Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
No-Stir Creamy Lemon & Herb Baked Risotto Recipe
This Creamy Lemon & Herb Baked Risotto is made utilizing a completely hands-off oven methodology that may carry risotto onto your dinner desk even on the busiest of weeknights! It’s extremely creamy, there’s no stirring and also you don’t even must sauté onion!
Luscious but recent and brilliant from the herbs and lemon, it’s scrumptious alone however pairs particularly effectively with fish, prawns and chicken.
There’ll all the time be a time and place for risotto made the normal method, stirring leisurely on the range for 25 minutes as cookbooks and Italian nonnas have all the time insisted.
This no-stir, no-sauté, “dump and bake” risotto recipe is for all the opposite instances. It’s:
✅ Extremely creamy;
✅ Leads to completely cooked “al dente” rice;
✅ Requires no stirring throughout cooking – not even as soon as; and
✅ Doesn’t even require sautéing of onion or garlic beforehand. It “self sautés” in butter within the oven as a result of it floats on the floor.
I inform folks it’s 98.5% nearly as good as the normal method made on the range. However honestly, most extraordinary people wouldn’t have the ability to inform the distinction. Hand on coronary heart, it’s that good!
Right here’s what you could make this solely hands-off creamy risotto within the oven. The bottom recipe is a creamy Parmesan Risotto which is scrumptious simply as it’s, however I’ve additionally added a lemon and herb flavouring possibility which is insanely good!
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Risotto rice – To make any risotto dish, you could use risotto rice, which is completely different to extraordinary white rice as a result of it’s bought larger ranges of specific starches that thickens and makes the risotto fantastically creamy with out the necessity for cream. Whereas there are literally a variety of risotto rice varieties (eg. Carnaroli, Vialone Nano), by the far the most typical you’ll encounter is Arborio rice. I’m utilizing Arborio rice right here;
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Chicken inventory/broth – We use an entire giant carton on this recipe (4 cups / 1 litre). Good and helpful as a result of no measuring is required! You’ll want to use low sodium inventory (ie. low salt) in any other case the top consequence can be a contact on the salty aspect after the parmesan is added;
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Parmesan cheese – For an umami flavour punch, to compensate for not sautéing the garlic and onion nor deglazing the pot utilizing white wine like I do with all my stovetop risotto recipes resembling my favorite Mushroom Risotto;
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Garlic and onion – Normal risotto foundations, finely chopped and minced as standard; and
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Butter – Some for the cooking half, and a few to stir in on the finish. You may lower down on the butter on the finish should you insist, however don’t skimp on the butter for the cooking half as a result of the onion and garlic “self-sautés” within the butter. For those who lower the butter down, the onion will simply boil!
That is what the plain Creamy Parmesan Risotto seems to be like. I name it “plain”, however there’s actually nothing plain about the way it tastes!!
To make the Lemon and Herb flavour, all you want is one lemon, and any herbs you select – I used parsley, chives and dill.
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Lemon – we use the lemon rind for lemon flavour, in addition to the juice for freshness; and
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Herbs – I’ve used a 1-2-3 mixture of parsley (1 tbsp), chives (2 tbsp) and dill (3 tbsp). Utilizing a ratio like that could be a helpful technique to strike flavour steadiness between the “lead vocals” in flavour (dill, on this case) with the “backup singers” (parsley and chives on this case, that are extra delicate in flavour). You should utilize any herbs you need and it’s straightforward to determine how a lot so as to add as a result of we simply add the herbs in proper on the finish so simply maintain including to your style!
Recipes don’t get any simpler than this: Put all of it in a dish, cowl and bake! It’s so ridiculously hands-off you’ll be stunned that it doesn’t wash up and do the dishes for you as effectively afterwards. (OK, OK – there may be stirring required on the finish, however I nonetheless keep that it’s a “dump and bake” recipe!)
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Warmth inventory utilizing no matter means you need – range, microwave. Warmth till simply sizzling and steamy; it doesn’t have to be boiling. This pre-heating ensures the rice cooks evenly. Can’t be bothered? That’s tremendous too. Simply add 10 – 12 minutes to the bake time, to issue within the time it takes for the inventory to warmth up within the oven;
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Put all the pieces in casserole dish – The rice, inventory, butter, onion and garlic;
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Bake 35 minutes – Cowl with casserole lid or tightly with foil, then bake for 35 minutes or till the rice is simply cooked. Ovens are by no means the identical so it could take a bit longer or much less in yours;
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Sure, it can seem liquid-y – It can look considerably watery while you take it out, reasonably than creamy or appetising. However have religion! It can develop into creamy within the subsequent step……..
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Stir vigorously – Add the parmesan and further butter, then stir the risotto vigorously till you see the liquid beginning to thicken and switch white. By stirring the risotto, you might be activating the starch within the risotto which emulsifies with fats (butter on this case) and thickens the liquid to make it creamy!
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Objective: Thick and creamy, by no means dry and stodgy! Risotto ought to all the time be thick and creamy, oozing on the plate. It ought to by no means clump in a stodgy and dry pile. No one likes stodgy risotto!
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Lemon and herbs final, if utilizing – Lastly, add the lemon and recent herbs. We do that proper on the finish to protect the recent flavour; and at last …
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Plate up rapidly whereas it’s nonetheless oozy and creamy! If it will get too thick ready within the casserole, simply add 1 tbsp of boiling water at a time and stir it in effectively to loosen it up.
Ordinarily you’ll learn in recipes that risotto doesn’t maintain effectively and that leftovers are simply good for making Arancini balls. And there’s no denying that risotto is at its greatest when freshly made!
Nevertheless, should you cook dinner the risotto rice so it’s simply al dente tender (reasonably than mushy and delicate) and the risotto is creamy sufficient (like pictured) it truly reheats very effectively. Good and creamy, and 100% scrumptious!
Risotto is a splendidly versatile dish. It may be a humble dish – easy, comforting and rustic – or an extravagant one, fancied up with decadent elements at tremendous eating places (like truffles! 😱).
Risotto can even play many roles. It may be a starter (as it will in a standard Italian meal), star as a foremost course (for instance, this Shrimp/Prawn Risotto) or, typically as in my case, deployed as a aspect dish. As a result of it’s so creamy, it’s ideally suited for mopping up with every chunk of steak or chops, prawns or fish and it acts as a semi-sauce.
Lemon & Herb Risotto is specific glorious with fish, since fish loves lemon, and the delicate texture of the risotto isn’t too harsh in opposition to tender fish flesh.
In truth, I’m sharing this risotto recipe in the present day by common demand after I confirmed it because the accompaniment for a Crispy Pores and skin Salmon I shared on Monday! That’s the reason the risotto is heavy on the dill – as a result of everyone knows dill and salmon are better of mates! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio risotto rice (Note 1)
- 4 cups chicken stock , low sodium (or vegetable)
- 1/2 onion , finely diced (brown, white, yellow)
- 1 garlic clove , finely minced (large!)
- 30g/ 2 tbsp butter , unsalted, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated (store bought pre grated is fine)
- 30g/ 2 tbsp extra butter , unsalted, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces (Note 3)
- 2 tsp lemon rind (1 lemon)
- 2 – 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chives , finely chopped
- 3 tbsp dill , finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Heat stock: Heat up the chicken stock until just before boiling using whatever method suits – stove or microwave.
- Pour everything into casserole dish: Pour the stock into a small casserole pot ~24cm/10" wide. Then add all the remaining Risotto ingredients – rice, butter, onion, garlic, pepper.
- Bake 35 minutes: Cover with lid or foil, bake 35 minutes or until rice is just cooked – tender but not mushy. The risotto will still look liquidy – that's what you want to ensure risotto is creamy at the end!
- Stir vigorously: Remove from oven, stir ta few times to break up rice. Add finishing butter and parmesan, then stir vigorously until the watery liquid becomes creamy, and mostly evaporates/gets absorbed.
- Goal – oozy and creamy:The risotto should be oozy and creamy, not thick, gluey or stodgy. If it gets too thick, add 1 tbsp of boiling water at a time to loosen it up, stirring well after each addition.
- Taste for salt: Taste for seasoning and adjust (I find it's just right).
- Serve asap! Serve while hot and creamy, topped with more parmesan if desired!
- Add lemon rind, juice and herbs, stir through gently just before serving.
Notes
1. Risotto rice – Risotto needs to be made with risotto rice (Arborio rice is my choice) because it’s extra starchy. This is what makes risotto beautifully creamy without the use of cream. Find it in the rice section of grocery stores.
2. Pot/pan – 20cm/8″ square pan also works, or similar volume any other size. Avoid using a wide, giant pan because then the risotto spreads out too thin and might dry out.
If you scale recipe up, then you need a larger pot. Or a smaller pot if you scale down!
3. Extra butter for finishing – if you really want to reduce the fat, you can skip the extra butter used to finish. But do NOT skimp on butter for the cooking phase. It is essential for the onion and garlic to “oven sauté” in the butter while it bakes (it floats on the sauce with the butter). Otherwise, the onion just boils in stock – not as nice!
4. Herbs – any (Western) herbs of choice are fine here. It’s added at the end, so taste as you go and trust your tastebuds to tell you when you’ve added the right amount!
5. Storage & reheating – unlike most risottos, this one will reheat well as long as the rice is cooked until tender not mushy and soft. Keeps 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in microwave. Add touch of water if needed to loosen. Note however that herbs may lose some colour. Also the lemon flavour tends to fade, so consider propping it up with a fresh spritz of juice.
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