Creamy and comforting risotto mixed with smoked salmon and herbs makes a hearty dinner that feels a little luxurious. This Smoked Salmon Risotto cooks low and slow for the perfectly cooked rice and flavours, but it's really worth the effort.
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About this Smoked Salmon Risotto
Although smoked salmon is often seen as a breakfast/brunch ingredient, we love cooking with it as it is bursting with flavour and a little goes a long way - just like in this risotto with smoked salmon.
Risotto is always a favourite in our house and what I love about it, is that it's so adaptable.
Once you know how to make a really good risotto with the onion, rice and stock, there are so many different ways to flavour it so you can have it a different way every time. This creamy salmon risotto is one of our favourites.
Looking for some more salmon recipes? Try our easy Smoked Salmon Omelette, 2 minute Smoked Salmon Bagel, quick Smoked Salmon Wrap, filling Greek Salmon Bowl or if you like sushi, try our easy Salmon Maki.
Check out our list of amazing salmon recipes, for more salmon meal ideas.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oil - This is what everything cooks in. You can use butter, or a mix of the two which adds a richer flavour.
- Shallots - You can use a small white onion, but we find that shallots add a sweeter flavour.
- Garlic - You can use frozen to save time. If using crushed, make sure it's finely crushed into a paste so it evenly distributes in the dish.
- Risotto rice (arborio rice) - We used arborio rice as that gives the best creamy risotto. However, you could use another rice, but cooking times would vary and you wouldn't get the same results.
- Stock - Use a good quality vegetable stock, however for a really rich flavour you can use chicken stock. If making this for small children, then use a low salt stock.
- Smoked salmon - You can use as little or as much as you like in this recipe for salmon risotto. You might see it in shops as Lox or Hot or BBQ Smoked Salmon.
- Creme fraiche - This is where the majority of the creaminess comes from. You can use light creme fraiche if you like, or even a cream cheese.
- Lemon - This really lightens up the whole dish and makes it feel a little less heavy. You could add some lemon zest too for an extra burst of flavour.
- Parmesan - This adds so much extra creaminess and a hint of nuttiness too. You can use any cheese that melts well, like a mature cheddar or mozzarella (although this will make it very stringy).
- Parsley - Finishes the dish off nicely and parsley goes really well with salmon.
Variations
The great about this risotto with salmon is that there is so many different ways that you can adapt it.
Vegetables - We left the vegetables out of this, and just served them on the side. However, you can add peas, rocket lettuce (arugula), spinach or broccoli into the risotto about 10 minutes before it's finished.
We also like adding some chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
Wine - Make this smoked salmon risotto a little richer by swapping some of the stock for some white wine.
Salmon - We used smoked salmon, but there is no reason why you can't just use leftovers of grilled salmon. It won't have as strong a flavour though.
Any cooked fish will work and we quite often do a mixture of salmon and prawns. If you want to use salmon fillet, then try our Air Fryer Salmon.
Pesto - For a real boost of flavour to this risotto with salmon, why not stir in a spoonful of pesto just before serving.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Risotto
- Step one: Heat the oil in a large pan and add the shallots. Cook over a low heat for 4 minutes.
- Step two: Once the shallots are starting to soften, add the garlic and rice. Mix well and cook for a further 2 minutes so that the rice absorbs the oil.
- Step three: Add half the stock and simmer until all the liquid has nearly been absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Step four: Add the remaining stock a ladle at a time. Waiting for the liquid to reduce before adding the next one. This will take around 10 minutes.
- Step five: Remove from the heat and add the creme fraiche, salmon, lemon juice, lemon zest, Parmesan and parsley. Mix well and serve.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many delicious and nutritious sides that you can serve with this risotto with smoked salmon. We also love giving it a bit of a protein boost with a poached egg or boiled egg on top.
When it comes to green veggie sides, we are definitely got you covered. Why not try our Roasted Lemon Asparagus, Minted Peas or Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli?
This is already a pretty filling meal as it is, but if you want to bulk it out a bit more, then garlic bread is the way to go. Try our Air Fryer Garlic Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread.
Storage
Store: Risotto is always best made fresh, however if you do have some leftover then you can store it covered in the fridge for up to two days.
Make sure that you follow ;food safety guidelines for cooked rice - do not leave it at room temperature. Cool it very quickly by spreading it out on a baking tray as shown in the photo below.
Freeze: We wouldn't recommend freezing risotto, because the rice becomes really hard when frozen and the texture just isn't right when it is defrosted and reheated.
Reheat: To reheat, preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4. Place the cold risotto in an oven proof dish, and add a liquid like white wine, stock or simply water - just enough to loosen the rice.
You can add a knob of butter too if desired. Bake for around 10 minutes until heated through, stirring every 2 minutes.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Never rinse the rice you are using for risotto. It removes the starch and that is what is going to make your smoked salmon risotto really creamy.
- Cooking times for a risotto always vary. It depends on the intensity of heat used. Keep the heat low, even though it's tempting to speed it up.
- Risotto does need to be stirred every so often, but don't stir it too much as it will cause the risotto to go gluey. If you don't stir it enough then it can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- If you can find seafood stock, then try and use that.
- You can use any cold leftovers of salmon risotto to make arancini.
- For even more creaminess in this risotto, add the rind of the Parmesan to the pan and take out just before serving.
- This is already a fairly salty dish, so don't add any extra salt until you have tasted it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave the lid off. However, we recommend putting the lid on for a couple of minutes once finished cooking, as this will allow it to get the perfect texture.
The secret is cooking it low and slow and adding a little bit of stock at a time. This gives you the best creamy risotto. Using the right rice is important too and making sure you toast it in the pan first. Also, make sure your stock is hot when adding it (keep it warm on the hob) as cool stock will prolong cooking time.
You don't add all the stock at once in a risotto. You add a ladle at a time, so the rice can gradually soak up the stock which gives you a creamier risotto at the end.
You could swap the arborio rice for brown rice for extra nutrition, however it would change the cooking time.
You will know it is cooked when the rice is still a little firm, but not hard to bite. The consistency will be a bit like porridge, a little thick but not dry. You can always add a little stock to loosen it up.
More Risotto Recipes
If you've tried this smoked salmon risotto, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Smoked Salmon Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 Shallots - finely diced
- 170 g (1 cups) Risotto (arborio) rice
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 850 ml (3.5 cups) Vegetable stock
- 80 g (3 oz) Smoked salmon - chopped
- 2 tablespoon Crème fraîche
- 0.5 Lemon - juice & zest only
- 20 g (0.25 cups) Parmesan - grated
- 5 g (0.25 cups) Fresh parsley - finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan and add 2 Shallots. Cook over a low heat for 4 minutes.
- Once the shallots are starting to soften, add 2 Garlic cloves and 170 g Risotto (arborio) rice. Mix well and cook for a further 2 minutes so that the rice absorbs the oil.
- Add half of the 850 ml Vegetable stock and simmer until all the liquid has nearly been absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining stock a ladle at a time. Waiting for the liquid to reduce before adding the next one. This will take around 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoon Crème fraîche, 80 g Smoked salmon, juice and zest of 0.5 Lemon, 20 g Parmesan and 5 g Fresh parsley. Mix well and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Never rinse the rice you are using for risotto. It removes the starch and that is what is going to make your smoked salmon risotto really creamy.
- Cooking times for a risotto always vary. It depends on the intensity of heat used. Keep the heat low, even though it's tempting to speed it up.
- Risotto does need to be stirred every so often, but don't stir it too much as it will cause the risotto to go gluey. If you don't stir it enough then it can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- If you can find seafood stock, then try and use that.
- You can use any cold leftovers of salmon risotto to make arancini.
- For even more creaminess in this risotto, add the rind of the Parmesan to the pan and take out just before serving.
- This is already a fairly salty dish, so don't add any extra salt until you have tasted it.
Nutritional Information
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We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Bronwynne Bird says
I took the base of this recipe but swapped the smoked salmon for a couple of smoked hake fillets (cooked separately then added at the same time as the smoked salmon would be)
Oh my word it's delicious! And the whole family devoured it.
Erik says
I always enjoy finding new ways to work salmon into my meals. This was so satisfying and great as leftovers, too!
suja md says
looks so good, Cant wait to try it out. Thank you.
Harriet Young says
This was such a delicious creamy risotto. That smoked salmon made it so luxurious. Thank you!
Charla says
Nothing beats seafood risotto, an absolute favourite of mine.
Tiffany says
This risotto tastes like a restaurant opened up in my kitchen! My family really enjoyed it! Thanks so much
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this risotto for dinner last night and it was incredible! So flavorful and perfectly creamy!
Lauren says
The risotto itself came out so perfectly creamy and flavorful.. Adding smoked salmon was a nice touch and a great way to add a little more protein to the dish. Saving this recipe to make again!
Tavo says
The Smoked Salmon Risotto recipe you shared was an absolute delight, seamlessly blending the smoky richness of the salmon with the creamy, delicate texture of the risotto. It's a testament to the power of simple ingredients coming together to create a dish that feels special and sophisticated. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, ensuring a stress-free cooking experience leading to a restaurant-quality home meal. This recipe has certainly elevated my risotto game and will be a cherished addition to my dinner rotation.
Sky says
So creamy and delicious! This smoked salmon risotto is a new favorite!