I adapted this Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe 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 contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.
ℹ️ Introduction to Jambalaya
Nawlins. New Or-linz. New Or-leens. No matter how you pronounce it, if you’ve visited New Orleans, you have to agree that it’s one of the most historic and charming cities in the United States.
I feel it’s a city that everyone should have a chance to visit. I was introduced to New Orleans by a friend when we worked together at my first job right out of college. Mary was born and raised in New Orleans and I now realize how lucky I was to experience New Orleans (including Mardi Gras!) with a local girl.
I’ve been back to New Orleans since those early trips at different stages of my life, with different people, and the city never loses its charm. I just discover new things each time!
Some of my favorite dishes include Jambalaya, Etouffee, Red Beans and Rice, and Gumbo. Jambalaya is a hearty one pot meal made with rice, meat and seafood, similar to Spanish paella.
There are two types of Jambalaya. Creole, which includes tomatoes, and Cajun, which is made without tomatoes.
My version of Jambalaya includes tomatoes and is derived from a cookbook I’ve had in my possession forever, but have no idea when or where I got it!
It’s a tiny little cookbook a bit larger than a smart phone, written by chef Austin Leslie of the famed New Orleans restaurant Chez Helene, which closed in the 1990’s.
Hope you get to try out this Instant Pot Jambalaya. It’s a meal in one that doesn’t really need any side dish. It’s also a great dish to make for a group.
This recipe has over 150 reviews!
Patricia says ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am originally from New Orleans, now living in California. Whenever I need a taste of home, this is my go to recipe. I leave out the tomato and it tastes just like my Cajun grandmother used to make it! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
And this recipe can easily be doubled! See the FAQs below for details.
➡ Looking for more rice recipes? Try my Instant Pot arroz con pollo, Lebanese lentils and rice (mujadara), or Instant Pot fried rice! They are all amazing.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Instant Pot Jambalaya
💡 Cook’s Tips for Jambalaya Recipe
🍖 Proteins: Use chicken, andouille, and shrimp as written, or customize the recipe. Try chicken-only, skip the shrimp, or make it a seafood jambalaya – lots of combinations!
🍗 Chicken: Thighs stay tender and flavorful in the Instant Pot, but chicken breast works too. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
🌭 Sausage: Andouille is traditional, but Spanish chorizo or Polish kielbasa works great. For this recipe, use smoked sausage, not raw, for that essential smoky flavor! Some readers use Aidell’s smoked chicken sausage.
🦐 Shrimp Prep: Always peel and devein shrimp so spices penetrate the meat for maximum flavor.
🫕 Shrimp Cooking Method: The shrimp can be cooked one of two ways: You can rub some Cajun seasoning over the shrimp and set aside for 15 minutes, then briefly saute and add at the end (as stated in the recipe). Or you can stir in the uncooked shrimp at the end and let it cook in residual heat with the Instant Pot covered, just add a couple of extra minutes. The advantage of adding it in at the end is that the shrimp juices get absorbed into the rice and thereís less of chance that the shrimp is dried out.
⚡ Work Fast: It’s important to add shrimp immediately after pressure releases to capture the maximum residual heat. The shrimp will steam perfectly in the hot rice. You may be skeptical, but it really does work!
🔒 Lid Closing Trick: If the Instant Pot lid won’t close after adding shrimp, set the steam release to the Venting position first. Once closed, switch back to Sealing – it may seal up again, and that’s perfectly fine!
📏 Shrimp Size: Extra-large or jumbo shrimp need 3-5 extra minutes in the covered pot. Smaller shrimp may need less time than suggested.
🍳 Alternative Method: Prefer to sauté shrimp with other proteins? Cook it with sausage and chicken at the beginning, do a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes once the rice is done, and add the shrimp in at the end.
🍚 Rice: Use long-grain white rice or basmati for best results. Jasmine rice works too – just cook for 5 minutes instead. Brown rice needs 22-24 minutes but that may overcook your proteins.
🧂 Seasoning: Creole and Cajun spices are interchangeable. Go easy on salt if using extra seasoning or if your spice blend is already salty. Taste and adjust!
🍲 Seafood Stock: Try my Instant Pot Shrimp Stock instead of chicken stock for deeper seafood flavor. You’ll already have shrimp shells – why not use them?
🧅 Shallots: Skip the shallots if anyone in your family dislikes raw onions. The jambalaya tastes amazing either way!
❓ FAQS
Yes, you can double the recipe. Double all ingredients but keep the cooking time the same.
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.
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.
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 food burn Instant Pot message.
⏲️ How to Make Authentic Jambalaya in the Instant Pot
- Thaw and thoroughly dry the shrimp with a paper towel.
- Rub creole spices all over the shrimp and reserve.
- Heat the Instant Pot in Saute mode. 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Open the lid and add in shrimp.
- Using a spatula, stir up the rice mixture and nestle the shrimp in the rice.
- It’s important to work quickly so that too much steam doesn’t escape.
- 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 and then back to Seal after shutting the lid.
- 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 jambalaya on the stovetop
- 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 teaspoon 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 1 lb. shrimp with a paper towel, rub with 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning and set aside.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press 'Saute' and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is hot, add the 12 oz. Andouille 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 12 oz. boneless skinless chicken thighs 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 1 cup onion, 1 cup bell pepper, 1 cup celery, and 1 tablespoon 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 1 teaspoon dried thyme, remaining Creole seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce and stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in 2 cups low sodium chicken broth and 2 small 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 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes (with the liquid) and spread out with a spatula, but don't stir.
- Add the 1 ½ cups long grain white 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 2 tablespoon parsley. Gently stir the jambalaya. Allow the Instant Pot jambalaya to rest for a few minutes. Garnish with ½ cup 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.
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.
Did you know that the best way to support your favorite bloggers is to comment and rate recipes, and share on social media? If you loved this recipe, please comment and give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below. If you’re a pinner, pin this post using the Pin buttons at the top and bottom of this post and in the recipe card above. Thank you for your support!
Lexie says
Would it be safe to double this recipe for the 6 qt? I have a big family lol
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Lexie, the most important thing is not to go over 2/3 full mark with liquid. I don’t think I’ve tried doubling, but if you don’t go over that mark, you’ll be good.
Kevin says
Newbie Instant Pot user, have made less than a dozen meals. Have 2 keepers and this is one for sure. Eating it now and it’s perfect. Had to dig through a lot of recipes online until I found the appropriate ingredients. Kick ass, thank you for sharing.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you Kevin; so glad you liked it!
Ev says
This is absolutely delicious! Followed recipe…except that I forgot to add the chicken & sausage with the rice. I added them with the shrimp. But it didn’t matter because the jambalaya was superb! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love the step-by-step pics too.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Adding at the end is fine, Ev – just as long as it’s cooked through. I’m really happy that you enjoyed the jambalaya.
Haley says
This was excellent! My whole family loved it. I reduced the cajun seasoning quite a bit as I was serving it to my 1 and 3 year olds, but they loved it and it still had great flavor.
I have an 8qt and followed your advice to deglaze the pan and put the rice and tomatoes on top and had no issues with burning. Thank you! This is a keeper.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Haley, I’m glad you didn’t have any burn issues! Always good to have another recipe to add to the list, right? Thanks for your comment.
SSQ says
Hi! I’m so excited to try this out, and really thrilled at reading all the positive reviews! I saw a few other people doubled the recipe as well, but I just wanted to confirm that it’s a true doubling of all the ingredients. Thank you so much!
(For the record, I have an 8qt Duo.)
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Yes, you should be able to double everything and keep the cook time. Good luck!
Alexa Forman says
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe and especially for your detailed instructions and tweaks. Easy to prepare and my husband said the dish was “company worthy”!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Alexa, you’re so welcome! I’m glad you and hubby liked the recipe and thank so much for your comment.
Michael Nesbitt says
Is this recipe for a 6qt machine? I have an ultra 8qt & I’m cooking for a large group next weekend!! Could you estimate how much to increase the recipe for a full 8qt size? Many thanks for any info you can provide!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Michael – thanks for your question. This recipe was written using a 6 quart. However, due to some readers having issues with newer Instant Pots, I also tested it on a borrowed 8 quart and the recipe worked fine as written, provided I deglazed properly and allowed the Instant Pot to cool down after the Saute was complete. If you want to increase all quantities by 1.5 or 2 times, you can do that in your 8 quart. Keep cook times the same, though. If you’re a new Instant Pot user, I do suggest you try and make it before your event 🙂
Linda Carter says
I made this tonight in my new 8qt following the directions for new pots and it was awesome! Everyone agreed it’s a keeper. I have a sister in Louisiana and had a friend for dinner that has spent time there……we all agreed…it was YUMMY!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Linda, great to know – thank you for sharing that. It’ll be valuable to new owners making the recipe.
Mandy Burgos says
This is so delicious, My crew loves it.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for the comment, Mandy! It’s a great recipe to feed a crew 🙂
Kate West says
Awesome recipe! I only had brown rice so after the 7 minutes of cooking time it wasn’t quite done. I turned it on again for another 6 minutes and it was done (actually, probably could’ve added just 4-5 more minutes as the rice was a little over-done). Nice and spicy.
Thank you for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Glad you liked it! Thanks for your comment, Kate.
Tami says
Could I use frozen shrimp for this recipe?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Tami – if you use frozen shrimp, you could do a quick 1 minute pressure cook instead of letting it sit in the residual heat. Hope you like the recipe!
Tami says
This was AMAZING!!! We loved it! Definitely will make this again!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m glad you liked it 🙂
June says
This is only my second Instant Pot recipe and it turned out perfectly — both the consistency and the flavor. I omitted the shrimp so I let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes as you recommended in the comments and it worked out wonderfully. Will definitely make this again!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Awesome! I love this recipe too – so satisfying. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Terra-Lynn Planz says
Wow! Just made this! Delicious!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Awesome – Thanks for letting me know, Terra-Lynn!
Nathan says
Hi, this looks like a great recipe! How would you change the recipe to use brown rice instead? Would just adding cooking time dry out the chicken and sausage?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Nathan – although you’d think the other ingredients would overcook, I’ve had readers make the recipe with brown rice for 22 minutes and they say it’s turned out great. Hope you like it!
Kim W says
Forgive the all-capital letters for a moment, but THANK YOU for including PICTURES. I am an Instant-Pot newbie, and am also a little bit of a Luddite – I wasn’t even going to get one, since I am basically a single diner and like to do things old-school on the stove on the weekend and then just eat my way through the leftovers. I even have a personal jambalaya recipe that I’ve perfected. But a friend gave me a 3-quart size instant pot for my birthday with the note “I hear it does everything but chill your wine for you” so I need to break it in. But new and unfamiliar technology scares me a little.
You have pictures. It’s jambalaya. I know what jambalaya is supposed to taste like. And you have pictures that show me what button to push when.
*breathes* I can do this.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Kim – you have nice friends! I think you’re going to like it. You can adapt your recipe by following my method but be sure to use the same quantities and timings at least the first time. Since my recipes are tested with the 6 quart, make sure you don’t overfill your Instant Pot. Yes, you can do this 🙂
Nichole says
Hi! This was amazing, but I got the burn alert twice. Any suggestions because I want to make it again. I used the 8qt instant pot. Thanks!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Nichole, if you look above the recipe card, I’ve posted some suggestions on how to avoid a burn error especially with the new 8 quart Instant Pots. Hope they help you out.
Lisa says
Just made this recipe earlier today for dinner tonight and WOW it is so good and it was so darn easy. I had never used an Instant Pot and just borrowed my neighbors to see if I like it. Wonderful, thanks.
-Lisa
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Lisa – whew, glad it worked for you and we got one more convert to the cult 🙂
Leila says
I have creole seasoning in the house. Is this the same as cajun? If not, will it make a significant difference in the flavor? I’m excited to try your recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Leila – thanks for your question. Yes, you can substitute creole seasoning for the cajun seasoning. Hope you enjoy it.
Marianne says
Made this last night, It was delicious! Great recipe which I will definitely make again! Instructions were easy to follow and very detailed. Will be looking at your other postings for sure!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Marianne, thank you – I’m glad you liked it! You might like the Instant Pot Gumbo as well – it’s been quite popular.
Perry Wise says
Tried your recipe, loved the flavor. I have an 8 qt. Folowed the directions but got the burnt message on the pot. I Saute on high setting, followed your instructions for shutting off pot if it was sticking. I did stir in tomatoes and rice, maybe that was my mistake. Added more tomatoes and broth, no change still got the burn indicator came on again. Rice did get done, stured in the shrimp , dish was delish. Will try again!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Perry – it’s funny you should mention it, but I just borrowed a friend’s 8 quart and made the recipe yesterday to test it out. It came to pressure just fine, with no burn message. The only thing I did differently was I turned the Instant Pot off after sauteing and deglazing, and let it cool down for 5 minutes or so, then continued cooking. I did saute on Medium. I’m glad you liked it, and hope you avoid the burn next time. Thanks for commenting.
Tiffani says
Just made this tonight and it is so good! Glad i found your recipe! Thank you for sharing!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for commenting, Tiffani. I’m really happy you liked it!