Description
This Instant Pot Jambalaya is a flavorful, hearty dish combining sausage, chicken, and vegetables with creole spices and rice, all cooked perfectly under pressure for a quick, satisfying meal that captures the essence of classic Cajun cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
Meats
- 12 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
- 12 ounces Chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
Vegetables
- 6 ounces Onion, diced
- 1 Green bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks Celery, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
Seasonings and Liquids
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1.5 cups Chicken broth
- 14.5 ounces Diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
- 2 Bay leaves
Grains
- 1.5 cups Long grain white rice
Instructions
- Prepare Instant Pot and heat oil: Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, allowing it to heat until shimmering.
- Brown the meats: Add the sliced Andouille sausage and chicken breast pieces to the pot. Cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Then remove the meat and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Add diced onions, green bell peppers, celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes until onions become translucent, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Stop sauté mode: Press CANCEL to end sauté mode to prepare for pressure cooking.
- Add spices: Sprinkle in dried thyme, Creole seasoning, and kosher salt, mixing them well with the sautéed vegetables.
- Add liquids: Pour in chicken broth and the entire can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, using the liquid to scrape any remaining browned bits off the pot’s bottom.
- Return meat and bay leaves: Add the browned sausage and chicken back into the pot and stir to combine. Nestle bay leaves into the liquid.
- Add rice: Sprinkle the long grain white rice evenly on top of the mixture without stirring it in. Gently press rice down to ensure it is submerged in the liquid.
- Pressure cook: Secure the lid and set the valve to SEALING. Select HIGH pressure and cook for 5 minutes.
- Natural pressure release: When cooking time completes, press CANCEL and allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes.
- Quick release remaining pressure: Carefully turn the valve to VENTING to release any remaining steam.
- Finish and rest: Once the pin drops, open the lid safely. Stir the jambalaya and remove bay leaves. Let the dish rest for approximately 5 minutes to absorb excess moisture.
- Serve: Plate the jambalaya and serve with hot sauce on the side for an optional spicy kick.
Notes
- Do not stir the rice after adding it to the pot to prevent a sticky or mushy texture.
- You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth for a lighter flavor.
- Adjust creole seasoning to your preferred spice level for milder or spicier jambalaya.
- Resting the dish after cooking allows the flavors to meld and liquid to absorb properly.
- Ensure the Instant Pot seal and valve are properly set before pressure cooking to avoid steam leaks.
