This all-in-one recipe for Instant Pot Jambalaya is made with chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp, and rice, for a flavorful meal that is ready in under 30 minutes.
When it comes to developing flavor fast, I love turning to my Instant Pot. An electric pressure cooker seals in the heat AND flavor, allowing meals, like Instant Pot Short Ribs, Instant Pot Butter Chicken, and Instant Pot Pot Roast, to be cooked quickly without sacrificing the taste.
And when it comes to recipes like this Instant Pot Jambalaya, along with Instant Pot Shrimp Boil, Instant Pot Sausage and Potatoes, and Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, you have to love it when you can turn to the Instant Pot to make a flavorful, yet easy, one-pot dinner!
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Cajun Flavor Fast. Just like my recipe for Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice, this recipe for Instant Pot Jambalaya delivers a classic Creole recipe in record time.
- Perfectly Cooked. In less than 30 minutes this recipe delivers jambalaya full of tender chicken, andouille sausage, perfectly cooked rice, and tons of Cajun spice!
- Adaptable. I have included instructions for making Instant Pot jambalaya with or without shrimp--because some of us like it, and some of us don't 😉
- One-Pot Family Favorite Meal. Like One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta, Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, and Instant Pot Burrito Bowl, this recipe for Instant Pot Jambalaya is a family-favorite all-in-one meal.
Ingredients for Jambalaya
- Holy Trinity: The holy trinity in Cajun cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine refers to the combination of onions, bell peppers, and celery. This recipe for Jambalaya starts by sautéing this classic combination in oil to develop authentic flavor. Use any color of bell pepper you like.
- Andouille Sausage: For an authentic jambalaya recipe, use andouille sausage. However, smoked sausage or Cajun chicken sausage works as well. I love using chicken Cajun-style sausage to keep the fat on the lower end.
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs that have been cubed into bite-sized pieces.
- Rice: For your chicken not to overcook, it is best to use long-grain white rice, not brown rice. Brown rice requires a MUCH longer cooking time, which would overcook the chicken.
- Seasoning: I used a homemade Cajun Seasoning, that is simple to make and lower in sodium than store-bought brands. That said, feel free to use any brand of Cajun seasoning you like. I also recommend adding a dried bay leaf, dried thyme leaves, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, which all help to replicate the authentic flavor of jambalaya.
- Shrimp (Optional): The shrimp is completely optional, yet authentic in Jambalaya recipes. I have found it is best to use fresh or defrosted small, deveined, shrimp and add them AFTER pressure cooking. The residual heat will cook the shrimp through. If you want to add shrimp prior to pressure cooking, I would use frozen jumbo shrimp.
How to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Sauté Meat with Holy Trinity
To develop intense flavor, it is best to sauté the andouille sausage, chicken, onions, peppers, and celery together until the meat begins to brown and the onions begin to soften.
Deglaze Inner Pot
Add in a bit of the broth or stock and scrape up any browned bits of food from the bottom of the pan. This is crucial to prevent a burn warning!
Pay Attention to How You Layer Ingredients
Stir in the rest of the broth along with the Cajun seasoning, thyme, and bay leaf. Add the rice to the cooking liquid, and gently push it down to submerge it fully into the liquid. Top the rice with diced tomatoes, but DO NOT STIR! This also helps to prevent a burn notice.
Pressure Cook with Natural Pressure Release
Set to cook on high pressure, using the manual or pressure cooker button, not the rice button, for 3 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, but a full pressure release is best. This ensures your rice stays tender and fluffy.
Add Shrimp if Desired
Small shrimp will not need long at all to cook and can easily overcook and become rubbery. However, if you add the shrimp after pressure cooking and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the shrimp are fully cooked from the residual heat.
Fluff and Serve
To amp up the flavor of this Instant Pot Jambalaya even more, add Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, and fluff the rice with a fork to combine everything.
FAQs about Pressure Cooker Jambalaya
I would add frozen jumbo shrimp prior to pressure cooking. Simply add the seasoned frozen shrimp on top of the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes as directed. I do find that the shrimp will still be a bit overcooked, so I recommend using thawed small shrimp for best results.
I don't recommend brown rice for this recipe, as it needs to be cooked for 22 minutes instead of 3 minutes, so the chicken will be overcooked in that time frame.
I highly recommend rinsing the rice before pressure cooking. Rinsing rice will remove the surface starch that can cause the rice to get mushy and stick together when cooked.
More Instant Pot Easy Dinner Recipes
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole
The next time you need a FAST meal full of flavor, try out this recipe for Instant Pot Jambalaya--it won't disappoint! And if you gave it a try, be sure to leave a review and comment below.
Instant Pot Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 12 ounces Andouille or smoked Cajun sausage sliced into 1-inch rounds
- 6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 stalk celery minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups long grain white rice rinsed well
- 3 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning divided
- ½ teaspooon dried thyme leaves
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- ½ tablespoon hot sauce optional
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined optional
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté, add in the oil, and let heat for a minute or two.
- Once heated, add the sausage, chicken, onions, peppers, and celery to the inner pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are just beginning to soften up. Add in garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds longer, being careful to not allow garlic to burn. Turn Instant Pot OFF by hitting cancel.
- Add in ½ cup of the chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Stir in the remaining chicken stock, 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and place under running water for 1-2 minutes to fully rinse. Add the rice and gently push, not stir the rice, with the back of a spoon to submerge the rice into the liquid. Pour tomatoes on top of the rice mixture. Do not stir in tomatoes.
- Place the lid on Instant Pot and set the cooking time by hitting manual/pressure cook and use the +/- buttons to adjust the cooking time to 3 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.
- While pressure is releasing, pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and then toss with the remaining 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning. Once pressure is released, open the lid and add the seasoned shrimp. Place the lid back on the inner pot and let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the shrimp are fully cooked (the residual heat will cook the shrimp).
- After the shrimp is fully cooked, open the inner pot again, add the Worcestershire Sauce and hot sauce, and gently fluff everything together with a fork to combine, removing the bay leaf when you come across it. Serve.
Ben
when do you add in the tomatoes?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ben! As per step 4, add them on top of the rice, but don't stir. Enjoy 😊
Mike
Hi! You mention that you use pre-cooked chicken when you’re discussing rice in this recipe. Does that mean that the recipe times presupposes that the chicken is precooked? Or, should the times provided be sufficient to cook raw chicken? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mike! I use raw chicken and precooked sausage. Your chicken will be cooked in time 🙂 Enjoy!