Name: Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 12 ounces Andouille sausage (sliced); 1 cup onion (diced); 1 cup green bell peppers (diced); 1 cup celery (diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cubed); 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning; 2 cups chicken stock (or cold water); 1 bay leaf; 2 cups jasmine rice (well rinsed of excess starch); 14 ounce canned diced tomatoes; Green onions (optional)

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Instant Pot Jambalaya is an easy pressure cooker rice dish that’s full of flavor. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make on a busy weeknight.

Bowl of homemade jambalaya next to Instant Pot on table.

This one-pot meal has all the usual ingredients of traditional jambalaya like tender chicken and smoked sausage along with the holy trinity and homemade creole seasoning for a flavorful meal.

You’ll feel like you’re dining in New Orleans for Mardi Gras when you sit down with a bowl of creole jambalaya at dinner time. Best of all, you can make a great meal for your family in less time than it would take to order from a restaurant.

Next time you want a delicious meal that can be made in a short amount of time, give this simple recipe a try.

Table Of Contents

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces of sliced Andouille sausage
1 cup of diced onion
1 cup of diced green bell peppers
1 cup of diced celery
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 pound of cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning
2 cups of chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 cups of rinsed jasmine rice
14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
Green onions

Equipment

Knife
Cutting Board
Measuring cups and spoons
Fine mesh strainer
Mixing spoon
Instant Pot

By the Numbers: How to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya

Learn how to make flavorful Jambalaya in your Instant Pot in this cajun dinner recipe.

Step 1: Cook Sausage

Press the Saute function button on your Instant Pot then add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the inner pot. Once warm, cook 12 ounces of sausage slices until they’re lightly browned on both sides.

Andouille sausage slices being sautéed in Instant Pot inner pot.

Step 2: Add Holy Trinity Vegetables

Next, add 1 cup of diced onion, 1 cup of diced green bell pepper and 1 cup of diced celery to the pot with the sausage and cook for about 2 minutes.

Green bell pepper, celery and onion being sautéed with Andouille sausage in Instant Pot inner pan.

Step 3: Add Garlic and Chicken

Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and 2 pounds of chicken breast cubes to the pot, then cook everything for about a minute and turn off the heat.

Chopped chicken added to Instant Pot inner pot with Andouille sausage, green bell pepper, celery, onion and garlic.

Step 4: Add Cajun Seasoning

Add 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning to the ingredients in your Instant Pot, then give everything a really good stir to make sure it’s well combined.

Cajun seasoning being stirred into chicken and sausage jambalaya mixture in Instant Pot inner pan.

Step 5: Add Stock & Deglaze Pot

Once that’s done, stir in 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 bay leaf. While you’re stirring, use your wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot so there are no browned bits or anything stuck to it. It’s important that you do not skip deglazing the pot or you may get a burn notice.

Chicken stock and bay leaf being stirred into the rest of the Instant Pot Jambalaya ingredients before being pressure cooked.

Step 6: Layer in Rice

After the pot is deglazed, sprinkle 2 cups of jasmine rice over the top of the other ingredients. Gently press the rice down under the liquid, but do not stir it.

Jasmine rice added to Instant Pot over jambalaya ingredients.

Step 7: Top with Canned Tomatoes

Finally, pour 1 can of diced tomatoes evenly over the top of the rice (don’t stir anything).

Diced tomatoes poured on top of rice and other jambalaya ingredients.

Step 8: Pressure Cook Jambalaya

Be sure the pressure release valve is in the sealing position. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.

When the cooking time is up, allow for a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then use a quick pressure release to let out the remaining pressure and open the lid.

Instant Pot Jambalaya just after pressure cooking - liquid is fully absorbed into rice.

Step 9: Stir Cooked Jambalaya

After the steam has dissipated, gently stir with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients, but be careful not to break up the rice too much.

Jambalaya being stirred in the Instant Pot with a bamboo spatula.

Step 10: Serve Dinner

Serve your chicken and sausage jambalaya topped with sliced green onions in a bowl for a hearty meal.

Chicken and sausage jambalaya served in white bowl and garnished with sliced green onions.

Tips for Making the Best Instant Pot Jambalaya

Answers to all of your questions about making this tasty dish in your electric pressure cooker, including tips and substitution ideas.

What’s the holy trinity?

In cajun and creole food, you’ll often see a reference to the “holy trinity,” which is simply a combination of green bell peppers, celery and onions. These 3 veggies along with cajun seasoning is what really makes this authentic Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe taste so great.

Do I have to use chicken stock?

I find that using chicken broth instead of water when making rice in the Instant Pot is key to rich flavor. I always use my homemade chicken stock.

You can use filtered water instead, but you’ll lose some of the classic cajun flavor.

Substitute chicken thighs

Chicken thighs have more flavor than breasts and they’re a bit moister. Either cut is delicious in this cajun jambalaya recipe.

Substitute for Andouille Sausage

I know Andouille can be a bit spicy for kids. You want to get that smoky flavor into your jambalaya, so you can use pretty much any smoked sausage in this recipe.

I also find that sometimes chicken andouille sausage isn’t quite as spicy as the traditional version. We always taste it first to make sure the heat isn’t too overpowering.

How to add shrimp

Classic jambalaya does have shrimp in it, but I like the convenience of using just chicken and sausage since we always have some in the freezer.

If you want to add shrimp to your pressure cooker jambalaya, wait until the pressure cooking is done so they don’t end up chewy.

Simply stir raw shrimp into the jambalaya once it’s done pressure cooking.
Place the lid on the pot for 5 minutes to allow the shrimp to cook through using residual heat.
Open the lid, stir and check that the shrimp are cooked.

Alternatively, you can sauté them on the stove top and stir them in at the end, just before serving.

Can basmati rice be substituted for jasmine?

If you don’t have jasmine rice, you can use another long grain white rice. If you use basmati rice, however, I find that it absorbs more liquid than jasmine, so you will likely need to add more chicken stock.

Can brown rice be substituted or white rice?

No, brown rice has a much longer cooking time and the rest of the ingredients would become mushy or chewy if you cooked them for that long.

Is store bought cajun seasoning okay?

Yes, while I always have a quart of my homemade cajun seasoning in the spice cabinet, store bought works well too. Some popular brands are Tony Chachere’s, Louisiana, Slap Ya Mama and Zatarain’s.

If you make this recipe once and it has too much spice for the whole family, choose a cajun seasoning with less heat next time. You can make my cajun seasoning and just add less cayenne pepper if you can’t find one at the grocery store that suits your taste preferences.

What hot sauce goes well with jambalaya?

For extra spicy jambalaya, we use Louisiana Hot Sauce, but pretty much any cayenne pepper hot sauce will taste great.

What to do with leftovers?

If you have any leftover jambalaya, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Need more easy dinner recipes using chicken breasts? Try some of these popular dishes:

How to simplify meal prep?

If you’re struggling with meal prep, I have two suggestions for you. The first is to use a Meal Planner to plan out your meals for the whole month. It also helps keep grocery shopping organized and on budget.

My second tip is to consider online grocery shopping. Buying groceries online takes away a lot of the impulse purchases we make when we go to the store hungry. Plus, since you’re meal planning, you’ll know exactly what you need to order.

I most often do my online shopping with Misfits Market. I love saving produce from the landfills, but if you want more online shopping options, check out my posts on Fresh Produce Delivery and Meat Delivery services.