35 min
Instant Pot Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin
Quick-seared pork tenderloin cooks to juicy slices while honey, garlic and soy become a glossy sauce only after the pressure cycle.
Photo: Joy / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Instant Pot Family Dinners
Instant Pot Lowcountry Shrimp Boil with Corn, Potatoes & Sausage
Tender potatoes, sweet corn and smoked sausage pressure-cook first, then shrimp finish gently in the seasoned broth for a fast, family-style supper.
Directions
Build the thin broth
Pour the broth into a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Squeeze in the lemon juice, then add the squeezed halves, garlic, bay leaves and seafood seasoning. Scrape the base to confirm that nothing is stuck to it.
Layer the sturdy ingredients
Add the potatoes to the liquid in an even layer. Scatter the sausage over them and place the corn on top. Do not add the shrimp yet. Keep everything below the model's maximum-fill line and do not pack ingredients into the lid area.
Pressure cook and release
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes; allow about 10 to 12 minutes to reach pressure. Immediately use a controlled quick release, venting in short pulses with hands and face away from steam. Pause if liquid sputters, then resume when the valve is quiet. Open only after the float valve drops.
Cook the shrimp after pressure
Remove and discard the lemon halves and bay leaves. Select Sauté on Low. Fold the shrimp into the hot liquid, keeping them as submerged as possible, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once, until opaque and curled into loose C shapes.
Check doneness
Check several shrimp with an instant-read thermometer; they must reach 145°F. Pierce a large potato with a knife to confirm it is tender. If the shrimp are ready first, lift them out immediately rather than letting them overcook.
Butter and serve
Cancel Sauté. Use a slotted spoon to move the shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes to a warm platter. Toss with melted butter and parsley, then taste before adding salt because the sausage and seasoning may already be salty. Spoon a little broth over the platter and serve with hot sauce, lemon wedges and bread at the table.
Why this works
Why it worksPotatoes sit closest to the thin seasoned liquid, while corn and precooked sausage stay above them, so the sturdy ingredients finish together without a burn-prone sauce.
Why it worksA controlled quick release stops the potatoes from continuing to soften and protects the cook from a sudden blast of seasoned liquid.
Why it worksShrimp cook only after pressure in the residual broth, making their 145°F endpoint easy to check and avoiding the rubbery texture common after a full pressure cycle.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe 1 1/2-cup thin-liquid base and four-minute potato cycle are calibrated for this capacity.See current options →
Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerCheck several shrimp for 145°F during their brief post-pressure finish instead of guessing from color alone.See current options →
Compare on AmazonLong stainless-steel tongsA secure reach moves hot corn, sausage and shrimp from the seasoned broth without crowding the platter.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use fully cooked chicken or turkey sausage for a pork-free version; verify its ingredient label and keep the same pressure timing.
- Replace up to half the shrimp with scrubbed littleneck clams. Add them with the shrimp and discard any clam that does not open after 6 minutes of simmering.
- Frozen corn-on-the-cob pieces can replace fresh corn without changing the programmed pressure time.
Cook notes
- Total time includes approximately 10 to 12 minutes to pressurize, the 4-minute cook, controlled release and 3 to 5 minutes for the shrimp.
- Choose a mild seafood seasoning for the shared pot and offer cayenne-forward seasoning or hot sauce at the table.
- Cut only potatoes larger than 1 1/2 inches; tiny potatoes can stay whole so they do not break apart.
- Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Observe the minimum-liquid and maximum-fill guidance in your model manual, keep the vent clear and never force the lid.
- Do not double this recipe in a 6-quart cooker; crowded shrimp cook unevenly and the pot may exceed its safe fill line.
Storage
Remove shrimp from the remaining ingredients before chilling so they do not overcook during reheating. Refrigerate everything in shallow covered containers within 2 hours for up to 3 days. Reheat potatoes, corn and sausage with a splash of broth to 165°F, then add shrimp just long enough to reach 165°F. Freezing is not recommended for the potatoes or shrimp.
Questions
Can I pressure-cook the shrimp with the potatoes?
Do not do that for this recipe. Four minutes at pressure plus the release would overcook jumbo shrimp. Adding them afterward keeps the texture tender and lets you verify 145°F directly.
Why did my potatoes turn mushy?
They were probably cut too small or left under pressure too long. Keep 1- to 1 1/2-inch potatoes whole, halve only larger ones and begin the controlled quick release as soon as the 4-minute cycle ends.
Can I prepare the ingredients ahead?
Yes. Cut the sausage and corn and mix the dry seasoning up to 2 days ahead. Keep peeled raw shrimp covered at 40°F or below and use within the package's safe window; cut potatoes just before cooking to prevent discoloration.
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Instant Pot Lowcountry Shrimp Boil with Corn, Potatoes & Sausage
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1. Build the thin brothPour the broth into a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Squeeze in the lemon juice, then add the squeezed halves, garlic, bay leaves and seafood seasoning. Scrape the base to confirm that nothing is stuck to it.
2. Layer the sturdy ingredientsAdd the potatoes to the liquid in an even layer. Scatter the sausage over them and place the corn on top. Do not add the shrimp yet. Keep everything below the model's maximum-fill line and do not pack ingredients into the lid area.
3. Pressure cook and releaseLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes; allow about 10 to 12 minutes to reach pressure. Immediately use a controlled quick release, venting in short pulses with hands and face away from steam. Pause if liquid sputters, then resume when the valve is quiet. Open only after the float valve drops.
4. Cook the shrimp after pressureRemove and discard the lemon halves and bay leaves. Select Sauté on Low. Fold the shrimp into the hot liquid, keeping them as submerged as possible, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once, until opaque and curled into loose C shapes.
5. Check donenessCheck several shrimp with an instant-read thermometer; they must reach 145°F. Pierce a large potato with a knife to confirm it is tender. If the shrimp are ready first, lift them out immediately rather than letting them overcook.
6. Butter and serveCancel Sauté. Use a slotted spoon to move the shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes to a warm platter. Toss with melted butter and parsley, then taste before adding salt because the sausage and seasoning may already be salty. Spoon a little broth over the platter and serve with hot sauce, lemon wedges and bread at the table.