This Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits recipe is a delightful one-pot dinner. Tender shrimp and crisp bacon in a spicy tomato-based sauce combine with creamy grits to create a delicious fusion of flavors. The beauty of this recipe is that you can cook the grits with the shrimp in the same pot. This popular recipe gets rave reviews! [Stovetop directions also provided.]
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This pressure cooker shrimp and grits recipe is adapted from my family’s stove-top version, a Southern classic I’ve been making since living in the Southeastern US.
Grits are very similar to Italian polenta, coarsely ground dried corn. Once a breakfast staple in the Southeast, this dish has gained in popularity on restaurant dinner menus, with countless variations.
My take on this iconic recipe features spice-rubbed shrimp in a rich tomato sauce served over creamy instant pot grits.
In adapting the recipe for the Instant Pot, I wanted a one-pot meal with minimal steps. I created this recipe using the pot in pot Instant Pot cooking technique, cooking the shrimp and grits together.
I’ve also provided instructions for my original stovetop recipe. Please note that there are some modifications, in method and ingredients!
➡ If you love this recipe, try other Southern Instant Pot recipes like Instant Pot jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice with ham hocks.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need for Shrimp and Grits
💡 Recipe and Ingredient Tips
Here are some tips that will successfully help you make this shrimp and grits recipe:
🌾 Grits: Use Southern-style Bob’s Red Mill white corn grits if authentic stone-ground grits aren’t available. Break up lumps with a fork, especially when doubling the recipe. If it is too liquidy, let it sit for 15 minutes to thicken. Add cream or butter for creamier grits. Learn about different types of grits from Southern Living.
🍤 Cooking Method: Shrimp is seasoned with Old Bay and added last, cooking in residual heat. Close the Instant Pot immediately after adding shrimp. Use the pot-in-pot method: sauce in the inner pot, grits in an oven-safe bowl on a trivet. Steam from the sauce cooks the grits.
🔧 Trivet: A 2-inch trivet works best. Shorter trivets may sit in sauce and taller ones may not fit. Learn more about trivets and their uses.
🍋 Lemon Juice: Adds tartness. Reduce quantity if desired.
🌶️ Spice Level: Mild to medium spiciness as written. Increase Old Bay and/or add hot sauce at the end for more heat. Substitute Creole or Cajun seasoning for Old Bay.
🥛 Cream: The more cream you use, the richer and tastier the dish! You can use up to ½ cup of cream. Also add cream to the grits for more flavor.
🍽️ Servings: Recipe feeds four in my family! Double the grits recipe for larger appetites, but make sure the grits cooking dish is large enough for the Instant Pot. If doubling, cook the grits for a couple extra minutes and keep the shrimp in the residual heat longer. Alternately, you can make the grits on the stovetop.
🧀 Cheese: Optional, but makes grits creamier and more flavorful. Adjust salt when using cheese. Options: cheddar, parmesan, goat cheese, or pimento cheese.
🦐 Shrimp Size: The recipe uses medium shrimp. Increase cook time for large or jumbo shrimp.
🍶Sherry: I like the sherry flavor, but you can use a dry white wine instead.
❓FAQs
To use sausage, saute about 6 oz. of smoked andouille sausage (cut into rounds) after sauteing the bacon. Add the sausage back in when you’re adding the cream.
Usually, just letting the grits rest for about 10 to 15 minutes allows it to thicken up.
Frozen shrimp won’t cook if you use my method of heating the shrimp in the residual heat. You’ll need to pressure cook shrimp at high pressure for a minute or two with a quick pressure release.
Instant grits are much less flavorful than regular or stone ground grits. Some readers have used quick grits and had good results.
No, you put all the contents of the can into the Instant Pot.
– Substitute half and half for the cream. It won’t be as creamy and may be a bit more liquidy.
– Using stone ground grits is healthier than using regular or instant grits.
– Drain off the bacon fat and use olive oil to saute the onions.
– Or omit the bacon.
Yes, a stainless steel container should also work. I would use the same cook time.
How to Make Shrimp and Grits
⏲️ Instant Pot Method
- Season shrimp
- Saute bacon
- Add onions and peppers
- Add tomatoes and seasonings
- Place grits on a trivet
- Pressure cook and release pressure
- Remove grits and add shrimp
- Cook shrimp and add cream
- Heat through
- Season shrimp with Old Bay seasoning and set aside.
- Select Saute and cook bacon until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add onions and bell peppers. Saute in the rendered bacon fat till onion is translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Saute garlic for 30 seconds and turn the Instant Pot off. Deglaze with white wine, and stir well to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot, allowing the wine to evaporate mostly.
- Stir in tomatoes, lemon juice, broth, tabasco, salt and pepper. Place trivet in the Instant Pot.
- Mix milk, water, grits, salt and pepper in an oven-safe glass bowl. Place bowl on trivet.
Program the Instant Pot and release pressure
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 10:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a quick release of pressure. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
- Carefully remove the bowl containing the grits. *
- Remove the trivet and stir in the shrimp. 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. Select Saute mode. When heated through (don’t boil), press Cancel. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with scallions and reserved bacon.
- Meanwhile, add butter to grits, fluff with a fork, and set aside. For cheesy grits, add 2 ounces of cheddar cheese or your choice of cheese.
* Be sure not to let too much heat escape while you’re removing the grits. The shrimp will be cooked in the residual heat of the Instant Pot.
♨️ Stovetop Method
Sauce
- Saute tomatoes in butter
- Add cream and broth and simmer
- Stir in green onions, sherry, salt, and pepper and simmer
Shrimp
- Sprinkle shrimp with Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper
- Dredge shrimp in flour, and reserve
- Saute bacon, reserve
- Saute onions and bell peppers in the bacon fat
- Deglaze with sherry
- Saute shrimp until no longer pink
- Add lemon juice, broth, and hot sauce
Grits
- Prepare grits according to directions on package using equal parts milk and water for the liquid
- Divide grits among bowls and top each serving with butter
Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
Shrimp Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp (500 grams) peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or more to taste
- 3 strips bacon diced
- ⅓ cup onion chopped
- ½ cup bell peppers red and/or green, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon sherry or dry white wine
[Use 3 tablespoon – divided- for stovetop version]
- 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes canned or fresh
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth [Use ½ cup – divided- for stovetop version]
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce or hot sauce, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder or to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream [Use ½ cup for stovetop version]
- ¼ cup green onions sliced thin (green parts only)
- 1 tablespoon butter [Use for stovetop version]
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour [Use for stovetop version]
Grits Ingredients
- ½ cup grits
- 1 cup milk [Use 1 ¼ cups for stovetop version]
- 1 cup water [Use 1 ¼ cups for stovetop version]
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon butter add more or less, to taste
- 2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese or your choice of cheese (57 grams) optional
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream optional, for creamier grits
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions
- Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Set aside.
- Select 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 (or sherry), and stir well to remove any browned bits, allowing the wine to mostly evaporate. Make sure there's no food stuck on the bottom of the pot.
- 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 pressure cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- 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, add butter, cheese, and cream (if using) to the grits and fluff grits with a fork. Make sure you remove all lumps while fluffing the grits.
- After 10 minutes, open the Instant Pot. Gently stir the shrimp.
- Select Saute mode and stir in cream. Heat through (don't boil) and turn off Instant Pot by pressing Cancel.
- Garnish with scallions and bacon.
- Serve grits topped with shrimp and sauce.
Stovetop Directions (Grits) [See Note 1]
- In a medium saucepan, bring equal parts water and milk to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gradually whisk in the grits, bring to a boil, and keep whisking until the mixture starts to thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more milk as needed if the grits are too thick.
- Add butter, cheese, and cream (if using) to the grits and fluff with a fork. Make sure you remove all lumps while fluffing the grits. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.
Stovetop Directions (Sauce)
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add ½ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup chicken broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in green onions and 1 tablespoon sherry. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Simmer for another 3 minutes. Keep the sauce warm over very low heat.
Stovetop Directions (Shrimp)
- Season shrimp with Old Bay seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off any excess and set aside.
- Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Saute onions and bell peppers in the rendered bacon fat till onions are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute briefly. Deglaze with 2 tablespoon sherry and cook for 1 minute, or until the sherry evaporates.
- Add the shrimp and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, ¼ cup broth, and hot sauce. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through, stirring to loosen any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- To serve, divide the grits among four bowls and top with shrimp and serve sauce on the side.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, peeled shrimp, etc.
- Note 1: Double all grits ingredients for a heartier meal.
- You can substitute Old Bay seasoning with Cajun seasoning or Creole Seasoning. Adjust the quantity of added salt as needed.
Nutrition
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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.
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More Instant Pot Shrimp Recipes
Kristen says
I made this, but used ghee rather than butter, added more bacon, wine, & Tabasco, and added half a Serrano chili pepper & some tomato paste. 👍🏼👍🏼, but I think it still needs more heat! Maybe smoked Tabasco?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Kristen, unlike Cajun dishes, my shrimp and grits recipes aren’t too spicy so you can definitely add more heat like you did. I would just add some extra cayenne with the Old Bay seasoning.
Laurie says
I made this today, which was Thanksgiving Day 2018, for my husband and myself for brunch before going to a friend’s house in the late afternoon for the big dinner. It turned out so well and I will definitely make this again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
It’s one of my favorite recipes, Laurie! So comforting. Thanks for the comment and rating!
Whitney says
Did you change this recipe recently? I thought this was the same recipe I used in June but I don’t remember the bacon, lemon juice or peppers. It was the best shrimp & grits we have ever had. It had sausage & tomatoes & the flavor was sooo good. But now I cannot find that recipe anywhere! Haha! Thanks! 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Whitney, no I’ve not changed the recipe – it’s the same as I always make it. You could try this recipe and use sausage instead of bacon. It’s an excellent recipe.
Alec says
I had shrimp and grits for the first time when I was in Savannah this past spring and have been craving them ever since. Was happy to find this recipe. It was easy to follow and they turned out great! I added chorizo sausage and made double the grits. My grits were a bit runny, but all in all very good!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m glad you liked it, Alec. The grits being runny could be due to using a different brand than me. Next time, add a bit less liquid if you use the same brand. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Julie says
This looks yummy! Could I use frozen shrimp and either sauté them longer or pressure cook for a few min? Or do you recommend the shrimp be thawed first? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Julie – if the shrimp are frozen, why don’t you try and do a 1-minute pressure cook and quick release? I think that’ll work – haven’t done it for this recipe but have used frozen shrimp in other recipes. Hope you like it.
CindyLuhu says
I just made this dish in my new Instant Pot. I’ve never made shrimp & grits before & was not disappointed… easy & delicious!! The sauce is so wonderful. Next time I will add cheese to the grits to make it even more decadent. My one question is re: an alternate cooking technique for the grits that I found, cooking them with the water only, then stirring in the milk at the end. Have you tried it that way?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Cindy, I’ve not tried that, but wonder how you prevent it from being too liquidy? I suppose you don’t have to use milk at all, but it will lack that creamy quality… I’m so glad you liked the recipe.
Mark says
Hi! When you cook the grits, is there water under the stainless bowl? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Mark, if you’re following my instructions for Shrimp and Grits, then no, you don’t need water because the tomato base/sauce provides the steam to cook the grits! If you wanted to cook just grits alone using the Pot in Pot technique, then yes, you would add water below the trivet. Thanks for your question.
Rita says
What a delicious recipe! I will definitely keep this recipe and serve it for company! I think preparing the ingredients ahead of time is essential so steps can be followed quickly. Great directions with photos – very helpful. Thanks very much for posting.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hey Rita, thanks so much for commenting 🙂 You’re right, I’m such a disorganized person that this is all the more important for me! Glad you liked the recipe.
Elayne says
Dang!! I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while and I should not have waited. Could have been enjoying it all this time. This was fantastic!! My husband said I need to make this again soon. 🙂 And I definitely will!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Awww, thanks Elayne! Glad it got hubby’s approval 🙂
Janet says
Do you drain the liquid from the canned dices tomatoes or use it as part of the 1 1/2 cups?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Janet – thanks for your question. Yes, you put the whole can of tomatoes in, in addition to the other liquids. Hope you like it!
Juliette says
I just got my first instant pot and tried your shrimp and grits recipe! It was sooooo delicious, thank you so much for this recipe! And I have some leftover for tomorrow, yay!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Juliette (love your name btw!), you’re so welcome – I’m glad you liked it. And thanks for commenting!
Natelie Hiser says
Made this for dinner last night and my husband says he could eat this every night. Best shrimp and grits recipe to date and we have tried many recipes.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hey Natelie – Oh wow, what a compliment! I guess it lived up to its name 🙂 Thank you so much for taking a moment to comment and review.
Linda McKinney says
Did I miss where you told us what kind of grits? Instant or regular?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Linda – it was in the first paragraph, where I have a link to the kind I use. I can only find Bob’s Red Mill white corn grits and that’s what I have used; they’re not instant.
Mary Mecca says
Looks so delicious. Going to make this very soon
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hope you like it Mary and let me know!
Karen says
What size Instant Pot is this recipe designed for? Would there be room to double the recipe if you were using an 8 quart instant pot?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Karen, I use a 6 quart. I think you will be able to double the recipe in an 8 quart. You probably know that you can keep the cooking times the same.
Lorrie says
OMG! My first Instant pot dish and it worked ! Easy recipe to follow thanks. So glad I found it.
Wanted to let you know I only had quick grits – used the 1 C water and 1C milk and they turned out just fine – in fact the best I’ve ever made.
And I had no heavy cream or half and half – so I stirred in some Greek yogurt- worked!
Delicious! I tossed in some pepper flakes – nice and spiced!
Thanks again
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for the comment, Lorrie. I’m so glad your first Instant Pot dish was a success. Good to know that instant/quick grits worked. Enjoy your new Instant Pot!
Victoria says
Wow! These were amazing. I’ve never made grits before and it was perfect as is. Thanks for the great recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for the feedback, Victoria – I am glad you liked it!
Amy says
I made this today and it was really good!! The grits were really runny when I first removed them but I covered them while the shrimp was cooking and they thickened up nicely. I’m so full right now! I will definitely make again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Amy – thanks for commenting! Yes, this is a filling dish, I feel that way every time I make it! I’m really glad you liked it.
Rachel says
Have you ever tried substituting scallops for the shrimp? I’m allergic to shrimp – just wondering if the scallops would cook through in the residual heat like the shrimp does?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Rachel, I have not tried cooking scallops. I believe scallops take about the same time to cook as shrimp on the stovetop? If that’s the case, I would imagine it would work. Tough scallops are the worst right? So better err on the safe side. If not cooked through, try and cook for 1 minute on manual.
Kristy M says
I made this last night and we loved it. I used half and half instead of cream and it worked out great. Awesome recipe – thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Kristy, I’m so glad the recipe worked for you. Yes, I too use half n half sometimes. But can’t beat the taste of cream!
Lei says
Thanks for sharing another delicious looking IP recipe. Would using a SS bowl for the grits alter the cooking time? Thank you…
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Lei, I haven’t tried with stainless steel, but I think it might take a little less time. If I were doing it, I would cook for the same amount of time – I’m not sure if you can overcook grits 🙂 Good luck!