This Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya is filled with turkey sausage, shrimp and a Cajun-inspired sauce that makes a great weeknight dinner idea!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado, grapeseed or canola oil.
- Yellow onion – white onions or shallots would also work.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Cajun seasoning – use homemade Cajun seasoning or a store-bought version.
- Thyme – oregano or basil would be the next best substitute.
- Bay leaves – leave this out altogether if you don’t have bay leaves on hand.
- Turkey sausage – you could also use chicken sausage or pork sausage.
- Frozen shrimp – you could also use fresh pre-cooked shrimp as well.
- Diced tomatoes – two cups of chopped tomatoes would work instead.
- Chicken broth – you could also use vegetable broth.
- White rice – use any kind of white rice like basmati or jasmine rice.
- Bell peppers – any colour of bell pepper will work.
- Parsley – to garnish.
How to make jambalaya in the Instant Pot
- Add everything but the peppers and parsley to the Instant Pot in order.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Do a quick-release of the pressure.
- Stir in the bell peppers and parsley.
- Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with more parsley and serve.
What to serve with jambalaya
This Instant Pot jambalaya is an entire meal on its own, but if you’re looking for side dish ideas, here are some of my favourites:
- Homemade cornbread
- Steamed swiss chard or collard greens
- Corn on the cob
- Crispy green bean fries
- Fried okra
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to make my own homemade Cajun seasoning for this Instant Pot jambalaya recipe. The seasoning mostly just consists of a blend of paprika (I used Spanish smoked paprika), along with some garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes and chili powder.
You can add some diced chicken breasts to this jambalaya if you’re craving it! Use it instead of one of the other protein options or add it in along with the sausage and shrimp.
I wouldn’t recommend using brown rice for this Instant Pot jambalaya. Brown rice takes a lot longer to cook than white rice, which would result in the sausage and shrimp being overcooked.
As long as you don’t go over the maximum line in your Instant Pot, you should be able to double this recipe! The cooking time will remain the same, the Instant Pot might just take longer to get up to high pressure.
Gumbo has more of a stew consistency and is served over rice, whereas jambalaya has less of a soup consistency and the rice is cooked along with the rest of the ingredients.
Storing and reheating
This jambalaya Instant Pot recipe is great for meal prep! You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days in airtight glass containers. When you’re ready to eat, sprinkle some water over top and reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Freezing and reheating
You can freeze this Instant Pot jambalaya recipe, but the texture might not be completely the same when you reheat. Store it in airtight glass containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave.
More meal prep recipes
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Instant Pot Honey Balsamic Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Dijon Chicken
- Instant Pot Shrimp Boil
- 22+ Easy Instant Pot Meal Prep Ideas
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe. - Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing this jambalaya up for lunch!
- I get free range ground chicken from my monthly Butcher Box – it’s a great way to enjoy healthier meats and poultry!
is the version I use in this recipe.
Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya {Meal Prep}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (homemade or store bought)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb chicken, turkey or pork sausages, casings removed and meat mixed up
- 1/2 lb frozen shrimp
- 1 (796 mL) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups dry uncooked white rice
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Add olive oil, onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, sausage, shrimp, diced tomatoes, chicken broth and rice to Instant Pot in that order. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and then do a quick release of the pressure.
- Open lid when safe to do so and stir in bell peppers and parsley. Let sit for 5 minutes with the lid on to steam the peppers. Garnish with extra parsley then serve and enjoy!
