Instant Pot Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya (2024)

Instant Pot Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya, originating from the French Quarter a/k/a “creole” & “red” jambalaya is made with andouille, chicken and shrimp.

Jambalaya is a Creole dish which consists of meat, smoked sausage, rice and vegetables. The rice cooks with the other ingredients.

Originating from the French Quarter in New Orleans, jambalaya is primarily found in and around New Orleans, while Cajun Jambalaya is generally found in the more rural areas of Louisiana.

It’s not really a time consuming recipe, but cooking jambalaya in an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, makes it so much easier, quicker and the flavors infuse nicely.

This is a low carb and keto recipe, however, for those not following a ketogenic lifestyle, I will add directions for adding rice on the recipe card below.

There are a few types of jambalaya originating from Louisiana.

As many people prefer a more simple jambalaya, my Instant Pot Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya recipe is cooked similarly to the Cajun style, in that there are no vegetables, other than the vegetables which make up the trinity, but is a Creole recipe.

Clearly cauliflower is a vegetable, but in this low carb and keto recipe, it will replace the rice.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya

• Andouille – or Mexican chorizo or kielbasa can be substituted.
• Shrimp – intestinal tract removed and in the shells, with tails.
• Chicken is optional. More sausage or shrimp can be used.
• Riced Cauliflower – this is totally optional. Mashed cauliflower, mashed turnips or a low carb bread can be used to sop up the broth.

Creole Jambalaya includes tomatoes.

Cajun Jambalaya does not include tomatoes and is spicier.

What is Andouille Sausage?

• Andouille is a smoked sausage made with pork. It is mildly spicy from the garlic, onions, pepper and wine.
• It is referred to as just Andouille, not Andouille sausage.
• After stuffing the sausage into the casing, it is once again smoked.

The wonderful fat from the sliced andouille will render and the trinity will cook in the fat and add tons of flavor..

When cooking in anInstant Pot DUO Plus, a Ninja Foodi or a stand alone Pressure Cooker, size matters…..for some things.

In Latin cooking, many recipes start with a sofrito, which is a mixture of onions, peppers, garlic and tomato. The Italian version is called soffritto, a take on the French mirepoix.

What is the Holy Trinity?

Also referred to as just the “trinity,” the Holy Trinity is just peppers, onions and celery.

In Creole and Cajun cooking, the base of many dishes like jambalaya, gumbo andétouffée (shellfish served over rice) always start with a trinity or Holy Trinity.

Bell Peppers and onions cook and soften much faster than celery.

Therefore, celery should be cut into smaller pieces than the onions and peppers, so that the trinity is cooked to perfection.

Only a small amount of olive oil is needed, as the andouille sausage will give off enough fat to cook the trinity.

With a very hot pot and cold oil, your cooking pot will become non-stick!

Difference Between Cajun Jambalaya and Creole Jambalaya.

Creole Jambalaya.

Creole jambalaya originates from the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Much like many of the regional cuisines of Louisiana, both Creole and Cajun jambalaya start with a “trinity” or “holy trinity.”

Trinity is a mix of celery, peppers and onions.

Unlike Cajun jambalaya, tomatoes are used in Creole or “red” jambalaya.

In the area, Creolejambalaya is simply referred to as “jambalaya.”

Cajun Jambalaya.

Cajun jambalaya, which is spicier and has a smoky flavor is found in the more rural areas of Southwestern and South-Central, Louisiana.

Tomatoes are not used in Cajun Jambalaya. Instead, the meat is browned in a cast iron skillet and the pieces of meat, sugars and fat that are rendered and stick to the skillet are what is called “sucs.” As the sucs release (deglazing) and become a sauce, it is then referred to as “fond.” In the US, those same browned bits are what is called fond (as opposed to the sauce).

The process of making the sauce is what gives Cajun jambalaya a brown color and why in the New Orleans area, Cajun jambalaya is referred to as “brown” jambalaya.

The Cajun folk refer to their “brown” jambalaya as just “jambalaya” and refer to the Creole jambalaya as “red” jambalaya.

Chunks of white meat or dark meat chicken are quickly mixed through the seasoned veggies.

Chicken and sausage are the types of meat generally found in Creole Jambalaya.

For this Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya version, jumbo shrimp in the shells are used too.

Diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes can be used.

If using whole peeled tomatoes, give them a quick pulse through the food processor to dice/puree.

For this Pressure Cooker Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya recipe, only a small amount of chicken broth is used.

Check the notes section in the recipe below for the measurements to turn this low carb jambalaya into a “proper” jambalaya, which would include rice cooked together.

Bay Leavesadd a slightly floral, herbal fragrance. They are often used in stews and soups.

It is important to remove them before serving, as they can be abrasive to the digestive tract.

Shrimp and cauliflower cook very fast.

The shells and tails from the shrimp add wonderful flavor to the broth.If this offends you, feel free to use totally cleaned shrimp.

Adding parsley last gives the best flavor.

This Instant Pot Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya almost looks like gumbo, because of the lack of rice.

Tips and Tricks.

1. Hot Pot, cold oil.
2. Dice the celery smaller than the onions and peppers for even cooking.
3. Use large chunks of chicken to prevent over cooking.Add one minute of pressure cook time if using dark meat.
4. Leave shells and tails on shrimp for more flavor.
5. Break cauliflower into pieces and place in food processor. Pulse just a few times for perfect cauliflower rice. There is no need to spend extra money on a bag of already riced cauliflower.

If you use Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Bread Mix, add an extra egg, an extra 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 2 Tablespoons of chia seedsto the recipe. After punching down the bread, shaping and placing in a loaf pan, allow the bread to rise about 60 minutes and then bake.

The broth is so delicious. You really need to have a nice low carb / keto bread to sop up the delicious broth.

For those not doing low carb or keto, but prefer bread, try my Country Sourdough Bread recipe.

Cauliflower is totally optional and does not have to be used.

Maybe some mashed turnips or other low carb vegetable. Another idea is my Pressure Cooker Mashed Cauliflower Soufflé.

Anything that will sop up the broth will work.

Other Louisiana Recipes to Try:

• Pressure Cooker Shrimp Po Boy Roll
• Air Fryer Southern Fried Catfish {Louisiana Cajun Style}
• Pressure Cooker Southern Style Green Beans

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• Instant Pot DUO Plus, a Ninja Foodi or a stand alone Pressure Cooker
• J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
• Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
• di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
• Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
• Alton Brown Salt Box
• Gravity Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
• My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
• Cuisinart Large Food Processor– to make cauliflower rice

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