Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Risotto
Lemon and Parmesan give creamy risotto a bright, savory finish beneath garlicky shrimp. Each spoonful should still have a little bite to the rice.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Keep broth warm
Heat the broth just short of boiling, then keep it on low throughout cooking so each ladleful goes into the rice warm.
2. Let each addition absorb
Add broth a ladle at a time, stirring nearly constantly and waiting until absorbed before pouring in more.
3. Ease a rapid bubble
Lower the heat if the risotto cooks too rapidly. The broth additions should be gradual rather than a fast boil.
Get to know the ingredients
Prepared raw shrimp
Thaw, peel and prepare shrimp before starting, so they are ready for their separate garlic-butter cooking stage near the end.
Arborio rice
Toast the uncooked Arborio with softened onion, then let it absorb the wine before beginning the gradual broth additions.
Lemon juice and zest
Stir both into the finished rice off the heat with Parmesan, keeping an optional extra squeeze of juice for serving.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Lemon Garlic Shrimp Risotto
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Shrimp over the risotto
Serve risotto with the cooked shrimp and parsley over each bowl, adding an optional squeeze of lemon and seasoning to taste.
A little more help as you go
Cover while shrimp cooks
Once lemon and Parmesan are stirred into the risotto off the heat, cover it while preparing the shrimp in another skillet.
Use extra hot broth if needed
If rice remains undercooked after the listed broth, heat more and add gradually until the rice reaches your preferred al dente texture.
A few questions you might have
Can I use shallot instead of onion?
A large finely chopped shallot is listed as an alternative to the half onion, softened in butter before toasting the rice.
Can I use vegetable broth?
Chicken or vegetable broth or stock are listed choices. Keep your choice warm for the repeated additions to the rice.
When do I add garlic?
The garlic cooks with shrimp, pepper flakes and remaining butter in a separate skillet after the risotto is covered off the heat.
What tells me the rice is ready?
Taste for al dente rice with a little bite, rather than fully soft grains, after gradual broth additions and frequent stirring.
What tells me the shrimp is ready?
Cook until pink and cooked through, about two minutes per side, then serve over the finished lemon-Parmesan risotto.
Any more cooking tips?
Risotto is a labor of love. Don’t try to speed up the process!
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
