diff --git a/pygmt/base_plotting.py b/pygmt/base_plotting.py
index 90648e02d6a..83f882ebb71 100644
--- a/pygmt/base_plotting.py
+++ b/pygmt/base_plotting.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Base class with plot generating commands.
 Does not define any special non-GMT methods (savefig, show, etc).
 """
+import contextlib
 import csv
 import os
 import numpy as np
@@ -294,6 +295,7 @@ def grdimage(self, grid, **kwargs):
         Project grids or images and plot them on maps.
 
         Takes a grid file name or an xarray.DataArray object as input.
+        Alternatively, pass in a list of red, green, blue grids to be imaged.
 
         Full option list at :gmt-docs:`grdimage.html`
 
@@ -301,20 +303,43 @@ def grdimage(self, grid, **kwargs):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        grid : str or xarray.DataArray
+        grid : str, xarray.DataArray or list
             The file name of the input grid or the grid loaded as a DataArray.
-
+            For plotting RGB grids, pass in a list made up of either file names or
+            DataArrays to the individual red, green and blue grids.
         """
         kwargs = self._preprocess(**kwargs)
-        kind = data_kind(grid, None, None)
+
+        if isinstance(grid, list):
+            if all([data_kind(g) == "file" for g in grid]):
+                kind = "file"
+                grid = " ".join(grid)
+            elif all([data_kind(g) == "grid" for g in grid]):
+                kind = "grid"
+        else:
+            kind = data_kind(grid)
+
         with Session() as lib:
             if kind == "file":
-                file_context = dummy_context(grid)
+                file_contexts = [dummy_context(grid)]
             elif kind == "grid":
-                file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_grid(grid)
+                if isinstance(grid, list):
+                    file_contexts = [
+                        lib.virtualfile_from_grid(grid[0]),
+                        lib.virtualfile_from_grid(grid[1]),
+                        lib.virtualfile_from_grid(grid[2]),
+                    ]
+                else:
+                    file_contexts = [lib.virtualfile_from_grid(grid)]
             else:
                 raise GMTInvalidInput("Unrecognized data type: {}".format(type(grid)))
-            with file_context as fname:
+            with contextlib.ExitStack() as stack:
+                fname = " ".join(
+                    [
+                        stack.enter_context(file_context)
+                        for file_context in file_contexts
+                    ]
+                )
                 arg_str = " ".join([fname, build_arg_string(kwargs)])
                 lib.call_module("grdimage", arg_str)
 
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_grdimage_rgb_files.png b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_grdimage_rgb_files.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3bf59a2f873
Binary files /dev/null and b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_grdimage_rgb_files.png differ
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_grdimage_rgb_grid.png b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_grdimage_rgb_grid.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c6a2a69302a
Binary files /dev/null and b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_grdimage_rgb_grid.png differ
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_grdimage.py b/pygmt/tests/test_grdimage.py
index 72759137f0f..7e88ff717e7 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_grdimage.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_grdimage.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 """
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
+import xarray as xr
 
 from .. import Figure
 from ..exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
@@ -41,6 +42,38 @@ def test_grdimage_file():
     return fig
 
 
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_grdimage_rgb_files():
+    "Plot an image using Red, Green, and Blue file inputs"
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.grdimage(grid=["@earth_relief_60m", "@earth_relief_60m", "@earth_relief_60m"])
+    return fig
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_grdimage_rgb_grid():
+    "Plot an image using Red, Green, and Blue xarray.DataArray inputs"
+    red = xr.DataArray(
+        data=[[128, 0, 0], [128, 0, 0]],
+        dims=("lat", "lon"),
+        coords={"lat": [0, 1], "lon": [2, 3, 4]},
+    )
+    green = xr.DataArray(
+        data=[[0, 128, 0], [0, 128, 0]],
+        dims=("lat", "lon"),
+        coords={"lat": [0, 1], "lon": [2, 3, 4]},
+    )
+    blue = xr.DataArray(
+        data=[[0, 0, 128], [0, 0, 128]],
+        dims=("lat", "lon"),
+        coords={"lat": [0, 1], "lon": [2, 3, 4]},
+    )
+
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.grdimage(grid=[red, green, blue], projection="x5c", frame=True)
+    return fig
+
+
 def test_grdimage_fails():
     "Should fail for unrecognized input"
     fig = Figure()