Instant Pot Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya
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:
What’s the best way to avoid a burn notice?
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.
What’s a substitution for Creole seasoning?
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.
Do you add uncooked rice to jambalaya?
Yes. The rice we used was long grain white rice. It was uncooked when we put it into the Instant Pot.
Can you freeze jambalaya?
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.
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!
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.
I made this tonight. I sauteed the meats and the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic on the range, and then put them all in the Instant Pot along with the drippings from the saute pan. I was hoping this would help me to avoid getting a burn notice. The recipe as published calls for three quarters of a cup of chicken broth, which seemed low to me, so I rounded up to one cup. The tomatoes and their juice were dumped in last, and just pushed down into the other ingredients. I got my first burn notice before the Instant Pot had pressurized. I scraped the bottom and tried again, but soon got another burn notice, so I added another cup of chicken broth. From there on, the process proceeded as hoped. The rice was overcooked, but the meats were just right.
If I were to make this again, I would use one and three fourths cups of broth, not the published three fourths of a cup. Generally white rice calls for about one and three fourths to two cups of liquid for each cup of rice. I wonder if there is a misprint in the recipe. I’m puzzled at the positive reviews for this recipe as it stands.
If anyone wants to try this recipe, I would recommend using no more than one tablespoon of the creole seasoning on their first attempt, unless they like their food very spicy.
Hi Bonnie! I’m sorry to hear that this dish didn’t work out for you. It sounds like you tried to everything you could think of to make it a success with no luck. We make this often and haven’t gotten a burn notice like some of the comments mention. However, I do understand that brands and types of ingredients vary, and that can make a difference in the outcome of the dish.
In regards to the liquid to rice ratio, we tested the recipe with 1/2 cup of broth, which was too little liquid. Then it was tested again with 1 cup of broth. The 1 cup amount was a little soupy and the rice was overcooked even though the official Instant Pot user manual and website states that the proper ratio of liquid to rice is 1:1. The recipe was tested again using 3/4 cup broth. We continued using that amount each time we made the dish with no issues. I’ve double checked the recipe and the amount of chicken broth listed is correct at 3/4 cup.
I agree that starting out with 1 Tablespoon of Creole seasoning is a good idea! It can be quite spicy if you aren’t used to that amount of spice. Any of the spices in this recipe can be adjusted to taste. 🙂 The amounts listed are based on what our friends and family like best.
I decreased the thyme to 1/4 teaspoon. I think I may omit it next time. Very good! Definitely enjoyed this dish. Thank you!
Thank you for commenting and sharing your modification, Diego! Kim and I are thrilled you liked the recipe. Have a wonderful Friday 🙂
We are so satisfied with our jambalaya tonight, thank you so much! My wife, in her wisdom, bought an Instant Pot Duo Mini (3 qt.) because we live in a small apartment with a very small kitchen. I am constantly on the lookout now for Duo Mini compatible Instant Pot recipes. Hello culinary friends on the internet, where are the Duo Mini recipes to be found? In any event, I thought that this one would be compatible and I was right. I matched every volume except I used no celery. My spouse doesn’t like too much spice so I used only 1 T of Tony Cachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, 8 oz. of which set me back $2 at our local Safeway! The pound of chicken and a packaged 11 oz. of Adouille Sausage (Silva Natural Smoked Andouille) came from the Whole Foods. The amount of liquid was just right, the cooking time was just right, the final result was just right! Our neighbor downstairs just lost her husband and when we found out how happy we were with our dinner we texted her and asked if she had eaten yet. The result: she kept what was left after consuming a good portion, and I may have to make this recipe again in a couple of days! Thanks again.
Thank you, Greg! Kim and I are thrilled the recipe worked for your Duo Mini. Additionally, we are happy to hear you, your wife, and your neighbor enjoyed the jambalaya. Thank you again for coming back to site to share your experience. Have a wonderful day, Greg!
do you have to saute saute, peppers and onions first ?
Hi, Nan! No, you don’t have to saute them. As long as they’re added prior to closing the lid and cooking the jambalaya, it should be fine. 🙂 It’s whatever your preference.
Just to clarify, the sausage and chicken do need to be sauteed. I didn’t see it listed in the ingredients you mentioned but wanted to make sure there was no confusion.
If I do not want to use the can of tomatoes how much more chicken broth do I add?
Good Morning Richard, that’s a great question. I had to do some research to find the answer. According to the links I found on Google, it looks like you may want to add about 3/4 to a 1 cup of additional chicken broth. I hope this information helps. Have a great day.
Sounds delicious! If I were to substitute brown rice would the cooking times be affected? Looking forward to making it this week!
Hi Chloe! Brown rice will take more liquid and additional cook time. We’ve never tried the jambalaya with brown rice, so unfortunately I’m unable to provide an exact amount of liquid. Here’s a post on a different site that has a great Instant Pot brown rice recipe that might be of some help. https://addapinch.com/instant-pot-brown-rice-recipe/ We hope you enjoy the dish! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Is there an option to add shrimp to this or would you recommend adding it cooked to the pot after it’s released?
Hi Adrienne! We haven’t tried this recipe using shrimp. If you decide to try it, I’d recommend making a tray/holder out of aluminum foil. Place the tray on top of the ingredients just before closing the lid. However, I’m not sure if the shrimp will overcook or become rubbery. It’s definitely worth a try. Great idea!
I would add uncooked shrimp at the end of the cooking time. Stir it in and close the lid for five minutes. The residual heat should cook the shrimp perfectly.
Can you freeze and store it?
Good Morning Kayla, that’s a great question. Kim and I have never frozen it for storage; however, I don’t think it would be a problem. Go ahead and give it try, it should be fine. Have a great day, Kayla!
I’ve frozen this recipe and it comes out good, the rice may be a little on the softer side, but it is great for a meal in a pinch!
Unfortunately I followed the steps to a tee, scraping and making certain nothing was sticking but 2 minutes into the cook time I got the burn notice so I just turned it off and finished it on the stove top. The recipe is good but as you mentioned different ingredients may have different moisture contents. I have made so much in my instant pot and been successful every time up to now so I am going to have to practice with this one. Thank you for posting the recipe. ????
Thank you for commenting, Lori. Have a good weekend 🙂
This recipe is a keeper! I’ve been without a stove for almost two weeks. My Instant Pot Duo Plus has been a lifesaver. This jambalaya turned out perfect. The things I changed up were, I omitted the chicken, and made it andouille only, and mixed up my own Creole seasoning. I used dried thyme, about 1/2 Tsp. Seems pressure cooking makes dried spices a tad more potent..
Thanks for posting this. I’m definitely pinning this one!????
Thank you for commenting and sharing your experience with the recipe, Mare. Kim and I are glad you enjoyed the jambalaya and used your own twists to make it. We hope you decide to give some of our other recipes a try and we hope you get your stove back soon 🙂
In the process of cooking it now. It smells fantastic but we kept getting the burn notice even after scraping the pot repeatedly. In an untried recipe there’s no way to know whether we have enough oil or liquid in the pot–we just have to trust the author–and one won’t know until it’s too late. In all honesty we’re still new to the Instant Pot and don’t know the ins and outs. This is our first burn notice. Desperate to salvage our investment in ingredients we’ve got the pot on Slow Cook and hope that the rice and chicken finish cooking. Is this one of those recipes where the ingredients should be added in order, like liquids and meat on the bottom and rice on the top rather than all combined? Any suggestions?
Hi Ken! I’m so sorry to hear to that you’ve gotten a burn notice on this one! Sounds like you’ve scraped the bottom which is great. The ingredients are initially layered just by adding them to the pot. I stirred them a bit to make sure the rice was covered in liquid instead of sitting on the top. It’s possible that one of the ingredients didn’t contain as much moisture as an ingredient that we used. I’d recommend adding a little more chicken broth if possible, maybe a 1/2 cup to a cup depending on the thickness of the jambalaya. Hope this helps and that you’re able to salvage the recipe.
I had the same thing happen to me…I got a burn notice. I believe that the newer instapot date very sensitive and the burn notice can come on if you have just the tiniest scrapings on the bottom. Hope your food turned out great!!
Thank you for commenting and coming back to rate the recipe, Kimberly! I talked to Kim (my wife) this morning about your comment. She works with the Instant Pot recipes and I handle the regular ones. It seems the newer models due tend to give burn notices more often. It’s weird, but I suppose it happens in manufacturing. One change or update can alter how a machine works. I bet in time, recipes will naturally account for these inconsistencies with the product. In the meantime, we all have to make guesses until it works itself out lol! Thank you again, Kim and I are happy you enjoyed the dish. Have a lovely day 🙂
Hi Ken. If you have an instant pot Ultra, they are notorious for getting a Burn Notice. You have to make sure that you stir anything with rice in it to get the Liquid on the bottom. I also add a little more liquid than most recipes. It’s not the fault of this recipe. It’s the Ultra.
When my wife or I make this we put the broth in and tomatoes in last. We also use one cup of broth for added moisure. It help with leftovers.
Yum! Easy and delicious! I would also recommend cutting back on dried thyme… it is a bit much at 1 tsp, unless you really like it. My 2 year old loved it and hubby did, too (he added sriracha, which is a good idea for those who like it spicy).
We’re so happy that you and your family liked the jambalaya. Thanks for the feedback on the thyme. We love that your husband added sriracha for a little kick. Wonderful idea!
Could I double this in an 8 at intsapot?
Good Morning Jen, that’s a great question. Yes, but with caution. The 8 quart machine takes a lot more broth. In fact, I would up the broth from one (1) cup to at least three (3) to four (4) cups of broth. We’ve never used the 8 quart so that amount is a guess. Hopefully, it all works out for you. Have a lovely day 🙂
Just made this substituting the sausage for chorizo and made my own creole seasoning using MARTHA Stewart’s since I doubt I can find the ready made stuff here in Malta Europe. Must say delishous xx
Thank you, Charlene! Kim and I are so happy you enjoyed the recipe. It’s also great you were able to find working substitutes, we understand it can be hard to find certain ingredients when you live in another country. Thank you again for coming back to leave a comment 🙂
I have a question can I use instant rice
Good Morning, Debbie, I wouldn’t recommend it with this recipe because the liquid amounts and cook times are for the rice listed in the recipe. Have a great day 🙂
Used 1 tsp dried thyme, that is all I smelled when the lid was opened. Would cut it down to 1/2 or 1/4 tsp dried thyme. Otherwise, a great recipe. Dave.
Hi, Dave! Thanks so much for the feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe and will make a note in the recipe regarding the thyme. Enjoy your weekend! 🙂
Having issues with it pressurizing to push the pin up. Should I add more broth?
Hi Eric!
The jambalaya has a lot of contents, so sometimes it does take a bit to come to pressure. It can also take longer if some of the ingredients are cold. However, if you decide to remove the lid, please do it carefully (the contents will be very hot) and check to be sure the ring is securely in place. Also, double check the valve on top of the lid to ensure it’s set to “sealing” and not “venting.” Adding additional broth is a good idea since some of it may have evaporated while it was trying to pressurize. Try to make sure it reaches the bottom of the liner underneath the other ingredients. I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
Family and In-laws LOVED it!! Thanks!
Thank you, Eileen! We’re thrilled everyone enjoyed the jambalaya! Thank you for letting us know and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂