Grits can be messy and finicky to make on the stove-top, but making stone-ground grits in the Instant Pot is so easy, mess-free, and hands-off!
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This is the EASIEST way to make delicious, buttery grits. Cooking grits in the Instant Pot requires only about three minutes of prep, and prevents splattering and messes on the stovetop.
We enjoy grits with eggs for breakfast, or as an easy side dish with dinner. Our favorite grits are stone-ground, yellow grits because they keep some texture after they are cooked (so they’re not like eating gruel).
Stone-Ground Grits in the Instant Pot
Last night my mother-in-law called me to troubleshoot an Instant Pot question (I am many people’s Instant Pot hotline). She was making grits and her Instant Pot was not coming to pressure.
While I will occasionally cook grits in the bottom of the Instant Pot if I’m making sausage and grits, my preferred way to cook grits is pot-in-pot. It’s a foolproof way to cook grits because there’s no way they can be too thick or scorch to the bottom of the pot.
To cook pot-in-pot in the Instant Pot, you need an oven-safe dish and a trivet to keep the dish off of the bottom of the pot. If I am not wanting to cook anything underneath the dish at the same time, I just use the trivet that came with my Instant Pot.
(If I am wanting to cook something simultaneously, which I often do, I like these trivets that lift the dish higher and allow for space underneath to cook meat, veggies, etc).
I highly recommend the bowl I used to cook our grits last night. It’s incredibly versatile and well worth the investment. I use it not only for grits, but also for shepherd’s pie, lasagna, bread pudding, egg casseroles, and much more.
Recommendations ::
- Instant Pot Ultra
- 1.5qt Corningware baking dish
- set of tall trivets
- stone-ground grits
- Best Instant Pot Accessories
Our dinner last night was inspired by a fishing trip that resulted in two big catfish to cook for dinner! Anytime we have fried catfish and hushpuppies, I always like to serve more “southern-style” sides.
We had a pan full of garlicky greens, buttery grits, hushpuppies, fried catfish nuggets, and iced tea. It was all so delicious!
House Autry makes a really tasty fish batter and hush puppy mix. I don’t make it from scratch. It’s just the best. Also, my husband fries everything outside it a fish fryer. It’s much faster, less messy, and yields better results than trying to fry inside. (This is a similar model to his).
You can check out the newest fishing video from this outing on our family outdoor channel. You can also find more fishing with kids videos, including one where my husband takes you through exactly what you need to get started— just the basics!
Stone-Ground Grits in the Instant Pot
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 43 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: pressure cooking
Description
Grits can be messy and finicky to make on the stove-top, but making stone-ground grits in the Instant Pot is so easy, mess-free, and hands-off!
Ingredients
- 1 cup stone-ground grits
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- optional: 1/2 cup cheese choice
Instructions
- Pour one cup of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place in the trivet. Combine the grits, water, and salt in a 1.5qt bowl* and cover with foil. Place the dish on the trivet. Set the cook time for 10 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cook time is complete, let the pressure naturally release 10 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure. Lift the bowl of grits from the Instant Pot. Remove the foil, stir, then return the foil to the bowl. Let the grits stand for 10 minutes before serving (the grits will thicken as they sit).
- Optional: stir in cheese after the grits finish cooking. Parmesan, pimento cheese, etc.
Notes
*I like to use a 1.5qt corning ware bowl for making these grits. I highly recommend this bowl. I also use it for egg casseroles, strata, lasagna, shepherd’s pie, etc. You could also use a metal bowl or other oven-safe dish.
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WOWEE! Perfectly creamy! Just the way I like my grits. I made a “single” serving for just lil ol’ me. I halved the recipe (i.e., 1/2 c. stone ground grits (from Marsh Hen Mill); 1 1/2 c. water; pinch of salt) and cooked as directed. I love this “pot-in-pot” method. No mess; easy clean up. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Can I just use the glass lid that came with my one and a half quart CorningWare dish? Or must I use aluminum foil because it fits more loosely? Thanks for the recipe.
These are the fluffiest grits I have ever had. Based on comments and also that my grits were old (experience dictates it takes them longer to absorb liquid), I reduced the liquid by a touch and increased cook time to 15 minutes. No soupiness here! There were delicious. I think I would keep liquid at all 3 cups next time, just up the cook time. Thank you!
★★★★★
I used Carolina stone ground white grits with 3 cups of water. They were not fully cooked and needed to be microwaved for about 5 minutes.
This recipe works perfectly for stone ground grits! I’m a southern gal transplanted to the Midwest and but my momma always used instant grits, so I continued the tradition until I recently discovered stone-ground grits at a local store. Game-changer as far as flavor goes! But they take forever to cook and you have to stir them constantly or else cook them in the slow cooker. The instant pot saves time and cleanup! I don’t think I ever will get grits in the little round box at the grocery store again!
★★★★★
We love this recipe and use it often. It’s really important to follow every step, cutting corners will not give you the same result. I make my grits in a soufflé dish and for the trivet I use a silicone one I got from Costco. Having a flexible trivet with handles really makes it easy!
★★★★★
I followed the recipe exactly my grits were soupy. I just put them in a pot on the stove to get them to thicken up.. I used Yellow grits that I bought in South Carolina. Not sure what happened.
★★
The grits look soupy initially, but will thicken after they sit for 5-10 minutes.
Is the one cup of water that goes in the bottom of the pot, in addition the the 3 cups in the bowl?
That’s correct. Always water in the bottom of the pot when cooking pot-in-pot.
I am making my 1st instant pot item and I’m wondering how to let the steam out naturally and also instead of using foil on top next time if I can just use one of my silicone lids that i use instead of saran wrap and sometimes use in cooking?
I think the natural steam release option is the one in the middle, is that correct?
Natural release is when you just let it sit for the time period it says.
The recipe did not make it clear that it was one cup of additional water for the bottom of the instant pot so I made the grits with the remaining 2 cups and got a dry layer of grits on top. I had to scrape that off but the grits underneath were nice and creamy