The Bayou's favorite rice dish comes alive with Instant Pot Jambalaya. This chicken, sausage and shrimp dish is spiced to perfection and cooked in just a fraction of the time. Lean how to make this Instant Pot recipe today!
What is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya just may be Louisiana's version of Spanish paella. A rice dish often made with a mix of chicken, smoked sausage and a shellfish (usually crawfish or shrimp) and seasoned in traditional New Orleans flavors.
There are many different versions of Jambalaya, but most consist of the New Orleans "holy trinity" of veggies: onions, bell peppers and celery. The veggies are then seasoned and cooked together with rice to fluffy perfection. Our version is inspired by a few of my favorite Louisiana food spots, from tourist-favorite Mother's near the French Quarter, to Tony's Seafood, tucked in the back streets of Baton Rouge.
This is quintessential New Orleans eatin'.
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Instant Pot Jambalaya FAQs
- What does Instant Pot Jambalaya taste like? The cajun seasoning we use here really delivers a ton of flavor. A blend of cayenne, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and a touch of thyme and oregano lend a powerful blend of spices. The smoked sausage gives a bit of depth to cut against the acidity of the tomatoes. And if you're looking for a heat, a touch of hot sauce really helps raise things up a notch.
- What is the texture of Instant Pot Jambalaya like? A good chunky, rice dish, melded together with a thin layer of tomato that comes from the stewed tomatoes cooked in. A mix of small bites from our veggies and large chunks from our sausage, chicken and shrimp really make for a satisfying one-pot meal.
- How difficult is it to make Instant Pot Jambalaya? Overall, this is pretty easy. A saute of the sliced sausage and veggies are it before you dump in the rest and let the Instant Pot (affiliate) work it's magic. Where stovetop or oven Jambalaya can take well over an hour to cook, this one comes together in just 8 minutes of pressure cooking - great for weeknight dinners!
- Where did Jambalaya originate? Jambalaya originated in the French Quarter of New Orleans, with european roots mixed with new world cajun flavors. Inspired by Spanish dishes like paella, but made with an unmistakable cajun flavor profile.
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Instant Pot Jambalaya Tips and Tricks
- Buying tip: Getting high quality proteins here really makes or breaks the dish. Especially when it comes to the sausage. Avoid the cheap, shrink-wrapped stuff if you can. If the texture is hot-dog smooth, it simply won't feel as authentic. Personally, I love Whole Foods' Andouille Sausage, found in their meat case. I precook mine, then cool it in the fridge completely before slicing it for this recipe.
- Rice tip: Make sure to rinse your rice well with cold water before adding it to the Instant Pot. This process washes away the excess starch that can make rice stick together when cooking, along with washing away impurities. To rinse mine, I dump my rice into a mesh strainer (affiliate) and run it under cold water until the water runs clear beneath.
- Heat tip: If you're serving this to a mix of friends with different tolerances for spice, feel free to air on the conservative side by leaving the hot sauce off the recipe. Instead, serve it with hot sauce on the side and let each person add their own to their liking.
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How to use an Instant Pot
Before you start this recipe, make sure you are familiar with the instructions and safety manual for your model of Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker). Instant Pot itself offers a nice set of videos on How to use an Instant Pot.
While pressure cookers are awesome tools, they have to be used correctly. Take the time to be familiar with how to use yours before you begin to avoid injury and give you the tastiest results.
What you need to make Instant Pot Jambalaya
Equipment wise, you'll obviously need an Instant Pot (affiliate) or similiar electric pressure cooker. I suggest a mesh strainer (affiliate) to rinse your rice before adding it to the cooker and of course a large metal spoon for stirring.
As for ingredients, you'll want:
- 12 oz smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1 Lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 green onion, sliced
How to make Instant Pot Jambalaya
Step 1: Turn Instant Pot (affiliate) to Saute: More. When the display reads "Hot", add the thinly sliced smoked sausage to the pan. Cook until the sausage is browned, stirring occasionally. Remove to a plate with paper towels in order to soak up the excess fat.
Step 2: Add in diced white onion, green bell pepper, celery and thinly sliced garlic cloves. After a couple minutes, use the end of the spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with cajun seasoning and dried oregano. Stir everything together and cook for one additional minute to toast the spices.
Step 3: Add in rinsed white rice, diced tomatoes, chicken stock and bay leaf. Stir together and add in chopped boneless skinless chicken thighs. Set Instant Pot (affiliate) to Manual: High and set for 8 minutes, making sure the valve on top is set to "Sealing".
Step 4: When timer goes off, perform a quick release by flipping the valve to "venting". When indicator on top has gone down, carefully open the lid. Return smoked sausage to pot along with most of your green onion and raw shrimp. Stir everything together. The heat of the dish will cook the shrimp in the pan after about 3 minutes.
Step 5: Serve in a large, shallow bowl, garnished with remaining green onion. Place a bottle of your favorite Louisiana Hot Sauce on the table to let everyone control their own spice levels and enjoy!
Video: How to make Instant Pot Jambalaya [1 MINUTE]
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Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A spicy rice dish with chicken, smoked sausage and shrimp packed with cajun flavors. Cooks in just 8 minutes in the Instant Pot!
Ingredients
- 12 oz smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1 Lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 green onion, sliced
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on Saute: More. When the display reads "Hot", add in sliced smoked sausage. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate with paper towels, to soak up excess fat.
- Add in diced onion, green bell pepper, celery and garlic cloves. After a couple minutes, stir around to scrape up any brown bits from the smoked sausage from the bottom of the pan. Season with cajun seasoning and oregano, stirring everything together. Cook one more minute to toast before moving on.
- Add in rice, diced tomatoes, bay leaf and chicken stock. Stir everything together. Add chopped boneless skinless chicken thighs. Close lid and make sure valve on top is set to "Sealing". Set Instant Pot to Manual: High for 8 minutes.
- When timer goes off, perform a quick release by flipping to valve to "venting". When pressure indicator goes down, carefully open lid. Return sausage to pan along with green onion and raw shrimp. Stir everything together. The heat of the rice will reheat the sausage and cook the shrimp after about 3 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes to heat everything through and serve immediately. Garnish with extra green onion, if wanted.
Equipment
Buy Now →- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Cajun
Keywords: Instant Pot Jambalaya, Easy Cajun Recipes, Quick Jamabalya