Creamy risotto is studded with succulent summer-sweet corn in this incredible sweet corn risotto. Serve it as a side or a main dish and watch the compliments roll in.
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Growing up in Indiana and Illinois and having a mom who adored sweet corn means that we ate a lot of sweet corn every summer.
In one of the towns we lived in, there was a truck that would be filled to the brim with “peaches ‘n cream” sweet corn – we visited that truck enough that they knew us by name.
There were some summer nights where a big portion of our dinner was fresh sweet corn and pickled cucumbers, and I was never mad about it.
If you also grew up in corn country, you know the blessing of late-summer sweet corn and that it is worth hoarding. There really is nothing quite like it.
Stock up, cut it off the cob, bag it and tag it, and freeze it for the middle of winter. Then, come January, you can make yourself some sweet corn risotto and pat yourself on the back for your planning skills.
What is corn risotto?
Risotto is one of my very favorite foods. It’s rich and creamy (without having any cream in it!), can be dressed up in about 100 different ways, and is way easier to make than you’d think.
I mean, risotto just seems so fancy. And yes, it takes a little time to make, but there’s nothing very difficult about the process.
Whether you’re making a classic parmesan risotto or something like a lemon saffron risotto, it’s all delicious in my opinion.
This sweet corn risotto is one of my very favorites. In this version, the creamy rice base is studded with kernels of succulent sweet corn. It’s savory with a hint of sweetness from the corn and makes for a beautiful side or main dish.
If you’ve got some fresh sweet corn on hand, this corn risotto recipe is one that you need to try ASAP.
How to make my sweet corn risotto
I promised you that this sweet corn risotto recipe is deceptively easy to make. Let me show you what I mean!
Ingredients you’ll need
To make this recipe, you will need:
- 1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 small diced yellow onion
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels (from 1-2 ears of corn)
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Green onion for garnishing
You can use chicken or vegetable stock in this recipe, it just depends on if you need this to be a vegetarian dish or not.
For even more corn flavor, try using your leftover corn cobs to make a simple corn stock and use that instead!
Feel free to swap the onion for a whole large shallot if you prefer!
Risotto is made specifically with Arborio rice. It’s a short-grain rice with a particularly high starch content, which is what gives risotto its creamy texture.
You can find Arborio rice in most supermarkets these days – just look for it near the other rice products.
A little bit of dry white wine adds a lovely flavor to your corn risotto. The alcohol will cook off, so don’t worry about feeding this dish to kids.
That said, if you need to leave out the wine, the risotto will still be delicious!
Making this recipe
One of the keys to making a super creamy risotto is to warm your stock before adding it to the rice. This will keep the temperature of the risotto from fluctuating throughout cooking, leading to a creamier consistency.
Add the stock to a pot over medium heat. Once it is hot, you can reduce the heat to low – the end goal is to keep the stock hot but not quite simmering.
Now, grab a heavy-bottomed pot (I like using a medium dutch oven for this) and melt half of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it is translucent.
Add in the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for another few minutes – you want the edges of the grains of rice to be translucent as well.
Pour in the wine and stir for about 1 minute before reducing the heat to medium. Add the warmed stock a ladle-full at a time; stir almost constantly and allow the rice to absorb the previous addition of stock before adding more.
See? Making this recipe is mostly just stirring! Put on a fun playlist and enjoy the meditative process of adding stock to the rice one ladle at a time.
When you’ve added about half of the stock, add the corn to the pot. Continue adding the stock as you were before.
When you get down to the last cup or so of stock, start tasting the risotto periodically for doneness.
When the rice is almost completely cooked through (it should be just shy of al dente), add one last ladle-full of stock along with the rest of the butter and the parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
Garnish with green onion and serve hot.
Serving suggestions
This sweet corn risotto makes a delicious side dish alongside proteins like roasted boneless leg of lamb, baked chicken breast, cast iron filet mignon, or garlic butter steak kabobs.
You could also turn it into a main dish! Leave it as-is for vegetarians or top it with grilled shrimp or pan-seared scallops for some added protein.
FAQs
Sweet Corn Risotto
Equipment
- 4-1/2-Quart Dutch Oven
- 3-piece Silicone Spatula Set
Ingredients
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/2 small yellow onion diced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels from 1-2 cobs of corn
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Green onion for garnish optional
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Instructions
- Place the stock in a medium pot over medium heat. Once hot, reduce the heat to low, keeping the stock hot but not quite simmering.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the rice and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the edges of the rice grains are translucent.
- Add the wine, and stir for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, and begin adding the hot stock about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly and allowing the rice to absorb the previous addition before adding more.
- When about half of the stock has been added, add the corn to the pot and continue with adding the stock as before. When most of the stock has been used, begin tasting periodically – when the rice is almost completely cooked through, add one last addition of stock, and when the risotto is still creamy, add the remaining butter and the Parmesan cheese, stirring to combine. Taste for seasoning, and serve garnished with sliced green onion, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
About Stephie
Stephie is the creator of Stephie Cooks, a food blog that focuses on creating memories around the food we share, with family recipes at the site’s heart. Stephie lives in Central Illinois with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of cats and dogs. When she’s not in the kitchen or at her computer writing, you can usually find her curled up with a book or working on one of her many grandma-esque hobbies. Learn more >
Loved this recipe! Inspired me to run out to the corn stand and get some fresh corn. The risotto was super easy to execute (if tedious – that’s a lot of stirring!), and came out EXCELLENT. My 5 and 3 year-olds were into it, which is no small achievement for a rice dish.
I love hearing this!! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback.