This chicken and sausage jambalaya recipe will be a staple in your weeknight dinner rotation. Tender chicken, juicy sausage and fluffy rice are combined with cajun spices and the holy trinity to make a dish that your entire family will love!
If you are in the mood for more cajun favors, try my Instant Pot Butter Beans.
Recreating this stovetop dish for the instant pot was surprisingly easy. I love the fact that I always have most of the ingredients on hand to make the jambalaya and that it comes together quickly making it a perfect dish for busy weeknights.
The key to a good stove top jambalaya recipe is the building of flavors. Making the jambalaya in a pressure cooker concentrates the flavors and it comes out great every time.
FUN FACT: There are no tomatoes in this recipe. Yep, you read that right. No tomatoes, no tomato sauce, no tomato paste…none!
This is a cajun style jambalaya, and for me, that means no tomatoes involved here.
You may be wondering why, but it has a lot to do with the different backgrounds and styles of cooking in Louisiana.
Creole style or New Orleans style jambalaya typically calls for tomatoes and truth is…*whispers* I do not care for it as much as cajun style jambalaya. I know, shocking..haha!
This pressure cooker jambalaya recipe is fast as it only calls for a 4 minute cook time, followed by a 6 minute natural release.
It’s a very easy chicken and sausage jambalaya to make as well. Once you have the ingredients prepped and ready, it is really as easy as 1-2-3 to pull together.
Now let’s get to cooking!
Ingredients and Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – We love using thighs in this recipe; you can sub chicken breast if you prefer.
- Smoked sausage – This recipe calls for regular smoked sausage. Andouille or any other cajun sausage can be used as well.
- Onion, celery and green bell pepper – The “Holy Trinity.” These vegetables are combined to make the backbone of cajun and creole dishes.
- Garlic – Majorly enhances the trinity and is locally considered “the Pope.”
- Green onion and parsley – Adds to the flavor profile of the jambalaya.
- Browning sauce – Provides color and depth of flavor.
- Dry herbs and spices – Seasons and flavors the broth and overall finished dish.
- Chicken bouillon powder and water – This basically creates chicken broth. You can also just sub pre-made chicken broth as well.
- Parboiled rice – The type of rice used is key in this recipe. and depends on the texture you prefer. I prefer this rice in this recipe as the grains are less likely to clump together in the finished dish.
Step by step process to making instant pot chicken and sausage jambalaya
Brown the sausage, then the chicken in olive oil. Then remove and set aside.
Saute the vegetables, then add in browning seasoning and stir. Add water and dry seasonings along with chicken bouillon powder.
Add chicken and sausage back into pot. Add in the rice but DO NOT STIR. Lightly press rice down into the broth so that the broth just about covers it.
Cover pot with lid and cook for 4 minutes high pressure. After 6 minutes natural release, remove lid and stir.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Use precut seasoning for the veggies. Many grocery stores sell containers of precut onion, bell pepper and celery. You can even use a bag of frozen seasoning blend if you are in a pinch!
- Use pre-peeled garlic, jarred minced garlic, or garlic paste as a time saver.
- Rotisserie chicken works amazingly well in this recipe. Just remove about 2 to 2.5 cups of rotisserie chicken and cut into cubes.
- Allow the rice to rest for about 5-10 minutes after stirring/ before serving.
- We love using parboiled rice in this recipe. I feel it cooks up perfectly and it can also be forgiving if you happen to overcook the rice. Parboiled rice cooks up fluffy and the grains tend to not stick together like regular white rice. Extra long grain rice works well too. If you prefer a more glutinous texture, use a medium grain rice instead.
Parboiled rice is rice that is partially cooked in its husk before being removed.
Customization
- For a seafood flare, use seafood stock in place of the water and add a half pound of shrimp at end of cooking process. The residual heat from the instant pot will cook the shrimp.
- If you are wanting more spice, add in hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste.
Storage and Reheating
Store in the fridge for up to 3- 4 days. * If you add in seafood, store no more than 2 days.
To reheat we usually just microwave leftovers in glass container and this works really well for us.
I hope you all enjoy!
Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe
Equipment
- 1 electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
- 1 pack of smoked sausage, sliced
- 1-2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 sweet or yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 parsley sprigs, chopped
- 1/2 tsp browning sauce
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning
- 2 tsp all purpose seasoning, divided
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chicken boullion powder
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups parboiled rice
Instructions
- Add chicken thighs pieces to bowl and season with one teaspoon of all purpose seasoning, mix to coat and set aside.
- Set instant pot to saute mode. Once hot, add olive oil to inner pot.
- Add in sliced sausage and saute about 2 minutes until slightly browned. Remove sausage and set aside.
- Add in chicken pieces and brown for about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Deglaze pot with a little water if needed. Add in celery, onion, bell pepper, green onion, and parsley and saute about 2 minutes until softened.
- Add in minced garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Turn off saute function, add in browning sauce and stir to coat the veggies.
- Add in 3 cups water. Stir to help deglaze bottom of inner pot if needed.
- Add in cajun seasoning, remaining all purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and chicken bouillon powder and stir.
- Add chicken and sausage back to pot making sure to add in any drippings/juices left from the chicken as well.
- Add in the rice and gently push it down so that it is mostly covered with liquid.
- Switch instant pot to manual and high pressure. Set cook time to 4 minutes. After cook time, allow to naturally release for 6 minutes.
- Switch lid to venting to release remaining pressure. Remove lid and stir to combine.
- Replace lid and allow flavors to settle for about 5 minutes. (optional)
- Serve.
Can’t wait to try this one. 🥰