This easy Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe is full of flavor, depth, and complexity, made with chicken sausage, shrimp, and seasonal veggies. Vegan-adaptable!
Why You’ll Love This
What I love about this jambalaya recipe is that you can easily whip it up in an Instant Pot, completely doable on a weeknight. It is packed with Cajun flavor and umami depth, thanks to a secret ingredient I learned in restaurant and catering days: fish sauce!
During the winter months, I like to add a few cups of simple roasted veggies, peas, kale, or spinach for a burst of nutrients. Comb through your fridge and see what other veggies need using up.
Sometimes, I’ll serve this warm Cajun recipe over a bowl of baby spinach, letting it gently wilt. You get the idea. Basically, I use this Jambalaya as a vessel for healthy veggies. The flavor is so good! 😉
Instant Pot Jambalaya Ingredients
- Sausage: Here, we’ve used Chicken Andouille Sausage instead of pork sausage to lighten things up. And, of course, you can always use a vegan sausage.
- Shrimp: Use large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined. If shellfish is not your thing, you can leave it out and increase the amount of chicken sausage.
- Long-grain white rice: Like basmati rice or jasmine rice.
- Yellow onion, celery, and garlic cloves: For aromatic, savory flavor.
- Red bell pepper and jalapeño: Or substitute a green bell pepper. For the jalapeño, you can substitute a small can of diced green chilies.
- Crushed tomatoes: For a deep, savory taste.
- Chicken broth: Try our homemade chicken stock! Or use shellfish broth.
- Thyme, oregano, and bay leaves: Use fresh thyme or dried thyme, dried oregano, and bay leaves for fragrant, herbal flavor.
- Smoked paprika, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper: You can also sub chili flakes for the cayenne. If desired, you could swap the dried spices for Cajun seasoning.
- Fish sauce: Our secret ingredient! This is especially crucial if using chicken broth.
- Garnishes: Green onions, fresh parsley, and hot sauce.
Variations
- Add chicken! For extra protein, add boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Sear and brown both sides before adding to the Instant Pot.
- Load it up with veggies! Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas, 1 cup of asparagus, 2 cups of roasted veggies, or 1 can of cooked chickpeas.
- Make it vegan! Use vegan sausage, skip the shrimp, use vegetable broth, and use our Vegan Fish Sauce or a splash of soy sauce or some miso paste. Nori flakes will give it a “seafood” flavor!
How to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya
1. Sauté. Use the saute function on your Instant Pot. Heat oil, add the sausage slices, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently for 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes, broth, spices, and fish sauce. Add tomatoes, broth, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, paprika, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and fish sauce to the pot.
3. Simmer and set to high pressure. Bring the pot to a simmer and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Add the rice, stir, and set to manual HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. Close the Instant Pot lid.
4. Natural release. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure by releasing the valve, while covering the steam spout with a kitchen towel.
5. Stir in shrimp and optional veggies. Stir in thawed shrimp and cook on the “warm” setting for 5-7 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on the size of the shrimp. Add the peas and asparagus at the same time, if using. The shrimp is done when it looks pink. Taste for salt and spice, adjusting to taste.
6. Garnish. Divide into bowls or plates and garnish with sliced green onion and chopped parsley.
Instant Pot Jambalaya COOKING TIPs
- Rice: Cooking time will vary depending on the type of rice you use. Long-grain white rice works the best here!
- Brown the sausage for the best flavor.
- Pan-sear the shrimp with a pinch of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika before adding them to the pressure–cooked jambalaya. In my opinion, this improves presentation and flavor.
- Deepen the flavor with a splash of fish sauce – it’s amazing!
- To make this vegetarian, use a veggie broth and vegan sausage. Deepen the flavor with a splash of soy sauce or some miso. Adding some nori flakes will give it a “seafood” flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Serve over a bed of baby spinach for a boost of extra nutrition! Plus, here are some of our favorite starter and side dish pairings!
- Serve with bread, like sourdough, baguette, biscuits, or even cornbread!
- Add a side of lemony coleslaw.
- Serve with a veggie side, like okra or sautéed greens.
- Add a side of corn soup or creamy polenta!
- Start with a white bean salad or grilled corn salad!
Storage
If your jambalaya contains seafood, you can store leftovers for up to 3 days. Without shrimp, the jambalaya can last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.
Reheat leftover Jambalaya on the stovetop with a splash of broth until warmed through.
You can also store jambalaya in the freezer for up to 3 months!
FAQS
In the Instant Pot, Jambalaya cooks for about 30 minutes, with 15 minutes of prep, so about 45 minutes total. Stovetop cooking time is similar, though depending on the type of rice, it may take more or less time.
One of the biggest mistakes in jambalaya is over-stirring or using the wrong type of rice. Both can result in a mushy texture. Let the jambalaya cook undisturbed and use a long-grain rice for best results.
Jambalaya should be thick, without a mushy or soupy texture.
Andouille sausage is a mildly spicy sausage. Use any sausage based on your taste preferences, though Andouille is traditional in Louisiana Cajun cooking.
Yes, Jambalaya is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, but it’s always a good idea to double-check labels.
More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes!
- Coconut Rice Bowls
- Spanish Seafood Stew with Chorizo and Chickpeas
- Vegetable Paella
- Mexican Rice with Sheet-Pan Veggies
- Instant Pot Arroz Con Pollo
⭐️ After you try this Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: instant pot, Main, seafood
- Method: instant pot, Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious and easy recipe for Jambalaya made in an Instant Pot. Full of bold Cajun flavor, leftovers are perfect for midweek meals!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12–16 ounces chicken andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds ( or vegan sausage!)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 red (or green) bell pepper, large dice
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped ( or sub one small can green chilies)
- 4–6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups of chicken broth, see notes. ( or shellfish broth)
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (basmati or jasmine)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry thyme )
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons regular paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce ( if using chicken broth, trust me)
- ———-
- 8–16 ounces large raw shrimp ( peeled and deveined, if frozen see notes)
- Optional additions: 1 cup fresh or frozen peas and 1 cup asparagus, 2 cups roasted veggies, or 1 can cooked chickpeas.
- Garnish: scallions, parsley, hot sauce.
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Sauté. In an Instant Pot, using the saute function, heat oil, add sausage, and sauté for about 5 minutes or until browned. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño, and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add ingredients. Add tomatoes and their juices, broth , thyme, oregano, bay leaves, paprika, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne and fish sauce.
- Simmer. Bring to a simmer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot ( this will help prevent the “burn error” from turning on while pressure cooking). I find using a wooden spoon works best here. Add the rice, give a good stir (see note about shrimp!)and set Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
- Release. Let naturally release for 5 minutes, then manually release, covering steam spout with a kitchen towel.
- Add shrimp and veggies. Stir in thawed shrimp (see notes) and let this cook on “warm” setting for 5-7 minutes ( depending on size), adding peas and asparagus at the same time. When shrimp is done ( it will look pink) taste for salt and spice level, adding more to taste.
- Garnish. Garnish with sliced green onion and chopped parsley.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Brown sausage. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage, and brown each side until golden, about 5 minutes. Set the sausage aside.
- Sauté veggies. To the same pan, add the onion ( a little more oil if necessary)and saute until fragrant and golden. Add celery, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño, lowing heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until tender. Return the browned sausage to the pan.
- Add ingredients. Add rice, and stir about 3 minutes until lightly toasted. Add tomatoes and their juices, broth , thyme, bay leaves, paprika, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne and fish sauce.
- Bring to boil. Scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a boil. Scrape up again. Reduce heat to low.
- Simmer. Cover and cook for 20-45 minutes or until rice is tender. (Check cooking time on the package- all brown rice is different depending on size and thickness- quick-cooking brown rice will take 15-20 mins, long grain 30-40-ish mins, short grain brown 40-50 mins. My advice, check at 20 mins, then 30, then 40. 🙂
- Sear the shrimp. While the rice is cooking, season the shrimp with a little salt, pepper and smoked paprika, and give a quick sear. Once the rice is tender, nestle in the shrimp, asparagus and peas, cover and cook for 5-10 more minutes, until shrimp is cooked all the way through.
- Garnish. Garnish with green onion, parsley and or hot sauce.
Notes
Liquid – the original recipe called for 4 cups broth, but after feedback of it being too soupy, I’ve reduced it to 3 cups.
Use fish sauce in the recipe to replace the traditional shellfish broth. It works!
Shrimp: If using large frozen raw shrimp, feel free to add to Instant pot and let it pressure cook with the rice. If using thawed or cooked shrimp, add to the pot after pressure cooking. TIP: I prefer to give shrimp a quick sear in an oiled pan on the stove, adding pinch of salt, pepper and smoked paprika. It just looks more appealing, not mandatory. Up to you.
RICE: If using other types of rice (like brown basmati rice) you may need to increase pressure cooking time and increase the broth ( be sure to read package directions). I’ve only tested with white long-grain rice. Short grain rice is not recommended.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: -using chicken sausage and 8 ounces shrimp
- Calories: 496
- Sugar: 6.9 g
- Sodium: 871.5 mg
- Fat: 15.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.2 g
- Fiber: 6.1 g
- Protein: 32.5 g
- Cholesterol: 135.9 mg
This was delicious! Thank you for the guidance!
I used andouille sausage (sorry I’m a glutton) and used quinoa instead of rice. I added shrimp on the side as my momma doesn’t like shrimp and added asparagus but no peas for no reason.
The flavor was outstanding. I so appreciate the inspiration and guidance Chef!
Great to hear!
This is such and awesome delicious recipe – we had a pound of Louisiana Hot Links in the fridge that I used instead that gave it a real kick. Fresh shrimp and asparagus were quickly sautéed separately and added at the very end like Sylvia suggested. Pro Tip: Use long grain white rice and wash the rice first until the water runs clear. This removes the starch that causes stickiness and milky white liquid shooting out of your vent. I followed the recipe exactly but measured closer to 2 cups rice to absorb the liquids and not be as mushy. Delicious recipe that allows you to use whatever ingredients you have available. Yum Yum Yum!
Appreciate the tips Rob!
Just as delicious, but so much quicker than other jambalaya recipes that I’ve previously tried! I used Italian sausage instead of the andouille sausage since my preschooler grandson was eating it. Not as spicy and tasty as andouille, but still a yummy dinner. I added chickpeas also. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out to be a bit soupy, but it was fine. The liquid was absorbed for the leftovers the next day.
Thanks for sharing Theresa, sorry it was a bit soupy. 🙂
This was pretty good, but like some of the other comments I felt my rice was little mushy. It didn’t stop us from enjoying it though! Instead of shrimp, I quickly pan-seared a large chicken breast, sliced it and add it to the pot prior to the pressure cooking. I also added flash-cooked asparagus and canned chickpeas. Definitely something we’ll make again.
I used Beyond Meat sausages as I don’t eat meat. This recipe was quick, easy and delicious. I ended up overeating because it was so good. Thank you!
Can I use a frozen seafood medley instead of just shrimp
I think that would be just fine!
Fantastic. Thank you for a great recipe. It turned out to be a hit the very first time.
I LOVE this recipe. This meal is very flavorful. I’m never ordering jambalaya at a restaurant again.
I love this recipe! Full of flavour and easy. Again another dish I had formally been intimidated by but not anymore.
Found it to be very comforting and yet decadent.
Made this tonight but the white rice was complete mush / way overcooked. The flavor is also a bit lacking in my opinion.
Can you tell me what kind of rice you used and how much liquid you added? thanks and sorry about that. I’m wondering if too much liquid, which would also dilute the flavor- I would say it’s pretty high on the flavor spectrum- so just curious. 🙂
Hi Sylvia – I made this recipe tonight almost exactly as written (added a small leftover red chili) and wanted to let you know…my wife and I both thought it was one of the best Jambalaya’s we had ever tasted! To those of you looking for a keeper…this is it! I used basmati rice, frozen peas & fresh asparagus (blanched in microwave). Thank you so much for sharing, we will only use this recipe going forward. 🙂
Made this exactly. Pretty good home cook here. And extremely familiar with the instant pot. Burn notice right away . Took it out into stove top pot. Cooked for 15min. Flavors are pretty spot on. Only problem – rice is complete mush. Would highly recommend cooking rice separate, even if using the instant pot method or stove top. So would probably reduce chicken stock. Also , just a heads up . You have orengno listed as an ingredient, but not in the instructions. Thanks !
Hey Al- Sorry about that. Can you tell me what kind of rice you used?
Jasmine
Hummm, I just don’t know what could have happened. Sorry about that.
Delicious! I flash-sautéed the asparagus with shrimp in butter, lemon, garlic, and a sprinkle of paprika and just stirred them in right before serving. Smash hit around here!
A delicious and hearty, flavorful one pot meal! This recipe is a keeper!
I altered the recipe to make it pescatarian. I used vegetarian chorizo sausage in place of the andouille. Veggie broth in lieu of chicken stock. It was fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe.
Love how you adapted this! Perfect! thanks for sharing- very helpful!
This was AMAZING! The flavors were so deep and varied. I’m impressed and will be adding this to my rotation. Easy to make too!
Thanks so happy you liked this!
Delicious- worked out perfectly!
This turned out amazing!
This recipe looks wonderful and I would ideally like to make it in the Instant Pot with brown rice. Was there a reason you’ve mentioned brown rice only for the stove top version?
Hi Kate, I tried making it in the Instant pot with brown rice, and just couldn’t get the timing right. I think the brown rice would need to be soaked, and the time increased. But at this point I’m just guessing. If you do try it will you let me know your suggestions?
This looks amazing! Seconding the brown rice question (for cooking on the stove top), would the cooking times need changing?
Hi Almasa I added some more instructions in the notes- sorry about that!
Fab, thank you so much!!
I loved the flavor here, so much depth. Whole family enjoyed this. Will make again!
Would this recipe lend itself to brown rice instead of white? If so, how should I change the cooking time?
In the instant pot or stove top?
I forgot to add how absolutely delicious this tastes and how much it makes. The asparagus and fresh peas were a great addition. Thanks for a great meal.
Awesome Jeff, great to hear!
Great recipe as is. I did notice though that the recipe calls for removing the sausage but not putting it back in.?? oops
Opps! Thanks! I’ll fix it!
So should I remove the sausage to sauté the veggies?
Yes, remove ff sauteeing on the stovetop. You can leave it, if using an Instant pot.
Dear Sylvia
I haven’t tried the Jambalaya recipe yet but it looks lovely. Thanks very much for your interesting and temptingly photographed recipes! I also appreciate that you give the non-meat options and how central vegetables are in your recipes.
I hope to make the Jambalaya at Easter, so will keep you posted.
Many thanks
Ingrid from Cape Town, South Africa
Hi Ingrid and thanks so much! yes, let me know how you like it!