Last updated on September 11, 2020 by Liza Hawkins
This shrimp and chicken jambalaya made in an Instant Pot is a simple and unique take on the traditional, melt-in-your-mouth savory stew.
Having realized a bag of frozen raw shrimp in my freezer, along with a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs nearing expiration in the fridge and some leftover steamed rice, I felt it was my duty to create a Chopped-style dinner last week.
It was a weeknight, so in addition to having fun with a random assortment of ingredients, I was also faced with the time crunch of “after work” cooking mania.
This is where the Instant Pot can be so very handy. I decided on a jambalaya-style stew.
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Because you can sear the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot liner, layers of flavor are added that affects the rest of the jambalaya in a lovely way.
You just can’t get that in a slow cooker, and sometimes cooking low-and-slow after searing in a Dutch oven on the stove top isn’t practical.
This Instant Pot shrimp and chicken jambalaya combo tasted great, but I think next time I’ll add some sausage, too.
Because, why not?
Like this? Check out my Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe.
Instant Pot Shrimp and Chicken Jambalaya
This shrimp and chicken jambalaya made in an Instant Pot is a simple and unique take on the traditional, melt-in-your-mouth savory stew.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 package frozen medium raw shrimp, thawed and peeled (tails removed)
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sear and add the olive oil. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle one side with salt and pepper.
- Once hot, place the chicken thighs seasoned-side down, sprinkle the other side with salt and pepper, and then let them cook for 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4 minutes, and then remove them to a plate to rest.
- Add the onion to the Instant Pot and sauté until it begins to look translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for another minute.
- Pour the chicken stock in all at once, scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the tomato purée, diced tomatoes, rice, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika and the remaining salt and pepper.
- Rough chop the seared chicken thighs and then add them to the Instant Pot, along with any juices that may have settled on the plate. Give a stir to incorporate all the ingredients, and then lock the lid in place.
- Cook on the manual setting for 10 minutes and then let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes before removing the lid.
- Add the raw shrimp, give a stir, lock the lid back in place and cook on the manual setting for another 5 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes and then serve.
Notes
It's possible for the shrimp to cook on their own in the hot jambalaya after the first pressure release, particularly smaller shrimp, if you don't want to bring it to presser to cook the second time.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 934mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 18g
I made this tonight was very good not to hot but you can always make it hotter
Hi Francis! Glad you enjoyed it — I tend to go lighter on spiciness for just that reason. You can always make it hotter if you’d like!