Is there anything more compelling than a big, delicious bowl of pasta? I’ve got one—how about a delicious bowl of pasta that’s prepared in just one pot and takes less than 10 minutes?
If this sounds enticing to you, you’ve got to try this Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo. It’s the ideal one-pot pasta meal made in only 8 minutes! And it’s so flavorful, everybody in your family is sure to love it.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
If you like seafood, this recipe is a great change up from the more typical chicken alfredo. Shrimp cook more quickly than chicken, so it’s even quicker and easier to make! And, if you buy shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined, there’s no additional prep needed.
I love recipes that utilize shrimp because I always have frozen shrimp in my freezer. Individually quick-frozen shrimp are great to have on hand for last minute dinners because they defrost so quickly and it’s easy to pull out just a few at a time.
Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo Recipe Video
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken broth – you can substitute seafood stock or homemade shrimp stock if you want.
Heavy cream – you can substitute half and half for a lighter sauce, but I prefer heavy cream for the creamiest, most luxurious texture.
Fettuccine – this is the classic noodle of choose for alfredo, but if you want to diversify, feel free to switch it up and substitute another pasta like spaghetti, linguine, or radiatori. Cooking time will stay the same.
Shrimp – use whole, large size shrimp for this Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo recipe. They may look too big at first, but when they're cooked, they shrink a considerable amount. Make sure to use peeled shrimp.
Parmesan – you can substitute Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano. Use freshly grated cheese for optimal flavor!
How to make Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo
Gather the ingredients.
Take your Instant pot and add chicken broth to it.
Put the chopped garlic cloves into the Instant pot.
Add spices into the Instant pot.
Add the Fettuccine into the Instant pot.
Set the pot to high pressure for 6 minutes. Do a quick release. Then, add heavy cream into the Instant pot.
Stir well. Then, add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into the Instant pot.
Add peeled shrimp to the Instant pot.
Mix well and cover the lid again for a few minutes until the cheese melts and shrimp are cooked.
Dish out your pasta and enjoy 🙂
Recipe Notes
- The nutmeg is optional, but it adds a surprising flavor that tastes great! A little bit goes a long way. It really compliments the creamy, cheesy sauce, especially if you use freshly grated nutmeg. You can easily grate a little bit on a microplane.
- To enhance this recipe, try adding different spices, more cheese, or fun garnishes with crispy bacon! Don’t be afraid to get creative with it.
How to Serve Shrimp Alfredo
This is a great dish as is, but it’s also easy to supplement with vegetables like spinach or broccoli.
If you’re looking to add some veggies, you can also serve this recipe with a side of steamed vegetables or a fresh salad.
Need more ideas? Check out What To Serve With Shrimp Alfredo for 16 tasty side dishes.
FAQ About Shrimp Alfredo
Can I use gluten-free pasta?
Of course! However, gluten-free pasta will, in general, absorb more sauce. So, I suggest using slightly less pasta, about 12 oz. instead of 16 oz., and serving quickly.
Can I use chicken instead of shrimp?
Sure! But then you will get Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo 🙂
How long can I keep it frozen?
You can freeze Shrimp Alfredo for up to 2 months in heavy-duty portion control freezer-safe bags or containers. However, the pasta would turn soft and mushy when thawed and reheated. So if you’re planning on freezing it, I would recommend undercooking the pasta—about 5 minutes on high pressure should do the trick.
Also, cream-based sauces have a tendency to separate when thawed. If that happens to you, you can always add a few splashes of heavy cream before reheating the Alfredo.
More Instant Pot Shrimp Recipes
Do you have some shrimp leftover from making this recipe? No worries, we have lots of shrimp recipes to diversify your weeknight meals.
Try this Instant Pot Shrimp Boil or Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani next!
More One-Pot Pasta Recipes
Are you bored of making the same recipe over and over? There's nothing to worry about it because we have a variety of pasta and shrimp recipes for you to try.
If you love the idea of one-pot pasta dishes, here are some good ones for you to try:
Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
Instant pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg grounded
- 2 teaspoon garlic cloves chopped
- 4 cup chicken broth
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 16 oz fettuccine
- 1 lb large shrimp raw, peeled
- 6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Add chicken broth to the Instant Pot.
- Add chopped garlic, salt, grounded nutmeg, pasta, and heavy cream.
- Cover the lid and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
- When cooking time is complete, do a Quick Release and stir.
- Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and shrimp.
- Cover the lid again for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
- Open the lid, serve and enjoy 🙂
Nutrition
Video
Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo for Epicurean Enthusiasts
I’m the general procedure you put the heavy cream after cooking the spaghetti when you open the lid, but in the recipe you put the heavy cream with the broth, spices and spaghetti and then you close the lid. Which is the correct one? Thanks
Superb. Thank you Corrie Cooks!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!
Crazy question?? I have some very picky family members who will not eat shrimp. I usually incorporate some chicken into the recipe for them. If I cut up some chicken breast in small chunks and saute in the IP as a first step, would they be done enough using the 6 min. cook time? Thanks! Enjoy your recipes!
After adding cheese and shrimp do I turn the instant pot on for a few minutes or do I eat raw shrimp. Also the written instructions with pictures has different directions then the printable one. About when to add cream?
It should be warm enough inside the pot that it cooks the shrimp when you close the lid for a few minutes. You can also choose to use pre-cooked shrimp if you are worried about that. Thanks for pointing that out! Either should work but I prefer to add cream in step 2 - before pressure cooking.