Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Jambalaya

Pressure cooker jambalaya never been easier! Using sausage with a bit of a kick you can easily throw this all together and dinner is done in just 20 minutes. Make this one pot meal in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Crockpot Express.

I found this amazing sausage and fresh bell peppers at the store and I immediately thought I’d try pressure cooker jambalaya! It came out so yummy we made it two nights in a row! Packed with flavor, and a little heat, we hope your family enjoys it as much as we have. Added to our long list of easy Instant Pot recipes for you to enjoy. Special thanks goes out to Albertsons for sponsoring this post. (originally published 3/19, affiliate links present)

Instant Pot Jambalaya

There are so many fresh and bold flavors in this meal. You can use any type of cased sausage you like. Kielbasa works but a spicy Italian sausage is just killer. Want it mild, no problem just use any type you want and keep the heat down.

Don’t have an IP, you can make this as an easy Ninja Foodi recipe too. As long as your machine has the high pressure function it will come out amazing. A mixture of fluffy rice, bell peppers, tomatoes and all the things….I’m getting hungry thinking about it.

Ninja Foodi Jambalaya

When I think of this dish I think of the time I spent in Louisiana. We used the most amazing hatch chili sausages found at the new Albertsons here in Meridian, Idaho. Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe them. You’ll just have to taste some yourself! 

You’ll want to start with 2-3 uncooked sausage links like you see here. You can find a huge variety at this store. You’re even able to have them create custom sausage links with any variety of meats you’d like! If you live in the area you truly will be amazed when you walk inside, sausage is just one of their specialties.

You could add diced chicken in there too if you wanted a few different meats. Add together with both about the same size, bite size in nature.

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage

There are a lot of variations you can make to this one pot meal for sure. You can see here we used raw sausages but kielbasa pre cooked would work as well. Either way you will want all meats to be cut into bite size pieces. At the beginning you’ll saute it all just to brown the outsides. It will continue cooking later with the rice.

1. Electric pressure cooker
   1. I HIGHLY suggest you get a non stick pot if you have an Instant Pot
   2. You can definitely use your Crock Pot Express or Ninja Foodi too
2. Olive oil
3. Sausage links
   1. Could substitute diced chicken breasts if you preferred
4. Beef broth
5. Rice – uncooked long grain white rice
   1. I have not used brown rice and cooking time would vary.
6. Diced tomatoes
7. Spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce – we prefer spaghetti sauce (just a bit)
8. Bell peppers
9. Onion and garlic could be added too
10. Tons of seasoning, thyme, etc

Cajun seasoning could be added for extra heat if desired. You could alternatively add dry Sriracha, red pepper flakes or chili powder for a spicy nature.

Cajun Jambalaya in Ninja Foodi

Half a green AND yellow bell pepper were what we used. It is up to you whether you’d like to use a variety of colors or just one. I personally like lots of color in dishes so this was my preference. You can snack on the other halves while you’re cooking too. 😉

A mixture of chicken and sausage could be used if you wanted, I would just stick with the same weight or there may not be enough liquid to pressure cook correctly. Here’s a peek at what we grabbed.

Instant Pot Sausage Jambalaya

To start making Instant Pot jambalaya you’re going to set your pot to saute. Add olive oil, your sliced sausage, or add chicken at this point with your diced veggies. 

• Cook until browned and outsides are no longer pink. At this point the diced bell peppers and onions will have softened.

I add many of my spices during this cooking process too so everything is nicely coated. Your pressure cooker jambalaya is going to start smelling amazing at this point!

• Turn your pot off and deglaze your pot using a bit of your broth
  • Meaning, scrape stuck on meat off the bottom of your pot
• Pour in remaining ingredients EXCEPT for your rice.
• Stir contents together and then sprinkle your rice on to the top.
• Gently submerge your uncooked white rice into the liquid so it is under the surface
  • In the video I stir it in and has worked fine for me but a few (who don’t have the non stick pot) have said the burn notice has appeared on their pot so I suggest this method for everyone just in case.
• Close lid and steam valve and press your rice button
  • If you don’t have this button set to high pressure for 11 minutes
• Allow steam to naturally release for 2 minutes when done so rice puffs up using residual heat in pot.
• Then release pressure that is left, called a quick release

Then use a large serving spoon or a fork and fluff it all up together and get ready for goodness.

What is the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?

Jambalaya is more like paella in a way. It’s really a super flavorful rice dish. Gumbo is usually a thickened stew or soup of sorts, typically using chicken and sausage or seafood, mainly shrimp. They’re both great and I suggest you give them each a whirl. 

Do you cook rice before adding to jambalaya?

I guess it depends what recipe you’re using and what your preference is. Personally I love one pot meals, thus ours has everything cooked together all at once. Yes you could cook this separately. Just use our white rice recipe and then make this, this minus that ingredient.

Shrimp pressure cooker jambalaya

Let’s talk about other types of proteins you could add beyond what we used here. I mean shrimp is one of our faves. I have steamed them alone in this same pot so I know it works well but they only need 1 minute so you might want to just fold those in at the end and set the top on for 5 minutes to get pink.

• I haven’t done that yet but I imagine you could. I wouldn’t add much more than the equivalent of 3 sausage links or you may need more liquid.
• Next time I plan to make this with sausage and shrimp. I will half the sausage and add 1 cup of frozen mini shrimp which I think would work well. I’ll add details when I do this.
• Choose any style sausage links you like. Just be prepared for the heat if choosing a spicy variety.

Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe

Do you need a jambalaya side dish to go with this? Personally I say no. But if you really must I would pair our black eyed peas recipe which can also be made in a pressure cooker. As is I’d say this pressure cooker jambalaya is a perfectly complete meal all unto itself though.

Once you’ve tried this you should try our simple:

1. Pressure cooker sausage and peppers meal is great
   1. We have a ton of other Instant Pot sausage recipes here too
2. Air fryer sausage and potatoes rocks! 
3. Our Instant Pot sausage and rice is cheesy goodness on a fork

Instructions work for either Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Mealthy or Crock Pot Express machines. Great gluten free jambalaya recipe if you’re looking for that!