Instant Pot Shrimp

Instant Pot shrimp frozen or fresh are easy to cook in a Ninja Foodi pressure cooker too! We'll teach you how to cook frozen shrimp quickly to perfectly pink to add to your alfredo dinner or as a high protein snack.

Wondering how to cook shrimp in a pressure cooker? We did too and experimented with different times to get the directions solid to share them with you today. It has been such an effective cooking method that we use it every month for dinners and is one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes.

Instant Pot Shrimp Frozen

Last weekend we was craving shrimp so we sent our husband out to buy a few pounds so we could figure out how to cook shrimp in the Instant Pot. You can make this as a Ninja Foodi recipe shrimp this same way too using the pressure cook function and the lid that isn't attached.

Of course he followed directions to a tee (not) and brought home two bags of frozen shrimp instead of fresh from the meat counter so we started experimenting and figured out there is NO difference between cooking fresh vs. frozen!

If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with let's start with a few basic tips:

• You can PRINT this —–> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
• We HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
  • You should know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing but it won't have as many issues with this better liner.

For reference, this is the model we have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.

We started with this Instant Pot fish recipe where we made both vegetables and white fish in stackable pans inside our pressure cooker, that was yummy. Now we've made lots of Instant Pot shrimp recipes to share.

We started with the simplest of them all, how to cook them all by themselves. As time went on and we got the hang of how to get them done perfectly we added other items too. That is when the Instant Pot shrimp boil was created.

Ingredient notes

We're specific in showing you what we used here. We took a photo of the bag, size, etc because these are the best shrimp to use. Use shrimp with the shells still on so they don't cook quite as fast as if there were no shells. You do NOT want to overcook shrimp or they'll be hard and rubbery.

They shrink quite a bit and become bite sized when they're done so don't let the size scare you. Guaranteed you too can find this in your grocery store in the freezer section too so you can make shrimp in the Instant Pot like we did.

Should you peel shrimp before cooking in a pressure cooker?

No. If they are frozen you won't be able to do that, and it is not necessary anyway. Once done they will peel right off. Makes it even easier and cheaper since shell on is less expensive than without them.

How Long to Steam Frozen Shrimp in Instant Pot

Unless you were adding a TON of shrimp into your pressure cooker, like to the 3/4 fill line we wouldn't cook fresh or frozen, small to medium sized shelled, longer than 0 minutes.

• We got the cook times off the Instant Pot website but ended up adjusting the shrimp cook times after we experimented with them on our own.
  • There's stated that shrimp took 1-2 minutes if they were fresh, we found it took 0 minutes on our Instant Pot
  • It said frozen shrimp took 2-3 minutes, once again they took 0 minutes to be pink like you see here below
  • Fresh fish was said to take 2-3 minutes, our 3/4 lb. fillet of salmon took 4 minutes to be cooked through so we increased the time to 4

What do you need to cook shrimp in Instant Pot?

1. Instant Pot steamer basket – we like the one with little feet on the bottom because it has a hook attached and a piece for easy lifting out too
2. Instant Pot or any other brand of pressure cooker like Crock Pot Express – this is the pretty one we have
3. Bag of shell on jumbo shrimp that is raw (not precooked versions)

Can you add vegetables?

This is possible too, you have to choose those that have the same quick cook time. Broccoli is the best of the best for this duo. 1 minute will work for them both and then top. with your butter, salt and pepper for a virtual fat free dish.

From there you can shell them and enjoy your cooked shrimp as is or add them to your favorite Instant Pot shrimp recipe, we will share a few of our favorites and share pressure cooker garlic shrimp below.

How to set your Instant Pot to cook for 0 minutes?

1. Add items into your pressure cooker
2. Press manual (if you have that button)
3. Then pressure, high
4. Adjust timer using – button until it says 0
5. Allow it to start
6. It will beep as soon as it reaches pressure
7. That is what it means to cook for 0 minutes in your Instant Pot
8. Do a quick release (for shrimp anyway, or follow the recipe you're reading for further instructions)

Note: When you follow these steps your frozen shrimp will come out cooked, not thawed and still raw. Here they are after zero minutes in the Instant Pot! You can follow these same directions for how to cook frozen scallops too!

Kitchen questions

Is it better to steam or boil shrimp?

Steaming is way better! For one thing it gives you a much better texture but more than that it maintains the nutrition. When you boil food the hot water leaches out the nutrients and flavor as well so steaming is the answer. Your Instant Pot can steam them fast too.

Do you have to defrost frozen shrimp to cook them?

Nope! We have cooked frozen shrimp in Instant Pot (like here) as well as in an air fryer and they turn out great. NO need to thaw overnight, pop them into your steamer basket with a little bit of liquid to steam to pink and perfectly tender in no time.

Should you season frozen shrimp before or after cooking?

Seasonings won't stick to the outside when they are rock hard unless you toss them with a bit of oil first. It is better to wait until they are cooked and the shells are removed to add some butter for moisture and flavor as well as seasonings like garlic powder and/or Old Bay for the optimal flavor.

Is it better to cook frozen shrimp with shell on or off?

We think it is best if you use shrimp with the shell on and tail on to prevent the outside from getting too done before the inside can warm. We always use jumbo size too as they take a bit longer allowing the middle to heat before the outside gets too firm.

How do you save leftovers?

You want to keep them moist so once they are cooled store in a freezer bag with all the air removed. Air will dry them out so that is important to achieve the optimal texture when reheated.

What is the best way to reheat leftover cooked shrimp?

You don't want to dry them out when reheating so put them in a bowl with a pat of butter on top. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, heat again for 30 seconds and check to see if they are warm enough for you, if not add another 15 seconds and enjoy.

Instant Pot Shrimp Recipe

By How to cook Instant Pot shrimp frozen or fresh. easy to cook! We'll teach you how to cook frozen shrimp in your pressure cooker + share easy Instant Pot shrimp recipes too. Prep: 5 minutes minsCook: 2 minutes minsTotal: 7 minutes minsServings: 2 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

• 12 jumbo shrimp, fresh or frozen
• 2 tbsp butter optional
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced, we use jarred, optional
• 1/2 tbsp chives, diced, optional

Instructions

• Pour 1.5 c water into your Instant Pot and put a vegetable steamer basket inside your pot with your fresh or frozen raw jumbo shrimp inside. Set to pressure high for 0 minutes, do a quick release.
• Optional: If you want to add flavor, follow above directions, drain pot, and follow below instructions to make into Instant Pot garlic shrimp.
• Set Instant Pot to saute, low, and add butter. When butter is melted add minced garlic. Once butter starts to sizzle add your shrimp and toss with butter and garlic.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Entree, Main CourseCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Other Instant Pot shrimp recipes you'll love

We love defrosting our shrimp using the method above and then adding them on top of our Instant Pot shrimp alfredo. You can use your defrosted shrimp in these pressure cooker asian steamed dumplings one night. You could saute shelled shrimp after cooked this way, add on saute with some minced garlic and butter to add flavor for a meal. Or make Instant Pot bang bang shrimp for dinner some time.

Either way they become a good protein packed meal! If they're still frozen make air fryer frozen shrimp with parmesan