Sausage and chicken jambalaya is the perfect blend of Creole seasoning, onions, peppers, celery, sausage, chicken, and rice. Use the Instant Pot to prepare this meal in less time than the stove top version. Tender meats, flavorful veggies, and perfectly cooked rice every time!
It’s rare that we make jambalaya, gumbo, or any Creole foods. Odd, too, because they are so tasty and always a hit.
Since purchasing the Instant Pot, we’ve already made this sausage and chicken jambalaya more times than I can count, and gumbo is in the near future!
Don’t get me wrong, I love simmering a large pot of food on the stove top. It makes the house smell wonderful and imparts so much flavor.
The reality is, I don’t always have time.
On those days, when we want a hearty dinner but don’t have time to babysit a pot on the stove, we use the Instant Pot. It’s quick, easy, and very low maintenance.
That’s kind of how we decided to make jambalaya, pork chops with gravy, and wild rice and mushroom soup.
John asked for the jambalaya, but we’ve been so busy lately that I didn’t think we’d have time to make it stove top.
The Instant Pot was a lifesaver. We took the usual ingredients like sausage, chicken, onions, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and seasonings, and adapted the process. It worked perfectly!
How to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya:
- This recipe involves a lot of sautéing, so start by setting the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the oil, sausage, and chicken. Stir until the chicken is white on the outside. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked through, just cooked on the outside. It will cook the rest of the way later in the process. It only takes 3-5 minutes to cook the chicken.
- Then use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan. Leave the Instant Pot on sauté and add the onions, celery, and peppers. Cook just until they’re soft then add the garlic. Be careful not to overcook the garlic, or it will become bitter.
- Add the Creole seasonings, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Carefully place the sausage and chicken back in the pot and top with rice, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Give the jambalaya a quick stir, and close the lid. Make sure the valve is set to “sealing,” and set to high pressure (manual/pressure cook) for 10 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to natural release before doing a quick release.
- After the quick release, remove the lid and stir the jambalaya. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately!
Tips for a Successful Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya:
To ensure that you don’t get a burn warning, make sure to scrape the bits from the bottom of the pot. Some brands of sausage have a higher fat content and are less likely to stick.
If needed, add a touch of extra oil in the beginning steps to keep food from sticking. Here’s a great resource that gives some tips about how to avoid a burn message.
If it looks like the ingredients are on the lower moisture side or if your Instant Pot is bad about burning rice, add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of broth from the start. Some readers report adding the extra broth and have had great results.
Additionally, if you are making this in an 8-quart, add 1 cup of extra broth. We also recommend layering the food beginning with the sauteed vegetables, add the meat next, then the rice, pour in the broth, and pour the tomatoes in last.
This will change up the way the ingredients are cooked, and you may need to cook the ingredients in batches. It may require a touch of extra broth, too, since the broth will sink below the rice.
If you don’t have Creole seasoning, swap it out with equal amounts of Cajun seasoning. However, the Cajun seasoning tends to be a bit spicy. We use 1-2 tablespoons depending on the spiciness of the sausage.
The important thing is to flavor it to your liking! This also goes for the other seasonings like thyme and salt.
Please use your best judgment. We used the amount that worked for our friends and family. It may not be the same for your household.
Yes. The rice we used was long grain white rice. It was uncooked when we put it into the Instant Pot.
Yes. We recommend freezing jambalaya in double plastic zip bags, so it will lay flat. It will keep for about 2 months if properly packaged.
Freezing does change the texture and taste slightly.
Other Dinner Recipes to Try:
If you like this sausage and chicken jambalaya recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe card. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram searching for Berly’s Kitchen!
Instant Pot Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 ounces andouille sausage sliced into circular pieces
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts boneless, skinless (cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs (or substitute 1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried thyme; adjust to taste)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to “Saute.”
- Add the oil, sausage, and chicken. Use a wooden spoon to turn, while scraping the bottom of the Instant Pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is white.2 tablespoons vegetable oil12 ounces andouille sausage1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Remove the sausage and chicken and drain on paper towels.
- Add the onions, pepper, and celery stirring with the wooden spoon while scraping the bottom. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are soft.1 green bell pepper1 white onion1 celery stalk
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds while continuing to stir.5 garlic cloves
- Add the Creole seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, cooked sausage and chicken, rice, tomatoes, and broth. Stir to combine.1 tablespoon Creole seasoning3 fresh thyme sprigs2 bay leaves1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes1 cup low-sodium chicken broth1 cup long grain white rice
- Close the lid, make sure the valve is set to “sealing,” and set Instant Pot to high pressure (manual/pressure cook) for 10 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to natural release for 5 minutes before completing a quick release. Remove lid and stir. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.Salt and pepper
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Andrea H.
Wednesday 15th of February 2023
I made this with my husband and it was very good! We tripled the recipe (teenage boys... wanted leftovers) and added approximately 2 c. extra broth and used spicy sausage. We all really loved it. Thanks for a great recipe!
John
Wednesday 15th of February 2023
Thank you Andrea! Kim and I are glad your whole family enjoyed the jambalaya. The spicy sausage sounds like a tasty addition. Thanks again and have a lovely day :)
Lindsey
Sunday 5th of February 2023
I've made and loved this recipe many many times! Wondering if there's a method for the crockpot? Wanted a set it and forget it today.
Kimberly
Sunday 5th of February 2023
Thanks so much, Lindsey!
We're glad that you enjoy the Instant Pot Jambalaya! We have this Slow Cooker Jambalaya recipe. It's not exactly the same, but it's similar. It might be close enough or at least you an idea on how to modify the Instant Pot version. Hope that helps. Thanks again and have a fantastic day! :)
Brian Kinsley
Saturday 15th of October 2022
@Beth,
We usually double the recipe and add 10-12 fresh okra pods sliced.
Amanda
Thursday 8th of September 2022
Turned out better than expected without roux. We used left-over Easter ham from the deep freezer. My husband accidentally used Cajun seasoning and smoked. Great flavor, super easy school night meal. Glueten free without roux.
Kimberly
Friday 9th of September 2022
Thanks so much, Amanda! We're glad the jambalaya turned out well. Using leftover ham was a great idea! Have a wonderful day! :)
Emily
Wednesday 17th of August 2022
Absolutely phenomenal recipe - easily the best instant pot recipe I have tried. I added frozen shrimp because I had it on hand, and it turned out great!
John
Thursday 18th of August 2022
Thank you Emily! We're thrilled you enjoy the jambalaya. Have a lovely day :)