Instant Pot Grits Recipe
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These Instant Pot Grits are a creamy, rich and delicious classic Southern favorite made in minutes using the Instant Pot.
There are few things as quintessentially southern as a bowl of grits. I’ve always loved them for breakfast alongside some scrambled eggs or even topped with an easy garlic shrimp for lunch or supper. They are a definite workhorse to keep in your pantry!
For years, I’ve made my easy grits recipe on the stovetop or in my slow cooker, but recently have loved making them in my Instant Pot. They turn out perfectly every single time!
What are Grits?
Grits are mature corn kernels that have been ground into coarse pieces. There are a few different types available on the market.
Types of Grits
- Stone-Ground – Made by coarsely grinding whole dried corn kernels between the two stones of a grist mill. When ground using this method, a few larger pieces of the corn hull, called the chaff, remains and gives a signature appearance when cooked.
- Hominy Grits – are a type made from hominy. Hominy is corn that has been processed where the hull and germ have been removed. For this type, the hominy is coarsely ground into grits.
- Regular and Quick Grits – are processed to cook quickly and easily and to last for an extended period. Regular grits have a medium grind while Quick grits have a finer grind for smaller bits.
- Instant Grits – have been even further processed by being finely ground, precooked and dehydrated.
How to Make Instant Pot Grits
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
Ingredients
- stone ground grits – you can also use the hominy type
- water
- salt
- cream or half and half
- butter
Step by Step Instructions
- Prepare your Instant Pot by spraying with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
- Add water to the Instant Pot, followed by the grits and salt.
- Stir well to combine.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to HIGH setting.
- Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes, then allow them to naturally release pressure, which will be about 15 minutes.
- Once they’ve cooked and the pressure has released naturally, carefully remove the lid.
- Add the cream (or half and half) and butter to the cooked grits. Stir well to combine.
- Serve with additional butter and shredded cheese if desired.
Note: If your grits are a bit too “soupy” for your taste after cooking them, you can use the Sauté option on the Instant Pot. Cook them with the top off just until the excess water releases.
Your grits will be creamy, buttery and delicious! And they are so versatile, they are perfect for breakfast or supper.
Optional Add-Ins
I think you’ll love these optional additions – they are some of our favorites!
- Cheese – Cheese grits are absolutely delicious. Depending on how you are serving them, they are delicious with various cheeses. Add cheddar cheese for breakfast or brunch. Gouda and Parmesan are perfect additions when served with fish or seafood. When making one of these, stir in about 1/2 – 1 cup of cheese at the same time as adding butter.
- Pimento Cheese – A classic Southern dish, Pimento Cheese Grits are absolutely out of this world! Simply add 1/2 cup of pimento cheese at the end of cooking at the same time you add the butter.
- Bacon – Stir in chopped cooked bacon along with a bit of cheese, if you like, for a full meal in one!
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
Eggs Benedict with Easy Hollandaise Sauce
Here’s my Instant Pot Grits recipe. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Instant Pot Grits Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups stone ground grits
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups cream or half and half
- 6 tablespoons butter, + more for serving
Instructions
- Spray inside of Instant Pot with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Add water, grits and salt. Stir well to combine. Secure the lid to the Instant Pot and set to HIGH setting for 10 minutes with natural pressure release, about 15 minutes.
- Once the grits have cooked and the pressure has released naturally, carefully remove the lid to the Instant Pot. Stir in the cream and add the butter. Serve with additional butter and cheese if desired.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Hi Robyn thank you for such an amazing recipe,my wife and I Enjoyed them couldn’t believe how creamy they were must definitely recommend it to all my family and friends once again thank you Robyn .
I am so glad you and your wife liked these grits, Charlie. Thank you.
So much flavor. Did not even add toppings. I have never made creamy grits before. I have been missing out. Will make again.
Thanks, Daphne. So glad you liked them.
Hi Robyn, my instapot has a manual button and right above it it says less, normal, more. Am I just using the manual setting?
Conosha, I think on your Instant Pot, you will use Manual, and select High pressure. Make sure your pressure release switch is in the sealed position and then once the grits have cooked, the pressure should release slowly. I hope this helps.
This may be a dumb question… when you allow the grits to naturally release pressure, do you turn the instant pot off or leave it on warm?
Thanks in advance!
Christina
Christina, you will set the instant pot to Sealed position when you start it. Then once the food has finished cooking, you don’t need to do anything. Do not turn off your instant pot or change the settings. The pressure will release slowly. Wait until it has fully released then turn the venting knob from sealing to venting before opening the lid. Hope this helps.
My stone ground grits turned out way too soupy, too. I recommend cutting back the water to 6 cups.
I have not had this problem, Christy, and I make these very often at my house. If the grits are too soupy when you make them, you can use the Saute option on the Instant Pot and cook them with the top off just until the excess water releases.
Question for you, Robyn or for your viewers….I have been getting a “burn” alert on my 8 qt. Instant Pot whenever I try to cook corn grits. I am using stone ground grits. It seems that they settle and burn at the bottom of the pot. I have tried the straight pressure cook cycle and multigrain…both give a burn alert before the temp is reached. I have tried adding more water. Have you ever had this? or do you have any ideas? Thanks!!
Mine also gives me the burn alert. I released pressure, stirred, tried again, burn alert. Eventually finished them, they tasted great, but a little frustrating!
Mina, I have never had the burn alert when cooking grits this way so I’m not sure why you are getting it. The Burn Alert comes on when the bottom of the inner pot gets too hot. Make sure your pressure release switch is in the sealed position and then once the grits have cooked, the pressure should release slowly. Some people are reporting they get the Burn Alert more often with the newer models of the Instant Pot even when they can’t find anything wrong.
Hi – just checking….the water should be EIGHT (8) Cups to 1 1/2 Cups of Stone Ground Grits?
Thank you!!!
Yes, Kelly. This amount always makes the best grits that my family and friends love. Enjoy!
I used your recipe for a work mountain retreat breakfast. I cooked old-fashioned hominy grits exactly as suggested with the water & salt, but when the pressure naturally released, I stirred them well, changed to the glass lid and left it on the “keep warm” setting. I then set it up as a “grits bar” with the butter, cream & cheese on the side for people to add as they liked. It was a huge hit and it was requested for next year! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks, Jill. I’m so glad everyone liked the grits. It is a favorite around my house, too.
This is the best plain grits recipe I have found! I do not add the salt as some people in my family like grits with no salt. Thank you for sharing this instant pot recipe. I use Palmetto Farms stone ground grits and they are amazing. I’m trying to give 5 stars but it is not letting. Sorry Robin.
Thanks, Cindy. I’m so glad you like these grits. Don’t you love how easy and simple they are to make? xo
Sooo I didn’t read reviews till after I hit start on the instant pot….so there was no going back lol. I let mine go for 20 min release pressure instead of 15. They were still a lil watery but not much. I think my biggest issue was that I had soo many clumps! And I hate clumpy grits. Soo I had to whisk them pretty vigorously. Because there were a bit watery I only put 1 cup of half and half instead of 2 and sauté them a bit to get better consistency. I added cheese at the end and it was pretty good. Thank you for the recipe! My kitchen is being renovated so my instant pot is getting a lot of use.
Mine also came out very soupy. Using stone ground grits. Hoping I can boil off the recess water.
I just made this, but I think there must be a mistake in the amount of water. I might try it again but reduce the water to 6 cups. My grits came out like thin soup.
Hi Carol,
I’m sorry your grits weren’t as thick as you wanted. I make these all the time but have not had mine be thin. I’m not sure what is causing this for you. Are you using either stone ground grits or hominy grits in these and letting the steam reduce naturally. It should take about 15 minutes for the pressure to release. Hope this helps.
Carol, mine also came out VERY VERY soupy. I mixed a large tablespoon of cornstarch and a tiny amount of hot water together to make a thick paste, added it to the grits and the thickened up perfect. I did not have regular cheese so I tossed in what I had in the fridge (mozzarella and smokey cheddar) -BEST GRITS OF MY LIFE! I plan to make them again tonight only I am going to cut the water back to about 6 1/2 cups.
I like this recipe, but if you are using old fashioned grits instead of stone ground, it’s too much water. I cut the water back to 5 cups to get the right consistency for old fashioned grits. Also I often get the burn signal, but not every time.
I tried these with stone ground grits (according to the package?) and I found it to be soupy as well. Not sure where I went wrong. It was nice and smooth, though, so I think the recipe would be great with less water.
I will be making this for my wife for her breakfast. When she found out I had got a instant pot she was so happy because I could make her favorite breakfast of grits more often.
Hi Charles,
What a nice thing to do for your wife. Hope both of you enjoy the grits! Thanks!