Instant Pot Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

ByKimberly March 31, 2018August 1, 2024

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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.

Instant pot sausage and chicken jambalaya topped with green onions next to a fork and green and white napkin.

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!

Ariel view of sausage, chicken, tomatoes, rice, onions, peppers, and seasoning used for sausage and chicken jambalaya.

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!

Ariel view of an open instant pot with cooked chicken and sausage, tomatoes, and rice for jambalaya.

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.

Close up view of sausage and chicken jambalaya in two white bowls with scattered green onions.

Other Dinner Recipes to Try:

Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Crockpot Pierogi and Kielbasa Casserole
Mushroom Stroganoff

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