I’m always looking for easy and healthy instant pot recipes for my busy family, and this Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya fits the bill! This easy jambalaya recipe is made with andouille sausage, chicken, uncooked rice, bell pepper, onion, celery and spices, all cooked together in just one pan, for a simple and flavorful meal that my entire family enjoys.

 A white bowl full of jambalaya with chicken and sausages made in the instant pot, served with a spoon.

Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

When it comes to comfort food, any type of cajun or creole food ranks high on my list of favorites! I adapted this jambalaya recipe from my popular one pan jambalaya that’s made on the stove top. It’s one of those easy and filling meals that I know my kids will eat with smiles on their faces, and thanks to the instant pot it comes together even easier than ever and has all of the same delicious flavor!

What is jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a cajun recipe originating in Louisiana made with rice, celery, peppers and onion; with chicken and smoked or spicy sausage like Andouille. Shrimp is often added, too.

The ingredients in this jambalaya recipe include the “trinity” of green bell pepper, onion and celery, rice, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, spices, chicken and andouille sausages.

Close up photo of chicken and sausage jambalaya inside of an instant pot.

What’s the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?

Although jambalaya and gumbo are both popular dishes made in Louisiana, they are different, and their cooking methods can be different as well, depending on whether they’re prepared cajun or creole style.

Jambalaya is more of a rice dish, similar to paella (in looks, but not taste). Gumbo is more of a stew. Both contain what’s called the “holy trinity” of cajun cooking which is a base of bell peppers, onion and celery. Both also often contain sausage and shrimp.

Homemade gumbo was one of my favorite recipes that my mom made for us growing up.

How to make Jambalaya in the Instant Pot:
  • Turn instant pot to the saute setting and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the andouille sausage slices and cook them until browned. Transfer them to a paper towel–lined plate.
  • Add a little more oil to the pot, and then add the chicken, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the instant pot. Turn the instant pot off and add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. The instant pot will still be hot from being on the saute setting. We don’t need to saute the veggies for long–just a minute or so.

Side by side photos of an instant pot with one photo of browned sausages in the bottom of the pot and the other photo with veggies and chicken added the the instant pot.

  • Add the the spices and rice and stir to combine. Then add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and salt.
  • Cook on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes, with a 5 minutes natural release. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the sausages.

Process photos for making jambalaya in the instant pot including a photo of the veggies, uncooked rice and diced tomatoes in the pot and another photo with the ingredients stirred together and chicken broth being poured into the pot.

  • I like to return the lid to let the rice rest in the residual heat for another 5 minutes. It helps keep the rice “fluffy” instead of “goopy”.
An instant pot filled with cooked jambalaya, ready to serve, including rice, chicken and sausages.
Can I double the recipe?

Yes, you can double the recipe, and use the same cooking time.

Don’t own an Instant Pot? No Problem!

If you don’t own an instant pot yet, you can make this jambalaya in just one pan, on the stovetop, with this recipe. If you need help, let me teach you how to use your instant pot!

Don’t miss my other favorite Instant Pot recipes, including:

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!

Recipe

A white bowl full of jambalaya with chicken and sausages made in the instant pot, served with a spoon.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Total 40 minutes
Save Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons oil , divided
  • 12 ounces andouille sausages cut into ¼ in. thick slices
  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
  • 1 yellow onion , chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper , seeded and chopped
  • 3 green onions , chopped
  • 3 ribs celery , chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes , undrained
  • 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Turn instant pot to saute setting. Add oil. Once hot, add sausage slices, cooking until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
  • Add remaining oil to the pot.
  • Add the chicken and cook for one minute, scraping up the browned bits from the sausage. Turn instant pot off. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook for one minute.
  • Add the Cajun seasoning, dried basil, thyme, sugar and rice and stir to combine.
  • Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, and salt.
  • Secure the instant pot lid and turn valve to sealing.
  • Cook on Manual High Pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure.
  • Carefully open the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Add the sausages on top of the rice and return the IP lid to let the mixture rest for an additional 5 minutes. Stir lightly and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 30gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 1062mgPotassium: 838mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 800IUVitamin C: 32.1mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 3.2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

This post contains affiliate links.

Related Posts

Share Recipe

Categories

About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This dish is great to cook at home by yourself or friends. First time making it tonight, and it is SOOO good!

  2. 3 stars
    Wanted to love it, but got the burn notice and tried to salvage what I could. The flavors are there, but it was disappointing. Better off just making this dish on the stovetop next time… I think the tomato to water ratio was too much

  3. 2 stars
    Needs spice! I added a jalapeño but it still wasn’t enough. I looked through other recipes after dinner and saw most other jambalaya recipes call for 1-2 Tablespoons (not teaspoons like this recipe) of Cajun seasoning.
    Also the rice came out mushy but I could overlook that if it weren’t so bland

  4. 5 stars
    Enjoyed this a lot, as did my mom who I cooked for. 🙂

    Great for dinner and the leftovers heated up well in the microwave the next day. Try the leftovers with a yolky fried egg! mmm

    My substitutions (minor!):
    -I used (rinsed!) Basmati rice which was really fluffy and delicious.
    -Yellow bell pepper as we don’t care for green (it added a great additional color to the dish~)
    -We didn’t have a prepackaged Cajun seasoning, so I halved this recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/homemade-cajun-seasoning/ and it made enough for this dish with a tiny bit leftover.
    -I use an Ambiano (Aldi-brand) pressure cooker which requires different timings than the Instant Pot. The 12 minute rice option was perfect.

  5. I doubled the recipe and made this two weekends in a row. Both times the rice was barely cooked and I had to put it on for longer. It doesn’t seem like it’s building enough pressure. I use this instant pot to cook chili all the time, a dozen times this year already, and it pressurizes no problem. Why won’t it cook jambalaya just as well?

    1. Hi, the extra time included in the “total time” is to account for the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.

      1. 3 stars
        Hopefully it taste good …. I haven’t tried it yet but the prep and cook times are way off. Took me 1.2 hours from start to almost finished…. I never write reviews but for this I had to. 40 extra minutes of time…

  6. 4 stars
    Burn notice? Instant Pot had issues with several models. We saw this ad we had 2 and one had burn notice issues while the other didn’t, same recipes. We found a lot of info online, they should have done a recall! That said I deglazed well and had no issues. Very good but we like a little more spice, that’s personal.

  7. 1 star
    Followed the recipe exactly. Got the burn notice multiple times, after deglazing adding more liquid etc. Nothing worked, in the oven it went to salvage as much as possible. Waste of time .

    1. Put the rice in last and gently push it under the liquid but not too deep. Once I figured it out I never got another burn notice. Tasted so good!

    2. 3 stars
      Flavor has a lot of promise, but not enough liquid to cook the rice in the IP! Ended up finishing it off in the stovetop.

  8. 5 stars
    Been making this for some time now. II have an 8qt pot and I’ve multiplied the recipe by 1.5 (+/-) and leave out sugar. I use 2c of rice and 15 oz of stock/water. I found that rice needs to be unrinsed and it does need that 5 minutes at the end.

  9. 2 stars
    I just upgraded to an Pro Plus Smart IP and followed this recipe completely. The results were disappointing… the rice turned out gummy and the the thyme overpowers the flavor of the jambalaya a little bit.

  10. 5 stars
    Made this tonight, as written minus the green peppers as my guys don’t like them. It was fantastic. Served it with jalapeño cornbread. There are no leftovers and I am so sad! Lol

  11. 5 stars
    I didn’t even bother sauteing the meat. I just sliced the sausage and threw the chicken breast in whole and shredded it at the end. I did get the burn notice. I didn’t need to add any extra liquid though, I just scrapped the bottom of the pot and switched to using the rice function. Turned out delicious!

  12. 4 stars
    I think a lot of people commenting on how this recipe doesn’t work don’t understand how to cook in an Instant Pot. Burn messages are due to not deglazing the pot before starting the pressure cooking, this must always be done. Additionally, the natural depressurization AND the 5 mins of resting afterwards are crucial to the texture of the dish not being too runny. I think that, with some adjusting of spices to account for personal preference, this recipe does it all right.

    1. 4 stars
      You’re quite wrong.
      I deglazed the bottom entirely before putting on the cover. Got the burn alert repeatedly. It’s because the recipe expects an older 6qt model that isn’t sensitive (or as sensitive) to burning. I used my relatively new 8qt – more surface area on the bottom means that there’s more rice directly in contact with the heat.
      Probably the better way to cook this with my IP model would be to put in the rice last and not let it touch the bottom, until mixing with the sausage, and maybe add an extra cup of broth (or even double it up).
      There is a need to change up the recipe with different IP models.

  13. 5 stars
    I used this recipe with brown rice and added shrimp. I sautéed the shrimp and set them aside then added them at the end with the sausage. Also I added 20 minutes to the cook time. Came out lovely

    1. Did you make any adjustments? I tried using brown rice and it came out undercooked and very watery.

      1. Since the recipe calls for long grain white rice, which has a shorter cook time than brown rice, using brown rice in this recipe without altering the time cooked wouldn’t work.

  14. 4 stars
    Very good. Maybe not as good as “real” jambalaya, but comes together a lot more quickly and effortlessly.

  15. 5 stars
    Delicious but I got the “burn” warning. I opened the pot, added more liquid restarted the pot but got the message a second time. Ended up needing almost 4c of broth and used sauté to finish.

  16. I am from Louisiana and have cooked 100s of pots of jambalaya. For some reason I thought I would try this method.
    This was not nearly as good, was FAR more complicated, and time consuming than the old fashioned method of cooking it in a cast iron pot.
    I have ( and recommend) cooking the rice in the instant pot but cook everything else in a cast iron pot then add the cooked rice and incorporate.
    Yes, this requires two pots but it is well worth it!
    GEAUX TIGERS!!!

  17. This is a great recipe as written. To avoid the burn notice on the instapot I make sure to deglaze the bottom with a few splashes of broth during the last 30 seconds of cooking the chicken. Scrape all the bits off the bottom before you add the trinity. Since doing this I have not gotten the burn error.

  18. 5 stars
    I made this again last night, one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes ever! Most importantly to all of you that have food burn issues, RINSE YOUR RICE FIRST! I don’t just mean run it under cold water for a bit, rather rinse and swirl it in the strainer for so long it seems absurd. I decided to throw in a third of a pound of cooked shrimp in mine at the end when you add back in the sausage, that is also when I waited until to add the green onions. To kick up the heat for my tastes I used 4 good sized jalapeños in place of the green bell pepper. Thanks for the recipe Lauren, you rock!

  19. I made this for dinner last night and it was really good! I used 2 cups of broth because of what other commenters were saying about getting the burn message. I also had to substitute Kielbasa because my grocery store was all out of andouille.

  20. Love the flavor of this recipe however lately it’s been burning in my instant pot. I’m thinking I need to double the amount of broth.

  21. This is an absolutely DELICIOUS recipe, and the rice comes out perfectly. I used a Zatarain’s andouille sausage and cooked it together with the chicken breast because lazy and it worked really well, and liberally seasoned with a hot Cajun seasoning. A+ 🙂

  22. Didn’t get burn notice, but after cooking found burnt patches at the bottom of the pot. I did follow recipe and scrape up browned bits before pressurizing.

  23. 1 star
    Very watery and still managed to get a burn notice from my instant pot. I won’t use this recipe again.

  24. 4 stars
    The prep time was definitely off for me, but I’m slow at chopping veggies and stuff. If I’d done it ahead of time I probably would’ve been closer to the target prep time. Did the 5 minute high pressure manual setting with a 5 minute slow release, and the mixture came out a little mushy. I’ll probably try to make it again, but will likely adjust the liquids:rice ratio.

  25. 2 stars
    The prep time was way more than 15 minutes. Also, this calls for way too much celery, green pepper and onion. Next time I’d cut that by half as much. This recipe is more of a veggie dish than a rice dish. Also, rice was no where near done in 5 minutes, the pot didn’t manage to pressurize in that short time.

  26. 5 stars
    Although I do not have a lot of experience eating Jambalaya, I must say this recipe was tasty & delicious! I had to substitute a red pepper for the green pepper as that is what I had on hand, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as written. I had no problem with “food burn” . Will definitely make again!

  27. Great recipe! I’ve made it several times and have never gotten a “burn” notice. I make only a couple tweaks. A half of yellow onion instead of a whole, one tsp each of cajun seasoning and creole seasoning, and fire roasted tomatoes if I have them.

  28. 5 stars
    I loved the recipe. Mine did not burn. Always remember to cover the food with enough liquid. Mine was not covered so i added a little more. Perfect!

    1. Mine was completely covered with liquid but still burned. Followed the recipe exactly (and of course made sure any stuck on bits from sautéing were scraped from the pot before closing the lid like with any IP recipe) and I got the burn notice before it even pressurized. I ended up opening it, scraping the bottom as best I could, closing again for a few minutes but I never even got it pressurized after checking it again to make sure the rice wasn’t overcooking. I finished it in the IP after 20 min total of cooking (non pressurized). Turned out okay flavour wise but disappointed with the burning.

  29. 5 stars
    Tastes great! Love easy IP recipes for a quick weeknight meal. I used one to one ratio for rice:stock and it wasn’t mushy or overly watery. I also pressure cooked on high for only 4 min. Next time I would up the heat as others have mentioned (cayenne, creole seasoning). As is, the recipe has no heat (but that worked for our 4 year old). Definitely a keeper with a few seasoning tweaks.

  30. 4 stars
    Good recipe, but I required more heat and upped it, went to 2 tbsp’s of Tony Chacere’s creole seasoning, 1 tbsp of red chili powder, 2 chicken breasts diced and sausage, 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 cups of rice, and added a drained 10 oz can of Ro Tel hot diced tomatoes with habaneros, if you like heat this is good

  31. 5 stars
    I used zataran instead of several of the ingredients and frozen onion, peppers for some of the vegis. Also used shrimp instead of chicken. ( this all because a fast cook need. It turned out fantastic and I will do it again. Thx

  32. 1 star
    kept getting “food burn” warning my instapot. rice as soggy. had to move it to the oven to salvage what was salvageable. most frustrating recipe i’ve tried. will not attempt again.

    1. Food burn means you need to deglaze and scrape up whatever’s on the bottom before starting the pressure cooking. It’s not due to this specific recipe, just a general IP tip/knowledge

  33. 1 star
    Might be a good recipe, but if there is a double option it should be stated that an instant pot doesnt take double the recipe whatsoever. It actually doesnt work and wrecks the entire meal. Should be said somewhere to not double it for larger crowd.

    1. It said that in the blog post above recipe. Cooking time stays the same when increasing ingredients since the machine takes longer to come up to pressure so that accounts for cooking the extra amount. Basic IP knowledge

  34. 4 stars
    Very good. My picky husband and kids all liked it. I made this in my 8 qt. Instant Pot and made these substitutions based on other reviews:
    I used three boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 3 tsps of Cajun seasoning, subbed brown pearl rice for the white rice and used 2 cups of chicken broth.
    I ended up cooking it at HIGH Pressure for 18 minutes and the brown rice turned out great! Not mushy. Next time I will add the green onions at the end with the sausage to add a hint of brightness.
    Thanks for the recipe, Lauren!

  35. 5 stars
    Family loves it, (wife doesn’t like really spicy – except for NOLA BBQ Shrimp) so we add our own hot sauce. One of our favorites. Also, I use an 8qt IP and I’ve never had a burn msg. with this recipe.

  36. 4 stars
    Ok. The recipie is good. But when I think jambalaya, I think spice it up! This wasn’t spicy. If you are looking for spicy add more Cajun seasoning, black pepper, some white pepper and some hot Thai paste. Sounds crazy but it worked well. Also, after making it the second time, I added red kidney beans instead of celery. Also added thin slices of carrots. Turned out maganaficent. mess with it, with stuff you like. But definitely have to spice it up!

    1. Dear god – Kidney beans have zero place in Jambalaya – the only thing with less of a place are carrots. It may have been “maganaficent” (magnificient), but it wasn’t jambalaya.

    1. 2 stars
      I just keep getting a burn message, the pot was clean before bc I was worried about getting a burn message.. didn’t help.

  37. 3 stars
    Awesome recipe. I followed the entire recipe to a T but the rice came out mushy and maybe too much liquid? Has anyone tried making this recipe with half the amount of stock?

  38. 5 stars
    The recipe was great! The flavor was delicious. I doubled the recipe. The only problem I had is the rice was mushy and the vegetables were extra soft. I don’t mind the vegetables being overly soft. Any suggestions on how to keep the rice from being mushy? Maybe add less liquid or shorter cook time when doubling recipe? Any advice is helpful! I’ve already shared this recipe with friends!!

  39. 5 stars
    I thought this was just perfect, but I didn’t follow all the instructions. (Never do) I used fresh basil and Thyme, Used mild Italian sausage. (because that is what I had) Different peppers ect., but everything turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe

  40. Like the comment below, I really wanted this to be good. Some of the rice was overcooked and squishy, some of the rice was undercooked. The veggies were undercooked, the seasoning was very weak. I just wish I could make some real jambalaya for the poster. In my opinion the only redeeming quality was the anduille sausage.

  41. 5 stars
    This recipe is great! I am not much of a cook, but I am really trying. I found this recipe. It is really quick and easy. To save time, chop vegetables & meat night before or morning of. Followed the recipe, and my husband… who is the chef in the family absolutely love it. It was so delicious! Thank you for this recipe!

    1. This happened to me too the last 2 times I have made this. Even made sure to stir it up really good before closing the lid.

  42. Hey mine is more of a question because I think it may have been an error on my part but what size instapot did you use because I tried this in my smaller one and it didn’t do right.. 🙁 I’m thinking this is why It didn’t come out right because I made it the same way..

    1. I have a 6qt. instant pot. It shouldn’t necessarily matter what size. You can check your manuals liquid requirements–that might be where a mistake was made.

  43. 3 stars
    I really wanted to love this recipe. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. I followed the recipe exactly. I used jasmine rice since that’s what I have. The flavors are great, but the rice came out undercooked and crunchy. The vegetables were also undercooked. One minute of putting veggies in a hot pot isn’t nearly enough.

  44. How can brown rice be substituted? Would it be best to pre-cook the brown rice for 15 or 20 minutes before adding it? Or would using instant brown rice work to just sub in? The recipe looks so delicious and I want to try it, but I would like to use whole grains if possible.

    1. I think you are fine to substitute brown rice. Use 2 cups of broth (instead of the 1 3/4 called for) and cook it for 22 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.

    1. Hi Margaret, the shrimp will easily over-cook in the instant pot, so if it’s pre-cooked you can add it at the very end and put the lid on top to warm it. Otherwise I’d cook it separately and add at the end.

  45. 5 stars
    Substituted cactus for celery, and used fire roasted tomatoes. 3x the garlic, three times the green onion, twice the seasoning, and added bay leafs and jalapeño . Substituted gator instead of chicken. Better than half of the Cajun restaurants I’ve eaten at.

  46. 5 stars
    This Chef understands the Instant Pot and doesn’t ask you to overcook your food. This a perfect recipe kudos!

  47. 5 stars
    My husband loved this! I wondered about the rice/liquid ratio, and thought the rice was a little mushy, but I think I also left it on “warm” too long after the cooking cycle ended. My husband thought it was perfect. I used a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and smoked beef sausage instead of andouille, so a little variation from the original recipe, but not much. Thanks!

  48. Very good. I added a pound of shrimp that I had sautéd just before serving. I only had basmati rice and I think I could have cut down the cooking time slightly. just a touch overdone.

  49. My rice was not cooked. I used long grain brown rice instead of white, but should that make a big difference? What could I have done wrong. I followed the recipe to tee.

      1. 4 stars
        Turned out perfect! I wish there was a little more tomato flavor, but that’s just preference & I can adjust next time. The andouille I used was quite spicy, and I decided to throw it in with everything else as it cooked, so the whole thing was pretty spicy. I think it would have been much more mild if I had used a different sausage.

    1. 5 stars
      Yes, brown rice takes longer to cook on stovetop or with the Instant Pot. With the instant pot for white rice I do 5 minutes high pressure and 5 minutes “venting” For brown rice 10 minute high pressure and 5 minute venting….

    2. It’s very important to follow recipes to the “t” especially when substituting grains and proteins. Not so much when substituting fats, oils and seasonings/spices. Brown rice contains the bean that covers the white part of the rice. It’s a very hard or shell that takes much longer to soften. Try the recipe again adding 5 minutes to the cook time. But then you may have overcooked proteins.

  50. 5 stars
    Came out great! Used Turkey sausage and chicken thighs and doubled up on the veggies. Added a tiny bit more rice so the liquids to rice ratio was perfect..not soggy or mushy at all. Will definitely make this again.

  51. 5 stars
    If you don’t want mushy rice I make batch of rice separately and keep it on hand to ad at the end for several dishes from soup to what ever

  52. 4 stars
    This was pretty good. As noted the rice/liquid ratio could be tweaked a little. It passed the “We’ll eat it again if you make it test” at home.

  53. 5 stars
    My hubby and I absolutely love this recipe! It was the first thing I made in my Instant Pot and the first thing I made more than once. It is flavorful and very easy to make! Thanks!

  54. 5 stars
    This was delicious. great flavors, and so easy. I read some other reviews, for those of you who were getting burn notice, just make sure you deglaze pan before setting it to pressure cook. Use just a little broth or water to really help scrape the brown bits off bottom, and then you should not have to worry about the burn notice happening. Thanks for the yummy recipe!

  55. 1 star
    Way, way too much liquid. I followed this recipe perfectly and it came out soggy and mushy. The liquid to rice ratio should be one to one whereas the ratio here is nearly three to one counting for the liquid thats also in the canned tomatos. The result is a mushy slop that could hardly be called jumbalaya. I don’t know how others turned out good but this isn’t the right texture at all.

  56. 5 stars
    Absolutely fantastic I was worried about the burning message so I just browned the meat and sauté the veggies for a few minutes in a frying pan before adding them into the Insta pot. I added the remaining ingredients and cooked just like it said. Came out amazing. Planning on cooking it again tomorrow.

  57. 5 stars
    We love this recipe and are so glad to have a jambalaya we can make on weekdays.
    Great for folks with a shellfish allergy!

  58. 5 stars
    This is my fiancé’s favorite meal he asks me to make it every week it’s so good! Thank you for this recipe!

  59. 1 star
    Yeah, this didn’t go to plan AT ALL…. I’m new to the instant pot, maybe that’s it, who knows. I attempted to double up the everything to make a lot!!! I guess the Instant Pot recipes don’t work that way cuz it’s taking FOREVER!! … and it keeps saying food burning!! This is ridiculous!! I’m so discouraged!!

    1. 5 stars
      Hope you didn’t give up… re-read the instant pot instructions again, and watch the timer carefully. Set a separate kitchen timer and open the pot after 5 minutes, stir, then re-start. Check your rice after 8 minutes and just keep re-setting the pot. This method worked out for me (I doubled the veggies and chicken, but not the rice.) Good luck! 🙂

    2. 4 stars
      Doug – As far as the pot burning it is because the bottom wasn’t properly scrapped. If you saute anything in the pot you need to scrape it while you saute. Don’t leave anything on the bottom. My guess is your chicken or sausage stuck. Just scrape the bottom of the pan when as you saute and make sure you’ve got enough oil. https://instantpot.com/instant-pots-overheat-burn-protection/ goes into the common causes of burns. Trust me you’re not the only one that has burned their pot. It is a right of passage. 🙂

  60. I’m a pretty crappy cook, buy this was easy and my husband loved it! The only change he suggested was more meat, lol. He’s a meat guy. It was actually my first time using my instapot and I’m glad it was for this meal!

  61. 4 stars
    First time making it. Used turkey kielbasa (andouille was out of stock) and boneless/skinless chicken thighs because they were crazy cheap on sale. Had to spend some more time trimming the fat off the thighs but it was worth the extra effort.

    It was very good but just a touch mushy. I followed all instruction amounts. Cooked as specified: 5 minutes on high and 5 minutes on keep warm with natural release. What can I do to make a little less mushy? Just a little. Turn it off after 5 minutes at high pressure instead of keep warm? 4 minutes on high instead of 5? More or less liquid?

    1. I struggle with rice, but I think you should probably rinse your rice beforehand to remove excess starches, and maybe cut the liquid amount a little bit. I have yet to perfect cooking rice, but I am getting close!

    2. I asked the same question and never got a reply. Did you figure anything out? If I make it again I’ll use less broth since the can tomatoes add liquid as well. Or cook rice separately and add at the end. The flavor was perfect though!!

  62. 4 stars
    It tastes good but my IP won’t even reach to pressure mode, it just showed “burn” even after stirring it. Did this several times until the ingredients cooked on it’s own… I think it’s the tomato.

    1. 1 star
      Keeps burning.
      I took out everything in the pot and scraped off all the burnt stuff, put everything back and it burned again. Now the chicken is over cooked and the rice is mushy. So annoyed and hangry.

  63. 5 stars
    Just made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it! Thank you for a delicious quick and easy dinner. I will definitely make this again!

  64. 5 stars
    I added more chicken and did a natural release, and it turned out great. Making it for a second time tomorrow night. Highly recvomend!

  65. 5 stars
    Turned our yummy! After adding the broth. I stirred the ingredients one last time to make sure rice wasn’t stuck to the bottom. I think that’ll help prevent burning. I also pressure cooked for 5 minutes as instructed but did a natural release for 10 minutes. Rice came out cooked and moist.

  66. 2 stars
    The recipe itself as far as taste is great. But, with mixing the rice (I saw another recipe where the rice was left on top, smooshed with a spatula until submerged) the bottom of my instant pot was CAKED in burnt rice. I got the food burn notification and continually added more and more broth thinking there wasn’t enough to bring to pressure. We ended up having to transfer to a Dutch oven in hopes we could get the broth soaked up and the rice fully cooked since we couldn’t get it to come to pressure.

  67. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe! I did a full natural release and had no extra liquid and rice was done perfectly. I will make this recipe again.

  68. 5 stars
    This was so yummy! I think the cook times work well for quick cook rice (15 min on stovetop), but might need longer for traditional long grain rice.
    I had some jalapeno smoked sausage on hand and this was the perfect recipe for it. Left out the chicken and added kidney beans at the end when adding sausage back in. Will definitely be making again!

  69. 5 stars
    Thank you for this! I was looking for a way to convert my mom’s jambalaya recipe to the Instant Pot. This is almost her recipe exactly! I can’t wait to make it this weekend.

  70. 5 stars
    I just purchased my Instant Pot and haven’t had a chance to get the ingredients for this recipe, but I will be making it this week. It sounds delicious but since I like my jambalaya more moist and saucy with a lot of tomatoes I’m wondering if I could add 2 cans of tomatoes?

  71. 3 stars
    No burn code I used the CPE . Too much rice will cut that in half next time otherwise pretty good and you can control the amount of sodium!

  72. 4 stars
    Tasted good but 5 minutes of cook time + 5 mins natural release was insufficient. The rice wasn’t cooked through and there was some liquid. I set for another 3 minutes followed by natural release and it turned out well

    1. 8 minutes high pressure + 8 min natural release got us mushy rice

      Flavor was good. I would increase the basil & thyme.

  73. 1 star
    I also got the burn warning. I just added more broth and am trying to get back to pressure (low this time). Just got a second burn warning. Turning off the por and hoping the rice will cook during the natural release. We’ll see if I can rescue the dish.

  74. Like another reviewer I got the burn warning multiple times. I gave up and just added the sausage and covered it until the rice was fully cooked

  75. 4 stars
    This recipe worked out great for me. I made a couple of minor changes…

    1. Threw in a few splashes of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce as well.
    2. Pressure cooked on high for 8 minutes, and slow released for 6. I live at over 5000 ft, so cooking times are generally 20% longer here.
    3. Used 14 oz of sausage, 1.3 lb of chicken, because that was how it was packaged. I threw in an extra bell pepper too.

  76. 5 stars
    This was delicious! My husband always adds extra seasoning to his meals, but not for this dish, he said the flavors were perfect, and that is high praise indeed! Next time I will only use half the amount of rice, and 1 cup of chicken broth because it seemed too much rice, even though I used 2 chicken breasts.

  77. 2 stars
    Followed the recipe and got a burn error. Opened up and scraped the bottom, added more broth and returned to cooking. Got another burn error. Rice is nearly all cooked so I’m adding the sausage and closing it up to continue cooking just with residual heat. Flavor is good but won’t do this again in instant pot.

  78. 4 stars
    Turned out great! I used brown rice and had to cook it an extra 5 minutes since it wasn’t cooked through the first time. Thank you!

  79. Used an instant pot duo-6, followed exactly. Rice wasn’t done, and it was very soupy. Smelled great though! Added about a half cup more broth and ran the five minutes again, natural release and it turned out fine.

  80. 4 stars
    Tasty! Just one question- is the recipe suppose to say add just 1 chicken breast or should that be 1 pound? I already made it but just used to 2 chicken breasts just guessing and not wanting to skimp! 🙂

  81. 1 star
    Pretty disappointing. Followed this to a T and kept getting a burn signal from my IP. Also, Its not exactly flavorful for being jambalaya. It’s not like this is an inexpensive meal to make – – I don’t feel like these positive comments are very accurate, unfortunately. I will not be making this again.

    1. I’m really sorry this happened to you! Did you double check your IP manual for the correct rice to liquid ratios for your pot? I have never had an issue with this recipe in my IP–but there are so many different brands now and the new pots are much more sensitive to the burn notice then the old ones.

    2. I 100% agree with you. This recipe is not jambalaya, flavor is not there and I also received a burn signal on my IP. I normally make it on the stove but did not have enough time tonight to do it so I figured IP would be my best bet. After it was “done” I had to add creole seasoning and Louisiana hot sauce to even get a flavor remotely close to what my grandmother makes. Also next time I think it’s best to put the metal insert in so the weight is off the bottom of the pot.

  82. I’m new to Instant Pot and this is my first time using the pressure cooker setting with my Lux Mini. Does natural release just mean that you don’t vent after the first five minutes is up? Do I seal while cooking and then leave be for five minutes and then turn the knob to venting?

  83. This is a fan favorite at my house. I add extra Cajun because I wanted more flavor and I add shrimp (after sausage I cook a few min on sauté and add it at the end with the sausage again). It’s always a winner. I have two hockey players (18&20) who devour this pregame.

  84. 5 stars
    First time making Jambalaya and only my sixth time or so using the Instant Pot. Excellent! Rice turned out a little mushy. Next time I would use Kielbasa.

  85. 5 stars
    I christened my new Instant Pot Duo (6 quart) with this recipe and it turned out great! I did make a few changes.

    I used 1.5 cups quinoa instead of rice, andouille chicken sausage (which I left in the put the whole time but accident but they were still tender), doubled the salt, and I only used 1T of olive oil and had no sticking or burning.

    The recipe had tons of flavor but it all came from the sausage. We don’t like spicy food, so the andouille sausage was enough for us. If you want spice in the dish other than in the sausage, I definitely recommend at least doubling the Cajun seasoning.

  86. 5 minutes isn’t even close to long enough for the rice. Mine was hard as a rock. Should’ve read these comments first although I’m still doubtful 7 minutes would have done the trick.

    1. I’m sorry to hear that–I wonder what kind of instant pot you have. I always cook my rice for 4-5 minutes (as instructed in my manual) and it comes out perfectly!

  87. First time making this. I thought it was good but some the rice was not done. I followed recipe but didn’t add all the thyme should have. We thought it turned out well for first time.
    Next time we will teak it a bit.

  88. 5 stars
    We all loved this recipe; even my picky toddler! I made this as directed in an 8qt instant pot and had no burn notices or problems with rice coming out right. Delicious!

  89. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times now as meal prep when I’m working 12 hour shifts and I don’t get sick of it, even after eating it for dinner 5 nights in a row. I use brown rice and I’ve learned to use a full 2 cups of chicken broth and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, not 5, and the rice turns out perfectly. Thanks for a delicious and easy recipe!

  90. I accidentally added the sausage back in there for the 5 minutes high pressure. Is that going to affect anything??

  91. I made this last night. It was fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I bout 10 pounds of chicken breast and vacuum packed them. I will be making more of this!

  92. 5 stars
    I made this dish for about 20 people at work. I doubled the recipe and used my 8 qt IP Duo. I kept getting the burn notice before the timer started, so I would stop it and add more water/broth. I gave up after the 3rd burn notice but the rice was cooked by then so I called it done. Everyone gave 2 thumbs up for flavor. I feel the texture could have been better if it cooked properly. That threw me off, and I’m an experienced IP user too.

  93. 4 stars
    Definitely tasty and pretty simple. Doubled all spices other than salt, used 2 chicken thighs (it’s what I had) , and cooked the rice separate and added with the sausage. After those tweaks and a dash of Tabasco it was perfect.

  94. Made this today and ended up using TWO. Instant pots that gave a burn notice! I had a bad feeling about putting in rice with spices, and then stirring it. Finally put it on the stove top to finish. Next time I’ll follow my instincts and put Cooked rice in at the end. I doubled spices also.

    1. I got two separate burn notices with this recipe (the first just after it came to pressure) and the second after I brought it back to pressure after adding additional liquid. The flavor was good, but it was a soggy mess. Perhaps stirring it all together was the issue?

    2. This recipe is for a 6 qt so if you have bigger it will throw the burn warning. Also try only using 1 cup of rice instead of 1.5 and changing the cook time to 7 minutes with 5 minute natural depressurization before releasing the valve. Mine came out perfect with those changes!

  95. 3 stars
    I thought it was just “ok.” While not bad it just wasn’t really good either. I’ll probably skip this one the next time around.

    I used fresh ingredients and followed the recipe/directions. My friend having dinner with me agreed that it wasn’t bad but the flavors just of ran together.

    Maybe adding a bay leaf would have helped?

  96. I love this recipe. I don’t usually have good success in having rice cook well enough for me in recipes like this, even when I am just cooking with a skillet. Plus I love brown rice. So, I just follow the above recipe without adding rice. I add cooked rice after the jambalaya is done. The rice easily mixes in and picks up all the flavor of the wonderful broth. Easy!

  97. 5 stars
    Great recipe! Hardest part was finding a decent Cajun Seasoning in Buffalo!!!! This definitely made it to my printed collection! Thank you!!!

  98. I have made this several times and have not had any problems. We prefer not to use chicken and use two packages of sausage. Thank you for sharing.

  99. Green peppers can’t be used, so do you think red would work fairly well since it’s the same pepper, just fully ripe? I realize it won’t have the same “punch” but thought it could be better than leaving out the pepper entirely. Thanks!

  100. My family of 7 loved it. Used turkey bread instead of chicken and used a flavored braut from my local butcher. Made our own Cajun seasoning from an online substitute (basic spices).

    One issue we had (made this with my daughter) was that our IP seems to struggle with recommended rice times. After the 5/5 minutes as listed, the rice was still crunchy. I added another 1/2 cup of broth and pressurized for another 5 minutes with a fast release. It could have used a slow release again but we gobbled it down as is. Will be sure try this again.

  101. Tip: you must add the tomatoes last and do not stir them in. They need to be resting on top of everything else. If you mix them in, then the IP will keep saying that the food is burned.

    1. This could be and I hope is the reason I kept getting burn notices because it was delish and I want to make it again. Do you know why this happens with tomatoes?

  102. Jambalaya was simply delish! Thank you for posting the recipe. I’m always looking for good ones to use in the pressure pot and this one will be used often with in our family meals.

  103. We followed the instructions, and doubled the ingredients but using the same cook time (like what it suggests). Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to undergo any pressure in the pot and we had raw veggies and rice when we opened it.

    1. I’m so sorry that happened. I would consult your instant pot manual to trouble shoot why your pot may not have sealed and come to pressure as it should. You definitely shouldn’t have ended up with raw rice if the pot came to pressure as it should.

    2. I’ve had the same issue and have learned to keep an eye on the following:

      1) make sure the seal is clean and that the lip of the metal pot doesn’t have remnants of food on it. Either one being “dirty” will create a leak point.
      2) I have to check my pot after 5-10 minutes. Sometimes I can push down on the lid to get a seal and get the indicator to pop up. When it doesn’t seal on its own you will eventually hear the steam escaping instead of building pressure.

  104. 5 stars
    I’ve made this Jambalya for my family several times and it is a homerun in my house! Everything is just perfect and tastes amazing. Will never try another Jambalya recipe because this ones the best!

  105. 5 stars
    Made this last night and loved it! So much so that I’m thinking of making it at my firehouse. I have a 8qt pot. Can I make this for 12-16 people?

  106. I have this in my IP now! I can not wait to try it! But I’m curious if you have done this with brown rice or if you have any tips to use brown rice instead?

    1. Hope you enjoyed it! For brown rice, add 1/4 cup extra broth and cook for 22 minutes on high pressure. I would suggest using chicken thighs instead of breasts so they don’t get overcooked!

  107. 5 stars
    We love this recipe!!! Have you tried it wit cauliflower rice? Our daughter has a rice allergy – we would definitely make it more often if there was a way to make it work without the rice. 😊

    1. Ohhhh try it with barely then! My husband and I can’t eat rice so we switch out all recipes with rice to barely! I didn’t think I would like barely but it is great in the recipes!

  108. 5 stars
    This has become a family favorite! We like it as it is originally printed however, I have discovered if I switch out the tomatoes and peppers and add Rotel and some shrimp, we like it even better!

  109. 5 stars
    This was my first IP recipe and it was fantastic!!!! My only decision was to don the sausage on the BBQ. Whole family was impressed. Thanks!

  110. 5 stars
    Love this! Only jambalaya I’ve tried, and I’m sticking with this recipe. Leftovers are yummy the next day too. Thanks so much 🙂

  111. We made this for supper tonight and everyone enjoyed it. Next time I would probably add a little more liquid. The rice seemed burned a bit on the bottom. Other than that it was great. We are new to using our instant pot so that could have been part of the problem too.

  112. We are a family of 4. Is this enough for everybody. I usually cook two cups of rice. If I made two cups of rice how much extra time and liquid should I add to the IPot?

  113. 5 stars
    Followed nearly to a tee…. EVERYONE LOVED IT!!! And our kids are VERY PICKY!!! Will be making this again and again!

    1. I haven’t tested it in the slow cooker so I can’t say for sure how the rice would cook. Id love to hear if you try it!

  114. 5 stars
    Made this exactly according to the recipe and it was fantastic! I made sure to scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly after the sausage and chicken as suggested by others, to avoid any burn message (there was none.) The rice was perfectly cooked and fluffy and it was the exact level of heat for us. You can always add more heat at the table. For a novice IP user, this was a great find and I’ll definitely make again. Thanks 🙂

  115. 5 stars
    I’m definitely making this again. Instead of a green pepper I used an orange pepper, and my chicken was marinated in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. I didn’t use creole dressing. I went more Italian. Yum!

    1. Please disregard my previous post… I was not looking at the correct recipe. Silly me! Lol making this tonight.

  116. Can you tell me how much more liquid and time adjustments I’d need to make if I use basmati rice? Thank you!!

    1. Yes, you will just want to add more liquid–about 1/3 cup, and cook for 22 minutes on high pressure, with a 10 minute natural release. Enjoy!

    1. Add about 1/3 cup more liquid and cook for 22 minutes high pressure, with a 10 minute natural release.

  117. 5 stars
    I think this looks great and plan on making it tomorrow… just wondering, is there any specific reason for not cooking the sausage in with the rice & chicken mixture? I’m also trying to adapt some of my own recipes for my Instant Pot, and your answer will help me. Thanks!

  118. 5 stars
    Tried this recipe for Fat Tuesday and must say I would rate this a big 10… Tasted great I only left the chicken out. Best taste…

  119. 5 stars
    First insta otherwise recipe for me – this is delicious!! I actually used chorizo in place of the andouille but it tasted amazing. The rice cooked perfectly and all the flavors were so complimentary of each other. Will make again!

    1. No difference in what you set the timer to, the instant pot will just take longer to come to pressure.

  120. 5 stars
    that was so amazing!!!! not sure where the green onions go, so I added them at the end on top of the andouille sausage- it was a perfect recipe to follow!

  121. 5 stars
    Would you have any ideas on how to swap out rice for cauliflower rice in this IP recipe? I love Jambalaya but cannot have rice.

    1. I’ve never tried cauliflower rice in the IP….but I worry it would get overcooked and mushy in this recipe. It might be better to cook it separately. 🙂

  122. 5 stars
    This meal was so good! Very happy with the amount, the flavor, and the time it took! So delicious! Looking forward to making it again!

  123. So I’m from Louisiana and this was fantastic. It was super flavorful. I added Shrimp to the step before you close the pot for 5 minutes.

    Very impressed at how well you did this.

    Would you like to consultant for our restaurant group?

  124. I got “burn” because the pressure Gage wasn’t in the right position, must be in the center diagram SSS . have had no problems since. Love the instant pot. I have been able to adapt my own ideas by finding pressure times for similar receipts. Have made pinto beans twice, pressure cooked one hour and let set until pressure was completely gone. they were perfect! Rice and sausage casserole was delicious, going to use Jimmy Dean HOT sausage next time.. Looked soupy when I removed the lid, stirred and let set for a while and was great! the pot is very versatile. makes perfect hard boiled eggs. pressure cook 4 minutes, let set 4 minutes, release pressure and put in cold water. Perfect no gray rings around the yolk and they peel so easy.

  125. 5 stars
    Well….this was a TREMENDOUS HIT!
    I made a one minor adjustments due to the fact that my grocery store did not have Andouille sausage so I used smoked sausage in its place.
    Made my own Cajun spice mix and made sure to rinse the starch off the rice first then proceeded with the recipe as written.
    Just a suggestion to those getting the burn message, add the rice last and gently push the rice down into the liquids this should help keep the rice from scorching.
    I will defiantly make this again and again!
    Thank you for the recipe!!!!!

  126. 5 stars
    I made this tonight. The whole family loved it. I made a couple of changes. I used kielbasa because that’s what I had on hand. I used long grain brown rice and 2 cups of chicken broth and cooked it for 20 minutes. I also added extra salt for a total of 1 tsp to make up for my unsalted home-canned tomatoes and homemade broth. I have made a few jambalaya recipes, but this is the best I have tried. I will be making this again. Delicious!

  127. Just made this tonight! Only my 3rd attempt at using my Instapot. I sautéd some prawns first with Old Bay seasoning and set them aside in a bowl, then followed the rest of the directions pretty much to a T. Here in Canada I used a can of diced tomatoes with spicy red peppers. It was more than 14.5 oz but I used long grain brown rice so I figured it would all work out in the end. I threw the shrimp/prawns in after releasing the pressure and everything was a little watery. Gave it a good stir and closed it back up to sit for another 5-10 minutes on warm. It turned out perfect!! So damn good for a cold rainy night.
    Thanks for the recipe! And I didnt get a burn message but I did with my very first attempt. I think the new Instapots are much more sensitive perhaps? ?

  128. 5 stars
    I tried a vegetarian version of this with Tradrr Joes vegetarian sausage and soy chunks instead of chicken breast. Such a simple, quick, delicious recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.

    1. Hi Tim,
      I personally would not pressure cook the shrimp. Cook it separately and stir it in at the end! Sounds delicious!

  129. 3 stars
    I made this tonight but my rice isn’t fluffy, more on the “goopy” side. I followed the recipe exactly. Disappointed!

  130. 4 stars
    I tried making this last night and unfortunatelty also got the dreaded burn message, twice. I deglazed everything really well with the chicken broth, then added the rest of the ingredients. Got a burn message so I scrapped all the rice that was on the bottom and gave everything a good stir and tried again but with a little less cooking time. It didn’t make it through the pressurizing stage before the burn message came on again. It was worse this time so I ended up throwing everything in a pot and finishing it on the stove.
    It tasted fine with only the chicken being a little tough and my husband who isn’t fond of the holy trinity combination ate a HUGE bowl of it.
    Not sure what I did wrong as the only change
    I made was adding some left over kale, like 1/2 to 3/4 cup, we had sitting the fridge. I also have the 8qt ultimate which another reviewer said she had issues wih making this so maybe its my pot?

    1. Hi Melissa, I’m so sorry you got the burn message. I developed this recipe using my 6quart instant pot that I got 2-3 years ago. That older version doesn’t even have a “burn” warning. My only guess is that you need more liquid for your type of instant pot.

  131. This doesn’t seem to work in the newer Instant Pots. I tried a similar recipe in an 8qt Instant Pot, and could not avoid the “burn” message. I ended up using the Instant Pot similar to an electric cooker, and didn’t use the pressure cooking capability.

    So, this go-around ended up with two huge (my opinion) negatives…
    #1 – Had to forego pressure cooking to avoid the dreaded “burn” message.
    #2 – Cooking things like jambalaya are often entail “thick” components that are then stewed/simmered. I can’t see being able to make these in the Instant Pot without the “burn” message.

    Any help/suggestions. Otherwise, it seems like “back to cook-top stock pots”.

  132. I made this last night and it was sooo good! I have one question though. Is it instant rice you use? I used brown long grain rice and had to cook for about 18 minutes to get rice done??? Otherwise it was awesome!!

    1. No, I used regular long-grain white rice, which cooks for 3-4 minutes in the IP. Brown rice typically takes 22 minutes to cook in the IP. 🙂

  133. 5 stars
    We ya this for dinner tonight! I’ve cooked out of my IP only a hand full of times and stress every time. This recipe was amazing! And turned out perfect!

  134. 4 stars
    This was a great recipe for my instant pot – so much easier than I thought! The only thing I added was uncooked shrimp which I added with the sausages at the end and steamed for 5 minutes. It worked and came out delicious!

  135. 5 stars
    Great recipe! When I tasted it after it first finished, I was worried that it tasted too tomato-y, but once it sit for a little while, the flavors came together and it was delicious! We are from south Louisiana so we have lots of great jambalaya around here, and everyone thought this recipe was fantastic!

    1. Thanks for sharing Kim! I’m so happy your family enjoyed it (especially since it sounds like they are tough jambalaya critics!) 🙂

  136. 4 stars
    This was very simple and easy and has great flavor! The only thing I will do differently next time is rinse the rice first. It came out stickier than I would like. Thanks for posting!

  137. 5 stars
    This was so easy and flavourful- thank you! I was also happy to see the number of servings indicated was the same number we’re actually having. It peeves me so much when I see recipes using 1 – 2 chicken thighs that are supposed to serve 4!

  138. 5 stars
    I am new to the IP community as I just got mine for Prime Day. This is now the second IP recipe I have made of yours and it was delicious! I am loving the easy recipes and the clean up. Please keep the IP recipes coming. Thank you!

    1. Thanks Cathy! I’m happy to hear you liked the Jambalaya and have tried some of my other recipes! Thanks for sharing!