This pressure cooker shrimp paella, made in my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, will knock your socks off. And if you're not wearing socks, it'll make your toes curl. Not only does it have tons of flavor, but it comes together so quickly, with only a five-minute high-pressure cook time in the Instant Pot.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
I'm bizack with another Instant Pot recipe...and I'm super excited to share this one because it's such a quick and easy meal.
Although I love to cook, most weeknights, I'm exhausted, and I'd rather not stand in front of the stove, dirty up pots and pans, or order out. I'd rather order out, but then my bank account says, "No, ma'am."
It's days like that that recipes in my Instant Pot are so important. If you haven't gotten an Instant Pot yet, you're missing out. It is one of my all-time favorite kitchen appliances, outside of my oven.
I went on and on about it in my post about Instant Pot Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge, so I won't do that again here. But for those who don't know, it's an electronic pressure cooker that cuts cooking time in half.
Its sauté function makes it great for browning meat and softening onions in meals.
Alrighty, so about this Instant Pot pressure cooker shrimp paella. Well, I always keep a bag of raw frozen shrimp in our freezer at home. I love frozen shrimp because the defrost time is so quick, and the cook time is so fast.
The great thing about this recipe is that you don't even have to defrost the shrimp. It's literally a throw-it-in-the-pot kind of recipe. And if you prep your ingredients ahead of time by chopping the onions, peppers, and garlic...well, my friend, you may break the record for the quickest dinner on the table.
Your family will love this Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella
I remember the first time I made this for my family. My daughter was literally shocked. She thought I ordered out and didn't tell her. She couldn't believe how quickly dinner was done. I just told her I was Super Mom. She was indeed impressed.
People don't generally think of cooking shrimp in a pressure cooker. That makes sense because shrimp cooks quickly, and if it's not done right, it can lead to a rubbery mess.
Of course, the key to avoiding this is a short cooking time and using jumbo frozen shrimp with the shell on. This will ensure your shrimp is perfectly cooked.
The only slight annoyance with this recipe is the taking the shell off after cooking and before serving. Honestly, it's up to you how you handle that part. On days I'm really tired, hubby and daughter are on their own when it comes to taking off the shells. On other days, I remove it for them so I don't hear their whining.
I've included step-by-step photos of how to cook this meal in the Instant Pot. I remember when I first got my Instant Pot, I was lost on how to operate it. After pressing buttons and reading the manual 4 times, I figured it out. Well, as always, Enjoy 🙂
Pin Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella for Later 🙂
Looking for more Pressure Cooker Recipes? Try these out:
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (NY Street Cart)
Instant Pot Salmon with Creamy Herb Sauce
Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella
Ingredients
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, shell and tail on frozen
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup cilantro optional
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Saute function. Add butter to pot and melt. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for about a minute more. Add paprika, turmeric, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and saffron threads. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add red peppers. Add rice and stir. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add chicken broth and white wine. Deglaze your pot by stirring to ensure that there is no food stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add shrimp on top. Turn off Instant Pot and cover. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set Instant Pot to Manual Mode and set a 5 minute timer. When done, quick release. Remove shrimp from pot and peel if desired. Serve with Cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Make sure there are no dry bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This could result in that annoying "burn" signal some pressure cookers give off. Once you add your broth (but before you place frozen shrimp on top), stir with a wooden spoon to ensure there is no food stuck to the bottom.
- This recipe was prepared in a 6qt Instant Pot. Please adjust accordingly for 3qt and 8qt models.
Nutrition
Notes on Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella
- Use raw jumbo frozen shrimp with the shell on. This will ensure that your shrimp is not overcooked and your rice cooks perfectly. If you don't have jumbo shrimp or it's not frozen, then you will need to cook the shrimp seperatley.
- Make sure to deglaze your pot after the rice is added. Any food stuck to the bottom of an Instant Pot may cause the "burn signal to appear."
- This recipe can be modified with many different vegetable or meat additions. There are some great modifications on the comments below.
- Rinsed rice...I find this is a must in every rice recipe I make.
Step by Step Photos of Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella
Adapted from Health Starts in the Kitchen.
