Spark up your dinner menu with this Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe. It’s a spicy, filling Louisiana recipe full of andouille sausage, shrimp, rice and vegetables that’s fast and easy to make!
With the cold weather I’ve been firing up my Instant Pot daily to whip up soups, stews and other hearty recipes. I love recipes that are completely cooked in the Instant Pot multi-cooker which saves on clean up AND once I’ve sealed the ‘IP’ that I can go do something else!
I was recently provided another new cookbook to review: Super Fast Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook. I love any recipe with the word ‘fast’ in the title but ‘super fast’? Yes, please!
To be clear I have nothing against traditional cooking methods, I just really can use more time in many days, particularly on weeknights for dinner. The versatility of the Instant Pot to prepare a variety of cuisines’ recipes with robust flavors ‘super fast’ is a win.
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.
This Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe does not include chicken but with a few little tricks is perfection with spicy sausage and shrimp!
How to make Instant Pot Jambalaya – Step by Step:
Oil is heated in the Instant Pot and the sausage slices sautéed to brown, then removed to a paper towel to drain. The vegetables are added to the Instant Pot to sauté, picking up the browned bits in the Instant Pot, flavoring the oil in the process.
Quick Ingredient Preparation Tip: I have mentioned I use a Mini Chopper for everything. It speeds up chopping and minimizes clean-up. If you have a mini chopper combine the onions and garlic to chop; add them to the Instant Pot at the prescribed time.
As they start to cook, combine the green pepper and celery to the mini chopper, pulse to chop and add to the Instant Pot. No knives or cutting board to clean up and the vegetables chop in a flash.
The rice and seasonings are added to the sautéed vegetables to fully coat the rice. The diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and salt are added, and the Instant Pot sealed to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the cooking completes, a natural release for 5 minutes is followed by a manual release of the remaining pressures.
The mixture is stirred, and the sausage, shrimp and scallions are stirred in and the pot resealed to allow 5 minutes of warming in the residual heat (the Instant Pot is on Warm).
What does this Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe Taste Like?
The seasonings in this recipe are on point. Bold and spicy in traditional Louisiana style. It’s a warming, filling recipe, perfect for winter’s chill. I loved the step of sautéing the sausage giving it a browned crust.
Adding the sausage and the shrimp at the end of the recipe, allowing it to only warm through, keeps a wonderful texture; firm, with a bite (not rubbery as overcooking can cause).
When making the Jambalaya recipe as written I found the rice was al dente. The goal of the recipe is to cook the rice through and avoid it becoming mushy. After researching, there are multiple ways to achieve this.
I found extending the cooking by a minute, allowing brief natural release followed by adding the sausage, shrimp and scallions, resealing the pot and warming in the residual heat provided a more satisfying result (the recipe reflects he changes I made).
More Easy Louisiana Recipes to try:
- Spicy Shrimp Creole: A Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe
- Slow Cooker Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
- Classic Bananas Foster
- Classic New Orleans Brandy Milk Punch
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Jambalaya or any other recipe on BoulderLocavore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to!
Instant Pot Jambalaya
'Jambalaya, a Louisiana meat, seafood, and rice staple, is quick and easy in the multi-cooker. By browning the sausage first and then stirring it in only at the end, you infuse the rice with its flavor, yet keep it from turning rubbery under pressure."-Super Fast Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookook
I would add, including the cooked shrimp at the end also allows it to keep non-rubbery texture which can occur when shrimp is over-cooked!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 12 ounces Andouille Sausage cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 1 medium Green Bell Pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 medium stalk Celery chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves diced
- 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Thyme
- 1 cup Long-Grain White Rice
- 1 14.5-ounce can Diced Tomatoes undrained
- 1 1/2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 12 ounces medium Cooked Shrimp (41-60 count)
- 4 Scallions thinly sliced
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in the inner pot at on Sauté. Add the sausage slices, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the Cajun seasoning, thyme, and rice, and stir until the rice is well coated in the oil. Press Cancel to stop the cooking.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, the stock, and salt. Stir.
Lock the lid. Cook on Manual High Pressure for 8 minutes, then allow a Natural Pressure Release for 5 minutes followed by manual release of the remaining pressure.
Stir the rice mixture, then stir in the shrimp, scallions, and reserved sausage. Replace the Instant Pot lid and allow the ingredients to heat through for 5 minutes in the residual heat.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from 'Super Fast Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook' Copyright © 2018 by Heather Rodino and Ella Sandersand printed with permission of St. Martin's Griffin.
Lisa says
I would like to make this with brown rice…what would adjusted time be on the ip
Toni Dash says
I’ve only made the recipe as written Lisa. With brown rice, depending on which type used, both the time AND the liquid amounts need to be adjusted. And most likely the timing of the other ingredients to ensure a great end result as provided with the recipe as written.
If you try it do let me know how it turns out!
Dale says
This was really good and I even forgot the shallots.
Toni Dash says
Lol! I’m delighted to hear that Dale!
Cliff says
Made this for Fat Tuesday last night… I’ve been asked to make it again this Friday…
Used my Ninja Foodi and followed the directions to a tee… it was wonderful…
I do worry about errors after using SAUTE so I used it on MD-HI instead of just HI.
Toni Dash says
Thanks so much Cliff! I’m delighted you loved it.
I’m not familiar with the Ninja Foodi. Could you educate me on your remark relating to ‘errors after saute’?
TomtheBuilder says
This is a common occurrence when using a pressure cooker with built-in sauté functionality. If the user leave bits of sautéed food stuck to the bottom of the inner pot, it can result in too much heat being reflected back down into the device. Most devices will stop and produce an error code when they overheat.
A great workaround is to “degaze” the bottom of the pot after the sauté. Pouring in a little broth after removing the browned sausage will break up the bits that are stuck (and also delicious) giving you a clean surface.
Pro tip: Dry red/white wine is almost always a great way to deglaze for any dish!
Toni Dash says
Thanks Tom for the insight. I’ve never experienced a burn warning for this recipe (or any IP recipe actually) so I appreciate your thoughts.
There is a step in the recipe where the bits on the bottom of the insert should be scraped up into the mix but it sounds like that should be a dedicated effort!
Amy White says
Very delicious! I used brown rice and should have increased the cooking time by 5 minutes or so. The flavors were really good.
Toni Dash says
So glad you liked it Amy! You are right, each type of rice has a different liquid ratio and cooking time in the Instant Pot so they can’t just be swapped for each other. I’m so glad you liked the Jambalaya!
Dee says
I’d been missing my momma’s cooking and this brought me close to having it again. Absolutely delicious and very authentic tasting.
Brenda Argano says
Looking forward to trying this weekend. When you specify 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning, does that seasoning contain salt?
Toni Dash says
I would read the ingredient label of the Cajun Seasoning you have or buy but I checked mine and they both (I have two types) DO include salt.
Harry says
Hi, we want to make this for a group this weekend. Will a double recipe for in an 8 qt insta pot?
Thank you.
Toni Dash says
Hi Harry. I’ve only made the recipe as described and in a 6-quart IP as noted. In my experience, certain types of recipes can be doubled without issue; chili or soup for instance. Rice can be trickier in the Instant Pot when mixed with other ingredients. The cooking times would be different too since the 8-quart would take longer to come to temperature and you are cooking double the ingredients.
So I guess I’d say it MAY be possible with some adjustments (also not knowing if the total volume would exceed the capacity of an 8-quart Instant Pot or not) but intuitively it doesn’t feel like an automatic ‘yes’ to me. If you try it please let me know how it turns out!
Jenny says
2 questions-Should the shrimp be thawed and do you take the tails off the shrimp?
Toni Dash says
Hi Jenny! Yes, as noted in the recipe, cooked shrimp should be used. If you use cooked frozen shrimp, thaw them first. I leave the tails on as you see in the photos however if you would prefer to remove them before making the Jambalaya you certainly can!
AMY WEBB says
I had leftover cooked chicken and kielbasa as well as a bag of frozen shrimp so this was ideal. I actually did this in my new Ninja Foodi which I think cooks a little faster so the rice was soft (I cooked for 7 minutes) but was good almost risotta like. Definitely a repeat recipe.
Natasha says
Nothing beats a hearty meal from down south! Can’t wait to try this one out in my instant pot!
Steph says
Thanks for the tip about adding the shrimp at the end. I could never figure out why my shrimp always had a rubbery texture to it. Thanks!
Anna says
Everyone loves this jambalaya! I will definitely make it again!
Amy Locurto says
Can’t wait to make this!!
Erin says
So good – actually made it the other night and we all loved it!
Nikki Lyn Murray says
What can I do if the shrimp isn”t cooked all the way?
Toni Dash says
Hi Nikki. I haven’t ever had that happen but I’d suggest leaving it the Instant Pot with the lid on longer; stir the mixture so the shrimp is well incorporated with the rest of the ingredients. You could also microwave portions of the Jambalaya for a 15 seconds at a time and check for doneness.