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
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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Gwen Smith says
Better than stovetop jambalaya !!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Gwen – thanks so much, it’s so great to hear that!
KTstglide says
Excellent Recipe turned out Great It’s a KEEPER
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks so much – I’m really glad to hear that!
Lisa says
Really delicious. I make it several times a month!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Awesome, Lisa! I’m planning on making it next week too!
Allie says
This is my go to jambalaya recipe! I make it all the time! Thanks for sharing the recipe/instructions.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Allie, you’re so welcome. Thanks for commenting!
CIARA CROUCH says
I made this for family of 3 tonight and it was a big hit!! However, we prefer brown rice and as I followed the directions, the rice didn’t come out as soft as I had hoped. Has anyone tried this and figured out the rice to broth ratio? I know brown rice cooks differently
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Ciara, you need to cook brown rice for about 22 to 25 minutes. So the meats and veggies would be overcooked in this scenario. I would saute the meats (fully cooked) and vegetables, remove, pressure cook rice for about 22+ minutes, and add the meats and veggies back in with the shrimp. Ratio of rice to water should be about the same as recipe. Let me know if you try it out again.
Angela says
Loved this! Probably one of the best meals I’ve made in the instant pot. Followed the recipe exactly as directed, using the modified instructions for a newer machine. No burn warnings. Also used a Creole seasoning recipe found online. This recipe is a definite keeper. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks so much, Angela. I’m happy to hear you had a good experience with the recipe!
Rick says
I made this in an 8qt instant pot. I followed the recipe fairly close, but probably used more veggies and much more broth. I used a quart of broth, 1 and a half green bell peppers, 1 red bell pepper, 4 sticks of celery, 1 whole yellow onion, 6 cloves of minced garlic,and a small jalapeno pepper. I also added 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Every time I’ve tried to do something with rice I get the BURN error, but this time I didn’t. I put all the sauces, broth, and veggies including fire roasted tomatoes and mixed it well. Then I added the chicken and sausage without mixing and added the rice last ( again workout mixing). Pressure cooked it for 7 minutes with a 3 minute natural release,then added the cooked shrimp and let it sit in the pot covered for about 8-10 minutes. Served with parsley and scallions. It was quite spicy, but a big hit.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Rick, thanks for sharing your modifications. Yes, layering the rice is key to avoiding the burn error on the Instant Pot. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Laurie C. O'Neill says
Such a great melding of flavors! My son made this tonight for the family and we all loved it!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you Laurie – I’m glad y’all liked the recipe. And what a nice son 🙂
Christine F says
Awesome flavor and so much easier to make this in the instant pot versus stovetop. Rice was perfect and flavors blended beautifully. We used “slap-ya-mama” cajun seasoning which is salty and didn’t need any additional salt.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Oh, thank you so much, Christine! And thanks for sharing your observation re: Slap Ya Mama. I use that one sometimes.
Yoges Nathan says
Love this. Followed the recipe exactly including adding two teaspoons of extra red pepper powder when adding the cajun seasoning and juice of half a lime at the end.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you so much! I’m really glad you liked the recipe. One of my family’s favorites too!
Gail Grasch says
Love your recipe and use it all the time. I am making dinner for 10 people- can I use 1 1/2 the recipe in my 8 qt instant pot? is that a good ratio or is there a better way of figuring our the amount?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for following the blog, Gail! Yes, you could do 1 1/2 times the recipe in the 8-quart. I think that’s a good ratio. Take precautions for the ‘burn’ message.
Rebecca says
Is there a way I could meal prep this and freeze to be cooked another day?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Rebecca, you can omit the shrimp and follow the recipe. Freeze and re-heat using the Pot in Pot technique by pressure cooking with shrimp sprinkled with Cajun spice for 1 minute. Hope that’s clear; if not, please let me know and I’ll try and give better instructions 🙂
Sarah says
I think it would be helpful to remove all the instructions that tell us to stir since there are so many issues with the burn notice.
I was able to salvage ours from burning and put it on the stovetop. It was truly delicious! But I think it would have cooked perfectly (and without all the drama) had I not followed the instructions to stir.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Sarah, thank you for your comment. I have it on my list of recipes to update – need to retake all the photos, etc! In the meantime, I try to have many warnings in the recipe to avoid the error. Glad you liked the recipe in the end 🙂
Kathy Fletcher says
Fabulous! Absolute perfection. Very generous and would easily serve 10 people by adding side dishes or increasing the proteins a tad. Leftovers were delicious too.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Kathy! And thanks for taking a moment to comment and rate the recipe – much appreciated.
Esther says
This was delicious!! It wasnt too spicy and had just the right amount of flavorful kick I was looking for. I did use a leftover beef broth from a beef noodle soup we ate at a chinese restaurant so that probably made a big difference. Will try and see if plain chicken broth will be just as flavorful next time. This will be a regular recipe ill be using. Thank you!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Esther, thanks so much for your lovely review! I’m glad you liked the recipe. Sounds like you had some delicious broth!
Lilli says
Amazing!! I made it vegan with no chicken and vegan sausage. I used no-chicken broth as well. Came out great.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Lilli, oh wow – that’s really great to hear. And thanks for posting the details; might help out other vegan readers.
Brandy says
I have not made this but I plan to. I just wanted to tell you that you did an amazing job writing out this recipe. I have been using my instapot for a while now but this recipe is great even for beginners! Thank you for taking the time to explain everything! I look forward to making this very soon!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Brandy, that’s so nice of you to share that. I’m really happy to share my recipes with new or experienced Instant Pot users, and I remember how intimidating the appliance can be! Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Courtney says
Hi. Ive been planning on making this for my dad & I. We love jambalya! But we are not huge fans of rice so we would prefer to cut back on some of the rice and add more meat. If I were to use about half the rice and add more shrimp how much of the liquid would you recommend I use? Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Courtney, you can probably reduce the broth to 1 cup if you’re using 3/4 cup rice. Hope you like it!
Tonya says
We’ve made this a few times and it has quickly become our family instant pot favorite!! Thank you!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks, Tonya, for your lovely comment 🙂 !
D says
Just purchased my instant pot last week and made this as my first dish. Turned out excellent. I was very impressed. Thanks so much for sharing and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
You’re so welcome – thanks for your comment 🙂