The ever elegant restaurant entree that you love to order just became so much easier to make at home! This recipe for Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi cooks in– get this– 3 minutes! This is a one pot meal that you’ll love to serve up, either for a quick meal for yourself or to impress at a dinner party!
Why Make This Recipe
- Simplicity and time: A delicious dinner truly doesn’t get simpler than this. Dump your ingredients into the Instant Pot and press “start”. 3 minutes later, you’ll open your lid to a perfectly cooked meal.
- A complete meal: The best part about Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi is that it can function as a complete meal. With protein and filling carbs, this will be the only recipe you need to cook for dinner! Except, of course, if you want some cheesy garlic bread to go with it.
- Perfect for entertaining: Shrimp Scampi doesn’t have to be a “special occasion” meal. This dish comes out restaurant-level perfect every time.
What Goes in This Recipe?
- White wine: I like using Pinot Grigio when cooking with white wine, but you can also use Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or any other crisp wine with a high acidity
- Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed is always the best, but you can also use pre-bottled lemon juice as well
- Raw shrimp: I used medium-sized, thawed raw shrimp. If you would like to use frozen, raw shrimp you can do so. The cook time will not change on the recipe! (Another great shrimp recipe is this Instant Pot Shrimp Boil).
- Angel hair pasta: Use dry pasta. I used angel hair pasta for this recipe, but you can also alter this recipe to use a different kind of pasta. If you do so, make sure to check the Instant Pot cook time for that type of pasta.
- Parmesan cheese: It makes everything better! Use finely grated, powdered parmesan.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Add Everything into the Pot
It doesn’t get much simpler than this. Add all ingredients except for parsley and parmesan into the Instant Pot, layering the ingredients in the order listed in the recipe card. Set the pressure to HIGH for 3 minutes making sure to leave a few minutes for the pressure to build. This should take about 5-8 minutes.
Step 2: Release the Pressure
When the cook time has completed perform a Quick Release (manually release the pressure valve, allowing the steam to shoot out the top of your Instant Pot). Make sure to do this as soon as your pasta is done cooking. The longer you leave it without releasing pressure, the mushier your pasta will get.
Step 3: Garnish your Meal
Sprinkle the pasta with your parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Completely submerge your dry pasta in the liquid inside the Instant Pot. Doing so will make sure that your noodles cook consistently.
- If you use a different kind of pasta that requires a longer cook time than angel hair, prep the shrimp separately. Cooking the shrimp in the Instant Pot for longer than 3 minutes could result in an undesirable texture
- If you need to prep your shrimp separately, simply sautee them in olive oil on the stove over medium heat until they turn pink.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have access to a fresh fish counter or just prefer to use frozen shrimp, you absolutely can!
Simply add the frozen shrimp to the top of your noodles (just as you would the uncooked shrimp) and cook for the same amount of time.
Your Instant Pot may take a few extra minutes to come to pressure as it will be thawing the frozen shrimp. However, the actual cook time will remain the same.
What is the Best Way to Reheat this Recipe?
This recipe is best served immediately after opening the Instant Pot. Even a half an hour later and your noodles will have soaked up almost the entire sauce.
However, if you have leftovers and want them heated up, I would simply throw them in the microwave with another drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. This will jazz up the noodles and emphasize the flavors of the sauces that they were cooked in previously.
You can also heat up your noodles in a pan on the stove if you’d like! I would also add olive oil and lemon to the pan, then place your noodles in the liquid and heat over medium-high heat until warmed through.
What Does Scampi Mean?
Scampi is actually an Italian word for small crustaceans that are members of the lobster family. They are also called Dublin Bay Prawns or Norway Lobsters.
According to the LA Times, the most likely reason for the name of this pasta dish is that Italian chefs in America prepared the dish and substituted shrimp for scampi. The chefs probably described the meal as “shrimp prepared scampi-style.”
This was then shortened to shrimp scampi, and the name stuck!
Nowadays, you can have shrimp scampi plain, without any noodles. This consists of simply cooking the shrimp in olive oil, wine, lemon and butter.
Our recipe calls for cooking the scampi with angel hair pasta, adding a delicious elegance to the meal and turning our simple recipe into a full entree.
Check out this What to Serve with Shrimp Scampi article. It’s an awesome list of 18 recipes you make to serve with your shrimp scampi.
If you liked this recipe for Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you!
You’ll also love these Shrimp recipes!:
Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, cold
- 8 oz angel hair pasta, dry
- 1 lb medium shrimp, raw, shelled, deveined
- ⅓ cup parsley
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Pour your chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt into the Instant Pot. Add your 2 tbsp of butter into the pot.
- Use your hands to break your angel hair pasta in half so that it can fit in the liner. Place the dry pasta in the liquid in the Instant Pot, using a wooden spoon to make sure that the noodles are submerged under the liquid.
- Place the raw shrimp on top of the noodles.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and secure it. Turn the pressure to HIGH and cook for 3 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, perform a Quick Release.
- Open the lid of the Instant Pot and stir. Chop up the parsley and mix it into the noodles. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- White wine: I like using pinot grigio when cooking with white wine, but you can also use Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or any other crisp wine with a high acidity
- Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed is always the best, but you can also use pre-bottled lemon juice as well
- Raw shrimp: I used medium-sized, thawed raw shrimp. If you would like to use frozen, raw shrimp you can do so. The cook time will not change on the recipe!
- Angel hair pasta: Use dry pasta. I used angel hair pasta for this recipe, but you can also alter this recipe to use a different kind of pasta. If you do so, make sure to check the Instant Pot cook time for that type of pasta.
- Parmesan cheese: It makes everything better! Use finely grated, powdered parmesan.
- Completely submerge your dry pasta in the liquid inside the Instant Pot. Doing so will make sure that your noodles cook consistently.
- If you use a different kind of pasta that requires a longer cook time than angel hair, prep the shrimp separately. Cooking the shrimp in the Instant Pot for longer than 3 minutes could result in an undesirable texture
deborah says
Can’t believe something so easy can be this delicious. My husband had seconds and took more for his lunch the next day. I followed the recipe very closely except I didn’t have wine. Also added diced red onion onion, cherry tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Topped with finely shredded Italian cheese blend after plating. I was a little worried because my pasta (thin spaghetti) wasn’t completed submerged and my frozen shrimp was extra large and pre-cooked. Set the time for three minutes and released pressure immediately per the instructions. Turned out perfect. Thank you for such an easy, quick recipe that tastes like it took so much more work!
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Im so glad you loved the recipe Deborah, thank you for letting me know! And your adaptations sound delicious 🙂
Sara says
Can I used frozen cooked shrimp? If so, what is the cooking difference- time wise?
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Yes you can use frozen shrimp! The cook time will not change, the shrimp will just thaw as the Instant Pot is coming to pressure 🙂
Sean says
If I want to double the amount of pasta do I double everything else and leave cooking time the same?
The Foreign Fork says
Yes exactly!
Renee says
I was wondering — if I made just half of this recipe, would I reduce the cooking time. My hubby does not like shrimp (I LOVE it) and left-over shrimp scampi is not always as good as when made fresh. Also, was wondering about the tails that are always left on the shrimp. Do I leave them on and remove upon eating? I never know what to do about the tails. lol It is so messy to try to pull them off when they’re all sitting nicely in the flavorful pasta.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Renee, You can make half of the portion and keep the cook time the same. I personally like to remove the tails before cooking so I don’t have to do it when the shrimp is warm. You can also remove them after if you prefer, it is up to you.
Doreen Jackson says
This was sooooo good! Even my uncle, who is not a fan of shrimp loved it. My mom lives in a nursing home and I was making it for her birthday. I combined the olive oil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a small bowl at home, and brought my Instant Pot and all the ingredients to the nursing home. They have a nice room that families can use with a counter and sink. I don’t like foods cooked with wine, so I just substituted the same amount of broth. I made the recipe for 8 servings, but was still surprised by how much it turned out to be. Three of the people I was expecting couldn’t make it at the last minute, so there was a lot of extra. I let the staff know that they could come and have some, and also left them several pieces of cake (if I brought it home I would have to eat it all). They were very appreciative.
P.S. The cake was pineapple angelfood cake. Mix 1 angelfood cake mix and 1 can crushed pineapple, bake in lightly greased 9×13 pan, 35 minutes at 350°F. Serve with cool whip or whipped cream.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Doreen, what a sweet idea to bring this meal to your mom and to share with the nursing home workers! I am so glad the meal was a hit, thank you for sharing 🙂
Linda says
I just stumbled across your recipe and gave it a shot, I made some minor tweaks tho, I use BTB Lobster bouillon in place of the chicken broth and used linguini noodles instead of the angel hair pasta, cooked it for 9 mins as instructions suggests when cooking pasta go with half the time it would take for boiling on stove top.
Your recipe is absolutely fantastic very happy with the results we’ll be making this again. thank you for sharing
The Foreign Fork says
So glad you liked it Linda!! Your substitutions sound delicious. Thank you for sharing your comment!:)