Pressure Cooker Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage

Posted by Mike Vrobel in Pressure cooker, Time Lapse Video, Weeknight dinner | 9 comments

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage

Time for another virtual trip to the bayou!

Jambalaya, the creole classic rice dish, seemed like a natural for the pressure cooker. Sauté some chicken with the New Orleans trinity of onions, celery, and bell pepper, stir in rice, broth, and tomatoes, and pressure cook until the rice is cooked. It seems so straightforward, but it kept giving me problems.

Traditional recipes go with equal amounts of rice and broth, so that’s where I started – 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of chicken broth. No good – the rice absorbs all the water, and my Instant Pot goes into overheat mode. (That means the mixture is too thick, and the food at the bottom of the pot is sticking and burning.)

I scrape the bottom of the pot clean with my trusty flat edged wooden spoon, add another cup of water, lock the lid, set the timer, and…overheat mode again. Grr. Open the lid, scrape the pot, add another 2 cups of water…still overheating! Every time I added more water, the rice absorbed it, and the thick mixture would stick to the bottom of the pot. 1

Finally, I remembered what I learned adding pasta to the pressure cooker pot – a little goes a long way. I cut back to one cup of rice, and voila – it works the first time.

I have my jambalaya recipe, and I’m ready for Fat Tuesday!

Inspired by: Emeril Lagasse: Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya [emerils.com]

Video: Pressure Cooker Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage (1:23)

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya – Time Lapse [YouTube.com]

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage – A taste of New Orleans in a one pot pressure cooker meal.

• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 45 min
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6-8 servings
• Category: Weeknight Dinner
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (store bought is fine)
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 bell pepper, minced
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (or kosher salt)
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick (andouille sausage is best if you can find it)
• 1 cup white wine (or water)
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 2 cups chicken broth (or water)
• 14- to 15- ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (or kosher salt)
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 green onion, sliced thin

Instructions

1. Brown the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pressure cooker pot over medium heat until shimmering (sauté mode in my Instant Pot). Sprinkle the cubed chicken with 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, then add to the pot. Cook the chicken, without moving, until it is browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
2. Sauté the aromatics, add everything to the pot: Stir in the onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic into the pot, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Stir in the smoked sausage slices, then sauté, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned chicken bits, until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer the wine for 1 minute. Stir in the rice, and water. Pour the diced tomatoes on top, but don’t stir. Float the bay leaf on top.
3. Pressure cook the jambalaya: Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes in an electric or stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 minutes.
4. Serve: Unlock the lid and open the pot, lifting the lid away from you to avoid the hot steam. Discard the bay leaf, then stir the jambalaya to fluff up the rice. Scoop into serving bowls, sprinkle with the minced green onions, and serve, passing Tabasco sauce at the table.

Notes

• Fits in a 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker )
• You really should get a Flat edged wooden spoon, one of my favorite kitchen tools

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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My other Pressure Cooker Recipes
My other Pressure Cooker Time Lapse Videos

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