Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
Jambalaya made in the Instant Pot, yesssss!!!! Okay, so jambalaya is definitely one of my all-time favorite meals. The issue it is a bit time intensive to make and there are lots of steps to follow. I knew that I needed to recreate my Simple Creole Jambalaya recipe and make it super simple and easy with the Instant Pot!
So here it is! My Instant Pot Jambalaya! To be honest, it tastes almost exactly the same as the original but only takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time, as opposed to the near 45 mins in the original recipe. I was so skeptical that it wouldn’t taste as good. I mean, come on, I cut out a ton of steps including a lot of browning of meats and cooking down a lot of the veggies. HOW was it going to ever live up to the original recipe?? But, lo and behold, it did! I was shocked!
When I went about making this recipe I thought it was just one for y’all, my lovely readers. Surely I would never be making the Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe myself. I would be making the original recipe in all its glory, of course. Well, I totally proved myself wrong with this one. When I’m craving jambalaya in the future this is most likely the version that I will turn to because it is just so easy!
I love this recipe as a weekend dinner, especially in these cold winter months. Jambalaya one of the best southern comfort foods, in my opinion. This jambalaya is also great for parties where guests can serve themselves and you can just keep the warming feature on on your Instant Pot! Nothing better than easy hosting.
I hope y’all enjoy the recipe as much as I do!
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Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
Ingredients
Salt-Free Creole Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- ½ Tbsp dried thyme
- ½ Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper*
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- *This spice blend gives you a medium level of spiciness. If you would like a more mild spice level cut the cayenne pepper in half (or use even less). If you like it hot, increase the amount of cayenne.
Jambalaya
- 1 lb shrimp peeled
- 5 Tbsp Salt-Free Creole Seasoning divided
- 1 1/2 cups 270g basmati or Texmati rice
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter ghee, or avocado oil
- 1/2 lb bacon finely chopped
- 1/2 lb chicken thighs ~3 small or 2 large thighs, chopped
- 12 oz andouille sausage sliced into rounds
- 3 roma tomatoes diced (with seeds and juices)
- 6 green onions thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Chopped parsley and more sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
Salt-Free Creole Seasoning
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl
- This makes 5½ Tbsp of seasoning. You will only use 5 Tbsp for the Jambalaya recipe.
Jambalaya
- Season the shrimp. Place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp Salt-Free Creole Seasoning. Mix with a silicon spatula to evenly coat. Set aside.
- Rinse the rice. Rinse the rice with cold water until the water is no longer cloudy. Gently mix with your hand while rinsing. Drain off water and set aside.
- Prepare the Holy Trinity. Mix the diced onion, green pepper, and celery together in a large bowl. Set half of it aside in another bowl.
- Cook the bacon. Set Instant Pot to "sauté". When it says "HOT" add the butter, let it melt, then add in the bacon. Cook bacon for 5-7 minutes or until well browned, stirring and scraping the bottom occasionally.
- Sauté half the veggies. Add 1/2 of the Holy Trinity, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring and scraping the bottom really well with a flat ended spoon. Turn off Instant Pot now!
- Dump in everything else. Now add in the other 1/2 of the Holy Trinity, the rest of the Creole seasoning (4 Tbsp), chicken thighs, sausage, tomatoes, green onions, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and bay leaves. Pour in broth and mix, scraping the bottom really well.
- Sprinkle the rice across the top. Do not mix! Instead, gently press the rice into the liquid using your spoon.
- Pressure Cook. Place the lid on and set to "sealing". Cook on Manual on high pressure for 6 minutes. Allow a natural release for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick release. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in shrimp. Remove lid, stir, then stir in shrimp. Make sure all the shrimp are submerged under the jambalaya. Quickly replace lid, lock, and allow to sit for 5-8 minutes to allow the shrimp to cook. The resting time will depend on the size of your shrimp and how cold they were when you place them in the jambalaya. For medium-sized shrimp, check after 5 minutes to see if they are cooked through. They will be completely opaque and peachy-pink when cooked thoroughly. Larger shrimp will likely take more than 5 minutes to cook.
- Taste test! Season to taste with salt, cayenne pepper, or more Creole seasoning. I usually add just a bit more salt to mine.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and green onion slices.
- Enjoy! If you liked this recipe please consider leaving a review!
Did you love the recipe? I would love it if you left me a 5-star review below! 
Notes
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Did you enjoy the recipe? If so, let me know in the comments below and leave a review! xx Kit
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