This Instant Pot cajun rice and sausage is an easy one pot meal made with smoked andouille sausage, basmati rice, carrots, onion, tomatoes, and celery.
The Instant Pot is my go-to for cooking up quick and easy weeknight dinners. From Instant Pot creamy lemon chicken breasts, to Instant Pot frozen ground beef, and this Instant Pot Cajun rice and sausage - it can truly do it all!
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This is what we like to call a 'dump and go' meal - just dump the ingredients in the pot, start the cooking process, and leave it to do the work for you! It's so simple, you don't even need to sautée the veggies before pressure cooking!
Not only is this instant pot cajun rice beyond easy - but is also delicious, healthy, and packed full of sneaky veggies.
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Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe:
- the rice is full of flavor from the Cajun spice, and the sausage adds a nice smoky touch
- it's a one-pot meal, and cooks up in under 45 minutes, but is very hands off
- there's plenty of veggies included, but even your picky eaters will enjoy (you can't detect them once it cooks)!
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this Instant Pot Cajun rice. You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- Andouille sausage - this is a smoked spicy cajun sausage. It does not need to be cooked before using in this recipe, as it is already smoked. If you'd like a substitute, you could try chorizo or kielbasa. Note: you will need to use a sausage that is pre-cooked if you make any substitutions here.
- Basmati rice - this recipe has only been tested with basmati rice, so swap for other varieties at your own risk Other types of rice may have different cook times that are not compatible with the veggies.
- see: Instant Pot jasmine rice for cook times and liquid requirements
- Cajun seasoning - can be really spicy! It is typically made with paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano and thyme. For this recipe, we used a very mild brand (Club House).
- Veggies - this recipe calls for tomatoes, onion, carrot, and celery, as they cook up really nicely along with the rice and sausage. Make sure you chop the vegetables in a fine dice, evenly sized so that they all cook through evenly.
- Changing the veggies could alter the ability of the Instant Pot to come to pressure, so do so at your own risk. Bell peppers could be a nice addition.
Step by step directions
1. Combine - dump all ingredients including the veggies, andouille sausage, basmati rice, chicken stock, cajun seasoning and salt into the stainless steel inner pot of a 6 quart Instant Pot, and stir until well combined. Make sure no rice is stuck to the side of the pot.
TIP- this recipe has not been tested in an 8 quart Instant Pot and may not come to pressure.
2. Pressure cook - Put lid on, set valve to 'sealing' and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. It will take 15-ish minutes to come to pressure. After cooking, allow a full natural pressure release, which takes about 15 minutes. Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. Enjoy!
3. Serve - Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork.
FAQ
This recipe has only been tested with basmati rice. Other types of rice may have different cook times and liquid ratios that won't work here, so swap at your own risk.
The Cajun seasoning I use is fairly mild. If you have a super spicy one, cut back on the seasoning for sure! As written and using Clubhouse Cajun seasoning, it is mildly spicy.
This recipe has only been tested in the Instant Pot, but you could try with 1:2 ratio rice to water. I would recommend using the same ingredients and basmati rice, which cooks 15 minutes, then 10 minutes rest.
While we haven't tested a double batch of this recipe, reader Bridgette had success!
Meal prep & storage
This recipe can work for meal prep in a couple of different ways:
Pre-chop ingredients/freezer packs
You can get a head start on dinner by pre-chopping your vegetables and sausage, measuring out all your ingredients (except for the rice), and storing in the fridge.
- Measure out all ingredients and combine in a gallon sized freezer bag or large meal prep container.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Dump into the stainless steel inner pot of your Instant Pot, stir in the rice, and cook as directed.
Leftovers & re-heat meals
- Cook as directed in the recipe card.
- Portion out into meal prep containers and allow to cool.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot.
Food safety & rice
Cooked rice has the worst rap when it comes to food safety. However, rice is perfectly safe to eat when cooked and stored properly:
- cool and refrigerate quickly
- store for 4-6 days (personally I have a 4 day rule for leftovers)
- reheat until steaming hot, and only reheat once
More easy instant pot meals
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Instant Pot Cajun Rice and Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped using a small dice
- 2 celery chopped using a small dice
- ½ onion chopped using a small dice
- 6 andouille sausages 375 g; 13 oz; see note 1
- 3 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed; see note 2
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning reduce if you have a spicy brand
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine - dump all ingredients including the veggies, andouille sausage, basmati rice, chicken stock, cajun seasoning and salt into the stainless steel inner pot of a 6 quart Instant Pot, and stir until well combined. Make sure no rice is stuck to the side of the pot.(see note 3)
- Pressure cook - Put lid on, set valve to 'sealing' and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. It will take 15-ish minutes to come to pressure. After cooking, allow a full natural pressure release, which takes about 15 minutes.
- Serve - Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. (see note 4)
Tips:
; this recipe has not been tested in an 8 quart
4- Serving size is ⅙ of the batch; roughly 1.5 cups
Storage
Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot and enjoy!
Freezer packs
- Measure out all ingredients and combine in a gallon sized freezer bag or large meal prep container.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw for 24-48 hours in the fridge.
- Dump into the stainless steel inner pot of your Instant Pot, stir in the rice, and cook as directed.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
Theresa says
This is great! I make it as a meal prep for my husband. Thanks for the recipe!
Kathryn says
Incredible! I made one batch fresh and one for the freezer. No modifications. Absolutely delicious
Michelle J Ervin says
Super easy and super tasty!
Christine says
This was great. i doubled the celery, left out the carrots and added in a bell pepper. New to using an instant pot and wondering if I could add in a drained and rinsed can of red or black beans or if that would change the cooking directions
Denise Bustard says
Hi Christine! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed. That should be fine to add beans!
Morgan says
Would I be able to do this recipe with frozen sausage?
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Morgan,
Unfortunately, cooking the sausage from frozen will affect the cook times, so we cannot recommend this. also, slicing the sausage helps the flavor.
Eugenia says
I cooked some turkey sausages in a pan first (I didn't have any pre-cooked) and added those to the IP along with everything else. It turned out so delicious!! The rice was creamy and the flavors were so good!!
This is definitely going on our list of favorites! Thanks a lot for the recipe 🙂
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Eugenia,
We are honored to have a recipe on your list! Thank you for sharing