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    Home » All Recipes

    Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi

    Published: February 28, 2019Updated: February 20, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Our Full Disclosure Policy for More Information

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    Recipe Time :35 minutes mins
    Servings: 12

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    Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi pin

    Cajun Jambalaya in a white dishI absolutely LOVE Jambalaya! What I didn't know is that I REALLY love Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi! It's true. I was able to develop the best Cajun roux right in the Foodi! Shocked? Me too!

    I've been to New Orleans and I've tasted some pretty delicious Jambalaya... I have to say this recipe has really blown me away. The flavors are so incredible because we start out by developing a dark roux.

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support!

    Find The Information You Need Quickly

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    • What is a Roux? 
    • Okay, Let's get to making Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi!
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    What is a Roux? 

    Learning to make a great Roux (pronounced “roo”) is key to many wonderful dishes, so let’s spend a few minutes on what it is, different types, and how to make it.

    Roux is a combination of equal parts flour and fat. Butter is most commonly used in French cooking, but you can also use vegetable oil, lard, or any type of animal fat.

    There are 3 types of Roux; white, blond, & brown. I should mention a 4th type of roux, the dark roux (used in gumbo). The reason this may not be considered a true roux is because once it gets to this very dark stage, it is no longer a thickening agent, so is it really a roux?

    In this recipe, I took the roux to the furthest point I could while still keeping it a thickening agent and not burning it! We want our Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi to a be wonderful blend of chicken, Andouille sausage, shrimp, and rice, with those well-developed flavors in Cajun Cooking.

    THREE TYPES OF ROUX:

    White: This is the base for many wonderful sauces; like a béschamel or white sauce like this recipe from The Kitchn. White roux starts out the same, equal parts fat and flour. Add your fat to a skillet and allow it to melt, add the flour and whisk constantly. You have to be very careful that you do not burn the roux. If you see dark specks, it is burnt and you will have to start over or your sauce will taste unpleasant. White Roux is only cooked 2-5 minutes so it keeps it’s white/beige color.

    By cooking the roux 2-5 minutes, you cook out the flour taste which is super important or your sauce will taste like a sack of flour. Ask me how I know! Yep, been there & done that! When the flour/butter mixture starts to bubble and become fragrant, you are done. Remove from heat and congrats on making a white roux!

    Blond: This roux starts off exactly the same way as a white roux, it just cooks longer and develops a darker more flavorful thickener. After you have a white roux, turn down the heat and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly to avoid burning. You will end up with a golden roux that is perfect for making stock-based soups and creamy chicken or pork dishes.

    Brown: You are probably starting to see where this is going. Yep, a brown roux starts off as a white roux, becomes a blond roux and once you take it a step further and continue cooking, you guessed it… you have made a brown roux. It will take about 5 more minutes on low heat and you really need to watch it so it doesn’t burn. Brown roux works great to make a flavorful beef gravy from pan drippings and, of course, it’s used a lot in Louisiana-style cooking. This is the roux we are making in this recipe for Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi.

    Two Different Types of Jambalaya

    Cajun Jambalaya: traditionally is made by cooking the meat (usually chicken & sausage) first, then a few vegetables, followed by the rice and the stock. This style of jambalaya is found in the rural swamp lands of Louisiana and I'll bet you can find alligator and other game instead of chicken in many of them! This is the kind we will be making in the Ninja Foodi.

    Creole Jambalaya: you typically cook the vegetables (onions, celery, green pepper) first, followed by the meat, then rice & stock. Creole Jambalaya also usually contains tomatoes. This style of Jambalya, often referred to as “red jambalaya” and can be found in the French Quarter and areas surrounding New Orleans.

    I love Jambalaya so much that I have two other recipes on The Salted Pepper.

    Lower Carb Option: While this recipe for Cajun Jambalya with Cauliflower Rice is not made in the Ninja Foodi, it is super easy to do and you could make it on the sauté function in the Ninja Foodi!

    Make a soup instead: This recipe for Jambalaya Soup was made in my Instant Pot, but you can easily make it in the Ninja Foodi by following the exact instructions. You can also watch me make this soup right here: Jambalaya Soup Video.

    Okay, Let's get to making Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi!

    Would you rather watch me make it? You can do that right here on YouTube: Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi

    The first important part of making any recipe is to get your ingredients prepped and ready to go. This will take so much stress off of you if you are prepared ahead of time. I love to use these prep bowls from Pampered Chef as containers for my prepped ingredients.

    I use the 2 cup prep bowls for larger quantities and the 1 cup prep bowls for smaller amounts. They are dishwasher safe and very sturdy. The best thing is they come with lids, so you can even prep the day before and pop the lid on and store them in the fridge until you are ready to make this delicious Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi!

    Let's get our mise en place done. That's just a fancy French term for everything in its place and is used to describe the organization of ingredients when making a recipe.

    The first thing you want to do is get the Cajun seasoning blend ready. Cajun Jambalaya spices in a small glass bowlSimply mix all the dry spices together in a small bowl.

    Now, prep those vegetables. Dice up your celery, green pepper, onion, and carrot. You can also cut the white parts off of the bunch of green onions and slice them into ¼" slices.

    Trim and Slice your chicken breasts into ¼"-½" slices. Season them with 1 Tblsp of the Cajun seasoning blend.

     

     

    Set the Ninja Foodi to the high saute setting and add in both oils and ¼ cup of

    Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi browning chicken

    salted butter.  Allow to heat until very hot, but be sure not to burn the butter.

    Add chicken slices just a few at a time and brown on both sides which should only take a minute or so on each side. Remove and place in bowl.

    Let's make the roux! Don't be scared, it is easy. It will take a little time, so be patient and stay right there with it. If you have to walk away, just take the heat all the way down to low and give it a good stir. Don't be gone too long because if your roux burns, you have to start over.

    Cajun Jambalaya stages of roux

    Add ½ cup flour to the oil in the Ninja Foodi to make the roux. Stir frequently and reduce the heat to medium. Allow the roux to cook and darken until it goes past the color of peanut butter. You can add more flour if your roux is too thin. The end consistency should be just a bit thinner than tomato paste. This can take 20-25 minutes. You may have to adjust the heat up and then back down again. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Remove as much of the roux as you can from the inner pot and reserve for later use.

    Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi sauteing veggiesIt's easy sailing from here on, I promise! Add the 2 tablespoon of butter to the inner pot and set the Ninja Foodi to high saute. Add in the onion, green pepper, celery, carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add in the garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.

    Cut the Andouille sausage on the bias. You certainly could do this when you are prepping the ingredients in the beginning too. Add the sausage to the inner pot and sauté just a minute or so.

    Now, let's deglaze the inner pot. Add in 4 cups of chicken broth or stock. Scrape the pan to remove any brown bits that might be on the bottom. I find that using a large scraper like the Mix N Scraper from Pampered Chef does a great job of this and will not scratch your inner pot.

    Add in white rice and stir. Add Chicken slices. Stir. Add in the green onion bottoms.

    Finally, place the reserved roux on top Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi roux on top and DO NOT STIR. Put the pressure lid on and set to high pressure for 1 minute.

    Drain and season the peeled shrimp with the remaining Cajun seasoning blend. After the 1 minute is up, immediately release the pressure. Stir. Add in the shrimp by folding them in to the rice mixture. Close Tender Crisp Lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and this will cook the shrimp.

    Slice the green onions on the bias and use for garnish. Serve & Enjoy!Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi slicing green onions on the biasscooping Cajun Jambalaya

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ARE YOU MAKING THIS RECIPE? YAY! DON’T FORGET TO TAKE A PICTURE AND TAG US @THESALTEDPEPPER ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNEL!

    Cajun Jambalaya in the NInja Foodi in a white dish square image

    Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi

    Recipe By: Louise
    This Cajun Jambalaya in the Ninja Foodi is so good you will think you ordered it off of a menu in New Orleans. It's all done in one pot and is super simple to make! You just have to give it a try! 
    5 from 8 votes
    Add to My Favorites Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Time to pressure 8 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Cajun
    Servings 12
    Calories 420 kcal
    Turn this on when cooking to prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon oil hot chili infused oil
    • ¼ cup canola oil
    • ¼ cup butter salted
    • 1 ½ lbs chicken breast
    • ½ cup flour may need a little more to thicken the roux
    • 2 tablespoon butter salted
    • 2 stalks celery
    • 2 carrots medium
    • 1 cup onion diced
    • 1 bell pepper green
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 12 ounces Andouille Sausage
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 1 ½ cup white rice rinsed
    • 1 bunch green onions
    • 1 lb shrimp large, 31-40/lb

    Cajun Seasoning Mix

    • 1 tablespoon Paprika smoked
    • 2 teaspoon sea salt fine grind
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • ¼ teaspoon Thyme ground
    • ¼ teaspoon coriander roasted and ground

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    I will email this recipe page to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Instructions
     

    • Make up seasoning blend. Slice chicken breasts into ¼-1/2" slices. Dice up celery, carrots, onion, and green pepper. Cut the bottom white part up to the bright green stalk of the green onion and slice. Reserve the green tops for garnish. 
    • Set the Ninja Foodi to the high saute setting and add in both oils and butter, Allow to heat until very hot, but be sure not to burn the butter. Season Chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix. Add chicken slices just a few at a time and brown on both sides which should only take a minute or so on each side. Remove and place in bowl. 
    • Add ½ cup flour to the oil in the Ninja Foodi to make the roux. Stir frequently and reduce the heat to medium. Allow the roux to cook and darken until it goes past the color of peanut butter. You can add more flour if you roux is too thin. The end consistency should be just a bit thinner than tomato paste. This can take 20-25 minutes. You may have to adjust the heat up and then back down again. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Remove as much of the roux as you can from the inner pot and reserve for later use.
    • Add the 2 tablespoon of butter to the inner pot and set the Ninja Foodi to high saute. Add in the onion, green pepper, celery, carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add in the garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. 
    • Cut the Andouille sausage on the bias. See post for more information. Add the sausage to the inner pot and saute just a minute or so. 
    • Add in 4 cups of chicken broth or stock. Scrape the pan to remove any brown bits that might be on the bottom. 
    • Add in white rice and stir. Add Chicken slices. Stir. Add in the green onion bottoms. Finally, place the reserved roux on top and DO NOT STIR. Put the pressure lid on and set to high pressure for 1 minute.
    • Drain and season the peeled shrimp with the remaining Cajun seasoning blend. After the 1 minute is up, immediately release the pressure. Stir. Add in the shrimp fold them in to the rice mixture. Close Tender Crisp Lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and this will cook the shrimp. 
    • Slice the green onions on the bias and use for garnish. 

    Video

    https://youtu.be/Z1wGU51hjBw

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 28gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 1354mgPotassium: 534mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2581IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword Jambalaya recipe for the Ninja Foodi,, Ninja Foodi Jambalaya recipe, Ninja Foodi Recipes
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Cajun
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE EASY MEAL IDEAS LIKE THIS ONE? TAKE A LOOK AT THESE!

     

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    Comments

    1. Gretjns

      January 03, 2024 at 6:42 pm

      5 stars
      This was really good.i did a couple of spice substitutions for what I had on hand, (used some ancho chile which I love the flavor of and some ground chipotle to add more smokiness). Since I failed to measure the oil so I ended up making about two and a half cups of roux. I only put about a cup of roux in the pot because I realized how “too much” I had made. I don’t like shrimp so I put in some ham instead with the andouille and it was just fine.

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 07, 2024 at 8:41 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it! You can freeze the leftover roux for another batch!

        Reply
    2. Cedric

      September 06, 2023 at 2:06 pm

      Thank-you fornpoating. I love your recipes. I have 1 question. Can i substitute boneless,skinless thighs for the breasts?

      Reply
      • Louise

        September 09, 2023 at 9:29 am

        Yes, but as we both learned (thanks for your email) the thighs may give off more juices than the breast causing the end dish to be a little wetter than it should be. I would decrease the liquid by about 1/4 cup when using chicken thighs.

        Reply
    3. Beth Babcock

      January 29, 2023 at 12:34 pm

      I made this yesterday for a mrdi gras themed dinner party for 12. It was so good! Everyone raved aboiut it, even people who said they don't like jambalaya loved it. My friend is alergic to pork , so I used spicy hot chicken sausage, it was perfect.

      Reply
      • Louise

        February 01, 2023 at 6:33 am

        I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Connie

      January 22, 2023 at 9:01 pm

      looking forward to cooking the foods I grew up making in my new Ninja one of which is jambalaya.. but...never in my life have I heard of a roux used in it.. some people use okra or file to enhance it but rouxs are generally used in stews, gravies, gumbo. etouffee etc. (maybe your added take?) I feel I will learn a lot from your blog and thank you for that but I will be critical of Louisiana dishes .I have found that through the years people have labeled things Cajun or Creole and the dishes were not anything like we cook it here....anyway thanks for the recipes and help learning how to use this Ninja

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 23, 2023 at 9:33 am

        Give it a try and let me know what you think. The issue with pressure cooking is you have to control when the mixture thickens and making a roux seemed to be the best choice for added flavor. I will also say that when I created this recipe I made what tasted great, but didn't do as much research as I probably should have. You are absolutely correct in saying that people (me included) label things as Cajun or Creole without really understanding the difference and Google isn't always helpful. I don't mind you being critical and I appreciate any input as we can never learn too much!

        Reply
    5. patti

      January 16, 2023 at 7:29 pm

      Something is NOT right with the recipe when you delete the recipe to 6 people. On the list of ingredients it says 2 cups of broth........but when you get to #6 it calls for 4 cups of broth???? Could ruin someone's whole dinner!

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 17, 2023 at 3:16 pm

        That is exactly why I've tried several times to turn off the adjustable servings. It's automatic and not something I control. It has nothing to do with the recipe itself which is fine. The adjustable servings ONLY changes the ingredients and when pressure cooking it isn't that accurate. I honestly thought that feature was turned off. Thanks for letting me know it isn't, I will try again to disable it.

        Reply
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