The first time I made this recipe I was a little nervous that the Instant Pot would overcook the shrimp, but boy was I wrong! I know shrimp can be finicky one extra minute and things go downhill fast. But when I opened the Instant Pot and let the shrimp cool, I was genuinely shocked. They were some of the most tender, perfectly cooked shrimp I’d ever made. Fresh or frozen, the Instant Pot has become my reliable, go-to method for consistently perfect steamed shrimp every single time.
This is The Perfect Steamed Shrimp Recipe
The first time I made this recipe I was a little nervous that the result would be rubbery shrimp under the pressure of the Instant Pot. When I opened the Instant Pot and let the shrimp cool, I thought this might be the best, most tender shrimp I ever had!
They were not overcooked, and were so easy to make! This is now one of my favorite recipes! It's definitely added to my easy recipes file! To make a full meal with shrimp and the Instant Pot, make sure to check out this Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi and Instant Pot Jambalaya too!
You can use this shrimp in all sorts of Instant Pot shrimp recipes. It's versatile because it doesn't have a ton of seasoning, but if you wanted, you can add seasoning to the Instant Pot before cooking! I'll explain more below!
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Steamed Shrimp Recipe Ingredients
- Shrimp. One pound of cleaned and deveined shrimp.
- Water. To produce the steam in the Instant Pot.
What Size Shrimp Is Best?
You can use any size shrimp in this recipe, as long as your steamer basket holes are small enough. You do not want any shrimp falling through the holes and then boiling in the Instant Pot.
Jumbo shrimp or larger shrimp are the best shrimp to use if you are making shrimp cocktail or a low country boil.
When you are looking for shrimp in your local grocery store, you'll see numbers on each bag of shrimp. What that indicates is the size of the shrimp, meaning how many shrimp will be per pound. So if the bag says 21/25 that means there are 21-25 shrimp per pound.
Fresh or Frozen Shrimp?
For this recipe, frozen shrimp provides the best results. If you would like to use fresh shrimp cook the shrimp on low pressure for one minute, or high pressure with zero minutes of cook time.
You do not want to use cooked shrimp for this recipe, only raw shrimp. Cooked shrimp does not need to be cooked further, just defrosted.
How to Steam Shrimp
1. Place a steamer basket or silicone steamer basket in your Instant Pot . Add the cold water to the Instant Pot.
2. Clean your shrimp. Place shrimp in the steamer basket. They do not have to be in a single layer. Set the cooking time to one minute. The shrimp cooks as the Instant Pot comes up to pressure, and then cooks at the highest temperature for one minute. All together, the cooking time is 10-12 minutes.
3. After the Instant Pot is done cooking, quick release the pressure. Open the Instant Pot and serve immediately or let them cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.
Pro Tip! Make sure you stay away from the top of the Instant Pot when the steam is releasing. The steam can be very hot and sometimes liquid comes out of the top as well.
Variations of Steamed Shrimp
- Sprinkle the shrimp with your favorite seasonings before cooking. Old Bay Seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or your favorite seasoning blend.
- Use a different liquid. You can use chicken broth, chicken stock, white wine, or vegetable broth in place of water.
- When the shrimp is cooked, top with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the flavor of the shrimp.
What to Serve With This Steamed Shrimp Recipe
- With cocktail sauce without horseradish or your favorite dipping sauce. Sriracha aioli is my favorite dipping sauce! Top the shrimp with fresh parsley before you serve them
- Cooled and tossed into shrimp salads.
- As a delicious meal with white rice, soy sauce, and a variety of your favorite veggies.
- Simply tossed with mixed greens, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar as a delicious meal!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! Some Instant Pots do not have the steam function, so high pressure works the same.
If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the shrimp should be 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The shrimp will be a bright pink when they are done and not have any gray on them at all.
For this recipe, you do not have to thaw your shrimp before adding them to the Instant Pot. As the Instant Pot comes up to pressure, it will thaw the shrimp and then cook it for 1 minute.
You do not have to, but it's best practice to clean the shrimp before hand. Cleaning shrimp can get messy, and you don't want to have to clean the shrimp when they are cooked. Your local grocery stores should have shrimp that are already cleaned and deveined if you don't want to do it yourself.
Did you make this recipe and love it?
If you did, don't forget to leave a 5-star review and comment below! Show me your creation on Instagram or Facebook. Just mention @Lynn'sWayofLife or use this hashtag #lynnswayoflife.
📖 Recipe
How to Steam Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Water
- 1 lb Shrimp
Instructions
- Place a steamer basket or silicone steamer basket in your Instant Pot . Add the cold water to the Instant Pot.
- Clean and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in the steamer basket.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot, making sure the venting knob is set to the sealing position.
- Set the cooking time to 1 minute on high pressure.
- After 1 minute, carefully quick release the pressure. Open the Instant Pot and serve the shrimp or place the shrimp in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Notes
- The Instant Pot will take 10-12 minutes to come up to pressure.
- Be very careful when you are releasing the pressure are the steam will be very hot and liquid may come out the top of the lid.
Carolyn Bushey says
I am going to use your recipe for New Year’s Eve..just wondering why you said cocktail sauce without horseradish??
Thank you!
Sally Wieringa says
This worked perfectly! I used the steam basket and steam setting on my IP, for 1 minute. Remember to sprinkle the Old Bay seasoning and give it a shake before you close the lid. I couldn't find my family heirloom (the $2 thrift store) steamer pan, so we gave this a try. Probably will never do any other way again. Also, I sacrificed a beer for the liquid, which was worth it.
Joyce Reed says
Just made these for my husband. He says they were perfect!
Lynn Polito says
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for making my recipe!
Stacey Williamson says
I would just like to say that this recipe for Steamed Shrimp is the best reci!pe out there! I have tried 6-7 other recipes yielding under cooked or over cooked shrimp.Now that I have this recipe I no longer need to search for fail safe recipe for Steamed Shrimp. Thanks Lynn!
Lynn Polito says
You are so welcome! Thanks for making my recipe!