Instant Pot Shrimp

Instant pot shrimp is succulent and juicy with a buttery white wine sauce and Old Bay seasoning. You can serve it as a main dish or appetizer with some crusty bread for dipping!

You guys, if you love shrimp as much as we do, you definitely need to try cooking it in the Instant Pot. Instant pot steamed shrimp is so easy and results in the juiciest and most tender shrimp (like this instant pot shrimp scampi)!

And since I’m all about the sauces, these shrimp are coated in a lemony, buttery, garlicky white wine sauce that is seriously so good. I want to drizzle it on everything!

For a quick weeknight meal, we love to serve this easy instant pot shrimp with air fryer garlic bread, coconut jasmine rice and some cheesy roasted frozen broccoli.

Why this instant pot shrimp recipe works

• The white wine sauce. It’s simple and delicious, and helps keep the shrimp plump and juicy. It’s pretty much magic sauce!
• It’s a versatile recipe. You can serve instant pot frozen shrimp as an appetizer with some crusty bread or as a main meal with rice, noodles or veggies. 
• It’s so quick and easy! Shrimp in instant pot cooks fast in just 1 minute! And the sauce comes together on sauté mode in just 3-5 minutes (less than 10 minutes total)! Plus you can use them in this Cajun shrimp and grits recipe if you want!

Ingredients

You’ll need 1 pound of fresh or frozen raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) to make these steamed shrimp. Any large shrimp or jumbo shrimp will work but I like to use 21/25 sized shrimp. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to peel and devein shrimp.

You’ll need ½ a cup of white wine. I normally avoid cooking wines and go with a dry white wine instead, which has a better depth of flavor. 

To complement the flavor of the shrimp, you’ll need Old Bay seasoning. This seasoning is a mix of different herbs and spices so it’s a nice balance of savory and spicy and goes perfectly with seafood. 

For a burst of fresh lemony flavor, you’ll add two fresh lemon halves to the Instant Pot while we cook the shrimp.

Variations and substitutions

• Use a Creole seasoning instead of Old Bay if preferred. You can use any other seasoning you prefer as well (lemon pepper, etc.)
• Omit the wine and substitute with chicken broth if necessary. You can also use sherry or brandy for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Use lime instead of lemon.
• You can use mussels, clams, scallops or any other shellfish in this recipe as well.
• Add a touch of seafood boil (crab boil) to the sauce for some heat and flavor.
• Add fresh herbs like thyme or parsley to add a fresh component to the shrimp.

Step by step instructions to make shrimp in the instant pot

1. Heat the butter in the Instant Pot using the sauté setting. Add the garlic and sauté until it starts to brown. Turn the heat off.

2. Add the stock and white wine.

3. Then, add the shrimp and Old Bay seasoning and stir to combine. Add the lemon halves, seal the lid and set to pressure cook shrimp on high pressure for 1 minute. Use the quick release to release the pressure.

4. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Turn the Instant Pot back to the sauté setting and simmer the sauce for 3-5 minutes, until slightly reduced. Stir the shrimp back in and serve garnished with fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice and crusty bread for dipping in the sauce.

Serving options

• Any crusty bread like this air fryer garlic bread for dipping is a must! You can also use these air fryer biscuits for sopping up the white wine sauce.
• Serve it as an appetizer, before this grilled flank steak, air fryer carrots and truffle mashed potatoes.
• For a quick meal option, serve the shrimp with regular white or brown rice, Cajun rice, or this Cajun dirty rice.
• Serve these delicious shrimp on their own dipped in this seafood butter sauce.

Expert tips

1. Shrimp cook fast so make sure to set your Instant Pot for no longer than 1 minute and quick release the pressure.
2. While I buy fresh shrimp with the shell on, and peel and devein them myself. To save time, you can buy them already peeled and deveined and/or can even use frozen shrimp!
3. While the cook time is just 1 minute in the Instant Pot, you’ll also need to factor in time for the instant pot to come to pressure.
4. Be sure to remove the shrimp before you simmer the excess liquid at the end to avoid overcooking the shrimp.
5. If the shrimp are raw frozen shrimp and extra large, cook for 1 minute extra. You can also thaw the shrimp before cooking.

Frequently asked questions

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