

Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits is a delightful one-pot meal. Tender shrimp and crisp bacon in a spicy tomato-based sauce combine with creamy grits to create a delicious fusion of flavors.



This Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits recipe is adapted from my own stove-top recipe for shrimp and grits that I’ve been making since I lived in the South. This Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits recipe is adapted from my own stove-top recipe for shrimp and grits that I’ve been making since I lived in the South.

I may have moved out west, but I still get a hankering for Southern shrimp & grits every few months! If you’re wondering what grits are, they’re coarsely ground dried corn, similar to Italian polenta.

Originally served as a breakfast dish in the Southeastern US, shrimp and grits has gained in popularity on restaurant dinner menus. There are probably as many variations of shrimp & grits as there are restaurants serving the dish.

I’ve had shrimp and grits without tomatoes, with mushrooms, with cheese, or with andouille sausage or chorizo instead of bacon. Some versions are simple with just salt and pepper for spice and other versions use more bold flavorings.

My version is not the salt and pepper kind! It has spice-rubbed shrimp in a rich tomato-based sauce served on a bed of creamy grits. In adapting the recipe to the Instant Pot , I wanted to make the dish a one-pot meal with as few steps as possible.

The dish is easy to make: of the 45 minutes of cooking time, less than 10 minutes are hands-on. The end result is a wonderfully flavorful and comforting shrimp and grits.

, added in at the end. This seals in all the flavors. You’ll notice that the shrimp is not sauteed at the beginning. It’s seasoned with a dry rub of Old Bay seasoning , added in at the end. This seals in all the flavors.

Since the shrimp cooks in the residual heat of the Instant Pot, make sure you close the Instant Pot immediately after adding the shrimp – you don’t want to let too much heat escape!

I hope you get to try out this Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits recipe. If you’ve never tried grits, this is the way to try them because they go so well with the shrimp. It’s a meal-in-one that’s delicious and satisfying.

Tips and Substitutions It’s not easy finding authentic stone-ground southern style grits where I live. The best option I’ve found is this kind of grits. This Instant Pot shrimp and grits recipe uses the pot-in-pot method to cook the dish. You’ll cook the sauce ingredients directly in the inner pot, put the grits in an oven-safe bowl that’s placed on a trivet in the sauce, and cook both together. The steam from the sauce will build pressure and cook the grits. that’s placed on a trivet in the sauce, and cook both together. The steam from the sauce will build pressure and cook the grits. Depending on the quantity of grits I’m making, they can be lumpy when finished cooking. I usually don’t have a problem if I make the recipe as written but when I double it, I need to break up the lumps with a fork once cooking has completed. If the grits seem too liquidy when you take them out, they will thicken if you let them sit for 15 minutes or so. I have two trivets: the one that came with the Instant Pot and a 2.7 inch trivet. The tall one was too tall to fit the glass bowl I used for the grits, so I used the former, which was a bit messy since it sat in the sauce instead of above it. After making this recipe, I purchased this 2 inch trivet , which I feel is just the right size. , which I feel is just the right size.

The lemon juice gives this recipe a slightly tart flavor. If you wish, you can reduce the quantity of lemon juice. The spice level is mild to medium. If you like spicy foods, you can increase the quantity of Old Bay Seasoning and/or hot sauce (reduce lemon juice if your hot sauce has an acidic flavor) and also the Old Bay Seasoning. Feel free to substitute creole or cajun seasoning for the Old Bay Seasoning.

If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits.

GO DIRECTLY TO RECIPE

Best Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits Ingredients

Best Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits Step-by-Step Instructions

Season shrimp with Old Bay seasoning and set aside.

Press ‘Saute’.

Cook bacon until crisp, about 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a plate and set aside.

Add onions and bell peppers. Saute in the rendered bacon fat till onion is translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.

Turn Instant Pot off.

Deglaze with white wine, and stir well to remove any browned bits, allowing the wine to mostly evaporate.

Add in tomatoes, lemon juice, broth, tabasco, salt and pepper.

Stir to combine.

Place trivet in the Instant Pot.

Stir together milk, water, grits, salt and pepper in an oven-safe glass bowl .

. Place bowl on trivet.

Close Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.

Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘10’ (10 minutes)

Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.

Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.

The display will count down from 10 to 0; it will switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0;00’.

Do a Natural Release: wait for the float valve to drop on its own, about 15 minutes.

Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.

Carefully remove the bowl containing the grits, add a tablespoon of butter, fluff with a fork, and set aside. *

Remove the trivet and stir in shrimp.

* Be sure not to let too much heat escape while you’re removing the grits. The shrimp will be cooking in residual heat of the Instant Pot.

Close the Instant Pot and allow the shrimp to finish cooking in the residual heat.

After 10 minutes, open the Instant Pot.

Add cream and gently stir the shrimp.

Press ‘Saute’ .

When heated through (don’t boil), press ‘Cancel’.

Remove to serving bowl and garnish with scallions and reserved bacon.

Serve grits topped with shrimp and sauce.

Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits is a delightful one-pot meal. Tender shrimp and crisp bacon in a spicy tomato sauce combine with creamy grits to create a delicious fusion of flavors. 4.85 from 20 votes Print Pin Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 4 servings Calories: 292 kcal Author: Paint the Kitchen Red Ingredients Shrimp Ingredients 1 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined

- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning or more to taste

3 strips smoked bacon - diced

- 1/3 cup onion chopped

1/2 cup bell peppers red and/or green, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic minced

2 Tbsp dry white wine

1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp lemon juice or to taste

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce or hot sauce, more to taste

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup scallions - sliced thin (green parts only) Grits Ingredients 1/2 cup grits

1 cup milk

1 cup water

salt and pepper - to taste

- 1 Tbsp butter optional Instructions Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Set aside.

On 'Saute' mode, cook bacon until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate and set aside.

Saute onions and bell peppers in the rendered bacon fat till onion is translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add garlic and saute briefly.

Turn Instant Pot off.

Deglaze with white wine, and stir well to remove any browned bits, allowing the wine to mostly evaporate.

Stir in tomatoes, lemon juice, broth, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Place trivet in the Instant Pot.

In a medium bowl that will fit in the Instant Pot, stir together grits, milk, water, salt and pepper. Place bowl on trivet.

Close Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.

Cook on 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') mode for 10 minutes.

Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Open the Instant Pot, remove the grits and set aside.

Remove the trivet.

Carefully stir in shrimp.

Close the Instant Pot immediately and allow the shrimp to finish cooking in the residual heat. Instant Pot will be in 'Keep Warm' mode.

While shrimp is cooking, fluff grits with a fork, adding in a tablespoon of butter.

After 10 minutes, open the Instant Pot. Gently stir the shrimp.

Turn on 'Saute' mode and stir in cream. Heat through (don't boil) and turn off Instant Pot.

Garnish with scallions and bacon.

Serve grits topped with shrimp and sauce. Notes Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped leeks, minced garlic, cubed carrots, etc.

You can substitute Old Bay seasoning with any spicy seasoning like a Cajun or Creole Seasoning. Adjust the quantity of added salt as needed.

See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips Nutrition Serving: 1 serving (4 servings total) | Calories: 292 kcal | Carbohydrates: 18 g | Protein: 30 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 183 mg | Sodium: 1178 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 10 g Have you made this recipe? I love seeing your photos! Tag me on Instagram @PaintTheKitchenRed hashtag #paintthekitchenred I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use. If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much! BACK TO TOP

You might also like to try these Instant Pot Recipes:



