Mushroom Parmesan Shrimp Risotto
Mushroom Parmesan Shrimp Risotto is hearty and comforting! Loaded with tons of garlic, and cooked until the rice is nice and creamy. Perfect for a Friday night dinner or to serve company!
Homemade Shrimp Risotto!
Have you ever made risotto before? Because up until very recently it was something I thought I’d never make again.
There may have been an incident sometime in the past five years when I thought huh, this can’t be that hard! I channeled my inner Ina and set to work. I went in blind… on risotto. Let that sink in for a second. [face palm] What was I even thinking? No recipes, no clue what I was doing with just a mental taste of the risotto we enjoyed on our honeymoon as my guide. And well, I’m sure you can guess how it turned out. Crunchy rice, husband had to save the day by ordering a pizza while I cursed under my breath and seriously contemplated burning the pan as that would require far less effort than to clean it.
But risotto doesn’t have to be that way! It can be a breeze to make if you follow a recipe, stay by the stove and exercise just the tiniest bit of patience.
To put it simply, do the complete opposite of everything I did, and you’ll be just fine!
Today’s parmesan shrimp risotto is loosely based on the one we enjoyed on our honeymoon in Cancun, six years ago. We went to an all-inclusive resort for five days and spent most of the time eating or dreaming about this shrimp risotto that they brought to you poolside – seriously. If that isn’t the way to my heart, I don’t know what is!
That first bite is perfection. Notes of onions and garlic wrapped around tender, sweet shrimp and creamy rice loaded with more than a generous mound of parmesan.
This is my food language.
What you need to make Homemade Mushroom Parmesan Shrimp Risotto:
I’ve got a super important question for you. Do you play on team ‘shroom? Because if you do, you’re going to love what they do here because we’re sauteing them in olive oil until they’re golden and then we’ll introduce them to the risotto at the end and let them hang out in that garlic and onion scented creamy rice right before we serve big bowls of this stuff. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, feel free to double up on the shrimp and omit them entirely!
Other than the shrimp and mushroom, you’ll need a few key ingredients.
- Parmesan cheese (get the good stuff from the deli section.. not the stuff that’s shelf-stable, please and thank you)
- Onions, chopped up finely
- Garlic, as much or as little as you like!
- Butter (just a couple tablespoons)
- Arborio rice (not basmati or jasmine)
- Homemade or store-bought stock
More on arborio rice: arborio rice is plump, short to medium grain, with a high starch content. This is what makes it the perfect rice to use when you’re making risotto. Ideally, you want to use rice that has a higher starch content because that’s what gives risotto that ultra creamy texture that it’s known for. This reminds me, when you’re making risotto, don’t rinse your rice! <– This. Other than risotto, I almost always rinse, but not here. Don’t do it!
More on the stock: I like to make my own stock for shrimp risotto. Every time I buy a pound of shrimp, I’ll remove the shells and pop them into a zip-top bag and store it in the freezer until I have enough to may stock. For the stock, I use the peels from two pounds of shrimp, a few sprigs of parsley, black peppercorns, smashed garlic cloves, and sometimes I’ll add a bouillion cube in there to give it a little more flavor!
Other tips to make the best shrimp risotto:
- Always prep everything ahead of time! The French call this mise en place and I call it a necessity for recipes like this one and my homemade gumbo. It’s so important to have everything prepped, measured, and ready to go. Trying to chop the parsley while the rice is soaking up the broth isn’t going to be a great idea here!
- Be patient and enjoy the task. The broth is going to take its own sweet time, better to accept that it’s the boss and let it do its thing!
- Finish your risotto with a knob of good butter. I can’t tell how big of a difference it is when you finish a risotto with butter! Not only does it add a little more luster to the whole thing. The butter also makes that texture so much more rich and delicious!
- Set a timer. I like to set a timer for 20 minutes right when I start adding the stock. This helps me keep an eye on how long it’s been without having to think about it.
- Put on some good music, pour yourself a glass, grab a wooden spoon and stay by the stove!
And there is it!
Something different to put together for dinner tonight or over the weekend. This homemade mushroom parmesan shrimp risotto was a home run for us, and I hope you love it as much as we do! 🙂
If you like this shrimp risotto recipe, you might also like:
- Weeknight Instant Pot Risotto
- Garlicky Orzo Shrimp Scampi with Asparagus
- One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Deliciously Easy Cacio E Pepe (and just 3 ingredients!)
Mushroom Parmesan Shrimp Risotto
Mushroom Parmesan Shrimp Risotto is hearty and comforting! Loaded with tons of garlic, and cooked until the rice is nice and creamy. Perfect for a Friday night dinner or to serve company!
Ingredients
- 5 ½ - 6 ½ cups homemade or store-bought seafood/shrimp or chicken stock (see notes)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (baby bella or porcini)
- olive oil
- 12 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ⅛- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup white onion, minced
- 2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ¼ cup arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped (plus more)
Instructions
- MUSHROOM: In a medium saucepan, heat the stock over medium heat when it starts to simmer, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it hang out there. In a large sauté pan, add a small drizzle of olive oil to the skillet, along with the mushrooms and sauté them over medium-high until they start to develop some color, about 3-4 minutes. Season them with a big pinch of salt and pepper, remove to a plate.
- SHRIMP: Add another small drizzle of olive oil to the skillet along with the shrimp. Season them with a big pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir and let them cook for just a minute or until they start to curl up like a ‘c’ shape. Remove to the same plate as the mushrooms, set aside.
- RISOTTO: Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same sauté pan set over medium heat and add the onions to the pan and season them with a big pinch of salt and let them cook for 3-4 minutes then add the garlic and let cook 30 seconds before stirring in the arborio rice. Allow the rice to toast for just 1 minute, then add a 1 cup of the warmed stock and push the mixture around in the pan with a wooden spoon. Set a timer for 20 minutes as soon as you add the broth. When most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, add another ½ cup of stock, stir, and continue this process until the timer goes off. Test the rice at this point and see if it needs to be cooked longer, you can let it go for another 5 minutes or until the arborio rice has cooked and is soft and creamy. You may not end up using all the broth, it just depends on how much the rice soaks up! I needed about 6 cups.
- FINISH: Stir in the butter along with the grated parmesan cheese, add the sautéed mushrooms, the shrimp, and the parsley. Cover and let the risotto hang out for about 5 minutes so the flavors have a chance to blend. Serve topped with additional parsley and with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Homemade stock: Combine the peels of 2 lbs. of shrimp, 8 cups water, 1 chicken bouillon cube (or the equivalent of better than bouillon in teaspoons) a few sprigs of parsley, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 2 cloves garlic along with a big pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Allow the stock to come to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a strainer and place back in the saucepan over low heat.
Hi Marzia!
Thank you for your recipes, i like them very much. Just a question about this recipe: the 12 ounces are weighed before or after peeling and deveining the shrimp?
Waiting your answer and next recipe!
Maria Elsa
Hi Maria!
It’s 12 ounces once they’re peeled and deveined so in the ballpark of 14 ounces with shell-on should be enough. Hope you enjoy the risotto! 🙂
Thank you very much Marzia. Love shrimps and mushrooms, so I can’t wait to do your risotto.
Greetings from Argentina!
María Elsa
Wonderful recipe and will be put in my “Keeper” folder. I tried something new as I made risotto up to 3 cups of liquid and then put it in a flat shallow container to cool. I finished the recipe with shrimp and cheese adding the last two cups of water to finish the risotto. Lastly, I added parsley just before serving. I read that restaurants do this too.
First time making risotto; it turned out perfectly!
So yummy, could be served in a restaurant.
Thank you! Thank you!
I had this idea for sometime the ingredients were in my kitchen and I got the nerve to try it! wow! I needed some assistant and went on u site and I must say Yummy! I live alone and wish I had others to serve this to but the rest is all mine lots left over so this week is looking great. I will b alone this thanksgiving and I am going to make a small sweet potato pie and a small Cornish hen and guess what my side will be? wow thanks for the extra tips. happy holidays! wine,dinner and new movies and God my thanksgiving is ready to go!??
Don’t put the pepper flakes, a little goes along way and it was too spicy for our taste.
Excellent supper
I just made this risotto for dinner tonight and it turned out great! Also gave making my own stock a try and it made such a flavorful addition to the dish. I also like that you can easily modify this recipe to be vegan (veggie stock, nutritional yeast, no shrimp, extra mushrooms). Follow her instructions for the addition of the tab of butter and high quality parmesan or asiago. It definitely adds to the final flavor of the risotto. Great recipe!
I just made this risotto for dinner tonight and it turned out great! Also gave making my own stock a try and it made such a flavorful addition to the dish. I also like that you can easily modify this recipe to be vegan (veggie stock, nutritional yeast, no shrimp, extra mushrooms). Follow her instructions for the addition of the tab of butter and high quality parmesan or asiago. It definitely adds to the final flavor of the risotto. Great recipe!
This rice was a showstopper. Served it with Honey / Balsamic Duck which was great but this risotto was just, how can I say magnifico!!!
Really outstanding recipe. I would cut back on the parmesan cheese because that made the dish a little saltier than I’d like. Maybe I’d also do 50:50 water and low-sodium chicken stock. But what I made yesterday was great. Tasted even better today when I reheated it. Thanks for sharing.
Outstanding meal. I’ll be using the recipe again soon.
Fabulous recipe! It was my first time making risotto and it turned out beautifully!
Thank you 🙂
OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! This was my redemption risotto. I tried to make it once about 10 years ago and completely bombed. I’ve been scared to try it again ever since. I decided to conquer my fear and try this recipe. I knocked it out of the ball park! I think the key is to go in with patience and plenty of time to get it done. I think my rice took at least 30 minutes to get it fully soft, maybe even a few more minutes. I stopped timing it after the 25 minutes were up. I used just about 4 entire cans of low Swanson sodium chicken broth (followed advice above on the low sodium) and I’m glad I did. It was just enough salt, without adding any additional. The only salt I used was on the mushrooms and onions. I also used already cooked & peeled frozen shrimp from Publix to save time, just thawed and warmed up in a pan with oil & butter and they were delicious. I also skipped the red pepper flakes since I’m not a huge fan of spicy. We made a side of arugula salad with oil & lemon and it complimented it perfectly. This was a winner in my house and will definitely be making it again!
I made this last night and was so happy with the result! Each time I try to make risotto,it comes out very bland, but this one turned out so flavorful! I had bacon I needed to use, so I added some crispy bacon to the dish which added another great layer. I will definitely be making this again!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this risotto recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
I don’t usually leave comments but I had to for this recipe. This was my first time making risotto and not going to lie, I was intimidated by all the horror stories but this recipe threw it out of the park.
11/10 seriously. The homemade prawn stock was insanely good as well. Thank you for sharing, this is a keeper!! Patience is key, it’s worth it in the end ?
I’m so happy to hear you decided to try your hand at risotto! It does take a little more effort than other recipes, but I agree with you, you just need to exercise patience, and it’s totally worth it at the end! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment, Ruki!
This is my first time making Risotto. So, I didn’t really know when to stop cooking it. I went the extra 5 minutes with 5 cups of chicken stock, then added butter to finish adding 2-3 more minutes. When you add the mushrooms and shrimp, do you mix it into the rice? or just on top? What happens when it’s overcooked, does it become sticky or is that good?? Undercooked is easier because the rice is still hard. For sure this recipe made it much easier. I thought the flavor was really good and my family loved it! Sorry for all the questions. All in all, it was delicious but I don’t have anything to compare it to.
Thank you! I’ll keep making it.
Can you use a fish stock cube or fish sauce and a chicken stock cube for the stock.
That should work!
Great recipe, super instructions, and a terrific result! This was my first attempt to make risotto, and I’ll definitely do it again! Used shrimp and scallops, and added asparagus to the mushroom step. Also added some dill near the end. The squeeze of fresh lemon just before serving was perfect. Thanks so much for sharing .
Hi Caroline, I’m so glad to hear you found the instructions easy to follow. Your additions sound delicious! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
This shrimp risotto mushroom dish was totally delicious ! Not hard . A little time, but I used the time to clean the kitchen. Not a lot of pots and pans. Really worth the effort. I used porcini mushroom and baby Bella. It worked. I added anchovi paste to the broth. Just a little squeeze. I would totally give it thumbs up. Easy to make. Clean up easy. A little time to spend. Melanie
Hi Melanie! I’m so glad to hear you’ve tried the risotto recipe and made it your own – the anchovy paste sounds like a delicious addition! Thanks for sharing 🙂
In a pinch, can I use white rice?
Hi Jillian! It might work! Not sure how much broth you’ll need or the cooking time though.
Sure u can! arboreo rice is ideal because its starch content and the shape of the rice will take the slow and constant stirring constantly better. just don’t use a long delicate grain like basmati or Jasmin. I love risotto and were I live arboreo rice is SOOO expensive so ive taught myself to make it just as good with regular white rice. in my experience regular white rice (no idea what variety we get here) it takes longer to cook and needs more liquid and more stirring. the more u move it the more starch the rice gives so just keep it moving constantly have stock to spare and go by taste and texture and not time. the rice should be fully cooked but you should be able no fell the individual grains. with regular rice the window between under and over cooked is slim so be careful. taste regularly and once the rice is fully cooked finish the dish.
This risotto was elegant and delicious. I will definitely be using this recipe again!
Absolutely live this! Have made it several times. Quite easy to make.
Great recipe! But I don’t agree with the servings amount, I made this today for work, I said 4-6 servings so I doubled it.
I had many complaints saying it really wasn’t enough, so I recommend this is max 3 servings.
Then again I cook for big guys so it is my mistake for being a moron.
This is the best risotto I have EVER made!!! The flavor is amazing!!
That’s awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed it, Charlotte!
Delicious! It was my first time ever making risotto and the instructions were so helpful and spot on. Thanks!
Delicious! For the broth we used leftover white wine garlic mussel broth.
Delicious! First time making risotto and would mirror this recipe again!
Made this yesterday and it was so delicious. I didn’t have a white onion, so I used shallots instead. Substituted 1 cup of wine for last two 1/2 cup broth additions to the risotto. I also sliced the large shrimp I got in half lengthwise so that they would be better distributed through the dish as I served , as the shrimp I had were much larger than the size I normally buy.
All in all this was easy to make and totally delicious. Will make again for sure.
I made this for my mom today for Mother’s Day, she had never had risotto before! The recipe was incredibly easy to follow and came out so beautifully! Wonderful flavor, texture and presentation. My mom loved it! Thank you for a great recipe that I’ll definitely make again!