How Long To Cook Grits In A Pressure Cooker

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Grits have never been easier than when they are made in the Instant Pot! This Instant Pot grits recipe is super simple – it can be eaten plain or dressed up however you want with butter, cheese, and more!

Grits in the Instant Pot

I am starting to think we should have called this website "Forrest's Food", because I feel like every week, I'm sharing another food that Forrest introduces me to.

This week – grits! Forrest is convinced more people would like them if they were served them properly.

Unfortunately, when you go to a lot of restaurants or buffets that serve grits, they are served in their simplest form…aka, without any butter, salt, pepper, or cheddar cheese!

I have had grits like this before, and they certainly don't taste that great.

However, I have had grits that have SO much flavor – and it reminds me why people love them so much.

Like most things that require you to watch it on the stove, I don't love to make them. But the other day I thought…why not the Instant Pot?

Because the Instant Pot is the answer to EVERYTHING.

Right?

So today I am sharing a simple, Instant Pot grits recipe. The base recipe is very, very simple. My mother-in-law said she likes to make hers plain and allow people to add whatever butter and salt and pepper they want – which I think makes sense.

But I will say – if you are making these for someone for the first time…just dress them up for them. You don't want to put a bad taste in someone's mouth about grits (yes, pun intended).

Cooking Grits in the Instant Pot

What Should I Serve with Grits?

Grits make for a fantastic side dish to pretty much on breakfast! Here are a few ideas:

Bacon
Eggs
Omelets
Sausage Breakfast Casserole
French Toast Breakfast Casserole
Sweet Potatoes
Toast
Shrimp

Variations

There are so many different ways you can dress up grits! I've included instructions for adding butter, salt, and pepper in the recipe below, but here are a few other ideas:

Add shredded cheese to make some cheesy grits – we like cheddar, but you can use whatever you want! It looks like smoked gouda is a popular option.
Mix in some pimento cheese
Syrup
Berries (though I wouldn't recommend this if you've added cheese!)
Bacon
Sausage
Garlic
Shrimp – who doesn't love shrimp and grits?!
Goats cheese and chives

Grits versus Polenta

People always wonder what the difference is between these two dishes because they are made from pretty much the same ingredients.

One just sounds fancier than the other! You'll often find polenta listed on high-class restaurant menus, while grits is usually more commonly found at diners!

According to Food Hacks, here is the difference:

Polenta is a staple of Italian cuisine, whereas grits are a Southern staple. While polenta is made from ground yellow corn, grits are made from white corn (also called hominy). Since both are made from dried corn, they can be swapped out for one another if push comes to shove—in fact, polenta has been called the Italian equivalent of grits.

The most notable difference between the two is in the texture: polenta is much coarser, whereas grits are finer. This is why grits, when cooked with liquid, form a homogenous porridge; polenta, on the other hand, has a coarse, complex texture that is less smooth and more nuanced.

So there you have it!

Cooking Grits in the Instant Pot

1 cup stone ground grits
3.5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Our Recommended Add-Ins
1/2 cup Butter
Salt – to taste (we used about 1.5 teaspoon of Redmond's Salt)
Pepper – to taste (we used about 1.5 teaspoons).

Add water, grits, and salt to the pot of your Instant Pot and mix together.

Set your Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes

Natural release pressure for 15 minutes, and then quick pressure release the rest.

Remove the lid.

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Stir the grits. If they are too thick, feel free to add a little water or milk to make them thinner.

At this point, you can add whatever mixins you want. I would recommend 1/2 cup butter and salt and butter to taste.

If you are using cheese, mixin while the grits are still hot.

Ingredients

1 cup stone ground grits
3.5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Our Recommended Add ins
1/2 cup Butter
Salt – to taste (we used about 1.5 teaspoon of Redmond's Salt)
Pepper – to taste (we used about 1.5 teaspoons).

Instructions

Add water, grits, and salt to the pot of your Instant Pot and mix together
Set your Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes
Natural release pressure for 15 minutes, and then quick pressure release the rest.
Remove the lid
Stir the grits. If they are too thick, feel free to add a little water or milk to make them thinner
At this point, you can add whatever mixins you want. I would recommend 1/2 cup butter and salt and butter to taste.
If you are using cheese, mixin while the grits are still hot.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194 Total Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 12g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 49mg Sodium: 481mg Carbohydrates: 7g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 1g

Please verify this information with your preferred nutrition calculator.

FAQ

I got the burn notice – what do I do? This happens when there isn't enough liquid. I would just add a little bit more water. Next time, you could consider cooking pot in pot method. If your pot has a tendency to call for a burn notice, you may want to do this to begin with.

What kind of grits did you use? I have used different brands, but currently, I really like to use Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits. They are organic if that matters to you 🙂

Can I use Instant Grits packets for this? No

Can I add milk? Certainly! I would add it in after they are done cooking – it may make for a little soupier grits consistency. Alternatively, you could replace some of the water in the cooking with some heavy cream.

Can I double this? Absolutely! Just make sure you double the liquid, too 🙂

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Easy Instant Pot Cornbread – Totally Foolproof!

Enjoy something Southern with this easy recipe for grits! You can make it in your Instant Pot and dress it up if you wish. This recipe is quick and tasty. Enjoy!