Zesty and refreshing yet also satisfying, Pan Seared Shrimp Risotto with zesty, creamy Lemon Garlic Risotto puts on a fancy air, it’s actually quite simple and easy to make!
Pan-seared garlic shrimp risotto with a creamy, delightful lemon garlic risotto is quite the romantic meal for any occasion!
Whether it’s a dinner for one, two, or many, this dish is sure to please all who try it.
Just picture this:
Perfectly cooked buttery shrimp over a bed of indulgent rich in flavor risotto, generating all those romantic feels.
Although this dish exudes that special occasion vibe, it’s actually low-fuss to prepare.
The shrimp can be seared while the risotto is cooking, reducing the total cook time to right around 45 minutes.
It nails creamy texture, zesty, citrusy tang, a rustic vibe, and the seafood infusion we all crave.
The recipe serves 3 to 4 individuals, but it’s very easy to double or triple the batch of both shrimp and risotto if serving more people.
What is Risotto?:
Risotto is a creamy rice dish made with arborio rice. The luscious creaminess of the dish is attributable to the great amount of starch in arborio, rather than dairy.
In addition, while many risotto recipes you’ll come across call for parmesan cheese (or other types of cheese), they are usually otherwise dairy-free. You can certainly add some cream to notch up the deliciousness if you’d like!
Did you know risotto is naturally gluten-free? There tends to be a misconception that risotto is pasta, when it is, in fact, arborio rice.
Depending on whether or not you eat dairy, you can add cheese or leave it out, or use butter to cook the shrimp or skip the butter.
Let’s discuss the ingredients.
Shrimp Risotto Ingredients:
Shrimp: Garlicky buttery perfectly cooked pan-seared shrimp is rich and inviting. Risotto and shrimp pair nicely, especially when everything is tied together with zesty lemon, and rustic onion and garlic.
Avocado Oil: Used for searing the shrimp and sautéing the onion for the risotto, I like using avocado oil because it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. You can choose your preferred cooking oil if you don’t typically have avocado oil on hand.
Arborio Rice: The main event here! Arborio rice is amazingly puffy, starchy, and naturally becomes creamy when cooked.
Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth: We need liquid to cook the rice and using chicken broth or vegetable broth infuses more flavor into the risotto.
Onion, Garlic, and Lemon Zest: There’s just no other way to say it: onion, garlic, and lemon zest make any meal an absolute dreamboat. These three ingredients make the risotto taste robust and rich and zesty. Plenty fresh!
Sea Salt: Be sure to add sea salt to your personal taste in order to enhance the flavor of the meal. I find any time a dish tastes bland, the flavors are much more pronounced when I add sea salt.
Optional Additions:
You can add 1 cup of grated parmesan and ⅓ cup of white wine to the risotto if you like it! You can also add butter to the shrimp for an even more decadent flavor.
How to Make Pan Seared Shrimp Risotto:
Make the Risotto:
Begin by preparing the risotto as the shrimp takes only a few minutes to cook.
Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan. Cover it and heat over high on the stove top until it comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and keep the saucepan covered while you sauté the onion. You want the broth to remain hot, just below boiling point.
Heat the avocado in a thick-bottom large pot (I use my Dutch oven) over medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, arborio rice, and lemon zest and sauté another 2 minutes.
Add the broth to the rice, one ladle full at a time (about ¾ to 1 cup), stirring well between each addition and allowing the liquid to mostly absorb before adding more. Add the dried parsley and sea salt. The rice should be cooking at a controlled boil the whole time, uncovered.
Continue adding the broth and stir constantly until the rice is completely cooked. The texture should be slightly al dente, but soft and not mushy. If after adding all of the broth the rice is not fully cooked, continue stirring in additional broth or water until it is finished.
Taste the risotto for flavor and if desired add sea salt or lemon zest or juice.
Pan Sear the Shrimp:
You can multi-task this recipe by sautéing the shrimp while the risotto is cooking. To do so, heat the avocado oil in a large skillet and allow it to heat up to a sizzling point.
Add the shrimp and sprinkle liberally with paprika and sea salt. Allow the shrimp to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, or until both sides have a golden sear and the shrimp is cooked through.
Quickly add in the garlic and butter (skip the butter for dairy-free) and stir everything around for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the shrimp is well coated in butter and sautéed garlic. Remove from the heat and drizzle with lemon juice.
Serve the garlicky shrimp over risotto and enjoy!
You can also make my Lemon Asparagus Risotto or my Mushroom Risotto to go along with the pan seared shrimp!
In addition, you can also make the shrimp in your air fryer by preparing my Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe.
Enjoy this fancy display of zesty deliciousness!
Ingredients
Pan Seared Shrimp
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp sea salt, to taste
- 1 Tbsp butter, optional
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the Risotto:
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- Zest of 2 lemons, about 1 Tbsp
- ½ tsp sea salt, to taste
Optional Add Ins:
- ½ to 1 cup grated parmesan cheese**
- ⅓ cup dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc***
Instructions
Make the Risotto:
- Begin by preparing the risotto as the shrimp takes only a few minutes to cook.
- Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan. Cover it and heat over high on the stove top until it comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and keep the saucepan covered while you sauté the onion. You want the broth to remain hot, just below boiling point.
- Heat the avocado in a thick-bottom large saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, arborio rice, and lemon zest and sauté another 2 minutes.
- Add the broth to the rice, one ladle full at a time (about ¾ to 1 cup), stirring well between each addition and allowing the liquid to mostly absorb before adding more. Add the dried parsley and sea salt. The rice should be cooking at a controlled boil the whole time, uncovered.
- Continue adding the broth and stir constantly until the rice is completely cooked. The texture should be slightly al dente, but soft and not mushy. If after adding all of the broth the rice is not fully cooked, continue stirring in additional broth or water until it is finished.
- Taste the risotto for flavor and if desired add sea salt or lemon zest or juice.
Cook the Shrimp:
- You can multi-task this recipe by sautéing the shrimp while the risotto is cooking. To do so, heat the avocado oil in a large skillet and allow it to heat up to a sizzling point.
- Add the shrimp and sprinkle liberally with paprika and sea salt. Allow the shrimp to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, or until both sides have a golden sear and the shrimp is cooked through. Quickly add in the garlic and butter (skip the butter for dairy-free) and stir everything around for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the shrimp is well coated in butter and sautéed garlic. Remove from the heat and drizzle with lemon juice.
- Serve the garlicky shrimp over risotto and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
