I’m always looking for easy and healthy instant pot recipes for my busy family, and this Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya fits the bill! This easy jambalaya recipe is made with andouille sausage, chicken, uncooked rice, bell pepper, onion, celery and spices, all cooked together in just one pan, for a simple and flavorful meal that my entire family enjoys.
Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
When it comes to comfort food, any type of cajun or creole food ranks high on my list of favorites! I adapted this jambalaya recipe from my popular one pan jambalaya that’s made on the stove top. It’s one of those easy and filling meals that I know my kids will eat with smiles on their faces, and thanks to the instant pot it comes together even easier than ever and has all of the same delicious flavor!
What is jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a cajun recipe originating in Louisiana made with rice, celery, peppers and onion; with chicken and smoked or spicy sausage like Andouille. Shrimp is often added, too.
The ingredients in this jambalaya recipe include the “trinity” of green bell pepper, onion and celery, rice, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, spices, chicken and andouille sausages.
What’s the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?
Although jambalaya and gumbo are both popular dishes made in Louisiana, they are different, and their cooking methods can be different as well, depending on whether they’re prepared cajun or creole style.
Jambalaya is more of a rice dish, similar to paella (in looks, but not taste). Gumbo is more of a stew. Both contain what’s called the “holy trinity” of cajun cooking which is a base of bell peppers, onion and celery. Both also often contain sausage and shrimp.
Homemade gumbo was one of my favorite recipes that my mom made for us growing up.
How to make Jambalaya in the Instant Pot:
- Turn instant pot to the saute setting and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the andouille sausage slices and cook them until browned. Transfer them to a paper towel–lined plate.
- Add a little more oil to the pot, and then add the chicken, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the instant pot. Turn the instant pot off and add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. The instant pot will still be hot from being on the saute setting. We don’t need to saute the veggies for long–just a minute or so.
- Add the the spices and rice and stir to combine. Then add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and salt.
- Cook on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes, with a 5 minutes natural release. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the sausages.
- I like to return the lid to let the rice rest in the residual heat for another 5 minutes. It helps keep the rice “fluffy” instead of “goopy”.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, you can double the recipe, and use the same cooking time.
Don’t own an Instant Pot? No Problem!
If you don’t own an instant pot yet, you can make this jambalaya in just one pan, on the stovetop, with this recipe. If you need help, let me teach you how to use your instant pot!
Don’t miss my other favorite Instant Pot recipes, including:
- Instant Pot Skinny Fettuccini Alfredo
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
- Instant Pot Ranch Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Ribs
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Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons oil , divided
- 12 ounces andouille sausages cut into ¼ in. thick slices
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 1 green bell pepper , seeded and chopped
- 3 green onions , chopped
- 3 ribs celery , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes , undrained
- 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Turn instant pot to saute setting. Add oil. Once hot, add sausage slices, cooking until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
- Add remaining oil to the pot.
- Add the chicken and cook for one minute, scraping up the browned bits from the sausage. Turn instant pot off. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add the Cajun seasoning, dried basil, thyme, sugar and rice and stir to combine.
- Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, and salt.
- Secure the instant pot lid and turn valve to sealing.
- Cook on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Add the sausages on top of the rice and return the IP lid to let the mixture rest for an additional 5 minutes. Stir lightly and enjoy!
Nutrition
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This dish is great to cook at home by yourself or friends. First time making it tonight, and it is SOOO good!
Wanted to love it, but got the burn notice and tried to salvage what I could. The flavors are there, but it was disappointing. Better off just making this dish on the stovetop next time… I think the tomato to water ratio was too much
Needs spice! I added a jalapeño but it still wasn’t enough. I looked through other recipes after dinner and saw most other jambalaya recipes call for 1-2 Tablespoons (not teaspoons like this recipe) of Cajun seasoning.
Also the rice came out mushy but I could overlook that if it weren’t so bland
This is a great meal. Been asked to make it for new years
Enjoyed this a lot, as did my mom who I cooked for. 🙂
Great for dinner and the leftovers heated up well in the microwave the next day. Try the leftovers with a yolky fried egg! mmm
My substitutions (minor!):
-I used (rinsed!) Basmati rice which was really fluffy and delicious.
-Yellow bell pepper as we don’t care for green (it added a great additional color to the dish~)
-We didn’t have a prepackaged Cajun seasoning, so I halved this recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/homemade-cajun-seasoning/ and it made enough for this dish with a tiny bit leftover.
-I use an Ambiano (Aldi-brand) pressure cooker which requires different timings than the Instant Pot. The 12 minute rice option was perfect.
Way too salty. Not enough tomato flavor. Cook time too short for rice. I’m not a fan.
I doubled the recipe and made this two weekends in a row. Both times the rice was barely cooked and I had to put it on for longer. It doesn’t seem like it’s building enough pressure. I use this instant pot to cook chili all the time, a dozen times this year already, and it pressurizes no problem. Why won’t it cook jambalaya just as well?
There’s discrepancy in your cooking times.
Hi, the extra time included in the “total time” is to account for the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.
Hopefully it taste good …. I haven’t tried it yet but the prep and cook times are way off. Took me 1.2 hours from start to almost finished…. I never write reviews but for this I had to. 40 extra minutes of time…
Want to make without an instant pot. Can I!?