Recipe Challenge #3

My turn to choose a recipe, and since Jessica said she wanted more practice with her Instant Pot, I started narrowing down the possibilities. I found this one for jambalaya from AMY+JACKY, a site I’ve used recipes from many times since getting my Instant Pot. Based on the overwhelmingly positive results (in addition to my previous experiences), I’d say this seals their reputation as a source of winning recipes.


Instant Pot Jambalaya 

Ingredients

• 1¼ pound chicken thighs
• 2 cups Jasmine rice
• ½ - 1 pound shrimps , thawed (we used 10 16/20 shrimps)
• 1 pound Andouille sausages or Kielbasa sausages , ¼” slices
• 2 ribs celery , diced
• 1 bell pepper , diced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
• 1 can (14.5oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 onion , diced
• 8 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1½ tablespoons regular soy sauce
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
• ¼ teaspoon dried thymes
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust according to your spicy preference)

Garnish

• 2 stalks green onion , thinly sliced

Instructions

• 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 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 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 tomato paste, ¼ tsp dried thymes, ¼ tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and ½ - 1 tsp cayenne pepper, saute for another minute. 
• Deglaze Instant Pot & Add Soy Sauce: Pour in ½ cup 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 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 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 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 minutes
  

  After 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~