Instant Pot Shrimp with Honey Garlic Sauce
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Instant Pot Shrimp with Honey Garlic Sauce is a fast way to cook frozen shrimp in an Instant Pot. Enjoy sticky and sweet pressure cooker shrimp that’s ready in just 15 minutes! Serve with rice or pasta for a delicious weeknight dinner!
I never realized how easy it was to pressure cook shrimp until the day I forgot to take shrimp out of the freezer. Rather than thawing under running water, I put the frozen shrimp in the Instant Pot directly. The result? Perfect shrimp 15 minutes later!
This easy shrimp recipe is based on our popular Honey Garlic Shrimp. The honey garlic sauce infuses into the shrimp after pressure cooking with no need for marinating. If you’re looking for easy Instant Pot recipes, this one is hard to beat!
How to cook frozen instant pot shrimp
Shrimp are delicate and many of you commented that it easily becomes rubbery. Here’s exactly what to do in order to avoid overcooking Instant Pot shrimp:
- Use extra-jumbo shrimp: a count of 16-20 per pound is ideal (see shrimp sizes), and the shrimp will shrink during cooking to become bite-sized. Smaller shrimp risk overcooking!
- Use frozen raw shrimp: they do better under pressure cooking than thawed shrimp.
- Zero (0) minute method: set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 0 minutes. As the pressure builds the shrimp get heated for about 10 minutes – just enough for frozen shrimp.
- Quick Release: use a quick pressure release by carefully turning the knob on top, following the manufacturer’s safety precautions.
This same method also works when preparing other shrimp dishes like Shrimp and Rice, Shrimp Pasta, and Shrimp Boil.
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- Frozen extra jumbo shrimp
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- Shrimp in steamer basket
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- Instant Pot High Pressure setting
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- Shrimp after pressure cooking
How long to cook shrimp in an Instant Pot
Here’s the deal: while Instant Pot suggests a 1-3 minute cycle for fresh shrimp and a 2-4 minute cycle for frozen shrimp, those times are too long for one pound of shrimp! It actually takes ZERO (0) minute to get them cooked from frozen, as you can see from the photos on this post.
Only if you are filling the Instant Pot with 2-3 pounds of shrimp, you should increase the pressure cycle to 2-3 minutes.
Note: Even though we’re using the 0-minute method, the pot still takes about 10 minutes to preheat, plus another minute for the quick steam release afterward. The shrimp keep cooking the entire time!
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- Reducing honey garlic sauce to thicken
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- Instant Pot shrimp coated with honey garlic sauce
Instant Pot Honey Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 lb frozen raw shrimp, (454g) extra jumbo size 16/20, shell on
- 1 cup water, (237ml)
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 2 tsp vegetable oil, (10ml)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, (8g) minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, (8g) minced
- 1/3 cup soy sauce,
(79ml) low sodium recommended
- 1/4 cup honey, (59ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, (2.5g) mixed with 1 tsp water - optional
- green onion, minced - optional
Instructions
Cook the Shrimp
- Place a steamer basket into the Instant Pot. Add water and shrimp and then lock the cover.
- Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cooking or “Manual”. Then set Pressure to “High” and adjust time to 0 minutes. The cycle will start after a few moments.
- Wait for the pressure cycle to complete, about 10-15 minutes. You can get the honey garlic sauce ingredients ready during this time.
- Once the cycle is complete, carefully open the Quick Release, observing the manufacturer's safety directions. Steam will come out of the vent along with some splatter.
- When no more steam comes out, it will be safe to open the lid. Remove the steamer
and set the cooked shrimp aside. Drain the cooking liquid.
Make the Honey Garlic Sauce
- Set the Instant Pot to “Saute”.
- Add the vegetable oil followed by the garlic and ginger. When fragrant 30-60 seconds later, add the soy sauce and honey.
- Bring to a boil and let it simmer for a minute or two to thicken slightly, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
- Optional: mix in the cornstarch-water slurry stirring constantly for a sticky sauce.
- Add the shrimp to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Remove to a serving plate and garnish with optional green onion.
Notes
- If you are doubling or tripling this recipe, then increase the cook time from 0 minutes to to 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with pasta or rice and a green vegetable like broccoli. Or put it out on its own for a KETO Instant Pot recipe that works as an appetizer or main.
- Make it a gluten-free: Use gluten-free soy sauce or substitute coconut aminos.
- For thawed shrimp (any size): use your Instant Pot’s Sauté function and cook as on a stovetop until tender.
Please read our nutrition disclaimer.
More Instant Pot recipes:
View all Instant Pot recipes
Editor note: Originally published Jan 18, 2018 and updated Aug 28, 2019
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Fantastic! Very Easy and tasty. Thank you for sharing.
Made this with 2 lbs of shrimp, an onion, and 2 bell peppers. I tripled the sauce and served over rice and it was delicious! Thank you!
Hi Glory, Sounds delicious and glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment.
These were delicious and so easy! I did prob half the shrimp at 0 time and didn’t measure the sauce ingredients and just tasted as I added. I used avocado oil and braggs just a bit incase it was too salty. Can you use shrimp that have been shelled? Would the time be the same? Thanks!
Hi Leigh Anne, Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed! Yes you can use shelled shrimp although I find they’re a bit less juicy. Hope that helps and enjoy!
One word, no 2 words….delicious and easy.
Excellent. The sauce was great. Will definitely do this recipe again
Hiya Brian, Thanks for your review and so glad you enjoyed!
This is probably a dumb question, but if I use frozen shrimp with the shell on (as per the ingredient list), in which step of making this dish do I remove the shells?
Hi Amy, Thanks for your question. You’d peel after cooking and before adding the sauce. Hope that helps!
When you eat it. Have many napkins it’s a little messy.
That works too, but its finger licking good.
Made this and its amazing
Hi Susan, So great to hear that and thanks for your review!
Way too salty. I used Braggs Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. I put more honey than Aminos & it was still too salty.
Hi Judy, Thanks for your comment. Try San-J low-sodium gluten-free soy sauce. Bragg’s can be quite salty…
Yummy sauce! I added cooked broccoli back in with the shrimp. Can you use shelled frozen shrimp instead? Zero minutes was actually a tad too long for my shrimp, they may have been a tad too small. The bag said 18-25/lb. Could I have used low pressure or steamed on high instead?
Hi Kathy, Sounds delicious and glad it worked out. If it was a tad long then definitely try size 16-20 shrimp and you’ll be good to go. Low pressure doesn’t really work unfortunately. Enjoy!
I love making shrimp in my instant pot! It’s so easy! This taste so good too!
Hi Suzy, Thanks for your feedback and glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This shrimp was so quick and easy! My family loved it!
Hi Wilhelmina, Thanks for your feedback and glad to hear 🙂
This recipe couldn’t be any easier, or faster. I love this garlic shrimp recipe for the instant pot. Thank you.
Hi Renee, Thanks for your review and glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is such a simple recipe to make! Love the flavor!
Hi Ashley, So glad to hear that and see you soon on the site! 🙂
Sauce did not thicken into a glaze – why? Shrimp were a lot darker than the shrimp in your picture – why?
Hi Lorna, Thanks for your comment and sorry the sauce didn’t thicken. You can either boil it for an extra 1-2 minutes or add a small amount of cornstarch slurry. The recipe has been updated to reflect, so hope you’ll try it again 🙂
Turned out pretty good, but it did not glaze; was soupy. Discovered in the comments that I was supposed to toss out the sauce (marinade) used to coat and only use the half not used to saute. Will try again. Will suggest that the recipe explain the above for those of us who may have less experience.
Family and I enjoyed it and will try again.
Thanks
Hi MK, Thanks for your feedback – the recipe has been fully updated to ensure the sauce glazes without fail! Hope you’ll try it again 🙂
How about adding broccoli? How would that change the instructions
Hi Stewart, Thanks for your comment. I haven’t tried broccoli, but think it would be on the crunchier side. Just add to the InstaPot along with the shrimp. Let me know how it goes if you try it 🙂
How can i adjust the recipe for cooked shrimp instead of raw shrimp?
Thanks.
Hi Farah, Thanks for your question! Unfortunately this recipe doesn’t work well with cooked shrimp, as they’ll turn out rubbery and chewy. If you can’t find shrimp, you could try crawfish or crab… Hope that helps 🙂
Tasted great but I couldn’t seem to get it to thicken up afterward. Any advice?
Hi Taylor, Thanks for your question. You can whisk in 1 teaspoon or cornstarch on saute mode for about a minute to thicken it up!
What if my shrimp is precooked?
Hi Kristen, Add the shrimp towards the end to warm up and soak up the sauce. Putting cooked shrimp in early will make them rubbery. Hope that helps!
Im assuming tsbp = Tea Spoon as apposed to Tea Table Spoon. As Garlic is stronger than Ginger and tbsp = Tea Spoon?
Hi Stephen, tbsp is tablespoon. You need that much to develop the flavor in this recipe 🙂
This seems like very little liquid especially since you discard half the marinade…. has anyone had an issue with their IP not able to fully pressurize?
Hi April, There’s enough liquid to glaze 1 pound of shrimp. If your IP is not pressurizing, the lid may not be locking properly so inspect and clean if needed. Thanks and good luck!
What setting should we put to allow the sauce to thicken? Is it supposed to thicken just by leaving it one the keep warm setting?
Hi Christine, Thanks so much for your question. The recipe has been updated to reflect how to thicken the sauce into a glaze. 🙂
Shrimp turned out rubbery and the sauce did not glaze correctly. I must have done something wrong
Hi there, Shrimp would have cooked too long. What size shrimp did you use?
Can you use frozen shrimp, or does it have to be thawed first?
Hi Courtney, Definitely thaw the shrimp first! Here’s how to do it: https://tipbuzz.com/how-to-thaw-shrimp/ Hope that helps 🙂
Decided to make this as my first ever Instant Pot meal. I see the directions place the instant pot on Saute, add ingredients then put on Manual High. Not sure if I missed something, but was I supposed to keep in Saute for a certain amount of time? Otherwise it came out very good.
Hi Barry, Honored to be you first Instapot recipe and glad it was a success! Thanks also for your feedback, I just updated the recipe to “sauté for 3 minutes”. 🙂
How do you make the sauce sticky and thick again after having to add 18oz of water for manual mode?
Hi Alex, Thanks for your review. You can use a cornstarch slurry if it’s really watery (all shrimp is different), but it should be fine. We added some notes to the recipe to cover this.
How long do we saute (step 4) before closing and pressure cooking?
Hi Mindy, it’s sauté for 3 minutes. Just updated the recipe, thanks 😉
An Instant Pot favorite! What a great sauce.
I love this recipe! It’s so flavorful, and since it’s quick in the IP it’s perfect for busy weeknights. My whole family loves it!
Thanks April, so glad it worked out 🙂
How long are we sautéing for in step 4?
Quick question- do we discard the marinade from the bag and add the reserved marinade to the pot?
You are right, Sarah. Discard the marinade and add the reserved marinade to the pot.
I think it would be helpful to add discard the marinade from the bag and add the reserved marinade to the pot to the recipe.