Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani

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This Instant Pot shrimp biryani is so flavorful and delicious! It’s a one pot Indian recipe that you can have ready to eat in under an hour.

Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

I make shrimp biryani at least once a month because my husband and I both love it so much. It feels like a treat meal even though it’s so easy to make.

We try to sit down together and eat as a family as often as possible, but on the nights I make this biryani (or any biryani), Roby and I wait to eat until after we put Tony to bed.

Then one of these two scenarios occur:

  1. We pour ourselves two glasses of wine (Roby usually ends up drinking mine) and fill our plates with shrimp biryani, light a candle to be fancy and sit at the dining room table.
  2. We grab our plates (and wine), relax on the couch and watch netflix.

It usually ends up being the second scenario. This is a celebration meal and for us, as new-ish parents, there’s no better way to celebrate than relaxing at the end of a long day with a good movie and a good meal.

Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Those who are familiar with cooking biryani know that it’s traditionally made by first cooking the rice and protein separately then layering the two together and then cooking it all again. Such a long process, right? That’s just not feasible for me as a new-ish mom. (Unrelated: how long can I call myself a “new-ish mom?” Tony is 11 months old… I think at least a year is appropriate?)

And so while I typically don’t cook seafood in an Instant Pot because seafood already cooks so quickly, this shrimp biryani is an exception. That’s because you can cook the shrimp and the rice at the same time. The best part is, I can make this dish on a whim as long as I have shrimp in the freezer. There’s no need to thaw the shrimp – I just throw frozen shrimp right into the pot. Easy.

Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

If you like this shrimp biryani, then you must try one of my other biryani recipes: chicken biryani, egg biryani, vegetable biryani or lamb/beef biryani!

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani

Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani

4.74 from 23 reviews
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Servings 3 -4

Ingredients
 

Whole Spices

Ground Spices

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoons black pepper adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pound frozen jumbo or extra jumbo raw shrimp

Add Later:

  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro garnish
  • 1 tablespoon chopped mint garnish

Instructions
 

  • Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15-30 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
  • Press sauté, add the ghee or and once it melts, add the cashews and raisins. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until the cashews turn golden. Remove and set aside to be used later as garnish.
  • Next add the onions and whole spices. Stir fry for 10-12 minutes, or until the onions start to brown.
  • Add the garlic, ginger, Serrano pepper, curry leaves, stir, then add the tomato and ground spices. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the tomato begins to break down.
  • Add the rice and water, stir, then add the shrimp.
  • Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
  • Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
  • Garnish with cilantro, mint and ghee-coated cashews.

Notes

  • I love this brand of basmati rice if you want to try it!
  • If you can't find curry leaves, you can leave them out. I like the flavor they add to the dish but the biryani will still be good without them.
  • Please use jumbo or extra jumbo shrimp as indicated. If you use smaller shrimp, they will most likely be overcooked.
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If you’re interested in more Instant Pot Indian recipes, check out my Instant Pot Cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure!

Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

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About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.

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Comments

  1. Soucila says

    5 stars
    Quel succès j’ai eu grâce à vous! J’ai fait cette recette à l’occasion de l’anniversaire de ma mère et elle en a été enchantée!
    À chaque fois que je fais vos recettes, mon mari trouve que la maison sent bon et que tous nos voisins doivent saliver 🤤…
    Merci Ashley vous savez bien parfumer nos vies!
    Soucila

  2. Radhika says

    Hi Ashley, I love all your recipes! Was wondering is it possible to use the onion masala in this recipe instead of the onions, tomato, ginger and garlic?

      • Coco says

        Hi Ashley,

        I love your recipes. My family is from Kerala but I was raised in the US so I appreciate your authentic recipes that are easy to follow and accessible for non-traditional cooks. Would this be okay to make ahead of time and reheat? I know lots of curries taste better the 2nd day.

        Thank you!

  3. happy says

    5 stars
    A very creative recipe – matching the cooking time of rice with frozen shrimp.

    The flavor is excellent. The shrimp was a touch overcooked, even though I used a shorter time (5 minutes). I used 21-25 ct shrimp; maybe the recipe used bigger? I guess I’ll try 4 min next time, though I wonder if that’s enough time for rice.

    For people having issues with ‘burn’ or the pot never reaching pressure: the bottom of the pot has to be clean when you put the lid on. Scrape up the fond (the brown stuff on the bottom) using the liquids (the juices released from the tomato, or the water). That said, if a recipe starts with cooking the onion until it looks brown, in my pot that leaves a fond that is really hard to scrape up. I avoid issues by only cooking the onions until they are translucent and softened, and then moving on. Or else, I cook the onions in a different pan, though that defeats the one-pot attraction of this sort of recipe. Either way, I don’t have issues with ‘burn’ or failure to reach pressure. I suppose using more oil or more stirring could also help, but I haven’t experimented with that.

  4. Francoise says

    Hi Asley, The only thing I do not have is curry leaves. Is there any substitute or if I leave out do I miss something? Thank you for your help!

  5. Lisa says

    5 stars
    This was excellent! It’s as good (and in some cases better) than any biryani we’ve had in a restaurant. I doubled the recipe, except for using less shrimp (a pound of shrimp for 1 cup of uncooked rice sounded like a lot). My bag of shrimp was 12 oz, and it was still plenty for the double recipe. The only other changes I made were to use a jalapeno instead of serrano pepper, plus I threw an Indian bay leaf in along with the whole spices. My BF and I each had a very generous portion for lunch, and there was enough left to put put away for at least 2 more meals.

  6. Ilma Trali says

    hi Ashley

    I was wondering, can we substitute the 1 cup water with 1 cup coconut milk, or say half cup water and half cup coconut cream? Prawns in coconut cream curry is already divine, having that in a biryani would be next level.

    Please let me know.

  7. Mitzi says

    I was making this today. I doubled the batch. My Instant Pot kept saying food burning. I added more water. Do you have any recommendations? I was bummed about the burning.

  8. Jenn says

    Ashley, you have changed my life! I used to buy heat and eat meals at Patel Bros., but now make everything from scratch in my IP. So much better! The onion masala dishes are my favorites.

    Can I use brown basmati in this recipe? Would I increase the soaking time rather than the cooking time so that the shrimp won’t overcook? Or precook the rice a bit before adding the shrimp?

    By the way, I am impressed at all that you get done with a toddler about. It’s been a long time for me, but I still remember how hectic things could be. 🙂

    Thanks!

    • Ashley - My Heart Beets says

      Thanks, Jenn! I’m so happy to hear that – thanks for letting me know how much you’re enjoying my recipes 🙂 I’m not sure about brown rice – that calls for a 22 minute cook time and I think the shrimp would overcook if you did both together. You could try cooking the brown rice halfway, then add the shrimp and cook both together. Also, thank you for the kind words! Truthfully, I always feel behind with work so it’s really nice to hear that you think I’m getting things done lol!

  9. Fatima says

    5 stars
    This looks like such a great recipe. I cant wait to make it tonight.
    I follow you for all my instant pot needs. Thank you
    Fatima

  10. Maya says

    I made this yesterday and it was amazing! I couldn’t wait to eat it for lunch today and now I’m planning on trying out your other biryani recipes. I really like the taste of the curry leaves, can I add it to the vegetable or chicken biryani recipes?

  11. Nandhita Karunanithi says

    Hi Ashley – Another delicious Biryani recipe, easy to make and yummy to eat. Your recipes are so great and has kindled my interest in cooking again.

  12. Sam says

    Hi Ashley,

    Hoping to make this over the weekend! We love all your recipes!

    Just have a question about using frozen shrimp? Would you suggest thawing them or if i were to put them in frozen should i reduce the water or cook time?

    TIA
    xx

    • My Heart Beets says

      Thanks, Sam! I have only tested the recipe using frozen as listed in the recipe and I haven’t had issues with extra water. That said, if there’s a lot of ice around the shrimp I would either remove that or use less water. If you decide to try it with thawed shrimp, please let me know how it goes!

  13. Preetha says

    5 stars
    OMG, Ashley, this was awesome! We made this on Christmas day. I was a bit skeptical about the rice cooking well given the amount of time suggested, but everything turned out great.

    The only feedback I have is in terms of how the recipe is organized on the site. Is it possible to categorize the recipe ingredients a bit differently? Several things are listed under whole spices but perhaps we could have another category for veggies or something (for the onions, tomatoes, etc.)?

  14. Priyaanka says

    5 stars
    Amazing flavors and so quick to make!!! I pressure cooked for less time though. This was more flavorful and tasty than the Ministry of Curry Shrimp Biriyani.

  15. Sharon Wanke says

    This was delicious but my rice was mushy. I rinsed my frozen shrimp so maybe i ended up adding too much water. I was happy to find a recipe that did not require Onion Masala as i have run out and need to make more!

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Sharon, my guess is that it was due to the extra moisture but depending on the brand of basmati you are using, it may be worth trying to reduce the cook time by a minute to see if that helps.

  16. Colleen says

    2 stars
    Unfortunate fail with same “burn” notice. I’m super, super sad. Tried 2 separate instant pots and everything 😭. Trying to somehow fix so it’s at least edible. Smells amazing but not coming to pressure!!!

  17. MM says

    Hi Ashley, I make your chicken biryani and it always turns out great! I tried this one which has tomatoes and asks for the rice and water to be mixed in instead of dumped on top. Unfortunately, it burned. Is there a reason the rice is mixed instead of dumped? Is the tomato the reason it might have stuck? Thanks!

  18. Debbie Qabazard says

    5 stars
    I never met a biryani that I did not like! This will be my first dish in my new Instapot. I do not have any curry leaves but do have ground curry. Is this ok to use and how much for a double batch?

  19. Irene says

    5 stars
    Hi, Ashley! I made your shrimp biryani numerous times and always to high praise from friends and family! Great recipe, thank you!!! 🙂 But since we love other seafood as well, I have a question: can I substitute pieces of frozen fish for the shrimp, and if yes, what kind of fish would go well here and whether the cooking time should be changed? Thanks!

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Irene! I tried making this with frozen fish once – just set it on top of the rice and it turned out well! It was white fish – maybe cod? It’s been awhile but I’m sure it’ll turn out well – let me know what you think! I’ll have to experiment/share a fish biryani one of these days!

  20. Davis B says

    4 stars
    Your recipes have always worked well; but tonight I had some trouble with the instantPot Shrimp Biryani recipe (making it for my wife’s birthday!). I was very careful to scrape up all the “bits” from the bottom of the pot before adding the rice and shrimp. I thought it was strange when it “beeped” and the valve wasn’t closed – nor did it come close. The liquid seemed adequate when I sealed it. The cover came right off and, in checking the bottom, it was scorched! We emptied it, cleaned it, refilled it, and added more water.

    Once again, it never came to pressure, but, oddly enough, after the six minutes, it was cooked – shrimp were tender, rice was cooked…bottom semi-scorched. Huh? Texture seem “biryani perfect” and I liked the complexity of your spices versus the other recipe mentioned below. Now…if we can only straighten out the “come to pressure” issue.

    I was trying your recipe because it was more interesting than the one I had tried before from the New York times by Chandra Ram. Could the difference be as simple as they used chopped onion (one onion) where yours uses TWO sliced onions (which might more easily scorch?). They also use boiling water before stirring in the rice – might that avoid the scorching problem because it raises the temperature a bit more?

    Any insights you can shed would be greatly appreciated!

    • Irene says

      5 stars
      David, may I suggest something? I make this recipe by frying the masala (onions, spices, etc.) on a separate frying pan on the stove. It’s just one more dish to wash, but you can avoid the scorching problem then, I am sure. Then I just transfer the masala to the Instant Pot and continue with the recipe. It always comes out perfect.

  21. Lisa says

    Quick question for you — can this be made with dried curry leaves instead of fresh? If so, how many should I use? Thanks! (P.S. We love your chicken biryani recipe and are looking forward to trying this one too.)

  22. Neetu Tewari says

    5 stars
    Hi Ashley
    I am your new ardent follower and admirer. I had recently invested in IP and was really clueless what’s next but thanx to God, luck that I came across your page. Wow!!
    I feel like IP expert just in a day… I first tried this Shrimp Biryani for my family and it just came out so perfect in first try wow…
    You are amazing gal!!
    Wishing you best ahead!!
    I am so looking forward to try each n every recipe from your blog page… Awesome totally…

    • My Heart Beets says

      Neetu, I’m so happy you found my blog!! That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for letting me know how much you and your family liked the shrimp biryani 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes that you try from my blog!

    • Petra says

      I tried it with jasmine rice and it came out sticky and heavy. The IP actually stated “burned” so I ended up taking the whole thing out and finishing it over the stovetop. It tasted fabulous but was just not anything like the picture above!

  23. Aparajita says

    4 stars
    I must say, I was skeptical trying this Biriyani in the IP, but have to say, we love the flavors. The only correction, or alteration I would make would be to thaw the shrimp, and marinate it with salt and spices. Since its added towards the end, the shrimp doesnt absorb too many flavors and tastes bland. The rice on the other hand, tastes heavenly. I used this recipe more or less myself, when I would make it on stovetop, before tumbling onto IP and your recipe. It does take the guesswork out of it, and thank you, once again for sharing this recipe with us.

  24. M.B. says

    4 stars
    I *loved* your chicken biryani recipe, but didn’t have great results with this one. I used unpeeled raw shrimp, and discovered that the shells broke up a lot during the pressure cooking, leaving the rice with little chunks of shrimp shells that I had to pick out of each bit. 🙁 Flavor was good, though.

  25. Dr. R. K. Sobon says

    5 stars
    Truly better than we have had out at restaurants. This recipe and the Butter Chicken recipe you published result in wonderful meals. BTW – Thanks for the helpful hint in recommending Aahu Barah Super Basmati Rice and also the hint to soak it for a min. of 30 minutes before use —- the results were terrfic!

  26. Jess says

    Hi-
    I’m a newbie to the Instant Pot. My first recipe was your chicken biryani from your cookbook. My Indian husband said it was the best he has ever had! Over the last two weeks I tried three more recipes and with all three I got an error message of BURN before the Instant Pot ever reached its full pressure. I’m a little bummed. A friend suggested maybe my machine is malfunctioning. Do you have any suggestions?

    • My Heart Beets says

      Jess, I’m so glad your hubby liked the chicken biryani! That is strange that you keep getting a burn error – my suggestions to this would be to make sure you stir before starting and maybe try adding a bit more oil? Otherwise I think I’ll have to agree with your friend and would suggest calling the company directly – hopefully they can provide you with a replacement. You should join my Indian Instant Pot FB group – someone there may also be able to help you!

  27. Gilles Decelles says

    Looks Real good, I just want to say I bought your and just received it this morning from Amazon, looks amazing, can’t wait try some recipes.

  28. Prasanta says

    I’ve tried this twice & the instant pot never comes to full pressure. Eventually, the timer starts counting down, but the pressure valve is not up. The rice ended up undercooked. The flavors are amazing, but trying to figure out what I’m doing incorrectly?

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Prasanta, glad to hear you like the flavor but let’s see if we can troubleshoot: is your pressure valve closed prior to starting? Or perhaps the seal/lid isn’t on properly? If the dish is not coming to pressure then something is definitely wrong… does this happen when you cook other things too?

      • Prasanta says

        The pressure valve was closed. I also made sure I had thoroughly cleaned everything in the lid. This isn’t happening with anything else,which is why it’s so odd! The first time, I thought it was because I doubled the recipe – thought perhaps too much frozen shrimp cooled everything down. But then it happened again when I didn’t double it. Do you stir the shrimp or layer it on top? I’ve tried both, but maybe need to mix it in more. We will keep trying; the dish is too good to give up 🙂

        • My Heart Beets says

          Hi Prasanta, I just add it to the top (I don’t stir) but that shouldn’t make much of a difference… I’m stumped as to why it isn’t cooking fully. If you figure it out, please let me know – very curious!

          • Mina Patel says

            I’ve made the dish 3 times and the same thing happened to me the last 2 times. The pot just didn’t come to pressure and when I opened it the shrimp were cooked but rice was not. I took shrimp out and tried again but still didn’t work. So odd, but will keep trying because it was delicious the first time. My pot only does this with this recipe too. Could it be because my shrimp were thawed?

            • Madhura Bagwe says

              Hi Ashley, Mina, Prasanta,
              I had the exact same problem when I tried making this recipe. Did anyone figure out what could be causing this and how should we fix it? The pressure just doesn’t build up!
              I’m trying it with double the recipe too, and 2lb of Kirkland jumbo tail-on shrimp.
              Thanks,
              Madhura

              • Eleni P says

                Had the same problem. Was so irritated when I opened it only to find under cooked rice even some of the shrimp were under cooked. So weird. When I make the chicken Biryani it turns out fine 🤔 This was my first time following this recipe, will try again and fill you in if I succeed.

  29. Pallavi says

    Hi Ashley, love the recepie as it’s so quick!
    Can I use raw chicken breast piece instead of Shrimps?
    If not it will be good to have a recepie of Instapot Chicken biryani please.
    Thanks💐

  30. Maneesha says

    5 stars
    Hi Ashley! This recipe is AWESOME! I used 1lb of fresh shrimp (not jumbo), and I pressure cooked it for 5 mins, since I didn’t have jumbo shrimp. It turned out really well! Thank you for the recommendation to add the curry leaves! I made this for my husband’s birthday, and he loved it! WIN!

  31. Lisa Varkey says

    I just tried this recipe tonight and it was fantastic! My husband who isn’t usually a shrimp fan (weird, I know) even had seconds! I doubled the recipe and it turned out great

    I can’t wait to try your other recipes! Thank you!

  32. Ninu says

    So I want to make larger quantities using at least 2 cups of rice. What changes do you recommend I make for that quantity of rice?

  33. Kajien says

    Hi Ashley! Is the rice you recommended safe to eat if your gluten free ? Is it a clean product ? I been looking for a good rice to use for while now and wanted to give it a try ! Do you know if the rice is only available on line ? Thanks ! By the way i love your blog !

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Kajien! I can’t say whether there’s any cross contamination with that brand but I will say that my mom has severe celiac disease and gets sick often when there’s gluten cross contamination and she is the one who introduced me to this brand. Some Indian grocery stores carry it – my parents buy it in northern Virginia. They don’t sell it where I live (Pittsburgh) so you may want to call your local Indian store to check! Let me know what you think of the rice if you get it 🙂

  34. Alden Fernandes says

    Hi Ashley,

    The biryani was so good and flavorful. Only thing is my rice was a bit too soggy. Is there something you recommend to obtaining dryer rice? One thing I did was cook the rice for 6 minutes after it was fully pressurized.

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Alden, I am so glad you liked the flavor! Did you use jumbo shrimp? I’m guessing the shrimp must have released too much water – maybe try adding a little less water next time if you are using smaller shrimp or if the shrimp are covered in ice crystals… I hope that helps!

  35. Nabiha says

    This looks delicious! how much water should I give if I add 2 cups water? And what about the pressure cooking timing? 6 minutes is fine?

  36. Yllw says

    I can’t wait to try this! Someone shared on my FB IP group. Do you use raw shrimp? I buy frozen pre-cooked shrimp. Will that work?

    • My Heart Beets says

      Thanks, Jennifer! I typically just move them to the side as I’m eating the dish but if you’re serving it to people who are unfamiliar with this then yes definitely pick them out. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it 🙂

  37. Irene says

    5 stars
    Another excellent recipe, Ashley! I was really impressed how moist the biriyani came out. I was not expecting it at all from just a cup of water for one cup of Basmati, but there it was – perfect consistency and wonderful taste! And the combination of spices is excellent also – the kitchen smelled delicious for hours after I opened the pot :). I grow my own curry leaves, so they were picked fresh, and this was an unusual but lovely addition to this dish – good thinking! 🙂

      • Bindu Chandrabose says

        Hi there,

        Is there an email list where we can sign up to be notified when the book is in kindle form? I am currently in India for a year, but am having someone bring an Instant Pot from the States (w/transformer, accoutrements, etc) so that I can continue with my IP addiction. Had given up on getting the book until returned to the States, but a kindle version would be perfect! B/t/w, your baby may be one of the few pretty newborns I have seen, what a gorgeous little guy 🙂

        Thanks, Bindu

  38. Andi says

    This looks delish!!! Is there a version of this that doesn’t use regular rice but cauliflower rice instead? I typically use the organic cauli rice from Trader Joe’s frozen section.

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