Instant Pot Jambalaya

This instant pot jambalaya is one of my favorite one-pot meals. It’s packed with andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp, and it comes together in under an hour.

If you’ve never made jambalaya before, don’t worry. It’s a lot simpler than it looks, especially when you use a pressure cooker.

Everything cooks in one pot, so cleanup is easy. And the flavors are bold and satisfying without being too spicy, though you can always add more heat if you want.

The rice comes out perfectly cooked and soaks up all those Cajun flavors. It’s the kind of meal that tastes like it took way longer than it actually did.

I make this recipe on busy weeknights and it never disappoints. Let me show you how to make it step by step.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Three Proteins in One Pot – You get andouille sausage and chicken and shrimp all packed into a single meal.

Perfectly Cooked Rice Every Time – The pressure cooker takes the guesswork out of getting fluffy and tender rice.

Authentic Cajun Flavor at Home – The holy trinity of onion and bell pepper and celery gives this real Louisiana flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 lb Andouille Sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 1/2 cups Long Grain White Rice, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 lb Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Green Onions, sliced
• Hot Sauce, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the olive oil. Add the sliced andouille sausage and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Step 2

Add the chicken thigh pieces to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly seared on the outside. Remove and set aside with the sausage.

Step 3

Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 4

Stir in the cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and cayenne pepper, cooking for another 30 seconds.

Step 5

Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth. Stir to combine and scrape the bottom of the pot. Add the rinsed rice, then return the sausage and chicken to the pot. Stir gently so the rice is submerged in the liquid.

Step 6

Lock the lid and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.

Step 7

When the cook time is complete, do a quick pressure release by carefully switching the valve to venting. Remove the lid, add the shrimp, and stir them into the hot jambalaya.

Step 8

Place the lid back on (without locking) and let the residual heat cook the shrimp for 5 minutes until they are pink and cooked through.

Step 9

Fluff the jambalaya with a fork, taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then garnish with sliced green onions and serve with hot sauce on the side.

Pro Tips

Deglaze the Pot Before Pressure Cooking

After you cook the vegetables and spices, when you pour in the tomatoes and broth, really take your time scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. You want to loosen every single browned bit stuck to the bottom.

If anything is stuck down there when you seal the lid, the Instant Pot will likely give you a burn notice and stop cooking. This is the number one reason people have trouble with this recipe.

The tomatoes actually help a lot here because their juice loosens things up. Pour them in first, scrape well, and then add the broth.

Don’t Stir the Rice Down to the Bottom

After you add the rice and return the sausage and chicken, give it one gentle stir just to make sure the rice is submerged in liquid. Then stop. Don’t press it down or pack it in.

If the rice is pressed against the bottom of the pot, it’s more likely to scorch and trigger a burn notice. You want it sitting in the liquid but not smashed against the metal surface.

Rinse the Rice Until the Water Runs Clear

This step is in the recipe but it’s worth stressing how important it is. Put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water while swishing it around with your hand. Keep going until the water coming through looks clear instead of cloudy.

The cloudy water is excess starch. If you skip this, the jambalaya will turn out sticky and gummy instead of having separate, fluffy grains. It only takes about a minute and makes a huge difference.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice
• Instant Pot Chicken & Rice
• Instant Pot Chili
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of rice in this Instant Pot jambalaya?

Long grain white rice works best here because the cooking time and liquid ratio are built around it. If you use jasmine or basmati, you might get slightly softer results, but it should still turn out fine since the cook time is similar.

Avoid using brown rice or converted (parboiled) rice without adjusting the recipe, because brown rice needs a lot more time and liquid, and converted rice can end up mushy at 8 minutes of pressure cooking.