Instant Pot Jambalaya

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Rich and flavorful Instant Pot Jambalaya is classic Southern comfort food that is easy to make and ready to serve much faster than the traditional stovetop method.

Suitable for gluten free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

overhead view of instant pot jambalaya with shrimp on top served in a white bowl

Folks, today is going to be a very good day. Why, you might ask? Because today I’m going to show you how to whip up this amaaaazing sausage, chicken, and shrimp Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe. This is one of those lick the bowl dishes (no judgment here) because you want to soak up every last delicious bite.

And cooking Jambalaya Instant Pot makes it soooo much easier. Jambalaya is quintessential Southern comfort food but who wants to wait that long for comfort to be served? Thanks to the magic of the Instant Pot, your favorite Southern fare is ready to serve fast. #instantpotforthewin

hand holding spoon digging into a bowl full of instant pot jambalaya

What is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a meat, vegetable and rice dish that originated in the U.S. in Louisiana. It is of French and Spanish origin and there are two main types of jambalaya:

  • Cajun jambalaya, which contains no tomatoes.
  • Creole jambalaya, which contains tomatoes and is the type of jambalaya you’ll make with this recipe (even though I sometimes make it inauthentic and use Cajun seasoning – I still love the flavor).

Jambalaya utilizes the aromatic ‘holy trinity’ (sofrito) of vegetables: onion, celery and pepper. You will find this trinity used as the base of many Louisiana dishes.

Tools Needed

KITCHEN TOOLS, UTENSILS & APPLIANCES  NEEDED

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, check out my disclosure.

Here are some of the items you will need to make this recipe.

Ready to learn just how easy it is to make delicious Jambalaya Instant Pot style? Gather up your ingredients and I will show you….

How To Make Instant Pot Jambalaya

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

  1. In sauté mode, add half of the oil to the insert of the Instant Pot then add chicken breast. Sauté until browned, then remove and set aside.
  2. Add the sausage, cook, then remove and set aside.
  3. Add remaining oil and sauté the onions, peppers, and celery until soft, then stir in garlic and switch off.
  4. Pour in chicken stock and thoroughly deglaze the insert.
  5. Return the meat along with the remaining ingredients through the cayenne pepper to the insert. Use a spatula to mix well.
  6. Close the lid of the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing, and set to manual pressure / high pressure for 8 minutes.
  7. When finished, perform a quick pressure release (QPR). Carefully remove the insert from the Instant Pot, add the shrimp, and cover so the residual heat cooks the shrimp for about 6-8 minutes.
series of instant pot jambalaya cooking inside instant pot inner pot
process shots of instant pot jambalaya including raw ingredients

Tips For Success

  • Deglaze the insert with stock before cooking the rice.
  • Don’t layer the ingredients for this Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe. I tried layering with the rice and tomato added last and it did not work; half the rice was uncooked.
  • Make sure to do a Quick Pressure Release (QPR). I tried a natural pressure release and the bottom layer of rice was almost burnt (but edible).
  • Do not use frozen shrimp. Use fresh, defrosted, or already grilled (see the variations section) shrimp for this recipe.
  • Reduce the amount of Creole seasoning if you prefer less spice.
  • The cooking time listed does not include time for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
zoomed out overhead shot of instant pot jambalaya in a bowl with shrimps on top

Recipe Variations

  • Vary the Sausage – Andouille sausages are preferred but go with any smoked sausage you have. Picante chorizo is a great choice, even though not authentic.
  • Use cooked shrimp to make it easier and quicker, just stir in cooked or grilled shrimp at the end and serve.
  • Change the Seasoning – swap in Cajun seasoning instead of Creole for a delicious flavor variation.

Prep Ahead and Storage

  • Prep Ahead – chop onions, peppers, and celery a day before and store in the fridge until needed.
  • Storage – keep in airtight containers inside the fridge for about 5 days.
  • Freeze – if planning to freeze cooked jambalaya do not add the shrimp. Divide into freezer-safe storage containers or zip-top bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Then defrost, reheat and add in cooked shrimp just before serving.

Serving Suggestions

FAQs

What is the Difference Between Jambalaya and Gumbo?

While jambalaya and gumbo are similar, gumbo also uses okra and filé powder (made from the leaves of the sassafras tree) and is served over white rice.

instant pot jambalaya in a white bowl on a light countertop

More Southern Recipes You’ll Like

Weight Watchers Points

If you use calorie-controlled cooking spray instead of oil, there are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

Thank you for reading my Jambalaya Instant Pot recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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overhead view of instant pot jambalaya with shrimp on top served in a white bowl
Print Recipe
4.75 from 8 votes

Instant Pot Jambalaya

Make this classic comfort food dish in the convenience of your Instant Pot.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, southern
Servings: 8
Calories: 388kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (225g) andouille sausages can be replaced with other smoky sausage or chorizo
  • 1 pound (450g) boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion peeled and chopped
  • 2 peppers bell, deseeded and chopped
  • 2 celery stalk sliced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 ¾ cups (437ml) chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce optional; if gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari soy sauce
  • 14 ounces (400g) chopped tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
  • 1 ½ cups (280g) rice
  • salt to taste
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ cups (200g) shrimp peeled and deveined
  • Green onions sliced, for garnish

Instructions

  • In sauté mode, add half of the oil to the Instant Pot insert then add chicken breast. Sauté until browned, then remove and set aside.
  • Add the sausage, cook, then remove and set aside.
  • Add remaining oil and sauté the onions, peppers and celery until soft, then stir in garlic and switch off.
  • Pour in chicken stock and thoroughly deglaze the insert.
  • Return the meat and the remainder of the ingredients through the cayenne pepper to the insert and mix well.
  • Close the lid, turn the valve to sealing, set to manual pressure / high pressure for 8 minutes.
  • When finished, perform a quick pressure release (QPR). Carefully remove the insert, add in shrimp and cover to allow the residual heat to cook the shrimp for about 6-8 minutess.
  • Serve garnished with chopped green onions.
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Video

Notes

  • Deglaze the insert with stock before cooking the rice.
  • While layering ingredients is a popular Instant Pot technique, skip it for this recipe. I tried layering with the rice and tomato on last and it did not work; half the rice was uncooked.
  • Make sure to do a Quick Pressure Release (QPR). I tried a natural pressure release and the bottom layer of rice was almost burnt (but edible).
  • Do not use frozen shrimp. Use fresh, defrosted, or already grilled (see the variations section) shrimp for this recipe.
  • Reduce the amount of Creole seasoning if you prefer less spice.
  • Cooking time listed does not include time for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
  • Storage – keep in an airtight container inside the fridge for about 5 days.
  • If you use calorie-controlled cooking spray instead of oil, there are 7 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints per serving.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 795mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 530IU | Vitamin C: 33.7mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2.5mg

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Recipe Rating




13 Comments

  1. The recipe is delicious (I’ve made it twice!), but I have to say that cooking this on high pressure for 8 minutes does not cook the rice all the way. I have to cook this for at least 20 minutes for the rice to be cooked all the way through.

  2. This is delicious! I’m just wondering what the serving size is for one serving?
    Thanks for the delicious jambalaya

  3. 4 stars
    I had a burn issue also. I ended up adding over a cup more chicken stock and it never made it to pressure, it was just boiling, each time it came up burn. We will make again and use more stock and less spice

  4. 4 stars
    After I finished sauté and deglazed the pot, added rest of ingredients and closed it up, my Instant Pot kept displaying “burn.” I had to open several times and scrape the bottom. I ended up adding 3 more cups of liquid before it would finish cooking. I have one of the newer pots, which requires a little more liquid. It smells awesome. Can’t wait for dinner.

  5. 5 stars
    Love jambalaya and using the Instant Pot! I need to add this to my list of recipes to try! This looks so delicious.

  6. 5 stars
    This sounds so good! I really really am having Instant Pot envy as your recipe looks so tasty and I know it would be a real hit in our house!

  7. 5 stars
    So, what’s the chance you deliver…? Seriously, this recipe and the pics made my tummy growl 🙂