Cajun Jambalaya Made In The Instant Pot

Looking for that quick and easy weeknight meal, check out our Cajun jambalaya recipe that is made in your Instant Pot! Marry those cajun flavors, tender chicken, and sausage all together for one rich and savory dinner. The Instant Pot works great at blending the Cajun seasonings together in a quick time frame for that slow-simmered taste.

Quick and Easy Cajun Jambalaya Recipe

Winter is here, so that means lots of comfort dishes and hearty soups are being served up in our home. Of course, we love our Instant Pot, and one recipe that gives you a trip to Louisiana is this chicken and sausage jambalaya recipe! Tender rice, celery, chicken, sausage, peppers, and more come together for one spiced up dish. This chicken jambalaya will warm you up from the inside out.

What Is Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a dish many know that comes from Louisiana. It is generally made with rice, a variety of meats like shrimp, chicken, and spicy sausage, peppers, onions, celery, and Cajun (or Creole) seasonings.

There are many recipes for jambalaya out there, some use multiple types of meat others use just one or two. You can create a jambalaya to please and satisfy your taste buds.

What Is The Difference Between Jambalaya And Gumbo

The biggest difference between jambalaya and gumbo is the consistency. Gumbo is more of a stew that is thicker, while jambalaya is served with rice or pilaf. Flavors are similar because both jumbo and jambalaya offer a Cajun flavor, but they are quite different.

People get confused because both jambalaya and gumbo both generally use multiple types of meat like sausage, chicken, and shrimp. It all depends on the recipe you come across.

What Seasonings Do You Use In Jambalaya

For us personally we love using spices like thyme, basil, oregano, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning and of course items like celery, peppers, and even onions. We find the mix of these ingredients brings such a vibrant amount of flavor to your meat and rice in the jambalaya.

Is Creole The Same As Cajun Seasoning

Yes, they are similar. Depending on where you live you might struggle finding Cajun seasoning and could find Creole seasoning on your supermarket shelf easily. Cajun seasoning is a bit more spicy than Creole, so you could always add in a dash of cayenne to the Creole if you want to pump up the heat factor.

What Do You Eat Jambalaya With

The beauty of Jambalaya is it is a one-pot dish. You don’t need a ton of sides, just the bowl or plate of the Cajun jambalaya is enough. Some like to serve it with a corn bread or even a French style bread.

Cajun Jambalaya Recipe

Ingredients for Cajun Jambalaya Recipe

• 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 (12 ounces) package Cajun sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into ½ inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup water
• 1 (14 ounces) can diced tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Cayenne or Cajun seasoning blend to taste
• 1 ½ cups white rice

Instructions for Cajun Jambalaya Recipe

1. Set pressure cooker to “saute” and heat until “hot.” Add olive oil and cubed chicken breast in batches to avoid crowding. Cook chicken on each side until browned. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked through.
2. Pour the chicken broth into the pressure cooker and use a flat spatula or spoon to deglaze the bottom completely, removing any stuck bits to add flavor and allow the pressure cooker to pressurized properly.
3. To the chicken and chicken broth, add all other ingredients. Stir to mix well. Cancel the “saute” function.
4. Cover the pressure cooker and place the valve in the set position. Turn the pressure cooker on manual or “pressure cook” for 8 minutes on high pressure. When the pressure cooker has finished the cook cycle, carefully release the pressure.
5. Fluff the jambalaya, remove the bay leaves, and serve.

Ingredients

Makes 6 people

• 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 12 ounce package cajun sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into ½ inch pieces
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup water
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Cayenne or Cajun seasoning blend, to taste
• 1 ½ cups white rice

Method

1. Set pressure cooker to “saute” and heat until “hot.” Add olive oil and cubed chicken breast in batches to avoid crowding. Cook chicken on each side until browned. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked through.
2. Pour the chicken broth into the pressure cooker and use a flat spatula or spoon to deglaze the bottom completely, removing any stuck bits to add flavor and allow the pressure cooker to pressurized properly.
3. To the chicken and chicken broth, add all other ingredients. Stir to mix well. Cancel the “saute” function.
4. Cover the pressure cooker and place the valve in the set position. Turn the pressure cooker on manual or “pressure cook” for 8 minutes on high pressure. When the pressure cooker has finished the cook cycle, carefully release the pressure.
5. Fluff the jambalaya, remove the bay leaves, and serve.