Instant Pot Stir Fry Shrimp with crisp-tender vegetables and a homemade stir-fry sauce that rivals takeout. Juicy, plump shrimp, bright vegetables, and a glossy, flavorful sauce—watch the video and check the tips below.
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Instant Pot Shrimp Stir Fry
This recipe hinges on a simple homemade stir-fry sauce and the technique to keep vegetables crisp-tender instead of mushy. The sauce balances salty and savory notes with mild sweetness and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes and sriracha.
Serve the stir-fry over steamed rice for a classic pairing, or choose steamed white quinoa for a lighter option.
Ingredients
See the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below. The list here is a quick reference.
- Shrimp: Colossal, jumbo, or tiger shrimp work best.
- Vegetables: Zucchini, snow peas, and red bell pepper.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion, garlic, and fresh ginger.
- Thickener: Cornstarch slurry to gloss and thicken the sauce.
Homemade Stir-fry Sauce
- Soy sauce: Low-sodium is recommended; use regular, light, tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Sriracha: Adds a gentle heat and deeper flavor—omit if you prefer no spice.
- Rice wine: Adds brightness to the sauce.
- Honey: Balances flavors with mild sweetness; brown sugar can be substituted.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional; use less if you’re heat-sensitive.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: Minced for maximum aroma.
- Neutral oil: Avocado oil, canola, sunflower, or peanut oil work well.
- Water: Dilutes the sauce slightly and tames soy’s saltiness when mixing the sauce.
Tips & Tricks
- Build wok-like flavor: Searing the vegetables briefly on the Instant Pot’s SAUTE setting gives browned edges and deeper flavor—this step makes the dish taste less like a pressure-cooked meal and more like a wok stir-fry.
- Shrimp cook time: Shrimp cook extremely fast. Pressure cooking for a nominal time (0 minutes) ensures they finish as the pot comes to pressure, keeping them juicy and tender.
- Avoid mushy vegetables: Zucchini and other tender vegetables overcook quickly. Sear vegetables separately in batches and add them back at the end after thickening the sauce to keep them crisp-tender.
- Make-ahead sauce: The stir-fry sauce stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week—omit the water when storing and add it when you’re ready to cook.
Method
The detailed step-by-step recipe with exact measurements and a video is provided in the recipe card below.
Step 1 — Sauté the vegetables
For the best flavor, use the Instant Pot’s SAUTE function on HIGH and sear vegetables in batches. Start with zucchini to achieve golden spots, then sauté the onion, and finally the bell pepper and snow peas until they blister slightly. Remove each batch and set aside.
If you prefer softer vegetables, you can skip separate sautéing and cook everything together in the pot.
Step 2 — Pressure cook the shrimp
Deglaze the pot with a little water and a spatula, scraping any browned bits from the bottom to prevent the burn error. Add peeled and deveined shrimp (fresh or thawed from frozen), pour in the homemade stir-fry sauce, then pressure cook on HIGH for 0 minutes followed by a quick pressure release. The shrimp will be perfectly cooked when pressure is reached.
Step 3 — Thicken the sauce and add the vegetables
Switch the Instant Pot back to SAUTE on LOW, bring the sauce to a simmer, and whisk in a cornstarch slurry until the sauce reaches the desired glossy consistency. Stir the seared vegetables back in and mix until everything is coated and heated through—the residual heat will finish the veggies.
The result is a glossy sauce, juicy shrimp, and crisp-tender vegetables that compete with any wok-prepared dish.
Serving Ideas
Serve this Instant Pot shrimp stir-fry over steamed white rice for a classic meal. It’s also delicious tossed with chili garlic noodles or served alongside a light grain like quinoa.
Instant Pot Stir Fry Shrimp
Print Recipe
Watch Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 15 Shrimp (colossal or jumbo, peeled and deveined)
- 1 cup red bell pepper
- 1 cup zucchini
- 1 cup onion
- 10 snow peas
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil
- ⅓ cup water
For Homemade Stir-Fry Sauce
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
- ½ tbsp Rice wine
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil
- ¼ cup water
Thickener
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tbsp water)
Instructions
How to make the stir-fry sauce
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Combine all sauce ingredients in a jar, shake or whisk to combine. If storing, omit the water and add it when you cook.
How to make the shrimp stir-fry
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Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE on HIGH.
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Add 1 tbsp oil and sear zucchini until lightly browned; set aside.
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Sauté the onion briefly and set aside.
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Sear the snow peas and bell pepper until blistered; set aside.
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Deglaze the pot with ¼ cup water, scraping the bottom to remove stuck bits to avoid a burn error.
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Add shrimp and pour in the stir-fry sauce; give a quick stir.
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Close the lid, seal the valve, and pressure cook for 0 minutes; the shrimp will cook as pressure builds. Perform a quick release when the cycle ends.
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Open the lid, switch to SAUTE on LOW, and add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Turn off the pot when the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
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Stir the seared vegetables back in so they warm through from residual heat.
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Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Storing the sauce: Keep the sauce up to 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge; skip the water when storing.
- Storing the stir-fry: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; the sauce will thicken—thin with a splash of water when reheating.
- Freezing: Freezing is not recommended; vegetables can lose texture after thawing.
- Reheating: Microwave with a few drops of water to loosen the sauce, or reheat gently on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot on SAUTE LOW.
- Doubling the recipe: Double all ingredients except the shrimp cook time, which remains the same.
- No heat option: Omit sriracha and red pepper flakes or reduce quantities if you prefer mild flavors.
- Use raw shrimp: Do not use pre-cooked shrimp for this method—raw shrimp provide the best flavor and texture.
- Shrimp size: Larger shrimp are preferred; very small shrimp can become overly firm and shrink too much.
- Softer vegetables: If you want soft vegetables, skip separate sautéing and pressure cook them together with the shrimp for 0 minutes.
Calorie and nutrition details are provided by a third-party tool and are intended as estimates only.
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