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.
Homemade Cajun seasoning
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. Mix up equal parts of all of it (less chili flakes if you don’t want too much spice), and then you’ve got your own Cajun seasoning blend without having to pay a high price tag at the store or deal with any high sodium levels.
I will usually mix up a big blend of homemade seasonings like Cajun, Italian and taco seasonings and just keep them on hand alongside my spices – they make weeknight cooking even easier because it’s just a matter of pulling the blended spices out and using them!
Frequently Asked Questions
Jambalaya is a Creole-style dish originating from Louisiana that incorporates all kinds of delicious Southern-inspired ingredients with a Caribbean flair. It typically includes sausage, shrimp, veggies, rice and Cajun-inspired spices. This Instant Pot jambalaya is an easier and faster take on the traditional dish!
This healthy jambalaya recipe cuts down on the calories and is a lot healthier than your typical jambalaya since it uses turkey sausage instead of pork sausage, fresh veggies and shrimp. It has 364 calories per serving and is a super-filling option for meal prep.
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!
