BLT risotto sounds lovely, but an easy swap of lettuce for basil makes for a much more enjoyable dish and this Bacon, Basil, and Tomato Risotto is the ultimate summer dinner.

Overhead view of a bowl of BLT risotto with bacon, basil, and tomato with tomatoes and wedge of parmesan in background and recipe title at top.

(This recipe for Bacon, Basil, and Tomato Risotto {BLT Risotto} was originally published in September 2010, but has been updated with new photos and content in 2020).

Though I'm somewhat of a creature of habit, I try really, really hard not to be. I believe in a healthy balance. Which means that while I may crave risotto every single week (along with pizza/flatbread), I try to switch it up a bit every time I make it.

After realizing I had a plethora of bacon in the fridge, I started wondering why I never made a risotto with bacon in it. I instantly decided to make a BLT risotto, but then quickly realized the lettuce would wilt under the heat and wouldn't be so great in a risotto.

So I replaced it with basil, instead, and my BLT risotto (or should I say BBT risotto) dreams were made!

😓 Is risotto hard to make?

I say this every time I post about it here, but risotto is not hard to make. It's actually incredibly easy and I made this particular one after a long day when I really didn't feel like being in the kitchen.

Yes, you have to stir the risotto as it's cooking in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. But contrary to popular belief, you don't have to stir it non-stop.

You can mostly leave it while it's cooking, stepping back to the stove to give it a stir every couple minutes.

👩‍🍳 How to make BLT risotto

This is a pretty standard risotto dish with a few little twists.

You'll want to start by putting your chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bringing it to a boil. Once it's boiling, lower it to a simmer and keep it nice and hot while you're prepping the rest of the risotto.

You can start cooking the bacon while the chicken broth is getting hot. Chop it up first and then add it to a large saucepan (the same one you'll be cooking the risotto in).

Cook the bacon over low heat until it's crispy, stirring it a bit so it just doesn't burn.

Once the bacon's done, remove it with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with a paper towel.

Drain oil from pot until you have about 1 tablespoon left. Increase heat to medium and add in garlic and chopped jalapeño and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until garlic is fragrant but not browned.

Now, add arborio rice to the saucepan with the garlic and jalapeño. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring a bit, until rice is translucent around the edges.

Overhead view of arborio rice, garlic, and jalapeño in saucepan.

Add in white wine and stir a bit (scraping up any bits from the bottom of the saucepan) until the wine is totally absorbed, 3-4 minutes.

Then pour yourself a glass. You deserve it.

Add about ¾ cup chicken broth and stir occasionally until it has evaporated completely, 2 -3 minutes. You don't have to stir constantly, but make sure to give it a stir on occasion to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

Repeat this process, adding ¾ cup of chicken stock at a time, until risotto is creamy and rice is cooked to al dente. You may not need all of the chicken stock.

Overhead view of risotto cooking in saucepan.

Stir in reserved bacon, tomatoes, parmesan, butter, and basil and cook until heated through.

Overhead view of risotto in saucepan topped with grated parmesan, chopped bacon, chopped basil, and chopped tomatoes.

And stir it all up and serve the BLT risotto in bowls with more parmesan cheese, bacon, and basil on top if you want.

Seriously, it's a BLT in a bowl. But better because basil will always win over lettuce. Plus... rice.

Head-on view of a bowl of risotto with cherry tomatoes and wedge of parmesan in background.

I honest to goodness could live off of risotto. Especially when there's a little meat and some veggies involved— It's truly a complete meal! But it also makes the most excellent side dish.

This bacon, basil, and tomato risotto is one of the best risottos I've made yet. I absolutely love how fragrant and creamy it is, with the perfect amount of bite from the jalapeño (it's really not spicy and the pepper really just gives it some flavor... but you can always leave it out if you want).

View of BLT risotto with tomatoes. parmesan, and second bowl of bacon, basil, and tomato risotto in background.

In my opinion, risotto knows no season. BLTs (and basil!) are super summery to me, so this BLT risotto feels like the ideal summer dinner. But since risotto is one of the best comfort foods (as is bacon), this can be enjoyed equally in the cooler months.

Basically, there's no wrong time of year to be eating this.

Overhead view of a bowl of BLT risotto with bacon, basil, and tomato with tomatoes and wedge of parmesan in background.

And something tells me nobody in your family will complain if you make it all year round!

Have you ever made risotto before?

If you're looking for more delicious risotto dishes, check out my Blue Cheese Risotto with Kale and my Breakfast Risotto with Bacon and Poached Egg (yes, more bacon and yes, risotto for breakfast!). I'm also really excited to try this Instant Pot Risotto with Butternut Squash from The Forked Spoon!

📖 Recipe