Instant Pot Shrimp And Grits The Black Folks Way
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Cooking shrimp and grits in an Instant Pot is a game-changer that honors the classic flavors of this soul food dish. You’ll appreciate this recipe for its quick and easy preparation while still enjoying its classic soulful seasoning. It features seasoned shrimp served over a fluffy bed of savory grits, all generously drizzled with a delicious creamy Creole sauce.
What you need
The ingredients are simple, except for one uncommon component: the creamy addition of mascarpone cheese. However, the key to this recipe is to not skimp on the soulful seasonings and spices that make this recipe flavorful, in true Black culinary tradition!
- What type of grits to use – This recipe calls for white corn grits, which are the best. They result in a soft and fluffy texture. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill creamy white corn grits.
- What type of cheese to use – Use mascarpone cheese. Though not originally from African American culture, cheese has found its way into modern interpretations of shrimp and grits, enriching the savory comfort food aspect of the grits.
- What type of shrimp to use – You can use either cooked jumbo shrimp or uncooked shrimp, as both cook quickly in the Instant Pot. Preferably already peeled and deveined.
Shrimp and grits cream sauce
The shining star of the dish is the delectable Creole sauce, made from scratch and sautéed in the Instant Pot. This sauce features heavy whipping cream and a mix of flavorful soul food seasonings, including chicken bouillon, garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
How to make Instant Pot shrimp and grits the Black way
This recipe requires no special Instant Pot accessories, such as pot-in-pot or pan-in-pot setups. Instead, we’ll use the sauté setting to cook the shrimp and create the flavorful Cajun-Creole sauce, and then we’ll use the pressure cooker function to prepare the fluffy grits and to allow the garlic-butter flavors of the cooked shrimp to meld.
- Sauté the shrimp in the Instant Pot with the lid off, using oil and seasonings.
- Then, pressure cook the seasoned shrimp for 1 minute.
- Pressure cook the grits, then open the lid to stir in the heavy cream and mascarpone cheese.
- Sauté the sauce in the Instant Pot with the lid off.
- Combine the finished shrimp, grits, and sauce in a large cast iron skillet to warm it up before serving.
How to make creamy grits in the Instant Pot
Here’s my pro tip for perfect grits: When making Instant Pot grits, begin by spreading butter on the bottom of the inner pot to prevent the “Burn” notice, indicating that the grits are browning and sticking to the pot during pressure cooking.
The best way to achieve thick and fluffy grits is to learn the precise timing and temperature needed to cook them, so I prefer using an Instant Pot when cooking this shrimp and grits recipe. It simplifies cooking rice, grains, porridge, and grits with just a drop in the pot for soft, fluffy grits every time!
What side dishes to serve with shrimp and grits
Shrimp and grits is a classic Southern dish that holds its own and can be enjoyed without a side dish, often topped with crumbled bacon bits for added texture and flavor. For an authentic Southern experience, consider pairing this dish with soul food favorites such as cornbread, red beans, or collard greens.
How to store and reheat
There is no need to separate the shrimp from the grits when storing this dish. The combined meal, already coated in sauce, can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Can shrimp and grits be reheated? Reheating is as simple as transferring food straight to the plate and microwaving it for your preferred time!
Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
- Colander to drain the cooked shrimp
- Cast iron skillet Large 10-inch
Ingredients
Ingredients for the shrimp
- 2 pounds shrimp jumbo, frozen or thawed, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon avocado oil or cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Ingredients for the grits
- 1 cup corn grits white
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream and another ½ a cup on reserve in case it’s needed at the end
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter and some butter to spread on the bottom of the inner pot
- ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
Ingredients for the sauce
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granulated
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 3 strips crumbled bacon (Optional to garnish the dish at the end)
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions (Optional to garnish the dish at the end)
Instructions
Instructions for the shrimp
- Remove the Instant Pot lid and turn on the sauté setting for 5 minutes. (Although you will not use all of this time. I like to have the extra minutes for the time it takes for the sauté to become active.)
- With the lid off the pot, heat the water, avocado oil, and butter in the stainless-steel inner pot for up to 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Cancel the sauté setting and close the Instant Pot lid.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 1 minute.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 2 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Use a colander to drain the liquid from the cooked shrimp and set the shrimp aside to add to the grits later.
Instructions for the grits
- Open the Instant Pot lid and spread some butter on the bottom of the inner pot.
- Then, add the chicken broth, grits, salt, and 3 tablespoons of butter to the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Pour in the heavy whipping cream.
- Stir the grits to combine the ingredients.
- Add the mascarpone cheese and continue stirring.
- Remove the stainless-steel inner pot with the grits inside so they don’t dry out.
- Cover the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot with the Instant Pot lid to keep the grits warm while off of the Instant Pot burner.
- (When it’s time to add the grits to the skillet, mix in ¼ – ½ a cup of heavy whipping cream to loosen them as needed.)
Instructions for the sauce
- (You may need to transfer the grits to the skillet at this point if you only have one Instant Pot because you will need to use the stainless-steel inner pot for the sauce.)
- Add the heavy whipping cream, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and chicken bouillon to the empty Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
- Turn on the sauté setting for 10 minutes. (Although you will not use all of this time. I like to have the extra minutes for the time it takes for the sauté to become active.)
- Allow the sauté to come to a boil and let boil for about 3-5 minutes.
- While the sauce is boiling, keep watch of it and occasionally stir to avoid overcooking and burning.
- Cancel the sauté setting and stir in the parsley.
- Remove the shrimp and grits sauce in the stainless-steel inner pot from the Instant Pot burner.
Instructions for setting up the shrimp and grits
- Add the grits to a large 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
- Optional: you can mix in 1/4 – 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream to loosen the grits if needed.
- Place the cooked shrimp on the grits.
- Then pour the prepared sauce over the shrimp and grits.
- Heat the skillet with the shrimp and grits in the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven on the ‘warm’ setting for 5-7 minutes or 5 minutes in the conventional oven on the ‘warm’ setting or 150 degrees F.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and optionally garnish the finished dish with crumbled bacon bits and chopped green onions. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Thank you for this easy drop in pot recipe!