This Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe was adapted from an authentic jambalaya recipe with spicy andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp, and rice. Flavored with Louisiana spices and cooked to perfection, it’s a delicious one pot meal that can be made in the pressure cooker or on the stovetop. Great for an easy dinner on busy weeknights or a special occasion!
[This post was first published in February 2017 and was one of the first original and authentic Instant Pot Jambalaya recipes! It’s a popular recipe with rave reviews. Read the reviews at the bottom of this post.]
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Table of Contents
Introduction to Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a Cajun recipe that originated in Louisiana. It’s a one pot rice dish consisting of meat (pork or chicken), seafood (shrimp, crab, or crawfish), and a spicy sausage called andouille (pronounced aahn-doo-wee).
There are two types of Jambalaya: Creole or red jambalaya, which includes tomatoes, and Cajun or brown jambalaya, which is made without tomatoes.
Creole cuisine originated in the city of New Orleans, while Cajun food is traditionally associated with the French Acadian people who settled the swamps of southwest Louisiana.
This easy jambalaya recipe includes tomatoes and is derived from an authentic jambalaya recipe from a cookbook I’ve had in my possession forever, but I can’t recall when or where I got it!
It’s a tiny little cookbook a bit larger than a smartphone, written by chef Austin Leslie of the famed New Orleans restaurant Chez Helene, which closed in the 1990s.
I adapted this recipe for the Instant Pot and prefer this one pot pressure cooker jambalaya recipe over the stove top version! But I do provide the stove top instructions too.
Back when I first published this recipe, it was the only one. And it’s the real deal. This is the best Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe you’ll find! Read the reviews at the bottom of this post to see how popular this recipe is.
Learn more about your Instant Pot…
- Natural vs Quick Release: What are the different types of steam release and when should you use them?
- Instant Pot Tips and FAQs: What are some of the most commonly asked questions about the Instant Pot?
- Instant Pot Not Sealing: Why is your Instant Pot not sealing and what can you do to fix it?
- Common Instant Pot Problems: What are the most common problems encountered by Instant Pot users and how to solve them.
- Instant Pot Sous Vide: If you have a Sous Vide button on your Instant Pot, learn how to use it for perfectly cooked foods.
Make this one-pot Instant Pot jambalaya for a quick weeknight meal or when you’re entertaining. It’s perfect not just for Mardi Gras, but for any time of year.
Try These Creole and Cajun Instant Pot Recipes…
- Gumbo is a Cajun stew with chicken, shrimp and sausage that is a popular and hearty recipe. It’s thickened with okra and a dark roux and traditionally served over rice. Gumbo and jambalaya are the two most popular Cajun dishes.
- Etouffee is a Cajun seafood recipe that is another popular recipe in New Orleans. It’s traditionally made with crawfish cooked in a blonde roux, but my version has shrimp.
- Instant Pot red beans and rice has andouille sausage, ham bone, and red beans. It tastes like it’s simmered on the stove all day, but the Instant Pot makes it so easy! It’s one of my favorite recipes to make.
- Cajun chicken pasta is pasta with a Cajun twist. It’s like a jambalaya made with pasta! It’s a one-pot creamy pasta with chicken and sausage that’s really easy to make.
Tips to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya
Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp
This Instant Pot jambalaya is made with chicken, andouille sausage, and shrimp. However, you can use chicken alone, or make chicken and sausage jambalaya by omitting the shrimp.
You could also make a seafood jambalaya – the options are endless!
Shrimp: Peel and devein the shrimp. Peeling ensures that the spices penetrate the shrimp.
Chicken: I love how tender chicken thighs turn out in the Instant Pot. And nothing beats their flavor. However, if you’re not a fan, feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breast. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Sausage: Andouille is a spicy smoked Cajun sausage. If you don’t have access to it, substitute it with Spanish chorizo or Polish kielbasa. I recommend that you use smoked sausage, not raw sausage.
Cooking the Shrimp
It might seem unusual to add the raw shrimp at the end and allow it to cook in the residual heat of the jambalaya. But this is something I discovered through trial and error and find it works well and the shrimp don’t get overcooked or tough.
Rub Creole seasoning over the uncooked shrimp and set aside while the rice is cooking, and stir in the shrimp at the end. Close the Instant Pot lid and allow the shrimp to cook in the residual heat.
Try to work quickly and add the shrimp as soon as the pressure goes down. You don’t want too much heat to escape because the shrimp needs to cook in the residual heat.
When you put the lid on, you might have trouble getting it to close. Put the steam release handle/button/switch in the Vent position and it should close easily. After closing the lid, put the steam release back into Seal. It might seal back up (i.e. the float valve may come up) and that’s okay. The shrimp is just going to steam in the rice.
If you have extra-large or jumbo-sized shrimp, you’ll need to let the shrimp sit in the covered Instant Pot for an extra 3 to 5 minutes. If you have smaller shrimp you may be able to decrease the amount of time.
If you prefer, you can saute the shrimp at the beginning when you’re sauteing the sausage and chicken and add it in once the rice has cooked.
In that case, do a natural release of pressure for 10 to 15 minutes after the rice is done pressure cooking. Then release any remaining pressure by moving the steam release to Venting position.
Different Types of Rice
The rice for this recipe is regular long-grain white rice or basmati rice. If you’d like to use jasmine rice, cook it for 5 minutes.
Brown rice requires a longer cook time (approximately 22 to 24 minutes), so your meats and vegetables may get a bit overcooked. Many of my readers use brown rice and do it this way. See the FAQ section for more options.
Seasonings
You can substitute Creole spice with Cajun spice. You can also add more or less seasoning than I’ve suggested. The quantity of salt you need will depend on the quantity and type of Cajun or Creole spices you use.
Go easy on the salt if you use more seasoning and/or the Creole or Cajun seasoning is very salty!
Stock / Broth
This recipe calls for chicken stock but you may want to try out my Instant Pot Shrimp Stock. It adds another dimension of flavor and it’s so easy to make. You already have the shrimp shells, so why not make some stock with them?
Shallots
Many people don’t like the taste of raw onions, and that’s the case with one of my children. So I often omit the shallots. The jambalaya tastes great either way.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
FAQS
Jambalaya and gumbo are both from Louisiana and have some similar spices. However, gumbo is more of a soup or stew and is served over some rice, while jambalaya is primarily a rice dish.
To make it spicier, add some cayenne pepper. You could add more Creole spice, but watch out for the salt. You can also serve it with tabasco sauce or other hot sauce on the side.
You have a few options:
– Substitute brown rice for long-grain rice and cook for about 24 minutes. Brown rice cooks for much longer than white rice, so the meats and vegetables could get a bit overcooked. However, many of my readers do it and like it.
– Use parboiled brown rice, and increase the original cooking time by a couple of minutes.
– Another option is to reduce the quantity of liquid in the recipe, pressure cook everything but the rice for a couple of minutes, and stir in cooked brown rice at the end.
Yes, you can double the recipe. Keep the cooking time the same.
Different models and sizes of pressure cookers can vary. If you find your rice is undercooked, add some more liquid and cook for a few extra minutes. Next time add an extra tablespoon or two of liquid and pressure cook for 2 extra minutes.
Use a smoked sausage such as kielbasa, smoked chorizo, or a brand like Aidell’s chicken sausage.
You can try using jasmine rice instead of long grain white rice. Reduce the cooking time by one to two minutes.
Ensure you deglaze and scrape the bottom of the pot well before pressure cooking. Also, don’t stir the rice or tomatoes. Add them on top and gently press down to ensure the rice is submerged. If you’re still having issues, increase the liquid by ¼ cup. Find out how to avoid the burn notice.
Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe – Ingredients
- Shrimp
- Andouille sausage
- Chicken
- Uncooked rice
- Red and/or green bell pepper
- Tomato
- Onion
- Celery
- Broth
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Parsley
- Bay leaves
- Worcestershire sauce
- Creole or Cajun spice
- Salt
- Shallots (missing from photo)
Full recipe instructions and details are below in the recipe card.
How to Make Authentic Jambalaya in the Instant Pot
- Season shrimp
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute sausage
- Saute chicken
- Saute vegetables
- Add the chicken, sausage, tomato, and rice
- Pressure cook
- Quick-release pressure
- Stir in Shrimp
- Garnish with parsley
Season Shrimp
- Thaw and thoroughly dry the shrimp with a paper towel.
- Rub creole spices all over the shrimp and reserve.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Sausage
- Once it has preheated, add oil to the inner pot and let it heat up.
- Add sausage slices and cook until browned, about 6 minutes.
- If the sausage browns too quickly, press Cancel until the Instant Pot cools down a bit, and press the Saute button again. Deglaze the bottom of the pot as needed with a tablespoon of broth.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage slices to a plate.
Saute Chicken
- Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Deglaze as needed.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Press Cancel to turn off the heat if the Instant Pot is too hot, and turn it back on when it’s cooled down a bit.
- Now add the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine (onions, bell peppers, celery) and garlic.
Saute Vegetables
- Saute vegetables until the onion is translucent. The liquid released from the vegetables should be enough to deglaze the pan. If it’s not, add a few tablespoons of broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot and incorporate the brown bits. The bottom of the pot should be completely clean.
- Add thyme, Creole seasoning, salt, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to coat for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in broth and bay leaves.
Add Chicken, Sausage, Tomato, and Rice
- Stir in the reserved chicken and sausage.
- Add the tomatoes and gently spread them out with a spatula. Don’t stir.
- Add the rice and gently push down with a spatula till covered with broth. Don’t stir the rice mixture.
Program the Instant Pot and release pressure
- Close the lid.
- Program the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 7:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a quick release of pressure. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
Stir in Shrimp
- Open the lid and add in shrimp.
- Using a spatula, stir up the rice mixture and nestle the shrimp in the rice.
- Try to work quickly so too much steam doesn’t escape.
Garnish with Parsley
- Close the Instant Pot and allow the shrimp to finish cooking in the residual heat. If you have trouble closing the lid, move the steam release to the Vent position.
- After 10 minutes, open the Instant Pot and add parsley. Gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- Let the jambalaya rest (lid open) for 5 to 8 minutes before serving
- Serve with hot sauce on the side.
How to Make One Pot Jambalaya on the Stove
- Season the shrimp with the creole seasoning and reserve.
- Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the sausage and chicken separately, and remove.
- Saute the onions, bell peppers, and celery until the onions are translucent. Saute garlic until fragrant.
- Add the spices and saute briefly. Deglaze the bottom of the pan.
- Return the meats to the pot. Stir in the broth and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. You’ll need to add an extra cup of broth compared to the Instant Pot version of the recipe.
- Add in the rice.
- Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Don’t stir again.
- Let the rice simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
- Add the shrimp to the rice and allow the shrimp to cook through.
- Once the shrimp is cooked, open the pot and garnish.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 lb. shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning or to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 oz. Andouille sausage (340 grams) cut into ½ inch slices
- 12 oz. boneless skinless chicken thighs (340 grams) cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste *
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (3 cups for stovetop version)
or homemade Instant Pot Shrimp Stock
- 2 small bay leaves or 1 large
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes (411 grams)
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped, to garnish
- ½ cup shallots thinly sliced – optional
- hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Dry shrimp with a paper towel, rub with 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning and set aside.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press 'Saute' and add oil to inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is hot, add the sausage and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. If the sausage browns too quickly, press ‘Cancel’ until the Instant Pot cools down a bit and press the ‘Saute’ button again. Deglaze as needed with a tablespoon of broth.
- Add chicken to the inner pot, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the bowl containing the sausage, and set aside. If the chicken browns too quickly, press ‘Cancel’ until the Instant Pot cools down a bit and press the ‘Saute’ button again. Deglaze as needed with a tablespoon of broth.
- Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir until onion is translucent. The liquid released from the vegetables should be enough to deglaze the pan. If it's not, add a tablespoon or more of broth to deglaze.
- Add thyme, remaining Creole seasoning, salt, worcestershire sauce and stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in chicken broth and bay leaves. Make sure there's nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot – deglaze as needed.
- Stir in the reserved sausage and chicken.
- Add the tomatoes (with the liquid) and spread out with a spatula, but don't stir.
- Add the rice and gently push down with a spatula till immersed in the liquid, but don't stir in.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes. **
- Do a quick release of pressure (QR) and open the lid. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods].
- Carefully stir in shrimp. Take care to not allow too much steam to escape because the shrimp will cook in the residual heat.
- Close the Instant Pot and allow the shrimp to finish cooking in the residual heat for about 10 minutes. Jumbo shrimp may require an additional 5 minutes. If you have trouble closing the lid, move the steam release to 'Vent', close the lid, and move it back to 'Seal'.
- Open the Instant Pot and add parsley. Gently stir the jambalaya. Allow the Instant Pot jambalaya to rest for a few minutes. Garnish with shallots, if using.
- Serve with hot sauce on the side.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the oil and heat until the oil is hot and shimmering.
- Add andouille sausage, and saute until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. Repeat with the chicken.
- Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Add more oil as needed. Stir until onion is translucent. The liquid released from the vegetables should be enough to deglaze the pot. If it's not, add a tablespoon or more of broth to deglaze.
- Add thyme, remaining Creole seasoning, salt, worcestershire sauce and stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, bay leaves, reserved meats, and diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add rice to the pot. Stir just until combined and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cover. Don’t stir again.
- Let the rice simmer for 25 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. If you find it sticking, add some more broth.
- Add the seasoned shrimp to the rice, stirring gently so that the shrimp is nestled in the rice. Allow the shrimp to cook through (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Once the shrimp is cooked, open the pot and sprinkle with parsley and shallots (optional). Serve with hot sauce on the side.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. cut up chicken, chopped onion, etc.
- * Quantity of salt will depend on your Cajun seasoning. If it’s more salty, go easy on the extra salt.
- ** I find that 7 minutes is perfect. However, some people find the rice to be undercooked at 7 minutes. This could be due to variations in pressure cooker models and brands of rice. Modify the recipe to add an extra 2 minutes to the cooking time if you experience this.
- If you prefer, you can very briefly saute the shrimp at the beginning and remove. I find that adding the raw shrimp at the end allows the juices to get absorbed by the rice, without the shrimp drying out.
- This recipe has been modified from the original publication version: tomatoes and rice are layered on top without stirring in to avoid the Burn Message.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips. You don’t want to miss any!
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Dee Mellinger
I did a Google search to find a jambalaya recipe for our Instant Pot and chose this one. SO glad I did. It is spot on and fabulous. A definite “keeper” in our kitchen!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Dee – thank you for your kind words. I’m happy to help!
Katie C
My Instant Pot will be here Wednesday and I am so excited! Your jambalaya recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it. If I wanted to make this without the tomatoes, should I add extra broth? If so, how much? Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Katie – I think you might be fine without the extra broth, but you can add maybe 2 extra tablespoons if you wanted to be safe. Good luck!
Mike
I tried this recipe last night and had the same problem some of the previous comments mentioned… it burned on the bottom of the pot and didn’t cook. I always try to read the comments before trying a new recipe, and I have had this same problem a couple of times before on other recipes, so I was careful to check the seal and to deglaze the bottom of the pot before I started the pressure cooking faze. I watched the pot while it was trying to pressurize and the vent never sealed before starting the countdown. After 7 minutes I did a “Quick Release”, and of course there was no pressure to release. The bottom of the pot was burned, so I scraped it clean with a wooden spoon again, then added another cup of broth and tried it again… same result. I finally finished it on the stove… very good, even though the rice was a little too wet. I checked other Instant Pot Jambalaya recipes and found one where the author of the recipe said he had the same problem until he remembered from prior recipes that rice absorbs water very fast, so he dropped the rice to from 1.5 cups to 1 cup, deglazed with 1 cup white wine then added 2 cups of broth before starting the “Manual” phase and it came out fine I’m going to try this recipe again in a couple of weeks because it was so good, but this time I’m going to sautee the ingredients in a pan on the stove and add more liquid to the pot… I’m thinking that the pot was so hot from the sautee phase that it caused the rice to absorb all the liquid so it burned the rice on the bottom before it could pressurize?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Mike – thanks for such a detailed comment! I’ve been trying to ask other commenters what type of Instant Pot they have when they post this problem, but have had a hard time hearing back from them! It’s a fairly new problem that’s come up recently. I think it has something to do with the model of Instant Pot, maybe? I make this recipe often and I know many who’ve made it with no problem. I’m a bit stumped as to why some people have issues. It’s a shame that you’d have to saute on the stove.
If you don’t mind answering some questions, I’d love to know:
– did you rinse the rice?
– what type of rice did you use?
– did you add the tomato with liquid?
– What model do you have – by chance an 8 quart?
Mike
Didn’t rinse the rice; used long grain white rice; added the liquid with the tomatoes; can’t find anything on the Instant Pot that says what size it is (gift from one of my daughters a couple of years ago), but it takes 16 cups (4 qts) to get to the “Max” full mark (unless my measuring cup is wrong–the marks for cups on the inside of the Instant Pot doesn’t agree with my measuring cup!). I do know that the chicken and rice recipe I use calls for 3 cups of broth for 1.5 cups of rice, and it comes out fine–the more I thought about it though, with the bottom of the pot so hot from the sautee phase, it would make sense that because rice absorbs water so fast when you introduce heat that it might cause it to burn on the bottom before it can pressurize. Maybe with a bigger pot the ingredients are more spread out, allowing the broth to penetrate to the bottom faster. I do know that the pot was so full (not to the “Max” mark, but about ¾ full) that the liquid seemed to be absorbing as I put it in. So you know, I did everything according to the recipe, including weighing the chicken and sausage on a scale—I don’t think it’s fair to the author of a recipe to tweak the recipe and then rate it, so I always try to do it according to the original recipe the first time, then tweak it to my own preferences later. I don’t know—strange that it came out perfect for so many and not for others… but it was really good anyway!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hey Mike – It sounds like you might have a point. If you’d be willing to try it again, you can try the following changes:
– add spices to onion celery mixture but not rice. Turn off IP
– deglaze
– add broth, meats, bay leaves, worcestershire and stir
– then add tomatoes with liquid, and rice but don’t stir; just push down so rice is submerged
– pressure cook as usual
You could, in addition, rinse the rice and increase your liquid by 1/4 cup if you don’t want to take any chances! Also, it sounds like you have the 6 quart which is what I use for this recipe. And the Instant Pot cup measurement is for the Asian rice measurements which are different. Thanks again for taking the time to comment and I’d love to hear back if you end up making it again.
Mike
Thanks for the swift advice (and for the info about the cup marks on the inside of the pot–I’ve been scratching my head trying to figure out why my measuring cups don’t equal the ones in the pot)…I’ll try your suggestions when I try the recipe again in a couple of weeks… I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Mike Jones
3/5/18: Well, I got an 8 qt Instant Pot as a birthday present. This is the first recipe I’ve made in it and I was anxious to see if making the changes you suggested would eliminate the burn factor. I decided to do the browning and sautéing in my cast iron skillet so the Instant Pot would be cool when I put the rice in, and I added a little more chicken broth. Came out great… delicious! The only problem I had with your suggestions was the 8 qt is so large that if you don’t stir the rice in it’s sitting high & dry—so I had to stir it—but it didn’t matter because it came out fine.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Ahhh, I think one of the things you did right was sauteing in the skillet and that may have helped eliminate the burn issue. However, that kind of defeats the purpose of the Instant Pot multi cooker feature, where you’re supposed to do it all in one pot, right? See if this works next time – try and saute in the IP, turn it off and let it cool down – even remove the inner pot so it cools down quicker. I borrowed a friend’s newer 8 quart and this is the one change I made and didn’t get the burn error – I too stirred everything in. I also made sure I completely deglazed really well. Each IP seems to have its own personality 🙂
Mike
I really don’t get too hung up about doing it all in “one pot”… if you sauté it in the skillet you don’t have to wait for the Instant Pot to cool down—but I understand that you have a lot of readers out there who want to do it all in one pot. After the experience I had back in January with my 5 qt Instant Pot, I figured the problem was either the Instant Pot was too hot when I put in the rice, or it burned on the bottom and didn’t cook on the top because it was so full in the little 5 qt pot, or there wasn’t enough liquid. So, I decided if I sautéed everything in the skillet and it still burned, then that would eliminate the “hot pot’ theory. Also, I added a little more broth this time and it came out a little wetter than I would have preferred (which settled the question in my mind of whether it burned last time because there wasn’t enough liquid), so I think next time I’ll go with the original recipe recommended amount of liquid. It sure was good…everyone loved it and the leftovers were just as good if not better… great recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great – that was my experience as well. I’ve been testing out the recipe in new models and I found that letting it cool down made a huge difference. I’ll be posting a blog post in the next couple of days about the burn.
david
for the tomatoes with liquid, do i pour the liquid in the pot too or do i strain? thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi David – thanks for your question; yes, you’ll pour in the liquid too.
Barb
Just curious, Howe would you adjust time if I used parboiledlong grain rice?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Barb, I’ve never used parboiled rice in the Instant Pot so I can’t say for sure, but I’ve heard from people that they cook parboiled rice on the ‘Rice’ setting (which is LOW pressure) for 10 minutes. If you try it out, do let me know how it works out for you.
Janet
Unfortunately this was my first Instant Pot fail…..sort of. It turned out alright in the end. My pot would not come up to pressure. I made certain there was nothing stuck to the bottom of the pot before sealing it up. I think there was just not enough liquid for this recipe. For the first time ever, my pot starting counting down the time without being at pressure. I opened it up, stirred it up and closed it again. Again, it would not come to pressure. So, I tasted the rice. It seemed 90% done so I stirred in the shrimp, put the lid on and set the timer for 10 minutes. Everything was done, the rice and shrimp were perfect and the spice was spot on. We loved it! However, I think next time I’ll just follow the recipe to adding the rice and liquid, put it all in a large covered casserole dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. Also, it took far more than 15 minutes to prep this recipe and I’m very efficient in the kitchen. This struck me as one of those recipes where each step would go quickly so I chopped, diced and measured everything in preparation. I would guess I spent more like 45 minutes prepping everything and sauteeing the sausage and chicken and veggies. Still, worth it though to get this authentic flavor. We loved it! Just beware that your pot may not come to pressure unless you add more liquid. Hubby grew up in New Orleans and totally approved this recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Janet – I’m glad you liked the flavor, but sorry you had trouble with sealing for the first time! I just made this a couple of weeks ago for my family following the exact recipe. Since you said the pot was deglazed, I agree with you that you probably didn’t have enough liquid. It’s really hard to troubleshoot individual cases because there can be so many variables e.g. the type of rice (I generally use basmati), if part of liquid was used to deglaze the pot and hence evaporated, if any of the ingredients were substituted or maybe reduced in quantity (e.g. since vegetables release some liquid). Feel free to either respond here or through my contact page if you want to troubleshoot further. I’d love it if you were to have success with this recipe in the IP 🙂 Regarding the prep time, please see my about page on how I calculate prep time for the sake of consistency (i.e. the ingredient list determines the prep time) Thank you for taking the time to comment in detail, and I’m especially glad a Louisianan liked it!
Chris
Just made this recipe and it came out perfect. If I wanted to add scallops when would be the best time to add them ?
Also, if I added the scallops I would remove the chicken. Would I need to make any adjustments to the recipe?
Thank you for this wonderful dish!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Chris, I’ve had readers cook the scallops separately and add in at the end. If you’re omitting the chicken you can leave the cook time as is. If you’re up for experimenting, you could try this: pressure cook the rice and other ingredients for 5 minutes, do a quick release, add in the scallops (seared or just spice-rubbed) and pressure cook for 2 minutes, quick release. Do let me know if what you end up trying. And thanks for the comment 🙂
Joyce Walker
This was amazing! My favorite instant pot recipe to date! Thank you thank you
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Joyce – thanks for letting me know; your comment is much-appreciated 🙂 !
Carla Spence
Loved it! Great recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Carla – thank you!
Brenda
I made this tonight, but i only had jasmine rice. Rice turned out mushy. Husband doesn’t like mushy food, but he stull went for seconds, so i guess thats a good sign. Lol. I think the liquid i had was more than your pictures because of the canned tomatoes, which probably vary in their liquid-to-tomato ratio. Next time i would use fresh tomatoes.
Also, after using the instant pot a few time now, instant pot invariably does not mean instant prepare. Took me forever to peel and devein 40 shrimp.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Brenda, Jasmine rice does quick faster than other rice like Basmati. So if you were to do it again, you’ll want to decrease cooking time by 2 minutes. Yes, the Instant Pot is not Instant 🙂 I buy the deveined shrimp – too much work otherwise! But isn’t it great to not have to watch over the pot on the stove? That’s the biggest benefit, for me at least. Good point about the tomatoes – never thought of that! Thanks for checking in.
Caroline
Could I use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs? I can’t wait to make this dish!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yes, Caroline, you sure can – hope you enjoy it!
Connie Wells
Just bought my IP, still in the box. I have left over rice and some chicken thighs to cook, as well as shrimp and andouille sausage on hand. So went searching for a recipe. Came to the right place. But my rice is already cooked, so just need to reheat, how much chicken broth do I use so this recipe won’t be too wet, as described in previous comments?,
My husband was very skeptical when I brought in yet another appliance…So I am out to prove its versatility in making quality, tasty meals. Many thanks for the tutorials and recipes.
Connie
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Connie, I haven’t tried this so I can’t guarantee that you won’t have some extra liquid, but I would go through all steps except: omit rice and replace 2 cups broth with 1/2 cup broth, cook for 4 minutes, release pressure, open, stir in shrimp and cooked rice, close the Instant Pot and let shrimp finish cooking and let rice absorb some of the liquid. However, I recommend that your first dish (to prove the IP to your hubby 🙂 ) be an exact recipe, since the Instant Pot can require some precision.
Bill Pouelson
Hi
I left a comment yesterday about gumbo using tomatoes. I am going to do
your recipe without the tomatoes I am also going to do your recipe for
jambalaya also with out the tomatoes. I would like to cook a little more authentic
down to earth real food. I like the simpleness of the cajun way. By using the instant pot
I can get results quicker. When I started to cook I always did Italian. Real fresh
ingredients and not to complicated. So here goes will let you know how it all turns out
Bill
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yes, please do let me know how it goes. Enjoy!
Becky Purvis
I just found your blog this evening and now it’s the middle of the night and I’m still reading recipes and drooling over your Jambalaya and New Orleans Gumbo. Holy Cow! Do they ever look good!!! I’m as happy as the next cook to have one-pot, easy meals, but there’s also days that call for the kind of dinner that uses lots of ingredients and plenty of work. There is something truly wonderful about sitting down for dinner with people you love and offering them the fruits of your labor. I hope you don’t think I’m being sacrilegious if I say that it comes close to being a family sacrament.
My husband and I discovered that we enjoy cooking together and I’m pretty sure, southern boy that he is, that he’ll be very excited to try this! Our sons will be equally happy to come over and help us eat it. LOL!
Thank you for sharing your recipes and the lovely write ups that go along with them. I’m looking forward to trying many of them out and enjoying your blog!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Becky, thank you for the kind words! I am so glad you’ve found me and I hope you get a chance to try out the recipes. You’re right – cooking a meal for the family and eating together is a very special thing. Sounds like you’ve got your priorities in the right place!
Ginna B.
When I make this on the stove top, I always start with a roux (and yes, it takes forever and a day). Is there a way to do it in the instant pot? I’d love to try this recipe, but I really love the roux, too. Is there a way to do this?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Ginna – so I do use a roux for my Gumbo recipe. And I have no problem with doing that as long as I add enough water as described in the recipe. My concern about using a roux for the jambalaya is that you’re also adding in rice and that is starchy and will also absorb most of the liquid which might cause your roux to scorch on the bottom. If you add extra water, you’ll have a wet jambalaya which may not be ideal! My only other suggestion would be use the gumbo technique and make the jambalaya and rice separately and then mix together at the end?
Amy K.
Very flavorful and tasty recipe! Thank you!
I am surpised mine turned out as well as it did because my pot didn’t come to pressure! My rice stuck/burnt to the bottom. I stirred and scraped the bottom to free up the rice, then tried again for 2 more minutes (didn’t add anything since there was still liquid). Still didn’t come to pressure, but rice was cooked, it was just a wet jambalaya. So it essentially simmer for 20-30 minutes. Tasted delicious and my husband loved it. Any thoughts on how to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom? Do you always stir, or perhaps I could layer and keep the rice and tomatoes higher in the pot to prevent them from sticking. Do you rinse your rice?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hey Amy, I’m sorry the rice stuck but glad you ended up salvaging it! I’ve never had my rice stick to the bottom when I make this jambalaya. Could it be that you didn’t deglaze enough? It’s important that the bottom of the pot is clear of stuck meat or food before you begin cooking. To answer your questions: I don’t rinse my rice for this recipe (but do rinse when I make plain rice). I do stir everything together before pressure cooking. Hope you give it a try again with better luck. Thanks for commenting!
Amy K.
To be honest, there was a lot of liquid in the bottom after sauteing, so the only declaring needed was after the sausage, and the chicken juices took carr of that. Do you saute on high or medium? I started with medium for the sausage, but bumped it up to high at the end of the chicken, maybe that had things too hot. I’ll definitely give it another try…its so good. Eating leftovers for lunch, as we speak.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Amy, if you deglazed and you had plenty of water, then I feel your IP didn’t reach pressure because of how your sealing ring was sitting? Maybe just a one-off? I usually use medium for saute setting.
Have you seen my post about the IP not sealing? Keep in touch!
Madonna Ysais
Interestingly enough, I ran into the same issue where the IP didn’t come to pressure. Strange. This is the first time after making several dishes in IP that this has happened. I checked the sealing ring and don’t see any issue.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Madonna – that is strange. I can’t figure out why that would happen. When you cook the same rice plain, what ratio of rice:water do you use? I feel it’s the quantity of liquid, which for whatever reason is less for you than for me and others. If you try it again, increase the broth to 2 1/4. Sorry you had trouble 🙁
Elizabeth
Hi there! This looks delicious! If I omit the shrimp, do I still need to let the pot sit for 10 mins after the quick release?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Elizabeth, if you omit the shrimp just do a 10 minute NPR (i.e. Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure manually.) Hope you enjoy the recipe. I just made it last week – very yummy! 🙂
JIM
Hello,
I want to first state that you really know how to write a recipe. Very refreshing.
So much so, that I will make this shortly for a bunch (12) of golf guys on a trip to the Outer Banks.
My only question is, was the andouille already cooked? I have the option of both.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Jim – thanks so much for the very kind words. I do use cooked andouille but I think you will be fine with either, since you’re sauteing small pieces. A word of advice – if you’re making a large quantity, you might need to do it in two batches since you don’t want to go over the 1/2 mark for rice. Not sure what size Instant Pot you have. Enjoy your trip – great place to visit!
deena
This sounds awesome, however I don’t eat rice. I know crazy right? So without rice would I adjust the cooking time? If so to what?
Thanks so much!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Deena! If you kept all the ingredients (and size of cut) the same, you can cook for about 4 minutes on high pressure. You might want to reduce the broth quantity if you don’t want it to be too soupy. Maybe serve with cauliflower rice? Thanks for your comment.
Beatrice
Made this today: Fast and flavorful, turned out perfect. I have been using a slow-cooker jambalaya recipe for a few years, but now that I have an Insta Pot I wanted to switch. This was on point and will replace my slow-cooker recipe to be in my regular rotation. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Beatrice – thanks for your comment! I hardly use my slow cooker anymore. And I don’t use the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot either. For the most part, every slow cooker recipe can be pressure cooked. So much faster and no need to clean multiple pots either. Check out the gumbo recipe I just posted, you might like that one too.