A close editorial view of a home cook stirring creamy risotto in a wide saucepan, with warm broth ready beside it and distinct tender rice grains visible in a softly flowing finish.
Techniques Guide

How to Make Risotto: Creamy Texture, Timing, and Doneness

For The Kitchn’s two-cup rice recipe, add warm broth in half-cup portions for 20 to 25 minutes at the broth stage. Stop when the grains are tender with a slight bite and the sauce flows slowly.

A close editorial view of a home cook stirring creamy risotto in a wide saucepan, with warm broth ready beside it and distinct tender rice grains visible in a softly flowing finish.

Before You Start

Choose short-grain rice such as Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano, and keep the broth warm in a nearby saucepan. The recipes cited here use different liquid amounts and stirring rhythms, so follow one formula from start to finish.

Cook the Risotto

  1. Warm the broth in a separate saucepan and hold it at a gentle simmer. The Kitchn’s recipe starts with up to 8 cups for 2 cups of rice; you may not need all of it.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup finely diced onion and cook until soft without browning, about 3 to 4 minutes in this recipe.
  3. Stir in 2 cups short-grain rice and cook until the edges look translucent while the centers stay opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. If using wine, add 1/2 cup dry white wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  4. Add warm broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring often and waiting until most is absorbed before the next addition. Start tasting after about 12 minutes. In this recipe the broth stage takes 20 to 25 minutes; other recipes use different amounts and times.
  5. Taste a grain. It should be tender with a slight firm center. If it is still firm, keep adding warm broth and cooking until the bite softens.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in Parmesan and the remaining butter. The sauce should flow slowly through the rice. Stir in a little warm broth if it thickens before serving.

Check the Texture

The grains are ready when they are tender with a slight bite and no chalky center. Drag a spatula through the pan; the creamy sauce should flow slowly into the path. Begin tasting at about 12 minutes in The Kitchn recipe, since the cooking time varies across recipes.

Quick Fixes

  • The rice is still firm: Continue adding warm broth and taste again as it cooks.
  • The pan looks dry before the rice is tender: Add another small pour of warm broth and continue cooking.
  • The risotto thickens before serving: Stir in warm broth a little at a time until the sauce flows slowly again.

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