Shrimp Biryani is a spicy and delicate, full-flavored meal, made with fragrant basmati rice, tender-cooked shrimp, and caramelized onions. The warm flavors of fresh spices, turmeric, red chili powder, and the sweetness from onions cooked in ghee make this an ultimate dish for lunch or dinner!
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Note: This post from June 2017 was updated in May 2019 with new photos, step-by-step recipe photos, and a new video.
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I always get so nervous when my parent’s come over for dinner...to a point where my parents bring their own food to my house. I made your shrimp biryani today and my dad had 3 servings! Thanks for the recipe and just all the hard work you put into it.
- Princy Gobran
Easy weeknight dinner
I’m all about cooking meals my boys love that don’t take a ton of time or energy. This easy Shrimp Biryani is a family favorite and a game-changer for busy weeknights. With no need for marination and fewer ingredients than traditional biryani, this Instant Pot recipe delivers a hearty, one-pot meal that’s ready in under an hour.
Spices used to make Shrimp Biryani
Although traditional Biryani recipes can have many spices, I love to make this dish with just a few spices. This allows the star ingredients, Shrimp and Basmati rice to shine while completing a perfect balance of warm and earthy flavors
- Kashmiri Red Chili - Although there are many kinds of dry red chilies used in Indian cuisine, I prefer mild Kashmiri red chili powder which has a brilliant red hue that adds natural food coloring and smoky flavor. When substituting other chiles for Kashmiri red chiles be mindful of the heat level.
- Ground Turmeric - Ground turmeric is a bright, healing spice that adds a peppery-woody taste and a deep golden color to Indian food.
- Cumin Seeds - Cumin adds nutty, warm flavors and an earthy tone to this Biryani.
- Bay Leaves - Also known as Tej Patta in hindi, the Indian bay leaves originate on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. They are an integral ingredient in many North Indian dishes including Biryani.
- Black Pepper - Black peppercorns impart intense aroma, depth, and heat to foods.
- Garam Masala - Quintessential Indian Spice Blend, that gives warmth and depth to dishes and pairs perfectly with red chili for a hearty, aromatic flavor. Here is my EASY Homemade garam masala recipe.
Buying Shrimp
Choosing good-quality shrimp is key! While wild-caught seafood is fantastic, it can be pricey and sometimes tricky to find. Plus, it’s not always easy to tell how fresh the shrimp at the grocery store really is. That’s why I love using sustainably raised frozen shrimp—they’re delicious, convenient, and easy to find. For this biryani recipe, I suggest going with pre-peeled extra-large shrimp to keep things simple.
Tips to make perfect Shrimp Biryani
- Pat the shrimp dry to prevent excess liquid.
- Use fresh garam masala—homemade is always best!
- Deglaze the Instant Pot with a tablespoon of water after sautéing the onions. This removes browned bits, helps the pot come to pressure, and prevents the dreaded "BURN" signal.
- Ensure all the rice is submerged in the liquids before closing the Instant Pot.
- Don’t worry if the top layer of rice looks a bit undercooked. Just fluff it up and gently mix the biryani with a silicone spatula.
- This recipe makes a medium-spicy biryani. If you like it hotter, add some jalapeño or use spicier red chili powder!
How to Make Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani
- Rinse and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain after 20 minutes and set aside (photos 1 - 2).
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat the ghee. Add whole spices in hot ghee and toast them gently as they release the aromas. Next, add thinly sliced onions and cook them until they turn golden brown (photos 3 - 6).
- Add ginger, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix well. Add shrimp, rice, and water. Mix gently, pushing all the rice under the liquids (photos 7 - 10).
- Close the Instant Pot and select the manual/pressure cook(LO) for 4 minutes followed by 3 minutes of natural pressure release. Release the remaining pressure and open the Instant Pot. Gently fluff the rice.
Serving
Enjoy hot with a lemon wedge and raita.
For a quick and tasty Tomato and Onion Raita, whisk yogurt in a medium bowl. Stir in chopped onions, tomatoes, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Mix well, then garnish with fresh cilantro.
Storing
Leftover Shrimp Biryani can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze it in individual portions. To reheat, simply thaw overnight in the fridge and then microwave. Shrimp Biryani is also an excellent make-ahead dish—prepare it a day in advance, let it cool completely, and refrigerate. It’s ready to serve the next day!
Variations
- When you’re short on time, you can skip pre-soaking the rice. While the biryani might not have those long, fluffy grains, the flavor will still be spot-on.
- You can substitute ghee with any neutral cooking oil.
- Instead of long-grain basmati rice, you can use Jasmine rice or short-grain Indian varieties like Surati Kolam or Ambe Mor. The texture will differ, but the biryani will still taste authentic. Just avoid using brown rice, as it takes much longer to cook and could overcook the shrimp.
- I like adding a potato to my Shrimp Biryani but feel free to skip it or swap it out for your favorite veggies.
Love this one-pot Biryani Recipe? Here are a few more Biryani recipes to try:
- Veg Biryani - Loaded with vegetables and soft paneer
- Chickpea Biryani - Delicious with protein-packed chickpeas and can be made vegan
- Brown Rice Biryani - Healthier twist with nutty, chewy brown rice
- Riced Cauliflower Chicken Biryani - Low carb, keto biryani
- Chicken Biryani - EASY Instant Pot chicken Biryani with an authentic taste
- Fish Biryani - Delicious way to enjoy fish with this one pot meal
Recipe
Instant Pot Shrimp Biryani Recipe
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain basmati rice
- 2 cups water for soaking
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- ½ tablespoon ginger grated
- ½ tablespoon garlic grated
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 russet potato cubed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 pound extra large pre-peeled Shrimp 20 ( use frozen, no need to thaw)
- 2 cups water for cooking
- ½ cup cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain the rice after 20 minutes.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat ghee. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add onions and mix well. Cook covered with a glass lid on for 3-4 mins, until the onions are translucent and light golden in color.
- Add ginger, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well.
- Add shrimp, rice and water. Mix well, making sure all the rice is under the liquids.
- Close Instant Pot lid with the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Pressure cook(low pressure mode) for 4 mins followed by 3 minute natural pressure release.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve hot with raita and lime wedges.
Notes
- Frozen shrimp works best for this recipe. Make sure to dry any excess water with paper towels.
- No low-pressure option on your Instant Pot? Cook the Biryani on High-Pressure mode for 4 minutes followed by a 5-minute Natural Pressure release.
- Deglaze the Instant Pot insert using a tablespoon of water to remove any browned bits from the sautéing of the onions. This will help the Instant Pot come to pressure and also prevent the "BURN" signal.
- Make sure all of the rice is under the liquids before closing the Instant Pot.
- It is normal for the top layer of the rice to look a bit undercooked. Simply fluff the top layer and then gently mix the biryani with a silicone spatula.
- Soaking Rice - Although soaking rice yields the best textures, you may skip the pre-soaking step.
- Spice Level - This recipe makes medium spicy Biryani. For extra spicy add jalapeno or use spicer red chili powder.
Nutrition
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Lalasa says
Followed the same procedure. But rice didn’t cook properly for pressure cook(like) mode. I had to switch to the stove top to cook the rice by sprinkling some water. I never faced this problem before for chicken Biryani instapot recipe.
Archana says
Were you using organic rice by any chance? OR may be the sealing ring. Sorry might be basic questions but just trying to help.
Melanie says
I haven't tried making this yet but it looks so good and easy. I have one question. I don't like cooked onions and most everything seems to require onions. Do I have to add the onions or is there a different vegetable I could use? I was thinking about trying red, yellow or orange peppers
Archana says
You can skip onions altogether.
Rob Hoffman says
Great recipe, what's best way to kick up the heat?
Rob
Rob Hoffman says
By heat I mean spicier
Archana says
Add extra red chili powder, you can add a spicier version such as cayenne or add a chopped jalapeño.
Pal says
In the midst of corona and school closures, I wanted my 14 year daughter to do some cooking. I chose this recipe to begin her cooking journey. It was super easy for her to follow and turned out fantastic. She is definitely looking forward to making her next meal
Archana says
Thank you! This is the best compliment for my recipes. Happy cooking and what a great way to spend time together.
Priya says
Can this be made with brown rice?
Archana says
I would not recommend as brown rice need longer time to cook which will overcook the shrimp
Annie says
I’m using royal basmati rice but it takes me 13 minutes cook time to get it to cook properly. Am I doing something wrong?
Archana says
13 mins for white rice seems a bit too long. Try this recipe as is.
Sumi says
I cooked it for my 10years old son who is a Biriyani fan yesterday it turned out so good. Whole family liked it. Used instant pot. Thanks.
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback@
Lloyd says
what do you do with the peppercorns? do pick them out after the biryani is cooked or just assume people don’t care about biting into a peppercorn?
Archana says
Normally are picked out while eating, although some people enjoy biting on them and eating.
Neha says
Is there any was we can do the pastry sheets at home? Don’t have readymade at the moment. Thanks
Archana says
I have never tried them. I am sure there are recipes out there
Shikha says
I love your recipes and really liked the mint in your egg biryani recipe. Can I add mint to this one?
Archana says
yes! That works well 🙂
Shikha says
I love all your recipes but the rice was undercooked this time - I had to put more water and cook additional 5 mins. I hope it works
Archana says
Was the Instant Pot sealed? Sometimes if the sealing ring is not in it will not cook.
Senba says
Tried it today! It was super easy to make and tastes great. The shrimp was bland, but the rice was flavorful.
Pradnya says
Love all your receipes archana.. they r easy and quick. Good for working moms...
Sana Rehman says
How much water should I add? And if I don’t pre soak the rice do I still pc for 4 min? Will the shrimp have flavor I don’t wnat it to have a boiled taste! tiA
Archana says
Yes same time even if you do not presoak the rice. Allow 5 mins NPR
Kaval says
Do you throw in the potato uncooked?
Archana says
yes! uncooked potato cubes
Jumpypup says
So easy! I cut the recipe in half (only 2 of us eating!) and I had to make a couple of substitutions- canned diced tomatoes, coconut oil in place of ghee, the potatoes we had on hand that weren't russet, but it turned out great. I also threw in some frozen peas for fun! Next time, I might go a little heavier on the spices (though maybe the ones we had were also a little old) but this was so easy to make with what I already had on hand and very tasty I look forward to trying some of your other recipes!
Puja Pagadala says
Tried this and came out really well. Keep sharing!
Alyssa says
What’s a good sub for Kashmiri chili powder in this? I ordered some from Amazon and the package arrived empty! Here’s what I have on hand:
Paprika
Smoked paprika
Cayenne
Guajillo chili powder
Ancho chili powder
Arbol chili powder
Regular “American” chili powder
Thank you!
Archana says
Paprika! Kashmiri red chili is very mild but adds a nice orange hue to dishes
Alyssa says
Thank you! Making it tonight!
L Vall says
Delicious and easy! The shrimp turned out perfectly and the rice did, also. I added a bit more spice and onion because we love that in our house!!
Nancy Abraham says
Was it cooked or raw shrimp
Archana says
raw shrimp
Karen Wellman says
FLAW IN RECIPE! I increased servings to 10 before printing. The ingredients all doubled, but the instructions did not increase the water from 2 cups to 4 cups. A BIG issue that now has my Instantpot in BURN with 2 pounds of shrimp partially-cooked. Very hard to address this. Not happy.
Archana says
I am so sorry Karen. I will update the recipe. Again my sincere apologies.