This Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe is a delicious and quick dinner that will transport you right to New Orleans! This is a complete meal all in one, with protein, rice, and vegetables in one pot.
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Recipe Origins
There are a few stories about the history of Jambalaya that all boast different stories of origin for this delicious meal.
The first is that Jambalaya evolved from Jollof rice, a West African dish. Jollof rice is normally made with whatever ingredients you have on hand, but one of the only ingredients it MUST have are tomatoes and rice. Sound familiar?
Another origin story stems from Spain. The story goes that immigrants from Spain wanted to bring their beloved paella to their new home in New Orleans, Louisiana, but saffron (a common recipe in Paella) was so expensive!
Instead of paying for Saffron imports, they used tomatoes in the recipe as well as forms of meat that were common in the South (shrimp, Andouille Sausage, etc).
This recipe is a Creole Jambalaya, the evidence of which is in the fact that Creole Jambalaya recipes have tomatoes whereas the Cajun variety does not.
Why Make this Recipe
- A Taste of New Orleans: New Orleans, Louisiana has some of the best food in the United States of America. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, or even if you’re just missing the food from NOLA, you can make this recipe at home!
- Under 30 Minute Dinner: I LOVE when I can get dinner on the table quickly. That’s why this dinner being ready in under 30 minutes is a life-saver! You’ll need a 12 minute cook time, and the other 18 minutes will be spent preparing the ingredients. Before long, you’re ready to serve.
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
- Rice: Long Grain White Rice is best. You can also use Basmati or Jasmine
- Andouille Sausage: I got this from the sausage section of the grocery store. If you don’t like the (slightly) spicy taste of Andouille, you can substitute this for any kind of sausage you’d prefer.
- Shrimp: I use medium-sized raw shrimp deveined with no tails. You can buy them frozen if you’d like but make sure to thaw them before cooking.
- Chicken Broth: You substitute water if necessary, use a different kind of broth, or even use water and a bouillon cube.
- Vegetables: Onion, Green pepper, Diced Tomatoes, Green Onions
- Seasonings: Cajun seasoning, Garlic, Ground Thyme, Oregano, Bay Leaves
- Liquids: Olive oil, Worcestershire
Tools
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: In order to make this recipe, you will need an Instant Pot or an off-brand pressure cooker. Either should work just fine.
How to Make this Recipe
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Step 1: Cook the Shrimp
Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the shrimp into the pot and stir until the shrimp turns white and cooks all the way through. Remove to a different plate/bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Vegetables
Keeping the pot on SAUTE, add the next tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, and green pepper into the pot and saute until the vegetables begin to cook through, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Pressure Cook
When the vegetables have softened, add the rest of the ingredients into the pot except for the green onions and the cooked shrimp.
Pressure cook on HIGH for 6 minutes and then allow for a 6 minute natural pressure release.
When the pressure has released for 6 minutes, then perform an instant release.
Step 4: Garnish and Serve
Open the lid of the Instant Pot and add the cooked shrimp back on top of the rice. You can garnish with chopped green onions and serve. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Many recipes for Jambalaya call for celery to be cooked with the rice. I don’t love celery so I didn’t add it into this recipe, but if you like celery you can certainly add it! Make sure to chop it up small and saute it at the same time that you saute the onions and green peppers.
- Many recipes also call for chicken to be added in addition to the sausage and shrimp. You can cut up 1 lb of chicken breast and add it into the top of the pot before pressure cooking if you’d like.
- Do not stir after adding the rice, or you may get a burn notice.
Recipe FAQs
What is the Difference Between Jambalaya and Gumbo?
Recipes for Jambalaya and Gumbo are very similar to one another with similar seasonings and flavor profiles. The big difference comes from the rice.
Gumbo is a stew that is cooked without rice but is served over rice. Jambalaya, on the other hand, has rice added during the cooking process making for a thicker rice dish as opposed to a more-liquidy stew. If you’re eating a Gumbo dinner, here are some perfect southern side dishes to accompany both Gumbo and Jambalaya for your next meal!
What Type of Rice is Best for Jambalaya?
Long grain white rice is the best option for Jambalaya. I simply use Long Grain White Rice, but you can also use Basmati or Jasmine rice with the same results.
Shorter grains of rice will get too mushy and won’t achieve the correct texture of the Jambalaya.
What Other Meats Can I Use to Make this Recipe?
Jambalaya was born from New Orleans, Louisiana, so it’s commonly made with ingredients that are most common there. This recipe calls for shrimp and andouille sausage, but you can also add any of the following:
- Crawfish
- Shrimp
- Oysters
- Alligator
- Duck
- Boar
- Venison
- Turkey
What Should I Serve with this Recipe?
There are so many delicious sides that you can pair with your Instant Pot Jambalaya. Some great options include bread such as garlic bread or even cornbread (this Cornbread with Feta Cheese and Leeks from Albania would be incredible!).
Other great options are pretty much anything you’d find on a good, Southern, Louisiana table. This could include:
- Hush puppies
- Collard greens
- Corn on the Cob
- Even Creamed Corn would be delicious!
Did you like this Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other posts I picked out just for you:
- Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Pizza Pasta Bake
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Cuban Picadillo Recipe
Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb shrimp, uncooked, deveined, no tails
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Green pepper, chopped
- 1 ½ cup long grain white rice
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth
- 13.5 ounces andouille sausage
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes =, 1 ½ cups
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp ground thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp worcestershire
- 2 bay leaves
- Green onions to garnish
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the shrimp into the pot and stir until the shrimp turns white and cooks all the way through. Remove to a different plate/bowl and set aside.
- Keeping the pot on SAUTE, add the next tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, and green pepper into the pot and saute until the vegetables begin to cook through, about 5 minutes.
- When the vegetables have softened, add the rest of the ingredients into the pot except for the green onions and the cooked shrimp. Pressure cook on HIGH for 6 minutes and then allow for a 6 minute natural pressure release. When the pressure has released for 6 minutes, then perform an instant release.
- Open the lid of the Instant Pot and add the cooked shrimp back on top of the rice. You can garnish with chopped green onions and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Rice: Long Grain White Rice is best. You can also use Basmati or Jasmine
- Andouille Sausage: I got this from the sausage section of the grocery store. If you don’t like the (slightly) spicy taste of Andouille, you can substitute this for any kind of sausage you’d prefer.
- Shrimp: I use medium-sized raw shrimp deveined with no tails. You can buy them frozen if you’d like but make sure to thaw them before cooking.
- Chicken Broth: You substitute water if necessary, use a different kind of broth, or even use water and a bouillon cube.
- Many recipes for Jambalaya call for celery to be cooked with the rice. I don’t love celery so I didn’t add it into this recipe, but if you like celery you can certainly add it! Make sure to chop it up small and saute it at the same time that you saute the onions and green peppers.
- Many recipes also call for chicken to be added in addition to the sausage and shrimp. You can cut up 1 lb of chicken breast and add it into the top of the pot before pressure cooking if you’d like.
- Do not stir after adding the rice as you don’t want to get a burn notice.
Sandra McCollum says
Jambalaya evolved from Jollof Rice. The Moors took that recipe to Spain. The history of Louisiana states that the Spanish administered New Orleans. They were soldiers, not immigrants. Africans cooked. They contributed Gumbo and Jambalaya to the culture. There is no other explanation.
Melissa Torres says
This was so delicious! I used shrimp and kielbasa but would add chicken too next time, just even some leftover rotisserie. Do not stir in the rice thoroughly like I did because I got a burn notice. I added more liquid but it was a little stuck to the bottom. The second time I opened it up, it was cooked and delicious!
The Foreign Fork says
I’m so glad you made the recipe and loved it Melissa!! Great note on the stirring as well. Thank you for leaving a comment 🙂
Robin Gallaher says
Made this last week and forgot to add some shredded chicken, it was FABULOUS w/o it. So Good. And we freezer some for later👏👏👏🤩
The Foreign Fork says
Hurray Im so glad you liked it! It does make a lot so freezing is a good option 🙂
Karen Fein says
Can you freeze leftovers?
The Foreign Fork says
Yes, absolutely! Make sure to store it in an airtight container. Cooked rice can retain its moisture in a freezer for about a month, so I wouldn’t save it for longer than that 🙂