Easy Jambalaya with Shrimp,Sausage and Chicken

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Our easy Jambalaya recipe takes all of the creole flavors you love and wraps them up with savory chicken, sausage and shrimp. Made with the rice separate makes this delicious southern favorite on the healthy side too!

Easy Jambalaya with shrimp, sausage and chicken is a delicious cajun recipe. We take a few shortcuts here to make it easy but keeping the integrity of the dish. We also recommend a "skinny" version too by not making the rice IN the jambalaya. Having the Rice or Cauliflower rice on the side gives folks options and you don't lose any of that good flavor!

Ingredients for the BEST Jambalaya

These ingredients for this Easy Jambalaya are pantry staples and the wonderful thing is that smoked sausage requires very little cooking. I also like to cook my chicken ahead of time in batches so I always have some cooked and on hand to make this delicious dish! If you wanted some really good sausage try this AIR FRYER SAUSAGE for an easy make ahead solution.

Olive Oil
Red bell pepper, chopped
Green bell pepper chopped
Onion, chopped
Dried thyme
Dried oregano
Smoked paprika
Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Minced garlic
Chicken Andouille Sausages, sliced
Diced tomatoes
Frozen large shrimp
Cooked, chopped chicken
Chicken broth
Water

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

We make this Jambalaya so simple and easy by using our Instant Pot. In the recipe card notes, we also tell you how to do it on top of the stove.

Heat the olive oil in the instant pot on the saute function.

Add the onion, peppers and sausage and brown. Season with thyme oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add in garlic and cook for a minute or two more.

adding seasonings to jambalaya in instant pot

Add in the chicken, shrimp, tomatoes and chicken broth and mix well. Turn off saute function. Place lid on unit and lock in place. Turn the vent to seal and set the unit to pressure cook for 6 minutes. When the cook time is done, allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10-15 minutes. Open the vent to release any remaining pressure and carefully remove the lid.

Serve with rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy!

Storage

After cooling to room temperature this will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. Take out what you need and reheat it in servings. This is also a great one to freeze. After coming to room temperature, store in freezer safe containers and freeze for up to a month.

a bowl of jambalaya on the table with a floral napkin

Tips and Tricks

I like my Jambalaya thick and not soupy.

We make this one on the soupy side. That is because there is no rice being cooked in it. If you opt to add the rice, you will need to add about 8 minutes to your instant pot cooking time. However, if you want to keep the rice out and make it not as soupy, cut your broth back to 2-3 cups or whatever consistency you like.

Why does this Jambalaya not have a roux base?

A traditional Jambalaya does have a roux base. That is common in Creole cooking. While you can start out with flour in your vegetables that will help thicken the Jambalaya, in keeping with our theme of healthier recipes, we opted out of the roux base for this one. A roux is a good idea anytime when making stews and soups. This one just comes in a tad healthier without it.

Can I leave out the cayenne pepper?

Of course! Feel free to leave it out altogether or substitute more black pepper for a bit of flavor. Garlic powder works great in these too!

What Goes Great with Jambalaya

a serving of jambalaya with full pot in background

If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food. Also, if you pin this recipe, we would appreciate that when you make it, you use the Made It function in Pinterest too.

And as always, we would love it if you shared this recipe with your family and friends. Over to the side on this post and all of the others are handy dandy share buttons. We would sure be grateful if you shared the love!

Stuff We Used!