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Jambalaya is Louisiana classic comfort food. Instant Pot Jambalaya lets you have a flavorful dinner ready with little effort. Sausage, chicken, and shrimp combine with rice and other flavorful ingredients for this easy Instant Pot recipe.
This Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe takes an easy meal and makes it even easier! The flavors are incredible and the whole dish just so satisfying and filling.
For more recipes with a cajun influence, try Cajun Grilled Pork Chops, Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich, and Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta.
Ingredients
At the heart of this recipe is the “holy trinity” of Cajun cooking – onion, green pepper, and celery.
- Oil – You can use olive oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
- Chicken Breast – Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you wish.
- Andouille Sausage
- Shrimp – Buy raw shrimp that is peeled and deveined.
- Veggies – Yellow onion, green bell pepper, celery, and green onions (the whites and greens separated).
- Minced Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is best but you can use the jarred kind if it’s all you have.
- Long Grain White Rice – Do not use a quick cooking rice as the cook time will be different.
- Canned Tomatoes
- Chicken Broth
- Spices – Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Jambalaya in the Instant Pot
Saute proteins – Start by cooking the sausage. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute function and cook the sausage until golden brown then set aside. Add the chicken and shrimp to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes until fully cooked. Finally, add back the sausage, cook for another minute all together, then remove the proteins and set aside.
Cook the vegetables – With the Instant Pot still on saute, cook the onion, bell pepper, celery, and whites of the green onions. Cook until tender and add garlic.
Add jambalaya ingredients – Add the white rice, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and Cajun seasoning. Stir until well combined.
Pressure Cook – Close the instant pot and set the lid to the sealing position. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes then allow the pressure to naturally release (just let it sit) for 5 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure.
Serve – Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Top with the sliced green onions and serve.
How To Serve
I love that Jambalaya is a complete meal! Protein, veggies, and carbs all in one recipe. If you’re going to serve it out of the Instant Pot, I recommend turning it off (vs. keeping on warm) so that it doesn’t continue to cook and cause the rice to stick to the bottom. Otherwise, I like to serve in a large, shallow bowl with lots of sliced green onions sprinkled on top.
- Garnish – The green onions on top are optional but really make for a fresh finish.
- Shrimp – The shrimp can be omitted if you prefer.
- Sausage – Andouille sausage is the classic choice but you can swap in another sausage of choice.
- Creole/Cajun Seasoning – If you’re watching your sodium intake, look for a low sodium Creole or Cajun seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both Gumbo and Jambalaya are popular Creole dishes in Louisiana but they have their differences. While Jambalaya is a rice dish, Gumbo is more similar to a stew. But they are similar in that they both contain the ‘holy trinity’ of onion, green bell pepper, and celery and both often have both sausage and shrimp.
Jambalaya and Paella are similar in that they both are rice-based dishes with protein and veggies. But they taste very different due to the seasoning and spices used. In paella, saffron is the main spice unlike the cajun seasoning in jambalaya. Paella also has a much milder spice/heat than jambalaya.
Storage and Reheating
While Instant Pot Jambalaya is best served after making, you can store leftovers to enjoy later.
Storage – Leftover Jambalaya can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating – Jambalaya can be reheated in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove. If reheating on the stove, you can add a splash of water or broth to keep it from drying out.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Chili Recipe
- Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
Instant Pot Jambalaya
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 chicken breast, cut into one inch pieces about 2 cups
- 12 ounces andouille sausage sliced
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 3 green onions thinly sliced (green tops separated from the white bottoms)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken broth divided
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can
- 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lbs raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- Optional: green onions sliced for serving
Instructions
- On the saute setting, heat oil in the instant pot and cook the sausage until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and cook on the saute setting for 5 minutes, or until fully cooked. Add the sausage back to the pot and allow to cook together for one additional minute. Remove the mixture and set aside.
- Continue using the sautee setting to cook the onion, bell pepper, celery and bottoms of the green onion. Cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for one additional minute.
- Pour in ½ cup of chicken broth and use a wooden spoon or spatula to deglaze the pot, scraping any stuck on bits off of the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the white rice, tomatoes, remaining chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, and the raw shrimp until well combined. Stir in the chicken and sausage.
- Place the lid on the instant pot in the sealing position and cook on rice mode until the cycle completes.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes before moving to the quick release.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and top with sliced green onions if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
It was my first time using my instant pot. This recipe needs to be revised since I am having the same issue as a lot of people in the comments. (Should have read them before starting). Keep getting burn warning and the rice is crunchy after adding more broth and trying the pressure cooking again. Pretty disappointed