Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto. Risotto the easy way, using a pressure cooker, with homemade shrimp broth using the shrimp shells. Risotto in a pressure cooker is great. It doesn’t need constant stirring, and it comes out just as creamy as stovetop. Give it a try!
During my trip to Venice and Verona, a solid 60% of what I ate was either seafood or risotto. This shrimp risotto is my simple home cook’s take on some of the fantastic meals I had on that trip.
Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto
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Now, some people are going to look at this recipe and NOPE out when they see the shrimp shell broth. Really, it’s easy. I know I go on and on about making your own chicken broth; this is the same thing. Trust me, homemade shrimp broth is really easy – especially since you need to peel all the shrimp for the recipe anyhow.
Or, you could take the easy way out and use clam juice and water – see the Substitutions section for suggestions.
Pressure Cook the Shrimp Shells to make Shrimp Stock: Peel the shrimp, saving the shrimp and the shells. Refrigerate the shrimp for later, and put the shells in the Instant Pot. Add 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 10 minutes, then let the pressure come down naturally, for about 20 minutes more. Unlock the lid, and strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids, and set the broth aside.
Sauté the shallots and rice: Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using Sauté mode adjusted to medium until the oil is shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the minced shallots and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring often, until the shallots soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it the rice turns translucent at the edges, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to ensure none of the rice is sticking.
Pressure Cook the risotto for 5 minutes with a Quick Release: Stir in the shrimp broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
Stir in butter and steam the shrimp: Leave the pot in keep warm mode. Stir the butter into the rice until it melts, then spread the shrimp out on top of the rice in a single layer. Cover the pot (but don’t lock the lid) and steam the shrimp until they are tender, about five minutes. Sprinkle with the minced parsley, then stir the shrimp into the rice. Serve and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
Pressure cooking is the key to easy risotto. No need to stir for 30 minutes, carefully ladling broth into the pot. I can lock the lid on my Instant Pot, set it to cook for 5 minutes, and have a fantastic risotto without all the extra work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen shrimp for Instant Pot shrimp risotto?
Yes! I thaw it under running water for 15 minutes, while the risotto is cooking. I always buy frozen shrimp, because I live in Ohio. All the seafood in my grocery stores was frozen, then shipped here; if I buy “fresh” shrimp, that just means the store thawed them out for me.
Should I cook the shrimp separately before adding to the risotto?
No, you don’t have to cook it first. Put the thawed shrimp on top of the risotto after pressure cooking and let it sit for 5 minutes.
What type of rice is best for Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto?
Arborio rice is my default for risotto because it is the easiest one to find at my local grocery stores. I also like Carnaroli rice or Vialone Nano rice when I can find them.
Substitutions
I buy frozen, raw, easy-peel 26/30 shrimp for this recipe. That means there are 26 to 30 shrimp per pound. The size doesn’t matter, really – use whatever size you have available. I choose 26/30 shrimp because it’s the best balance between cost (it’s cheaper to buy smaller shrimp), and work (the smaller shrimp, the more time I have to spend peeling.)
If you buy cooked shrimp, they won’t need to sit in the pot as long in the last step – you just want to warm them through, about 2 minutes.
If you don’t want to make your own shrimp broth, you can substitute an 8-ounce bottle of clam juice and 3½ cups of water for the 4 cups of shrimp broth this recipe makes. Or, you can substitute 4 cups of chicken broth. (It won’t have the same burst of shrimp flavor with chicken broth, but it will still be good.)
Simmering with wine is traditional in risotto, but go ahead and skip it if you want alcohol-free.
Traditional shrimp risotto does not have cheese in it. (Cheese and seafood are Just Not Done together in Italy). But, if you really want it, stir in 1 cup (4 ounces) of grated parmesan cheese with the butter.
Shallot: You can substitute a small minced onion or a couple of cloves of minced garlic for the shallot.
Equipment
A 6-quart pressure cooker. Pressure Cooker risotto converts a lot of people to pressure cooking – no tedious stirring needed, just a few minutes under pressure.
Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto. Risotto the easy way, using a pressure cooker. With homemade shrimp broth using the shrimp shells.
Shrimp Broth
Shells and tails from 8 ounces of shrimp (save the meat for the risotto)
4 cups water
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Shrimp Risotto
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced (or a small minced onion)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups Arborio rice (or Vialone Nano or Carnaroli if you can find them)
½ cup white wine
4 cups Shrimp Broth (from above, or 8 ounces clam juice plus 3 ½ cups water)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
8 ounces raw peeled shrimp, thawed
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Instructions
Pressure Cook the Shrimp Stock for 10 minutes with a Natural Release: Peel the shrimp, saving the shrimp and the shells. Put the shrimp in the refrigerator for later, and the shells in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Add the water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 10 minutes, then let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes more. (Use “manual” or “pressure cook” mode in an Instant Pot. The cooking time is the same for both electric and stovetop pressure cookers for this broth.) Open the lid carefully – the pot is full of hot steam. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer, discard the solids, and set the broth aside. Wipe out the pot liner and put it back in the pressure cooker if you are re-using it in the next step.
Sauté the shallots and rice: Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using Sauté mode adjusted to medium (medium heat in a stovetop pc) until the oil is shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the minced shallots and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring often, until the shallots soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it the rice turns translucent at the edges, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to ensure none of the rice is sticking.
Pressure Cook the risotto for 5 minutes with a Quick Release: Stir in the shrimp broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes (Use “manual” or “pressure cook” mode in an Instant Pot. The cooking time is the same for both electric and stovetop pressure cookers for this broth.) Quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the scalding hot steam.
Stir in butter and steam the shrimp: Leave the pot in keep warm mode (or put a stovetop pressure cooker back on the stove.) Stir the butter into the rice, then spread the shrimp out on top of the rice in a single layer. Cover the pot (but don’t lock the lid) and steam the shrimp until they are tender, about five minutes. Sprinkle with the minced parsley, then stir the shrimp into the rice (I pick a few shrimp to top each bowl of risotto with a shrimp). Serve and enjoy.
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour
Category:Sunday Dinner
Method:Pressure Cooker
Cuisine:Italian
☃️ Storage
According to the USDA, Leftover risotto is good for up to three days in the refrigerator, or three months in the freezer, as long as it is refrigerated (or frozen) within an hour of cooking. (I portion out my rice in 2-cup containers before I put it in the fridge or freezer.) Also, be sure to reheat the rice all the way through – to be precise, an instant read thermometer should read 165°F in the middle of the rice.
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