This Bacon and Mushroom Risotto recipe is rich, creamy, cheesy, made with salty bacon and earthy mushrooms. While this classic dish is usually enjoyed in restaurants with a high price tag, I’ve created this risotto with basic ingredients and fool-proof instructions. Time to treat yourself!
Mushroom Risotto
I genuinely don’t think I could get sick of risotto. Creamy rice cooked with herbaceous broth, white wine, parmesan cheese, and, in this case, bacon and mushrooms! What a dream come true. Savor every last bite; you just won’t want it to end.
I’ve mostly seen risotto on menus as an appetizer, but sometimes it’ll be featured as a main dish. Let me tell you, this mushroom risotto recipe is so good I don’t know if you’ll end up with room for a main dish after the seconds or thirds you’ll inevitably dig into.
Making risotto at home really is about the technique. It’s not like making regular rice where you add the rice, right amount of liquid and let it do its thing. Making risotto is about nurturing it, add the rice, a bit of broth, stir it, add a bit more broth until it’s all absorbed, etc.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken broth – Use low-sodium. Veggie broth will work too.
- Thyme – Fresh sprigs. You can use dried if needed. This is optional, I use it to infuse the broth with more thyme flavor.
- Bacon – Any type you like best, but I prefer a thick cut bacon.
- Olive oil – Sunflower, safflower, canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or avocado oils can be used instead.
- Onion – I used a white onion. Yellow onion or shallot will work.
- Cremini mushrooms – Or any type of mushroom you have!
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Garlic – Use more or less as you prefer.
- Arborio rice – Also known as risotto rice, this is a short grain and very starchy variety.
- White wine – A dry variety such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chardonnay will work best.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated will be much tastier over the powdered type!
- Parsley – For a nice, fresh, green garnish.
How To Make Mushroom Risotto
- Prep the broth: Add the chicken broth and thyme sprigs to a pot over medium heat. Once the broth comes to a bubble reduce the heat to low just to keep it hot, but barely simmering.
- Cook the bacon: Add the bacon to a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp, 5-7 minutes, then remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Cook the onion & mushrooms: Add the olive oil if needed, I had enough fat rendered from the bacon so I didn’t add it, to the pot along with the onion, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Cook the rice: Add the rice, stir, then pour in the wine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the rice cook for 2 minutes, or until it has absorbed the wine. Add 1 cup of the hot broth (avoiding the thyme sprigs) to the dutch oven, stir, and let the rice cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until the liquid has been mostly absorbed. Repeat this step until the rice is cooked through and tender, and you have used all the broth, should take 20-25 minutes.
- Finish: Stir in the bacon and parmesan cheese. Taste for salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.
FAQs
Best way to tell when the risotto is done is to use your eyes and your mouth. Is it creamy but not thick, does it taste mostly soft but still has a bite almost al dente style. Feel it, taste it, enjoy it!
Absolutely! Some great ingredients you can add are peas, roasted broccoli or green beans, shrimp, scallops, chicken or steak. Use your imagination and add your favorite ingredients.
Risotto can be served as a main or alongside some great salads, your favorite proteins or with some freshly baked bread.
Some Tips
- Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to add to your dish before starting to cook risotto. This will make it much easier when cooking, because once you do, you won’t have time to chop and measure ingredients.
- Warm your broth, do not skip this step. This is the secret to a creamy risotto at home. Not only that but it will speed up the cooking process.
- Do not stir the rice constantly as this will add air into the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey. However you still have to stir it oven, because the creaminess comes from the starch generated with grains of rice rub against each other. Find the right balance, not too much, not too little.
Storing Leftover Risotto
Your mushroom risotto will last up to 5 days refrigerated. To reheat, use the microwave and stir the risotto every 15-20 seconds. If the microwave isn’t an option, you can reheat it in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. Feel free to add a splash or two of chicken broth or water to avoid having the risotto dry out at all.
Freezing
While it isn’t ideal to freeze risotto, you absolutely can if you need it to last longer than 5 days. Make sure the risotto has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. It’ll last 2-3 months frozen.
Let the risotto thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Keep in mind after freezing and thawing, the risotto will have a much more soft texture. You’ll have to be careful when reheating as to not break up the grains of rice.
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Mushroom Risotto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 slices bacon sliced into 1/4" – 1/2" pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice aka risotto rice
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon parsley freshly chopped
Instructions
- Prep the broth: Add the chicken broth and thyme sprigs to a pot over medium heat. Once the broth comes to a bubble reduce the heat to low just to keep it hot, but barely simmering.
- Cook the bacon: Add the bacon to a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp, 5-7 minutes, then remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Cook the onion and mushrooms: Add the olive oil if needed, I had enough fat rendered from the bacon so I didn't add it, to the pot along with the onion, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Cook the rice: Add the rice, stir, then pour in the wine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the rice cook for 2 minutes, or until it has absorbed the wine. Add 1 cup of the hot broth (avoiding the thyme sprigs) to the dutch oven, stir, and let the rice cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until the liquid has been mostly absorbed. Repeat this step until the rice is cooked through and tender, and you have used all the broth, should take 20-25 minutes.
- Finish: Stir in the bacon and parmesan cheese. Taste for salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to add to your dish before starting to cook risotto. This will make it much easier when cooking, because once you do, you won’t have time to chop and measure ingredients.
- Warm your broth, do not skip this step. This is the secret to a creamy risotto at home. Not only that but it will speed up the cooking process.
- Do not stir the rice constantly as this will add air into the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey. However you still have to stir it oven, because the creaminess comes from the starch generated with grains of rice rub against each other. Find the right balance, not too much, not too little.
- Your risotto will last up to 5 days refrigerated. To reheat, use the microwave and stir the risotto every 15-20 seconds. If the microwave isn’t an option, you can reheat it in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. Feel free to add a splash or two of chicken broth or water to avoid having the risotto dry out at all.
- While it isn’t ideal to freeze risotto, you absolutely can if you need it to last longer than 5 days. Make sure the risotto has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. It’ll last 2-3 months frozen.
- Let the risotto thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Keep in mind after freezing and thawing, the risotto will have a much more soft texture. You’ll have to be careful when reheating as to not break up the grains of rice.
Thanks Joanna. Easy to make and great flavor!!
Hi Jo, did I tell you that you are my favourite chef!! I’ve tried more of your recipes than any others, which includes your risotto. My husband I both enjoyed it very much after I followed your instructions to the letter. Thanks again for a restaurant quality recipe.
Thanks, Tamara! So happy to hear this!!
As soon as I saw the words “mushroom” and “bacon,” I knew I had to try this. My husband and I loved it. I have never had good luck with risotto, but this turned out so well.
What can I use instead of white wine if I don’t have? And if I have white mushrooms and cooked bacon is that ok ?
Use 1/2 cup of broth mixed with 2 tsp white vinegar. Yes, just as we said in the blog post and mushrooms will work! Cook d bacon will be fine to add at the end but you’ll need to use a few tbsp of olive oil to make up for the lack of back fat.
Haven’t made it yet, but I will. Wondering whether I can use quinoa instead, for a healthier alternative?
Quinoa is pretty delicate and not starchy enough to create a risotto like this! It’ll turn out more like regular rice. You are free to give it a try, but I suggest saving this one for the days you can enjoy special food