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This Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe delivers the classic flavor you love in under 30 minutes. Made with tender chicken, smoky andouille sausage, optional shrimp, and perfectly cooked rice, it's filling, flavorful, and fast enough for busy weeknights.
If you are looking for more all-in-one Instant Pot dinners, you don't want to miss my Instant Pot Shrimp Boil, Instant Pot Sausage and Potatoes, and Instant Pot Chicken and Rice.
Kristen's Keys for Instant Pot Jambalaya
You will want to keep these tips in mind when preparing jambalaya using the Instant Pot to enjoy the flavors of a Creole classic.
- Opt for white rice, not brown rice. I am all for whole grains, but this is one time that white rice is best. Brown rice needs a longer cook time, which in this case, would leads to overcooked chicken. And be sure to rinse the rice well to help remove surface starch and allow the grain to cook up fluffy.
- Deglaze the pot thoroughly. Scraping up those browned bits with broth isn't optional, it prevents the dreaded burn notice and builds flavor at the same time.
- Don't stir after adding the tomatoes. Keeping the tomatoes on top protects the rice from scorching and helps the Instant Pot come to pressure properly.
- Add shrimp after pressure cooking. The residual heat will cook the shrimp gently, keeping them tender instead of rubbery. Using small, defrosted shrimp is key here, as any larger, the shrimp will not cook through.
5-star Reader Review
This was amazing! I did add a few jalapeños just because we're practically swimming in them. It was incredibly tasty and so easy. Thanks! -Dani
How to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya
This section will walk you through the process of making classic Cajun jambalaya in the Instant Pot whether you are just learning to use the Instant Pot or a seasoned pro.
Step One: Sauté Meat with Holy Trinity
Start by using the sauté function to cook the andouille sausage, chicken, onion, bell peppers, and celery together. You want the onions softened, the chicken seared, and the sausage and lightly browned. This is step begins to build texture and a deep, savory base.
Once the onion has softened, add the garlic and let toast for just 30 seconds or so, using caution to not burn the garlic. Then hit cancel to turn off the sauté function.
Step Two: 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!
Step Three: Layer Ingredients
Stir in the rest of the broth along with the Cajun seasoning, thyme, and bay leaf.
Place the rice into a strainer and place under running water for 1-2 minutes to fully rinse off the surface starch, then add the rinsed rice to the inner pot, gently pushing it down to submerge.
Top the rice with diced tomatoes, but DO NOT STIR! This also helps to prevent a burn notice.
Step Four: Pressure Cook with Natural Pressure Release
Using the manual or pressure cooker button for 3 minutes on high pressure. 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.
Step Five: Add Shrimp (Optional)
Toss fully defrosted shrimp, with a bit of Cajun seasoning fresh lemon juice. Then add the seasoned shrimp right on top of the mixture, and place the lid back on the Instant Pot.
Let sit for 5-10 minutes, allowing the residual heat to gently cook the shrimp. You will know the shrimp is done when the shrimp is opaque and pinkish in color.
Step Six: Fluff and Serve
Once the shrimp is fully cooked, add in the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, and fluff with a fork to gently combine everything.
Recipe Modifications
- Control the Heat: Use a mild smoked sausage and reduce the Cajun seasoning slightly. Hot sauce can always be added at the table.
- No shrimp? Simply skip it-this dish is still hearty and satisfying with chicken and sausage alone.
- Lower Sodium: Use low-sodium stock, salt-free diced tomatoes, and cut the salt in half of the Homemade Cajun seasoning.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend it. Because this recipe relies on a natural pressure release to cook the rice, shrimp added earlier tend to overcook. Adding them at the end keeps them tender and juicy.
Sauté defrosted, seasoned shrimp (any size), in a bit of butter or olive oil over medium heat until cooked through. Add the jambalaya after pressure cooking.
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 Easy One-Pot Instant Pot Meals
Instant Pot Jambalaya
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces Andouille or smoked Cajun sausage, sliced into 1-inch rounds
- 6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 small red or green bell pepper, diced
- 1 stalk celery, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning, for seasoning rice
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed well
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ tablespoon hot sauce, optional
Shrimp (Optional)
- 12 ounces small shrimp, peeled and deveined, optional
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, for shrimp
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, for shrimp
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté, add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil to the inner pot and let heat for one minute. Once heated, add the sausage, chicken, onion, pepper, and celery. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are just beginning to soften and the chicken is lightly golden. Add the garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds longer, being careful to not allow garlic to burn. Turn Instant Pot OFF by hitting cancel.
- Add 2 cups low sodium chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Stir in 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning, ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, and 1 dried bay leaf.
- Place 2 cups long-grain white 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 the diced tomatoes over the rice mixture. Do not stir!
- 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 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
- 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 pearly pink and opaque. The residual heat will cook the shrimp.
- After the shrimp is fully cooked, open the inner pot again, add ½ tablespoon hot sauce and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce and gently fluff everything together with a fork to combine, removing the bay leaf when you come across it. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally shared in 2016 and updated in 2026.
Could I double this recipe to have more leftovers?
This recipe doubles well--just be sure to not fill more 2/3rd of the way full and let pressure release naturally.
Thank you so much 😊
You are so welcome!
delicious dinner idea an super easy
I am so glad you enjoyed Mary.
Our household, including our 10-month-old, loves flavourful and spicy foods, so we were a little disappointed that even when doubling the cajun spice from the get-go this Jambalaya recipe tasted rather bland (to us?). It definitely was improved with a bit of salt and pepper, and we each customized our bowls with hot sauce. Next time we will add some cajun grilled chicken bits at the end to spice it up.
Hi Stephanie! I am sorry you did not find this spicy enough. I prepare most my recipes to be kid friendly and then give notes to adjust. For this Jambalaya, I serve with a side of hot sauce for those that like it spicier 🙂 You can also add in a couple of teaspoons of hot sauce while cooking if desired to really amp it up.
Fabulous, easy to make, great flavors. It will be one of my go to recipes. I love that it doesn’t have shrimp, since I don’t like seafood, so it was perfect for me. A few changes I made, are that I sautéed the sausage before adding it, gave it more flavor. I also added peas at the end, for color and flavor, made it like a paella. Thank you for this recipe.
I am so glad you enjoyed this Mary! And thank you for taking the time to review!
Have you tried using any other proteins in this recipe like chicken or cubed ham ? If so is the cooking time the same? Also would like to use brown rice instead of white have you tried with brown rice? Thanks
Hi Karen! Ham and chicken are both delicious in this jambalaya. However, you would need to cube your chicken before cooking, as this only has a cook time of 3 minutes. For Brown Rice, the cook time changes to 24 minutes, which would over-cook the chicken and may leave it pretty dry. I would cook as directed and add in diced ham or cooked chicken after cook time has elapsed and mix in the inner pot. Put the lid back on the Instant Pot to warm all the ingredients through together. Hope that helps.
I just made this for dinner tonight- the only things I changed were I used 1/2 TB of oil and beef broth instead of chicken (as I had an open container of it). Wonderful. No issues with a burn notice. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed Paula!
The rice did not come out as pictured, it seems wet still.
Hi Christina! Did you use dried beans? What type of rice did you use? If you did not use dried beans, the recipe states to decrease the water so that may have been your issue.