Instant Pot shrimp are quick to make and really delicious. You can use the cooked shrimp in so many tasty ways!
It’s no secret around here that I love shrimp! I’ve worked out many different methods to easily cook them and have so many great recipes that use shrimp. Using the Instant Pot to make shrimp is a great option because it’s so easy to do.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Why Cook Shrimp In The Instant Pot?
There are a lot of ways to cook shrimp. I like them sautéed with garlic, poached, and even cooked directly from frozen. However, these days I’m obsessed with my Instant Pot so of course I had to try cooking shrimp in there.
It turns out it’s super quick and the shrimp turn out really good. Actually, they’re great, mostly because you end up with a bonus sauce with barely any effort.
How To Make Instant Pot Shrimp
First, make sure you’re using defrosted, not frozen shrimp. See my post on how to thaw shrimp quickly, if needed.
In the Instant Pot, mix together the shrimp (I used 24 medium shrimp, deveined and peeled with no tail), one tablespoon of butter broken into pieces and half a cup of water or chicken broth, 1 clove of minced garlic, plus a bit of salt and red pepper flakes.
Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for one minute. Yes, only one minute. That’s all it takes. Let it come up to pressure and then cook for a minute. Then do a quick release by turning the knob to Venting. Wait for all the steam to escape and the little button to drop down, then remove the lid.
At this point, the shrimp are sitting in the liquid at the bottom of the pot. Remove the shrimp using a slotted spoon. Discard the liquid and serve or add them to your recipe. Or… use the liquid to make an easy sauce. It only takes an extra couple of minutes and it’s sooooo good!
Easy Instant Pot Shrimp Sauce
Once the shrimp is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the Instant Pot. In a small bowl mix together 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 3 teaspoons of water until smooth. Pour it into the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot and stir it well.
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and cook, stirring continuously, until it reaches a boil. Simmer until it thickens. Add salt to taste.
Return shrimp to the Instant Pot. Stir. Serve over pasta. Easy, right? Add a squeeze of lemon juice and you’ve almost got a shortcut instant pot shrimp scampi dish.
More Great Shrimp Recipes
I hope you enjoy all these shrimp recipes as much as I do. Enjoy! – Christine xo
PrintInstant Pot Shrimp Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Instant Pot shrimp are quick to make and really delicious. You can discard the liquid they cook in, or use it to make a quick sauce right in your Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 24 medium shrimp (51-60 count per pound, peeled and deveined, with or without the tail)
- 1 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In the Instant Pot, stir together the shrimp, butter, water/broth, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- With the steam release knob set to Sealing, set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 1 minute.
- Once the heat builds up, the Instant Pot will pressure cook for 1 minute. When it is finished, turn the pressure release knob to Venting.
- Once the steam has all released and the steam button has dropped down, remove lid.
- Use slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to a plate. Discard liquid in pot or use it to make a quick sauce.
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This post originally appeared in January 2019 and was revised and republished in July 2023.