Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice is a super flavorful one-pot dinner made right in your electric pressure cooker. It is a combo of chicken thighs, smoked beef sausage and rice mixed with carrots, onions, garlic and peas all infused with Cajun spices. It is done in just over 30 minutes! You are going to love this dinner recipe.
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Another great Cajun recipe to check out is this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice, especially great if you have a ham bone leftover!
RELATED: Instant Pot Chicken, Broccoli and Rice
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- A chance to use your Instant Pot to make something other than soup!
- It is a meal 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 amps 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 and Texmati rice. Basmati rice should cook in the same amount of time.
Brown Rice
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!
Chicken Thighs- Make sure you buy boneless skinless chicken thighs. This is dark meat so it will be super tender and juicy after it is cooked!
Chicken Base- You can find this in the soup aisle of your grocery store. It comes in a paste form and is way more flavorful than bouillon. We like the Better Than Bouillon brand.
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 Cajun Seasoning Blend. Both are great.
Store Bought Cajun Seasoning
Check and see if there is salt in your seasoning blend by looking at the ingredients. If there IS SALT do not add additional salt until you taste the final product.
But if you want to make your own it is super simple and you probably have most of the ingredients in your spice cabinet, pop over to this recipe for Homemade Cajun Seasoning!
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!
- Prep Your Rice.
- Sauté Veggies.
- Add Chicken, Sausage, Seasonings, Etc…
- Add Rice and Liquid.
- Pressure Cook.
- Fluff The Rice and Add Peas.
Start by rinsing your rice under cool water in a fine mesh colander. Lightly toss it with your fingers until the water runs clear. 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.
More Amazing Cajun Recipes
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Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice Recipe
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 teaspoon 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 until the water runs clear. Set it aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the oil and sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic, 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally1 Tablespoon oil, 1 yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 cup carrots
- 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.3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 13.5 oz Andouille Sausage, 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon (heaping) smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoon chicken base
- Add the rice and VERY lightly stir it into the pot. You don't want to stir all the rice to the bottom.1½ cups long grain white rice
- Pour in the chicken broth. Make sure all the rice is submerged.2 cups chicken broth
- Very lightly pour the can of diced tomatoes over top. Do not stir.14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- Put the lid on and close the pressure valve to seal. Set the Instant Pot to the pressure setting on high pressure, normal heat 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.1 cup frozen peas
- Serve immediately.
Storing
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Recipe Tips and 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.
**This dish was inspired by Pressure Cooker Weeknight Paella with Chicken & Sausage from Simply Recipes.
John
This is my favorite recipe on your site! Love it!