoy!
MORE INSTANT POT CORN RECIPES
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Tamales or Tamale Pie
- Instant Pot Sweet Corn and Tomato Pasta
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT SWEET CORN RISOTTO
- Instant Pot
- Arborio Rice
- Risotto Spoon – not really necessary, but fun to use
Instant Pot Sweet Corn Risotto
Sweet corn, fresh basil, and sharp parmesan cheese combine to make a miraculous Instant Pot Sweet Corn Risotto
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2–3 cups of corn kernels (about 3 medium ears of corn) May use canned or frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling over corn
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half then into thin half moons
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup chopped basil
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray. Place corn kernels on the baking sheet, drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and toss to distribute the oil evenly; season with salt and pepper. Place under broiler until corn starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Watch closely! Set aside.
- Preheat the pressure cooker, by selecting sauté. Add the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When butter is melted and slightly bubbling, add the leeks, onion, and garlic; sauté 5-7 minutes or until tender.
- Add rice to the pot and stir for 1-2 minutes, until opaque.
- Add 3 cups of chicken broth, salt, and pepper; stir.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use a quick release. Select sauté and stir in two-thirds of the roasted corn and an extra ½ – 1 cup of chicken broth, stir for 2 minutes.
- Unplug the pressure cooker; stir in the basil and parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately, topped with an extra sprinkle of parmesan and the reserved roasted corn kernels.
Notes
- If you don't want the extra step of roasting the corn, stir in fresh. It is still amazing!
- If corn on the cob isn't in season, use canned or frozen instead.
- Use Arborio rice, not regular white or brown rice. This is important for getting the extra creamy texture.
- To make it EXTRA creamy, stir in 1/3 cup of cream cheese right at the end. I prefer to use whipped cream cheese.
Keywords: corn risotto, pressure cooker risotto, Instant Pot risotto
Great recipe! I *almost* skipped roasting the corn in the oven, but don’t! It brings out the sweetness of the corn and also adds a nice color/crunch to the risotto. In the last addition of broth, I also snuck in about 1/2 cup of white wine to give it that authentic risotto flavor.
★★★★★
Debra, Doesn’t the roasted corn just make it!? If I don’t snack it all off the tray first :). I’m glad you enjoyed it!
WE have made this many times. I’m cooking it right now. I’ve never been a fan of risotto becasue most of them I have seen were dripping in cheese and I’m not a fan of cheese except as an accent (used like a spice in a similar amount). With this and adding the Parmesan at the end, I can use as little as I want and my sister can add as much as she wants and we both win. It’s delicious. I use frozen corn becasue it’s not corn season. That cuts down the prep a lot. I can get everything going in five minutes or less. Tonight I added a few Green Hatch Pepper flakes (https://www.flatironpepper.com/products/hatch-valley-green?variant=29592556666966¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAiAtej9BRAvEiwA0UAWXrqWI2321_1qFUTolVzfGJjup5CkCwa6lhNfQ2qBqG7G0_y4gGvthxoC3bsQAvD_BwE). That should give it a little extra kick.
Judith, I love the green hatch pepper flakes idea! I’ve never heard of it and now I need to order some.
We are big fans of risotto but always have made it out of a box. This is easy to make and tastes amazing! Thank you!
★★★★★
Karin, I’m glad you liked it! It is soooo easy in the pressure cooker.
Made this sweet corn risotto last night and it was wonderful. I wanted to share a few thoughts. While I did brown the corn under the broiler I’m not sure I’d do that next time. One needs to decide, “Do you want browning on the corn kernels or do you want the nice juicy kernels?” There are advantages both ways. I forgot to to add the whipped cream cheese at the end, but think that would have been a tasty addition.
While this recipe is not difficult to make, it does involve quite a bit of prep, especially if you’re using fresh corn. Consider that if making for a weeknight supper.
And finally, a small suggestion on prep technique. Marci writes, “Place corn kernels on the baking sheet, drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and toss to distribute the oil evenly; season with salt and pepper.” I found it easier and a bit less messy to put the corn kernels in a small bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and toss in the bowl to distribute the oil evenly, season with salt and pepper AND THEN spread the corn on the baking sheet.
To Kellie who thought the risotto was a bit salty. Table salt tastes much “saltier” than kosher salt. Read this from The Food Network. “Kosher salt ‘has much larger, much lighter, much flakier crystals,’ Chef John explains “whereas the crystals for our fine table salt are much smaller and much more uniformly sized.
Why does that make a difference? If a recipe calls for 1/4 cup of kosher table salt, that’s about 39 grams. If you substitute 1/4 cup of fine table salt for the kosher salt, as Chef John notes,, you’ll be adding about 76 grams of salt by weight — about twice what the recipe really calls for. That’s why — even though you measured correctly by volume — your soup tastes like the bottom of the ocean and raises your blood pressure 10 points with each bite.”
If a recipe calls for kosher salt and you use table salt, the dish is likely to be too salty; if it calls for table salt and you use kosher salt, the dish may not be salty enough. As a general practice if a recipe calls for salt and it sounds to me like it might be too much, I always start with less than called for – it’s always possible to add more but difficult to adjust if you used too much.
Regardless of the effort needed, the final result is worth it. Making risotto is a piece of cake in the Instant Pot compared to making it on the stove. Give it a try.
★★★★★
Sigrid, thanks so much for your tips and tricks and the rundown on salt. That’s very helpful!
I thought it was delicious but i’d use 1/2 the salt next time. We made it exactly how the recipe was written and it was a bit salty. I’d start with 1tsp of salt and add more later if needed.
★★★★
Kellie, Thanks for your thoughts! I tend to like things well-seasoned when it comes to salt, so maybe I’ll edit that for others. Did you use kosher salt or table salt?