I’m excited to share this delicious Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Alfredo recipe with you. Really easy to make and takes no time at all. Penne pasta is covered with a creamy Cajun Alfredo sauce and combined with Cajun sausage and perfectly cooked shrimp. It doesn’t get better than that!
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Making Pasta in the Instant Pot
A while ago I posted this super easy Instant Pot Spicy Cajun Pasta and it was a big hit on the blog. It’s a cheesy pasta dish with sausage and it has a nice kick to it. Well, as you know by now, I love pasta and I love making it in my pressure cooker. I’ve been eagerly waiting to make a pasta recipe with seafood in it and I finally got to it.
This Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Alfredo is perfection. I tweaked my homemade Alfredo sauce from my Instant Pot Broccoli Alfredo recipe, added some Cajun spice and turned it into a Cajun Alfredo sauce. I played around with cooking the shrimp and settled on a super-easy way to get perfectly cooked shrimp in the Instant Pot. You will love how easy, creamy, and delicious this recipe is!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Alfredo
This recipe for Cajun Alfredo comes together really easily. All you need is penne pasta, fully cooked Cajun andouille sausage, unsalted chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, heavy cream, flour, unsalted butter, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and shrimp.
You’ll need shrimp that is peeled and deveined. I buy the ones that already come peeled and deveined because who has time for that! The shrimp also needs to be fully thawed for this recipe. If you bought frozen shrimp, make sure to take it out in time for it to be fully thawed. I place the frozen shrimp in a bowl with water for faster thawing. It doesn’t take long.
How to Make Cajun Shrimp Alfredo in the Instant Pot
The first thing you’ll want to do is set out the heavy whipping cream, butter, and cream cheese so they warm and soften. Also, make sure to thaw your shrimp if it’s not. Pour the chicken stock into the pot and add the pasta. Add the sliced sausage on top. Sprinkle the garlic powder and one of the tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning over the pasta and sausage.
Next, close the pot and set the pressure knob to ‘Sealing’. Set the pot to cook on high ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook” for 4 minutes. While the pasta is cooking you will prepare the Cajun Alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour into half a cup of the heavy whipping cream until smooth. Add the other tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning and whisk again until smooth. Finally, add the remaining heavy cream and mix it all together until it’s smooth and creamy.
Essential Items
Here are some essential prep tools, utensils, and appliances I used to make this recipe.
Featured Items
Here is a list of the products featured in this post or products similar to those featured in this post:
- Instant Pot
- Box Grater
- Flexible Cutting Mats
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Stackable Measuring Cups
- Wooden Utensils
12 Must-Have Instant Pot Cookbooks
If you’re looking for a cookbook with easy and reliable Instant Pot recipes, then check out my list of approved Instant Pot Cookbooks.
Once the cooking has finished, allow for a 2-minute Natural Pressure release. After that, you can manually release the rest of the pressure until the pin drops. Open the pot but leave it on ‘Keep Warm’. Add the shrimp into the pasta and mix it all in. Cover the pot back up. You may have to do it slowly to get it to close. Set it back to sealing and allow it to sit covered for 10 minutes. If you’re not able to fully close the pot, that’s OK, just leave it sitting on top.
Once 10 minutes is up, open the pot and make sure the shrimp is cooked. It should be nice and pink. Add the butter and mix it well until it melts. Finally, add the Cajun Alfredo sauce, parmesan, and cream cheese. Mix everything together until the cheeses melt fully. Cancel out of ‘Keep Warm’. Serve and enjoy!
I know you will love this easy and delicious Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Alfredo. Let me know in the comments when you try it. If you want more easy pasta recipes, check out my Delicious Instant Pot Pasta Recipes post.
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Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Alfredo
PENNE PASTA, ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, AND SHRIMP TOSSED IN A CAJUN ALFREDO SAUCE
Essential Equipment
Ingredients
for the Sausage & Pasta
- 3 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 pound penne pasta can substitute riggatoni
- 12 ounces andouille sausage cut into small slices
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
for the Cajun Alfredo Sauce
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream room temperature, divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
to add After Cooking
- 1 pound raw shrimp 21-25 count, thawed, peeled, and deveined
- ½ cup butter (unsalted) 1 stick, cut into small pieces and softened
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into small cubes and softened
Instructions
- Set out the heavy whipping cream, butter, and cream cheese to warm and soften.
add the Stock , Pasta , and Sausage
- Pour the chicken stock into the pot and then add the pasta. Now, add the sliced sausage to the pot and then sprinkle the garlic powder and one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning over everything.
set the Cooking Time
- Cook for 4-Minutes: Close the Instant Pot, adjust the pressure release valve to ‘Sealing’ and set the pot to cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’, ‘High Pressure’ for 4 minutes.
- Prepare Cajun Alfredo Sauce: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the Cajun Alfredo sauce. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, gradually whisk the flour into a ½ cup of the heavy cream until a smooth paste is formed. Add a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and whisk until smooth. Then add the remaining heavy cream and gently whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- 2-Minute NPR: Once the cooking time has finished, allow for a 2 minute NPR (natural pressure release) and then release any remaining pressure. After the pressure has been released and the pin has dropped, open the pot. Leave on ‘Keep Warm’.
After Cooking
- Add Shrimp: Add the shrimp to the pot and mix into the pasta. Cover the pot with the lid and move the pressure release valve to ‘Sealing’ to hold the heat in. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. If you cannot get the lid to close fully, that’s ok, just leave it sitting on top.
- Add Butter: Open the pot, add the butter and, using a large spoon, mix it into the pasta until it has fully melted.
- Add Cajun Alfredo Sauce & Cheeses: Add the Cajun Alfredo sauce, parmesan, and cream cheese to the pot. Mix into the pasta until the cheeses fully melt. Cancel out of ‘Keep Warm’.
- Serve and enjoy!
My husband came across your recipe, sounded strange to me lol so all the more reason I wanted to try it. We made it last night and did not disappoint! Was awesome and will be for dinner tonight as well. We used 2 lbs. large raw shrimp so after the 10 mins. sitting time had to put on sauté for a couple mins. stirring to get all that extra shrimp cooked then back to keep warn to add everything else. No biggy, we were the ones who doubled the shrimp lol. Otherwise, we fallowed your recipe exactly and it was Devine and just spicy enough too. Very rich but totally Deliches! Will make again. Awesome recipe!!
I am so happy you and your husband enjoyed it! I appreciate you commenting with your results!
Absolutely delicious. My 9 year old has been begging me for Alfredo and I keep putting it off because I don’t like canned and stove top is a pain. So HE agreed to cook this if I bought all the stuff. We used spaghetti instead of penne ( store was out of penne I had spaghetti). It was so good and he’s so proud. He’ll impress his future wife or husband one day lol
Hi Carrie! I’m so happy to hear you guys enjoyed the alfredo! And super happy to know your 9-year-old made it successfully! I really appreciate you stopping by to comment. Tell your son I said Way to Go!
Can you make this without instapot
Hi Jessica! You can, you’d just have to cook all the parts separately and then add it all together.
Delicious meal. Full of flavor ..the whole family loved it.
Hi Demechtris! So glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate you stopping by and commenting with your results!
Could I use cooked shrimp to make this? Would I just add them and the sauce at the same time?
Hi Claire! You can certainly use cooked shrimp. Just add them in at the very end before serving. Enjoy!
Quick, easy and full of flavor. My wife and kids devoured it.
Hi Jason! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed this! I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your results!
Was looking for something just like this! Am I understanding correctly that you add the raw shrimp into the pot after the cooking time and then don’t set a new cook time, but just let it be in there for 10 mins with the other stuff? Will that cook it fully? I’m new to this!
Thank you 🙂
Hi Emily! You are correct. The shrimp will cook with the residual heat. Shrimp cooks fairly quickly. You want to make sure and put it in as soon as you open the pot. Let me know if you have any other questions! Enjoy!
This is really good! Lots of flavor, and so quick and easy! I had to sub evaporated milk for the cream, but it came out great! Thanks!
Hi Jana! I’m so glad to hear you loved it! I appreciate you stopping by and commenting!
This was amazing!!
Hi Brittany! I’m happy you loved it!! I appreciate you stopping by!