Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice is a super flavorful one-pot dinner made right in your electric pressure cooker. It is done in just over 30 minutes! The Cajun seasoning infuses the chicken and rice perfectly! You are going to love this dinner recipe.
Another great Cajun recipe to check out is this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice, especially great if you have a ham bone leftover!
I also see a lot of people looking for recipes like this that are something other than soup or roast for your Instant Pot… you might also want to check out this Instant Pot Chicken, Broccoli and Rice dish!
Why Make This Recipe
- A chance to use your Instant Pot to make something other than soup!
- It is all made in ONE POT… Helloooo easy prep and easy clean up!
- Cooking the rice in the Instant Pot with the Cajun Seasonings , chicken and sausage really ramps up the flavor or your long grain white rice.
- Everything is included in this dish.. starch, protein, and veggies. No need for a side dish here.
Ingredients
Here are the things that you need to make Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice, and a few notes to help you choose the right ingredients:
Rice – I have tested this recipe using long grain white rice. Basmati rice should cook in the same amount of time.
TIP: If you want to use brown rice, increase the time to 12 minutes at high pressure with a 5 minute natural release.
Andouille Sausage – I like to use the Johnsonville Andouille Sausage in this recipe. However if you cannot find that, a smoked beef sausage will work too!
Cajun Seasonings
Some of the most important ingredients in this recipe are the spices and seasonings! It is what gives it that Cajun, Southern flavor.
You will want to use a “Cajun Seasoning”. There are a lot of options here. I have used the Louisiana Fish Fry Cajun Seasoning as well as the McCormick’s. Both are great.
But if you want to make your own, pop over to this recipe for Homemade Cajun Seasoning!
Pro Tip: Check and see if there is salt in your seasoning. If there is do not add additional salt until you taste the final product.
Some other recipes to make with your Cajun seasoning are Cajun Shrimp and Dirty Rice and Beans.
Step-by-Step Picture Instructions
You will be building layers of flavor in this dish, and it turns out to be the most delicious one pot dinner!
Start by rinsing your rice under cool water in a fine mesh colander. Lightly toss it with your fingers. Set it aside.
With your Instant Pot on sauté mode add the oil and let it heat up. Add the cut carrots, onions and garlic and sauté for just about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Turn off sauté mode and stir in the chicken pieces, cut sausage, smoked paprika, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper and chicken base.
Give it all a good stir to coat.
Add the rinsed rice to the pot and give it a VERY LIGHT stir. You don’t want all the rice to sink to the bottom.
Pour in the chicken broth and make sure that most of the rice is submerged.
Lightly pour the canned diced tomatoes over top. Do not stir the pot again.
Pop the lid on and turn the pressure valve to seal. Set the pot to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
Do a 5 minute natural release and the finish with a quick release.
Stir the frozen peas into the pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
Taste for additional seasonings… kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, red pepper or cayenne for heat.
Serve hot!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure you rinse your rice before adding it to the pot. This will remove some of the starch and make sure your rice isn’t overly sticky.
- Taste the dish at the end to see if you want more seasoning… Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, or peppers.
- Cut your carrots about ½ inch thick so that they don’t turn to mush when they cook under pressure.
- Crank up the heat by adding a dash of cayenne or a few extra pinches of red pepper flakes.
- Sub red kidney beans for the peas to make more of a dirty rice with chicken and sausage. Drain the red beans and add them with the rice.
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely! The meat/protein will flavor the rice even further. However you want to make sure that your meat and rice are going to have similar cooking times. For example a whole roast will not cook in the same time as rice. But diced chicken, pork, or small pieces of beef will cook perfectly with rice, about an 8 minute pressure cook with a 5 minute natural release.
If there is not enough cooking liquid like water or broth the rice will “cook” to the bottom of the pot, where it is hot, in turn giving you the burn notice. If you are ONLY making rice in the Instant Pot try cooking on low pressure for 12 minutes and quick release.
Related Recipes
Did you make this recipe?!
If you make this recipe I would love to hear your review. Pop down to the comment section and connect with me.
Then sign up for our Weekly Newsletter so you never miss a new recipe!
**This dish was inspired by Pressure Cooker Weeknight Paella with Chicken & Sausage from Simply Recipes.
Recipe was updated and changed February 8, 2021
Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup carrots peeled, cut into ½ inch chunks
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch chunks
- 13.5 oz Andouille Sausage sliced into ½ inch chunks (I use Johnsonville Andouille Smoked Sausage)
- 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (if your Cajun seasoning does not contain salt, then add ½ teaspoon kosher salt) or make your own Cajun Seasoning!!
- 1 tsp (heaping) smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chicken base
- 1½ cups long grain white rice rinsed**
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Start by rinsing your white rice under cool water in a fine mesh colander for about a minute. Set it aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the oil and sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic, 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally
- Turn off sauté mode.
- Add the chicken pieces, cut sausage, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and chicken base. Stir well to coat.
- Add the rice and VERY lightly stir it into the pot. You don't want to stir all the rice to the bottom.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Make sure all the rice is submerged.
- Very lightly pour the can of diced tomatoes over top. Do not stir.
- Put the lid on and close the pressure valve to seal. Set the Instant Pot to the pressure setting on high for 8 minutes.
- At the end, when the timer beeps, do a 5 minute natural release. Finish with a quick release by turning the pressure valve to "vent".
- Once all the pressure is released take the lid off and add the frozen peas and stir to combine. The heat from the pot will cook the peas.
- Serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes:
- Taste the dish at the end to see if you want more seasoning… Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, or peppers.
- Cut your carrots about ½ inch thick so that they don’t turn to mush when they cook under pressure.
- Crank up the heat by adding a dash of cayenne or a few extra pinches of red pepper flakes.
- Sub red kidney beans for the peas to make more of a dirty rice with chicken and sausage. Drain the red beans and add them with the rice.
If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.
Jess
This has become one of my go-to meals when hosting!
TAS
One of my families favorite dinners! It is requested by my kids often!
Valerie
This recipe has become an immediate keeper!! I have been trying to find quick, delicious, and inexpensive recipes to make in the instant pot and this one is amazing. I love that the spices can be mixed, and the meats prepped ahead of time. It’s the perfect recipe for quick weeknight meals as well as simple weekend meals. We only use jasmine rice and we cooked it exactly per your instructions and did not find the rice to be too mushy. Thank you for sharing this recipe and I plan to pass it on to family and friends.
Ruthie Collins
LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! The spice is great!! I am going to attempt it with shrimp as well!!!
Kelly Prenger
This is my new favorite Cajun recipe!! It’s so delicious and was very easy to make. I used brown rice instead of white and added three extra minutes and it turned out great! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Terry Ham
I am so confused. after 10 minutes in the instant, the rice was still firm and there was LOTS of liquid still. I reread the recipe twice thinking that I must have done something wrong. I put the lid back on cooked high for 5 more minutes and let sit under the pressure for 15 minutes then released the pressure and it looks pretty good. Still a little soggy but I can accept that with Jambalaya. I don’t understand why it worked for everyone else.
Susie
Next time try cooking it on the rice setting for 15 minutes. That may help with getting your rice cooked and the liquid absorbed.
Amy
I made this tonight and it was great! My family even went back for seconds! I added some mushrooms in when I added the meat & spices….YUM!!!
This is going in the family approved rotation. Thanks for an easy, tasty recipe!!
Susie
I love hearing that your family went back for seconds!
Winnie
What do you consider chicken base?
Susie
It will be in the soup aisle of your grocery store, near the bouillon cubes. It comes in a jar or tub and is a paste consistency. Two brands I buy that are very common are Better Than Bouillon or LB Jamison’s. I hope you can find it, it does make a huge difference in flavor. (google “soup base” and you can see pictures of it too)
Melissa Groves
My rice came out mushy. We just ate the chicken and sausage pieces and threw out the rest. Followed it exactly as written. Don’t know what I did or why it would come out this way.
Susie
Im so sorry it didn’t work for you!!! The rice is definitely more of a wet- casserole type rice, but it shouldn’t be “mushy”
George Shomsky
Melissa
I use basmati or jasmine rice uncooked and reduced the liquid to a little over 1 3/4 cups of chicken stock. I use the rice setting on my instapot for 10 mins. Rice turns out perfect.
Kelli
I’ve made this recipe several times. What I now do is reduced the liquid to 1 1/2 cups to get the correct rice consistency. As I try to keep my salt low intake low so I used low sodium chicken stock instead of bullion cubes and water. I also tripled the spices that the recipe called for to really amp up the Cajun flavor. It is delicious, one of our favorite recipes!!
Susie
Excellent! I love that you made it your own! Thank you for sharing.
Kat
Hi Susie – if I wanted to adjust this to brown rice with beans, can i just up the cook time to 20 minutes, or will it ruin the beans completely?
Susie
There are actually no beans in the recipe (except the peas, but you definitely want to add those after the pot cooks, or they will turn to mush). It looks like for brown rice you can set it for 20 minutes with a quick release, or do 15 minutes with a complete natural release. PLEASE let me know which you choose and if it works for you, you are not the first person to ask about brown rice. I think I need to test it with brown rice : )
Susie
Im sorry… I just re-read your comment… you WANT to use beans!! OK.. if you are using canned beans, I would stir them in after the pot cooks. The residual heat from the pot will warm the beans enough and then they won’t turn to mush.
I’m afraid dried beans and the brown rice will not cook in the same amount of time, the dried beans would take longer (about 30-40 minutes), leaving the rice over-cooked.
Kat
Thanks Susie!
cori
can this be doubled in a 6 quart pot? i assume no?
Susie
Im not sure it would fit in a 6 quart if you doubled. I also cook in a 6 quart, but would worry about it cooking correctly with that many ingredients in the pot (especially the rice). I think you could definitely do 1.5 x the recipes.
Rachel
This looks incredible! How would I adjust the recipe/cooking time for cauliflower rice? I’m new to low carb and instant pot cooking.
Susie
Hi Rachel, Thank you for checking out this recipe! I have not worked with cauliflower rice a ton, so this suggestion is just off the top of my head, I’m not 100% sure it will work since I haven’t tested it.(that’s my disclaimer- lol)
I would follow the first three steps, and add the first 14 ingredients EXCEPT change the liquid to 1 1/2 cups water (and still add the 2t chicken base), pop the lid on and cook for 8 MINUTES. Release the pressure and add your cauliflower rice, tomatoes, and frozen peas, the heat of the pot should warm them thru.
The only thing I am not 100% sure on is the amount of liquid, because you need the liquid to run the pot, but there is nothing to absorb the liquid (ie, rice), so this may be very liquid-ey.
You can always turn your pot back on to saute mode at the end and add a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the liquid.
If you do try it, let me know how it turns out!!!!!
You actually may have given me a great recipe to test, I started Weight Watchers this month and need some more vegetable heavy dishes. Thanks!!!!
Karen South Jones
I have an 8 quart Instant Pot. Could I double the recipe? (I’m new to the Instant Post craze!)
Susie
No, this recipe should work just find in your 8 quart! Enjoy, and check out some of my other Instant Pot Recipes. Especially my post titled “Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners”.
Nancy
This was a fabulous recipe, thank you! I hade made meatloaf the other day in my Instant Pot and refrigerated the leftover cooking liquid so I used that for this recipe. I also left out the chicken, using just the sausage, and added a parsnip – it was fabulous! So easy to prepare and tweak as needed.
Susie
I am so glad you loved it! I love hearing how people sub and tweak the recipe. Excellent!!
Alayna
Sounds good! I have all kinds of soup and taco recipes for the instant pot/slow cooker, but this one is unique. Can’t wait to try it!
Susie
Excellent! It is one of our favorites. Let me know how you like it.