Instant Pot: Chicken & Sausage Etouffeé

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! The fall is one of my favorite seasons because the abundance of comfort food that can be made and enjoyed. New Orleans inspired food, as the Cajun and Creole flavors certainly are some of my family’s favorite cuisines. I’ve made a few Cajun and Creole dishes in the past and I’ve added yet another classic dish to the list of Instant Pot favorites – Chicken & Sausage Etouffeé. Chicken and Andouille sausage take the stage as it pressure cooks in a thickened and seasoned roux with the classic ‘trinity’, served over fluffy rice.

So a common question is – What’s the difference between etouffeé, gumbo and jambalaya?

It’s easy to confuse the dishes since they involve similar ingredients. However, the main difference is the roux and thickness of the sauce.

Etouffeé – is commonly made with chicken, sausage and/or shrimp (or a combination of these three) where the sauce is thick, much like a stew. It’s often served over rice.

Gumbo – is commonly made with chicken, sausage and/or shrimp (or a combination of these three) where the sauce is thin, much like a soup. It’s often served with rice on top or on the side to stir into the gumbo.

Jambalaya – is commonly made with chicken, sausage and/or shrimp (or a combination of these three) where there is no sauce, but rather rice is cooked along with the mixture. It’s more similar to a Spanish Paella.

So there you have it – an explanation of how these popular New Orleans dishes are different! Now let’s get cooking and eating to celebrate this grand day…

Chicken & Sausage Etouffeé Recipe

recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Chicken & Sausage Etouffeé Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound chicken breast, cut in bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt-free Cajun seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound cooked Andouille sausage, cut in bite sized pieces
• 2 2/3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Chicken & Sausage Etouffeé Recipe Instructions

1. Plug in the IP with insert set in place.
2. Press SAUTE and add 1 tablespoon butter and sauté onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and chicken until softened and tender; transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. In the now empty IP, melt remaining butter and whisk in flour, stirring to pick up any bits and pieces. Continue cooking and stirring until flour mixture (roux) turns a deep rust brown color.
4. Whisk in Cajun seasoning, thyme, and chicken broth; cook for 1 minute. Return onion and chicken mixture along with sausahe and Worcestershire to the pot. 
5. Secure the lid of the IP and ensure the valve is set to SEALING.
6. Press MANUAL and adjust the time to 10 minutes on HIGH pressure.
7. The display will reflect ON while the IP comes to pressure. Allow a few minutes for your IP to come to pressure.
8. Once at pressure, the display will reflect 10 (the number of minutes you initially set) and will begin to countdown to 0 minutes.
9. When the IP beeps after pressure cooking for 10 minutes, allow your IP to naturally release pressure – about 12-15 minutes. While naturally releasing pressure (also known as NPR or NR), the display will reflect numbers counting up from 1. The numbers indicate how many minutes the IP has stopped cooking since it beeped (or how many minutes it has been naturally releasing pressure).  No need to touch your IP while it naturally releases pressure. The pin at the top of your IP will drop when all pressure has been released and it’s safe to open.
10. Open up your IP when the pin has dropped (allow a few minutes for this to happen).
11. Add green onions and salt to taste, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked rice.
12. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.