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!
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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
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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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Evelyn Willeby says
Thank you so much for a great recipe. My first time making Jambalaya, I am 70 years old. It was fantastic!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
That’s wonderful, Evelyn! I’m glad you liked the recipe and thank you for taking the time to comment.
John says
Excellent recipe! I made this today for myself and my parents. They loved it and so did I.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, John – I’m always happy to hear that the whole family enjoys a recipe. Perfect for Mardi Gras 🙂
LauraB says
Jambalaya fans loved this recipe! My first attempt at this fine dish ( being Canadian) was a success! I did get the burn notice- and because time was short- I dumped it into a pot in the stove to finish! Required more liquid but was amazing. I’ve now read the info about burn notice and will try to adapt to those recommendations. Today I’m making it on the stove though, because my broken arm has trouble with instant pot ( size and weight) but I know it with taste amazing! Thanks for all the good insights which you’ve shared!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Laura, I’ve been thinking about changing the recipe instructions but I know many people make the recipe as written without the burn modifications… I might have to add a note to the notes section to look above the recipe.
Donna K says
This was an amazing recipe! It was a perfect blend of flavors. I am a new Instant Pot user and this was by far the best recipe I have made so far! We were in New Orleans a few weeks ago and my significant other commented that this was better than anything he had in New Orleans.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Wow! What a wonderful comment – thank you so much for taking the time to give feedback 🙂
Bhupinder Siran says
Looks amazing. Would this work if I half the ingredients but keep the same timings?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Bhupinder, I would say yes, but with the caveat that you should have enough liquid to bring your Instant Pot to pressure. Different IPs are different and if your IP can come to pressure with about 1 cup of liquid then you should be good. Hope that helps!
Stephanie says
Followed your recipe exactly and my rice ended being overcooked almost to mush. Everything else was good and it wasnt watery or anything just the rice was way too cooked and I did the 7min instant release and I layered my food and had rice last because previous recipe with rice and tomatoes I got a burn notice. This time no burn notice but mushy rice. Wondering what may have happened? Also if you have any suggestions on how much liquid in the pot if I decide to do pot in pot rice meathod later? I will add the chicken, sausage, veggies and then put the trivet over top with a dish and cook the rice in that dish. I know it’s usually 1:1 for the rice but wondering to cook the other ingredients how much broth I should have.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Stephanie, it could be the type of rice you’re using requires less time to cook. Also, some Instant Pot models cook at different pressures. I think if you just reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes, you should be able to avoid the problem. If you wanted to do the rice PIP and the rest of the dish separately, you’d need to use the minimum quantity of liquid to bring your Instant Pot to pressure. That is found out by trial and error. For my Instant Pot, it’s between 1/2 and 1 cup. The issue is that your final dish will be pretty liquidy and you’d have to use the ‘saute’ mode to let the liquid evaporate.
Suzanne Fickes says
This was amazing, we substituted chorizo and lagostinos it was amazing, we can’t wait to make it again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you for your comment, Suzanne – you must have had a lot of great flavors!
Christie says
Amazing! This had a ton of flavor and really impressed me and my family. Easy to make, and a wonderful meal.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks, Christie, for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe 🙂
Carl says
Neena, made this tonight, and O.M.G.! this was so good! I have no changes to make other than I added a little cayenne pepper ;-). Thank you for the recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Carl – thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe – one of my favorites too!
SAmantha says
I have some Bomba short grain paella rice left over from making paella- can I use this in exchange for jasmine rice? Should I add more liquid?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Samantha – Although I’ve never tried it, I think you could use the paella rice. But make sure you increase the quantity of liquid because, from my understanding, bomba rice requires more liquid than other rice varieties. Hope you like the recipe!
Michelle says
Hi Neema-
Thank you for your very carefully prepared posts. I find them to be easy to follow. I plan on preparing your Jambalaya later this week for company. I have prepared it once before, when I first got my 6 quart Instant Pot, several months ago. We will be 6 people, and I was concerned about having enough, (there are some hearty eaters!) so I have one pound each of the proteins (chicken Andouille sausage, cut chicken breast, and shrimp). I also plan on using brown rice (probably basmati), because I believe that brown rice is healthier than white. I would like to know if I should make any other adjustments with the ingredients to go with the higher protein content, and how the cooking time will be effected. Would 20 minutes of pressure cooking be enough? Thank you, and Merry Christmas!
Michelle
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Merry Christmas, Michelle! The main thing I see with using brown rice is that the longer cooking time might make your veggies overcook and it could possibly make your jambalaya a bit mushy. Other than that, I think increasing the quantities should be okay. I had a reader double the recipe yesterday and it came out great. I usually do 22 minutes for brown rice, but you should go with a brown rice cooking time that has worked for you in the past.
Michelle says
Hi Neena-
Just as I posted my last question , my page refreshed, & I saw your response to John regarding brown rice. I just refreshed again before posting this, and I can’t believe that you’ve already responded! It took me this long to think things through…
I have 2 questions:
1-If I par cook the rice ahead of time, how much broth should I use? Or, do I use water & save the broth for the main recipe?
2- Then, I’d have to remove the rice from the pot, and start sautéing the proteins & veggies? Or, do I do the sautéing first & remove from pot, then add the brown basmati rice to cook (normally 22 min for one cup). So, would I pressure cook rice let’s say 20 minutes, do a quick release & bring back to pressure for 7 minutes with the previously sautéed proteins & veggies, then quick release after that, stir in the shrimp & let sit covered for 10 minutes?
I am beginning to get creative with this devise, yet I don’t want to mess up a festive occasion with badly cooked food! I truly appreciate your feedback.
Michelle
P.S. was the reader who doubled the recipe using a 6 quart pot?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
No, the doubling was done in an 8 quart. You can try to double in 6 quart, but don’t go past 1/2 mark and you might need to add a bit extra liquid. I would par-cook the brown rice, quick release and drain. Then proceed with recipe for jambalaya exactly. It’s too complicated and messy otherwise! Good luck and I would love to know who it turns out. And no problem re: my response: I’m cooking lamb biryani for Xmas, and I get on the computer while I wait for the Instant Pot to do the work 🙂
Michelle says
Thanks, Neena. 🤔I think that I will chicken out this time & use white long grain rice, to make it easier. I will add some more veggies too & make all of my spice/herb measurements rounded. Next time I’ll try the brown rice and, I’ll let you know how it comes out Enjoy your holidays!😋
Michelle
Pyeperzz says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I double the recipe for a big party and kept the same time and it still worked out beautifully! We had the bigger instant pot and it filled it right up. Will have to make again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I so happy that it worked out for you – thank you for taking the time to comment!
john says
How would you adjust the cooking times with brown rice?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
John, since brown rice cooks for much longer than white rice, your other ingredients, especially the veggies, will be too overcooked. What you might want to try out is partially pressure cook the brown rice separately (total cook time minus 7 minutes: 22 – 7 = 15 minutes), quick release, drain, and then proceed with the recipe. I have not tried it for this recipe, but I think it would work. Feel free to contact me if you have further questions.
Shaunt Kiredjian says
Just made this last night… was AWESOME!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you for your review, Shaunt – I appreciate it!
Philip Swayzee says
Love this recipe. We like to find recipes we can work on together and this one filled the bill. Wife did the prep work and I did the cook. Perfect! We didn’t change a thing as far as ingredients and spices go. Didn’t need to. Probably just about any Cajun spice will do the trick. All we had on hand was McCormick’s and that was fine. Threw in some Emeril’s essence for good measure. Because of this recipe we just pinned your gumbo too. Can’t wait to try it….hmmm…Sunday supper? 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Philip, I love to hear about couples who cook together! I’m really happy to hear you liked the recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
Tarpon says
Outstanding recipe
Mary says
My favourite recipe! I did have problems with food getting stuck on the bottom of pot and not coming to pressure. This time I soaked the rice and made sure to use vegetable oil, and not olive oil to saute. Thank you again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, Mary, for sharing your experience and substitutions. I’m happy to hear you like the recipe!
Alexis says
You made me a superstar wife with this recipe! My husband wanted something flavorful. I wanted something easy to make. This recipe blew us both away! My two kids got involved and were able to help with the majority of the steps. Thank you so much for sharing. This will definitely become a staple in our house!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Awww, I love that! It’s always a great day when the whole family is happy 🙂 Thanks, Alexis.
Robyn says
This was SO good! I did put the tomatoes on top without stirring. It turned out perfect! Definitely a repeat meal! No more Zatarains!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Yay, that’s what I like to hear. Not that there’s anything wrong with Zatarains, but if you can avoid the processed ingredients, why not, right?
Adrianne says
One of my go to recipes! It’s amazing and was very helpful when learning to use my new instant pot. I often omit the chicken. Thank you!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Adrianne, it’s so kind of you to take the time to comment on the recipe – thank YOU!