Easy elegance. That’s how we like to describe this dish. As seafood dinners go, succulent shrimp risotto—flavored with white wine, shallots, garlic and Parmesan cheese—leans creamy and rich as opposed to light. It’s one of those impressive dinners that comes together in two pots in under an hour, that cleans up easily and that’s approachable even for guests who don’t love seafood.
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, this risotto is easy to customize. Try it with different herbs and spices, add veggies, or change up the cheese or protein.
Ingredients for Shrimp Risotto
- Chicken broth: Choose your favorite brand of chicken broth from the store or use homemade chicken broth if that’s something you keep stocked in your refrigerator.
- Butter: Saute the shallots and garlic in butter until they’re fragrant. The butter also lightly toasts the rice for even more flavor.
- Shallot: Close cousins to onions, shallots offer a more mellow and sweet allium taste. It’s the perfect choice for this dish since it won’t overpower the delicate flavor of the sweet shrimp.
- Arborio rice: This high-starch short-grain rice is responsible for risotto’s signature taste, texture and consistency. It’s less processed than other types of rice, so it retains more of its starch content.
- Garlic: This aromatic lightly perfumes the risotto with its pungent scent and flavor.
- White wine: A crisp white wine like pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc or chardonnay is the best choice for risotto and pairs well with shrimp. It’s most cost-efficient to pick white wines under $20.
- Shrimp: Choose an uncooked, medium type of shrimp (31-40 count) that has been peeled and deveined. Once you know how to clean shrimp, you can do this step yourself if you prefer.
- Parmesan: Enhance the creaminess of the dish with Parmesan. This hard cheese offers a nutty, salty sharpness that pairs well with the notes of the white wine and the sweetness of the shrimp.
- Parsley and pepper: A sprinkle of fresh parsley and a dash of coarsely ground pepper provide the perfect finish to this simple risotto with shrimp recipe.
Directions
Step 1: Warm the broth
In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and keep it hot.
Editor’s Tip: Using warm broth for risotto is the trick to achieve that perfect creamy consistency. Warm broth helps coax more starch out of each grain and helps prevent the arborio rice from overcooking. Using cool or room-temperature broth may shock the grain and cause it to hold onto its starches, which is the opposite of what you want when it comes to making perfect risotto with shrimp.
Step 2: Saute the shallots
In another large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it’s tender, about two to three minutes.
Step 3: Toast the rice
Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is coated; continue to toast the rice for one to two minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute until it’s fragrant.
Stir in the wine, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook and stir until the wine is fully absorbed.
Editor’s Tip: If you prefer to abstain from alcohol in your cooking, you can swap it for an equal amount of chicken broth. Alternatively, you can also try a splash of red wine vinegar, white grape juice or a nonalcoholic wine.
Step 4: Add the broth gradually
Add hot broth to the rice, 1/2 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until the broth has been absorbed by the rice after each addition. Cook until the rice is tender but firm to the bite, and the risotto is creamy.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t rush this process. Gradually adding the broth helps the rice to slowly release its starches and become rich and creamy. If you add all of the broth at once, your shrimp risotto will not develop the right consistency. For a shortcut method, try Ina Garten’s risotto in the oven.
Step 5: Add the shrimp and seasonings
Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink.
Finish the risotto by stirring in the cheese, parsley and coarse black pepper. Serve the risotto immediately.
Editor’s Tip: Shrimp recipes are easy to overcook. Cook them just long enough for the shrimp to turn pink and opaque, and to form a soft C shape. A tight O shape is usually indicative of overcooked shrimp.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different protein: Risotto recipes work with almost any protein. Try quick-cooking bay scallops, pieces of lobster meat or calamari rings for different seafood options. Or opt for pieces of cooked, grilled chicken or seared garlic butter steak bites.
- Add veggies: For added color, stir in some thawed green peas or sweet corn kernels with the cheese and herbs before serving the shrimp risotto. Or, toss in some sauteed mushrooms, grilled asparagus or bell peppers. Shrimp ‘n’ spinach risotto is another option if you’re looking to add some greens.
- Use more cheese: Love cheese? You can swap or add even more cheese to this creamy risotto with shrimp. Try Brie, fontina, Romano, Asiago, or Gruyere; they all offer a nice, nutty sharpness that pairs well with the sweet shrimp. You can also try goat cheese.
- Switch up the herbs and spices: Spice things up by adding a Cajun-style seasoning with paprika, cayenne and more (use this Cajun shrimp recipe as a guide). Add a flourish of freshness with additional chopped fresh herbs before serving. Dill, basil, chives and oregano are all great choices.
How to Store Shrimp Risotto
Risotto with shrimp is best enjoyed within three to four days when refrigerated and stored in an airtight storage container.
To reheat shrimp risotto, we recommend warming it on the stovetop in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or chicken broth to help rehydrate the rice. Reheat the risotto, covered, for three to four minutes, then uncover it and continue to warm, stirring occasionally, until it has reached the desired temperature.
Shrimp Risotto Tips
Why is my risotto taking forever to cook?
Patience is key when it comes to making risotto. Working low and slow is the key to developing a shrimp risotto recipe that is perfectly tender and creamy. If your risotto is taking longer than specified in the recipe, try increasing the heat under your warm broth, since adding cold or room temperature broth to risotto can prolong the cooking time.
What can you serve with shrimp risotto?
Serve shrimp risotto with any of your favorite vegetable side dishes. Those that pair especially well with shrimp include roasted asparagus, grilled zucchini and garden salads made with tender, leafy greens. We also suggest serving this dish with a loaf of homemade bread. Dutch oven bread is perfect for beginners, and copycat Olive Garden breadsticks can be ready in under 60 minutes.
Don’t forget the wine! An elegant, restaurant-style plate of risotto calls for a glass of wine for sipping. A crisp, dry white wine is the best type of wine for shrimp. Look for a pinot grigio, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc wine with citrusy, herbaceous or tropical fruit notes.
