Instant Pot Easy Cheesy Shrimp and Grits is a quick pressure cooker recipe that uses either stone ground grits or quick grits with cheese, butter, and tons of flavor. This dish highlights authentic southern shrimp and grits with gravy. The grits only take 10 minutes to make, no more standing at the stove stirring grits!
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I have finally tested out grits in the Instant Pot and I will be the first to tell you, I am never going back to stovetop! I have always enjoyed cooking! I was the girl right alongside my mama every Sunday and every single holiday washing greens and slicing up vegetables for family dinners and functions.
Often, we would eat grits often with fried catfish. If you are looking for catfish to pair with your Instant Pot grits, be sure to check out my Air Fryer Fried Catfish recipe!
As I grow older, I still have the same love for cooking, but I want things to be done faster! I have so much on my plate these days. I have to create balance in order to juggle it all.
I experimented with grits 4 times before posting this recipe. I have tried both quick grits (not instant) and stone ground. I have noted what worked for me with both types below.
Table of Contents
Stone Ground Grits vs Quick Grits
Stone ground grits have a different texture than quick grits. Just an FYI there. Stone ground grits are harder to find at an everyday grocery store. Most are focused on instant grits. I got mine at Trader Joe's and you can also pick up stone ground grits from Amazon.
What Type to Use in the Instant Pot
I have tested both stone ground grits and quick grits (not instant) in the Instant Pot. It makes more sense to use stone ground grits, because these grits usually take 35-40 minutes stovetop.
How to Cook Grits in the Instant Pot
- Salt your liquids. With the Instant Pot method, you simply add salt to the pan with the broth and milk.
- Whisk the grits well. While making grits stovetop, I always felt that I had to stand there for so long whisking. You still have to do some whisking with the Instant Pot, but not nearly as much. After adding the ingredients to the pot, I whisk to ensure there aren't any initial lumps.
- After you remove the grits from the Instant Pot, whisk again (you can use a whisk or spoons). Ensure there aren't any lumps in the grits. If you find it hard to remove lumps try adding a small amount of milk and whisk again.
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How Long Does it Take to Cook? Cook Time
It will take 10 minutes on Manual > High-Pressure Cooking, with 15 minutes natural release and Quick Grits will take 10 minutes on Manual High-Pressure Cooking with 10 minutes natural release.
Can You Cook Them Without Using a Pan Inside the Pot?
Yes, in fact, this is my favorite way to cook grits in the Instant Pot. I provided instructions for how to cook the grits using the stackable pans for the people that would like to save time or don't have two Instant Pots.
I have two Instant Pots. So I have also prepared this recipe by lining the Instant Pot with olive oil using a cooking brush and then adding my grits and other ingredients. I cooked the bacon and prepared the shrimp and gravy in my second Instant Pot.
Can You Add Tomatoes?
Yes, if you wish to add tomatoes, I recommend 15oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Add them with the onions during the initial steps.
Growing up, we didn't add tomatoes to our grits. Within recent years I have observed the trend of tomatoes with gravy and grits served at restaurants for dinner and/or brunch.
Try our Instant Pot Gumbo!
and our Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice!
More Southern Recipes
Homemade Southern Cornbread
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Southern Style Soul Food Mac and Cheese
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Healthy Southern Peach Cobbler
Southern Mustard Greens
Instant Pot Easy Cheesy Shrimp and Grits
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp and Sauce
- 1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup chicken-broth I use low-sodium
- 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning omit if you do not desire a hint of spicy
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Grits
- 1 cup stone ground grits
- 1 cups chicken broth I use low-sodium
- 1 ¼ cup milk I used almond
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup white cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan reggiano cheese shredded
Instructions
- Place the Instant Pot on the saute function. Add the chopped bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside, drain most of the bacon grease. I reserved about a teaspoon.
- Add the onions and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic and onions become fragrant.
- Add the ½ cup chicken broth, Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, and fresh lemon juice. Stir.
- You can remove the sauce/gravy from the Instant Pot and cook the grits separately if you wish (without using the Pot in Pot method). Remove the gravy and add the grits, 1 cup of chicken broth, milk, and salt. Grits normally stick to the pot. Grease it with oil first, I use olive oil.
- Optional Pot in Pot Method with Stackable Steamer: Add the trivet and stackable steamer to the pot over the sauce. Fill the stackable steamer with the grits, 1 cup of chicken broth, milk, and salt. Wisk well to eliminate any lumps. You can choose to cover the grits or keep them uncovered. I have tested both and yielded similar results.
- Close and seal the pot. Cook for 10 Minutes on Manual > High-Pressure Cooking.
- Season the shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
- When the pot indicates it has finished, allow the steam to release naturally for 15 minutes instead of performing a quick release.
- Open the pot and remove the stackable steamer.
- Place the Instant Pot on saute function. Add the shrimp to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the shrimp have turned bright pink.
- While the shrimp cooks add the butter and shredded cheese to the grits. Stir well to combine. Wisk any lumps in the grits. (Using the Instant Pot you shouldn't have any!)
- Serve the shrimp and gravy sauce over the grits topped with the crumbled bacon.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
More Instant Pot Recipes:
Instant Pot Garlic Tuscan Chicken Thighs
Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potato Soup
Instant Pot Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Instant Pot Low-Carb Pumpkin Spice Bread
Instant Pot Lasagna
Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto with Vegetables and Parmesan
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs Using the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Chicken and Spanish Rice (Arroz Con Pollo)
Instant Pot Cheesecake
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash
Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Instant Pot Steak Tacos
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowl with Quinoa
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Renee Goerger says
This is such a great looking dish and grits are always something I gravitate to when the weather turns cooler. I seriously can't wait to make this recipe in my instant pot!
Christina says
I've become obsessed with shrimp and grits! This recipe is amazing!
IG: Jaaazmiiiin says
I made the shrimp in this recipe and they were delicious! I think they could be used for anything - not just grits!
staysnatched says
lol they can be!
Amanda says
Wow, this recipe is amazing! Best shrimp and grits ever.
staysnatched says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Lauren says
I live in CA after spending several years in DC and have been missing some of the delicious southern cooking I got there. This turned out amazing. I had to make my own creole seasoning because I couldn’t find it in stores in CA, and my grits wound up being very stiff out of the instapot (I didn’t exactly measure the liquid amount, so that’s on me) but I was able to thin the grits down following the blog suggestions and it turned out perfect and tasted amazing in the end!
staysnatched says
I'm glad it turned out!
Karen Stewart says
We are southern folks with a brand new instant pot, so of course, just had to make your shrimp & grits recipe.
It was absolutely delicious - more like Devine! Now we have a question on your stackable pan that we saw on your “how to video”. Could you please tell us the name of it and where we could find one like it. We had to make a Pyrex bowl work which wasn’t the best so now we would love to find a pan like yours that looked like it had a locking latch on the top of it?
Love your website and thank you for your dedication to healthy& delicious recipes.
Karen Stewart
staysnatched says
Hi there! I just added a link to it in the recipe card.
Julie says
Thanks for this recipe. The grits worked! First time ever making grits in the Instapot.
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Amanda says
My fiancé loves grits so I surprised him by making this for dinner tonight-it was fabulous! Perfect cozy food for the chilly stormy night were having here. 🙂
staysnatched says
Yes! So true. I'm glad you both enjoyed it.
Sarah says
This was absolutely delicious! I will say that "hint of spice" wasn't entirely accurate for my experience - this is pretty spicy (and I can handle some heat!). I'll likely modify the creole seasoning just a bit next time. The grits themselves - I was not born with the "cook pot-in-pot" gene - for some reason, no matter what I do, PIP doesn't work. They weren't quite done after 10 minutes, 15 minute natural release so I'll play around with the timing a bit on the grits, but will definitely be making this again!
staysnatched says
I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I hope you can try it again and use the servings as directed.
Sarah says
@staysnatched, update - Made this again and got the creole seasoning correct - delicious! I did find that adding 2 minutes to the grits helped. I live about 5000ft above sea level, if that's helpful to others.
staysnatched says
Wonderful!
Sandy says
So delicious. Will definitely make this again.
staysnatched says
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Felicia says
I finally got to make this one after seeing Brandi share it on her IG stories. I ordered the grits from Amazon because my TJs didn’t have them.
I tried using a Pyrex dish but the grits weren’t cooked enough. I ordered the insert here for hedge time, lesson learned lol.
The grits were delicious! The shrimp was so flavorful. I made sure to cook them until they made a C and I was careful not to over cook them. Next time I’m going to double this because my family devoured it. So much for leftovers 😂. Thank you for a great recipe!!
staysnatched says
haha I love all of this.
Katie says
The most delicious shrimp and grits I’ve ever tasted! I will be making this every weekend! Thank you!
staysnatched says
Glad to hear it become a staple!
Tiffani says
Saw your stories while I was baking my bacon and realized I still had some stone ground grits. I was so discouraged when I could never get them right on the stove, these turned out way better. I think I’ll need some more liquid and maybe a couple minutes more too. Can’t wait to make the full recipe too.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it.
Hanna B says
Brandi’s recipes never disappoint! I didn’t use the instant pot this time, but I followed the ingredients and it was the best version of shrimp and grits I’ve ever had! I added mushrooms to the gravy and used mushroom broth instead of chicken and it was a hit!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Hailey G says
10/10. I am a beginner at making grits. The instructions were super simple to follow and the flavor is immaculate. Also, if you think you don’t want the Tony’s because of the “heat”, you’re mistaken. The Tony’s adds to the flavor.
staysnatched says
So true. Tony's is for flavor!
Jenn says
And again, a Stay Snatched recipe coming through for me. This was simple and delicious. My grits did stick a bit to the pot but that was all user error. Will definitely make this again but buying the insert for next time. Thanks again for another great recipe!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Linda says
First time cooking grits that wasn't instant. This amazing and very easy to follow instructions.
Favorite part of your recipes is the cook mode toggle button
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed this!
Ashley says
Wow! Everything about this recipe is so perfect. All of the different flavors melded together using only one pot make this dish a crowd pleaser!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Jillian Allen says
This recipe is a hit and has been added to the rotation. This recipe was easy to follow and came together rather quickly
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Ricky Allen Laxton says
THIS SOUNDS DELICIOUS. IM GOING TO FOLLOW YOU GIRL. THANKSSSSSS
Ricky Allen Laxton says
THANKS, FOR THE GREAT RECIPES. MY STOUND GROUND GRITS SAY 1.5C BROTH AND 1.5C MILK TO 3/4C GRITS. WOULD YOU SAY I SHOULD GO WITH THOSE LIQUID AMOUNT FOR INSTANT POT OR USE THE LIQUID AMOUNTS YOU DO IN YOUR RECIPE. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BOTHER YOU I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.RIC