Make this smooth, creamy Instant Pot Lobster Bisque and your guests will think you’ve spent hours in the kitchen. Really? This lobster bisque recipe takes less than an hour from start to finish.
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I whipped up a rich, decadent Lobster Bisque and Mini Cheesecakes in my Instant Pot last week. Gasp! I know…You’re a little impressed, aren’t you? Well, so was my boyfriend. I mean, if someone serves you lobster (in any form), it tends to leave you feeling a bit pampered.
The great news is that this particular Instant Pot Lobster Bisque recipe doesn’t need to be held for a special occasion. Served with a side of rustic bread, this velvety smooth dish makes for a delicious every day meal. I think it may make it into regular rotation around here.
Instant Pot Lobster Bisque
Normally I would have pulled together all of the items for this dish together directly in my Instant Pot (basically the Inspector Gadget of small kitchen appliances), but at the time I had a few mini cheesecakes cooking.
While I was waiting, I simply mixed all of the ingredients together in my super-large Pyrex measuring cup. It holds 64-ounces, which works great for dinner recipes like this one, or waffle mix on Saturday mornings.
The first thing I added to my bowl was basic veggies – diced tomatoes, carrots and celery.
Which was quickly followed by chicken stock and a variety of spices, including Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay is a staple blend used to season seafood dishes. It’s found in most grocery stores, but if your store doesn’t stock it regularly it’s easily accessible for a great price on Amazon. 
I poured the well-seasoned mix into my Instant Pot and added frozen lobster, where I set it to cook for four minutes. Nope. You didn’t read that wrong. The soupy base for Lobster Bisque cooks in four minutes.
Once the soup was done, I set the Instant Pot to “Keep Warm.”
The next step is my favorite. I used an immersion blender to smooth out my bisque. I love using that little tool. It’s great for soups, simple smoothies and whisking eggs. An absolute must-have in the kitchen.
The next ingredient is the heavy cream. Yum.
What’s great about making this recipe at home is that you can control the fat content by changing up the amount of heavy cream you add to the dish. You could even substitute it with half and half if you’re looking to cut calories a bit. 
This Instant Pot Lobster Bisque makes about eight servings. It could easily be halved for a smaller family or meal.
Instant Pot Lobster Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 C diced carrots
- 1 C diced celery
- 29 oz. canned petite diced tomatoes
- 2 Whole Shallots Minced
- 1 Clove Garlic Minced
- 1 Tblsp. Butter
- 32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tblsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Tsp. Dried Dill
- 1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- .5 Tsp Paprika
- 4 Lobster Tails or 24 oz. frozen lobster
- 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
- Place butter, minced shallots and garlic in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until shallots and garlic are translucent.
- Place tomatoes, carrots, celery, minced shallots and garlic into the Instant Pot.
- Add chicken broth and spices to the Instant Pot.
- If you're using full lobster tails, use a knife to cut off the fan at the end of the lobster and add those to the pot, otherwise place the frozen lobster into the Instant Pot.
- Set the Instant Pot for four minutes.
- Once the pot comes to full pressure and completes the four minute cook cycle, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release the pressure.
- *If you've used lobster tails take them from the pot and remove the flesh from the tails at this time.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup mixture to desired chunkiness. I like a medium puree.
- Add the cream and stir.
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Chris Lewis says
October 19, 2017 at 3:15 pmloved this recipe! i’ve always loved lobster bisque (and it’s cousin, crawfish soup), but never had the guts to try making it myself. after buying an instant pot a few months ago, i’ve been trying all kinds of things, and this one popped in mind when lobster tails went on sale. i made a few minor tweaks, hope you don’t mind. i used leeks in addition to the shallots, and added dashes of fish sauce, worcestershire and browning liquid. i also added a few more lobster tails than the recipe calls for, just because i’m greedy.
Tauni says
October 25, 2017 at 2:39 pmChris, glad to hear you tried the recipe and I LOVE that you made it your own. It’s so fun to change things up. And, I’ve actually made it with additional lobster as well, because….LOBSTER! Ha! xo Tauni
Megan says
March 14, 2018 at 6:21 pmWas your lobster frozen prior to cooking? Ours was thawed and was over cooked. The flavor of the bisque was delicious! Just curious for the next batch 🙂
Tauni says
March 15, 2018 at 1:30 pmHi Megan, Yes. My lobster was frozen. I’ve actually made it both ways, but generally reduce the cook time when it’s thawed. I will adjust the post to make that note for future visitors! xo Tauni
Donna says
March 26, 2018 at 11:25 amThanks for sharing this delicious recipe! I only had 2 lobster tails so I added a can of crab meat. I took out the lobster meat and diced it up after pureeing the rest of it. I will definitely be making this again!
Tauni says
March 26, 2018 at 5:37 pmAwesome Donna! I will have to try it with crab meat sometime. Sounds delicious! xo Tauni
Susan says
June 3, 2019 at 9:53 amAfter cutting fan of the tail off, do you add it to the pot too, or discard them? If so, why? Made this yesterday and it was very good. Will try and add a can of crab meat to give it more flavor next time as another person commented on. Will try and thicken it a bit next time too. Thanks for the recipe.
Tauni says
June 3, 2019 at 2:44 pmHey Susan, Once I cut the fan off I do throw it away. I simply haven’t ever had a use for it…Having said that if there’s a great reason for keeping it, let me know!
This soup is one of my favorites and I am so glad you enjoyed it too!
xo
Tauni
William Noseworthy says
June 24, 2019 at 9:03 pmYou can leave them attached and tear them off when you remove the tail meat. Squeeze the meat out of them into the bisque before you put the blender in. Every little bit of meat helps the flavour of the finished product.
Tauni says
June 29, 2019 at 1:36 pmThanks for the input William!