This electric skillet asparagus risotto with lemon zest is a bright, vegetarian side dish or main to serve at your Easter lunch or dinner. The addition of lemon zest and white wine is balanced out with the earthy, green asparagus and nutty Parmesan cheese.
If you're serving it as a side dish, it pairs well with various meats, such as electric skillet pork tenderloin, crock pot bison roast or vegetarian proteins.
Electric skillet lamb chops are another great option because lamb is leaner, gamier (meaning they are grass-fed), and it is the most popular Easter symbol, matching the holiday.
It also works as a filling main dish if you and your guests are vegetarian. As for dessert, I like to serve this plum pie crumble afterwards.
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Ingredients
- green asparagus - Make sure to clean the asparagus well and trim the hard ends.
- olive oil - Since we are using the olive oil for frying, pure olive oil will do. You do not need to splurge on extra virgin.
- Arborio rice - Its creamy texture makes it perfect for risotto.
- white wine - Such as a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. As the dish is simmering, the alcohol in the white wine is cooked out. However, if you are hesitant to use white wine, vegetable broth would be a great substitute. The asparagus risotto already calls for vegetable broth, so just replace the wine with ½ cup more.
- vegetable broth - For this recipe, you need to keep the vegetable broth warmed on the side while cooking the rice, adding it to the dish periodically. While the rice slowly absorbs the liquid, this promotes the gradual release of starch into the dish.
- butter - The butter will melt into the dish at the end, adding to the creamy texture and rich flavor.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make Electric Skillet Risotto
Step 1. Cook the asparagus. Cut the asparagus into 3 parts and boil it in the electric skillet, until tender. Drain and reserve.
Step 2. Cook the onion. At 300ºF, add the olive oil and onion and cook until softened, stirring constantly.
👩🏻🍳 Chef's Note #1: This old 12" ceramic electric skillet of mine might be stained but it still works great! If you keep up with the stains after each use, you can mostly avoid them. I show you exactly how to do that in my tutorial for how to clean electric skillet stains.
Step 3. Add rice. Turn the skillet up to 375ºF and add the rice. Let it sear for 1 minute and then stir in the wine and lemon juice. Cook until the alcohol evaporates, about 1 minute.
Step 4. Add broth. Add a few ladles of the warm broth and season with some salt and pepper. Lower the heat to 250ºF and cook for about 20 minutes in total.
👩🏻🍳 Chef's Note #2 (Important): You will be adding more broth into the rice and mixing it in while it is cooking. Each time it looks like the liquid has been absorbed, you can add a ladle full (about ½ cup - you may not need all of the broth) and stir it in. Stir frequently so that the rice does not stick to the bottom. You will know the risotto is ready when the rice has a creamy and slightly firm but not crunchy texture.
Step 5. Stir in butter. Turn off the heat and stir in the reserved asparagus, butter and Parmesan cheese until the butter is melted. Season again if needed.
Step 6. Serve. Top with lemon zest. Serve the asparagus risotto immediately.
👩🏻🍳 Chef's Note #3: You might notice in my process shots that the 🍚 rice has a deeper golden color. This is simply because the vegetable broth I used was very dark in color. If you prefer a lighter color in the finished dish (as seen in the final photo: step 6), chicken broth is a great substitute and tends to be lighter in color.
Top Tip
Do not rinse the rice ahead of time or you'll remove the starch--which gives the risotto its signature creaminess.
Serving Suggestions
This asparagus risotto side dish can be matched with any meat such as this electric skillet pot roast and Greek lemon chicken thighs or seafood like my electric skillet salmon.
For Easter, one of the best and most popular meats to serve is ham. While the risotto is light and acidic, roasted ham is salty and sweet with its Dijon mustard and brown sugar. This will give more varied flavors and textures that complement each other.
To get a little extra tang, you can serve lemon wedges on the side. I also serve it with my spring white wine sangria.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
This asparagus risotto is easy to reheat if you have any leftovers. I wouldn't recommend freezing it. It can harden and when it is reheated, the texture of the rice will be grainy. Refrigeration is the best option and risotto lasts up to about 5 days, so that is plenty of time to eat it up.
To reheat the risotto, you can:
- Boil ¼ cup broth for each cup of risotto.
- Add the risotto to the broth, and stir it for a few minutes or until mixed in.
- If it is still too thick, add a little more broth or water.
More Electric Skillet Recipes to Try
If you tried this 🍚 Electric Skillet Asparagus Risotto Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Electric Skillet Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green asparagus - ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white or yellow onion - chopped
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 lemon - juiced and zested
- 4 cups vegetable broth - warmed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - grated
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Boil some water in your electric skillet by turning the dial to 400ºF and covering with the lid.
- Cut the asparagus into 3 parts. Cook in the boiling water until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness). Drain and reserve.1 bunch green asparagus
- Heat the olive oil in the electric skillet at 300ºF. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup white or yellow onion
- Turn the skillet up to 375ºF. Add the rice. Using a wooden spoon, mix it around with the oil and then let it sear for 1 minute.1 cup Arborio rice
- Stir in the wine and lemon juice, and cook until the alcohol evaporates, about 1 minute.¼ cup white wine, 1 lemon
- Add a few ladles of the warm broth. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Give it a mix.4 cups vegetable broth
- Lower temperature to 250ºF and cook for about 20 minutes in total - You will be adding more broth into the rice and mixing it in while it is cooking. Each time it looks like the liquid has been absorbed, you can add a ladle full (about ½ cup - You may not need all of the broth) and stir it in. Stir frequently so that the rice does not stick to the bottom. You will know it's ready when the rice has a creamy and slightly firm but not crunchy texture.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the reserved asparagus, butter and Parmesan cheese until the butter is melted. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed.2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Top with lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Tip: Do not rinse the rice ahead of time or you'll remove the starch--which gives the risotto its signature creaminess.
- Leftover storage: If you have any leftover risotto, I wouldn't recommend freezing it. It can harden and when it is reheated, the texture of the rice will be grainy. Refrigeration is the best option and risotto lasts up to about 5 days, so that is plenty of time to eat it up.
- To reheat the risotto, you can:
- Boil ¼ cup broth for each cup of risotto.
- Add the risotto to the broth, and stir it for a few minutes or until mixed in.
- If it is still too thick, add a little more broth or water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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