Looking for that quick and easy weeknight meal, check out my 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 really 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, I love my 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 me personally I love using spices like thyme, basil, oregano, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning and of course items like celery, peppers, and even onions. I find the mix of these ingredients really 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 very 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 really 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
or 
, to tasteInstructions for Cajun Jambalaya Recipe
- 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.
- 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.
- To the chicken and chicken broth, add all other ingredients. Stir to mix well. Cancel the “saute” function.
- 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.
- Fluff the jambalaya, remove the bay leaves, and serve.
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.
Cajun Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- To the chicken and chicken broth, add all other ingredients. Stir to mix well. Cancel the “saute” function.
- 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.
- Fluff the jambalaya, remove the bay leaves, and serve.
Nutrition
did you make this recipe?
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See how easy it is to really take a trip to Cajun flavors without leaving the comfort of your home. A handful of spices and ingredients come together for one vibrant and flavorful dish.
Comments & Reviews
Logan Martin says
For me, this was an epic fail. I was concerned that there was not enough liquid in the recipe, so I added an extra 1/4 cup of broth. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as written, and I still got burn notice after burn notice after burn notice. I will not be making this again.