Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya Meal Prep Recipes

INSTANT POT JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Brown Chicken & Shrimps in Instant Pot: Press "Saute" button to "Sauté More" function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (~8mins). Add 1 tbsp unsalted butter + 1 tbsp olive oil in Instant Pot. Pat dry chicken thighs with a paper towel, then season one side of chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Place 1¼ lb (565g) chicken on one side of Instant Pot (seasoned side face down) and shrimps on the other side of Instant Pot, brown them for 3.5 minutes. Season the other side of chicken and shrimps with salt and black pepper. Flip chicken and shrimps, brown this side for another 3.5 minutes. Set aside browned chicken, saute shrimps for another 30 seconds - 1 minute. Set aside shrimps (will be used after pressure cooking).
• Saute Sausages: Add 1lb (454g) sliced sausages in Instant Pot, saute for 3 minutes.
• Saute Onions & Spices: Add in diced onions, green bell peppers, and celery, saute for 2 minutes. Add in minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp (5.8g) tomato paste, ¼ tsp (0.2g) dried thymes, ¼ tsp (0.25g) dried oregano, 1 tsp (3g) smoked paprika, and ½ - 1 tsp (1.2g - 2.4g) cayenne pepper, saute for another minute.
• Deglaze Instant Pot & Add Soy Sauce: Pour in ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. *Pro Tip: Make sure to deglaze really well for this jambalaya recipe! Add in 1.5 tbsp (22.5ml) regular soy sauce, give it a quick mix.
• Pressure Cook Jambalaya: Push all ingredients to one side, then add the browned chicken with all its meat juice in Instant Pot. Add 2 cups (440g) well drained jasmine rice in Instant Pot. *Pro Tip: Ensure to add chicken in Instant Pot first, then add rice on top to avoid the "Burn" error. Pour 1½ cup (375ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Ensure all the rice is fully submerged in the stock. Layer 14.5oz crushed or diced tomatoes on the very top. Do not mix! With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.-Chicken Thighs: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 7 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes-Chicken Drumsticks: Pressure Cook at High Pressure 8 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutesAfter 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position. Open the lid carefully.
• Add Shrimps, Mix & Season: Add & mix the fully cooked shrimps in jambalaya. Taste the Jambalaya and adjust the seasoning accordingly. *Note: It will look a bit too watery at first, but once you start mixing all the ingredients, it will all come together. *Pro Tip: For reference, we added roughly 3 - 4 pinches of salt to open up the flavors & season the dish properly.
• Serve: Garnish the Jambalaya with sliced green onion, then serve. Enjoy~

INSTANT POT JAMBALAYA RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut off the root end of the green onions and slice them thinly, keeping the white and light green parts separate from the dark green parts. Set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil to the Instant Pot inner pot and select the sauté button. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the sliced andouille sausage. Cook the sausage slices for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to paper towels to drain and set aside.
• Add the diced chicken to the pot along with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Add the chopped yellow onion to the pot along with the bell pepper and celery. If necessary, add more vegetable oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent, stirring frequently.
• Add the minced garlic, Creole seasoning, and thyme to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute longer. Cancel the sauté function.
• Add the bay leaf and chicken stock. Stir, scraping the bottom to ensure there are no browned bits stuck to the pan. Taste and add salt if needed.
• Add the tomatoes (with their juices) along with the rice and the white and light green parts of the sliced green onions. Return the sausage and chicken to the pot. Stir to combine the ingredients.
• Lock the lid in place and turn the steam release knob to the sealing position. Select the manual or pressure cook button (high pressure) and set the timer to 7 minutes. When the time is up, do a quick release following the manufacturer's instructions. When the float valve drops, remove the cover-the pot will automatically switch to the keep warm setting.
• Add the shrimp to the pot and stir to combine the ingredients. Cover the pot and let it stand on the warm setting for 10 minutes. The shrimp should be cooked through.
• Remove the cover and stir in about half of the reserved dark green parts of the sliced green onions.
• Garnish servings with the remaining dark green parts of the green onions and chopped parsley, if desired.

CINDY'S JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Stir in the sausage, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery; season with salt and Cajun seasoning. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the rice until evenly coated in the vegetable mixture, then pour in the tomatoes with juice, garlic, chicken broth, bay leaves, and thyme leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, stir in the shrimp, and cook 10 minutes uncovered until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent in the center. Remove the pot from the heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves before serving.