I’m so excited to share this Whole30 Instant Pot seafood gumbo with you! It comes bursting with flavor and delicious ingredients like sea bass filets, bell peppers & shrimp! It’s the perfect one pot meal to add into your rotation and is dairy free, paleo and low carb.
An easy seafood gumbo recipe made in the famous Instant Pot
I feel like I am always one of the last people to jump on the “trending” bandwagon, and that has been made evident by how long it has taken me to finally start using my Instant Pot.
I bought it nearly two years ago, but it’s been sitting in my cabinet collecting dust with the exception of a few bone broth making sessions. I’m the worst.
I’m happy that I finally took it out of the cupboard and decided to make this easy seafood gumbo recipe inside of it. You really can’t go wrong with making gumbo, as there are so many different types of protein you can add inside depending on your taste preferences.
I found that adding in the sea bass was the perfect way to get in an extra dost of omega-3’s, coupled with wanting to support sustainable seafood practices. I highly recommend getting on the gumbo train because it’s a delicious and joyous ride.
Another way to customize this recipe would be to add cooked cauliflower rice or white rice inside of the gumbo.
I decided to leave it out because I knew there would be days I’d want to eat it sans the rice, but a traditional gumbo recipe would have rice inside of the stew. You really cannot go wrong either way!
Do I need to use sea bass in this gumbo recipe?
Sea bass is not a fish that is easy to find from a sustainable source, so if you can get your hands on some, please do! 🙂 By the way, did you know that sea bass has the highest amount of omega-3’s found in any white fish?
Hey, why wouldn’t we want to support our brains and cardiovascular health?!
I love how meaty the texture is, while the flavor remains buttery… sea bass reminds me a bit of grouper or halibut, but it isn’t overfished like they are.
More paleo soup recipes like this:
Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodle Soup
Can I make this gumbo on the stovetop instead?
Absolutely. I’ve provided instructions on how to do so in the notes section! 😉
The fact that I made this easy seafood gumbo recipe in such a quick amount of time and in one pot is so dang impressive.
I thought that the shrimp and fish would come out dry and overcooked, but I was boldly mistaken- and thank goodness for that!
My husband let it be known *after trying this gumbo* that he thought it tasted very healthy.
Immediately, I felt pretty offended and alarmed by this statement, but he told me to rest assured that it was actually a good thing.
Usually eating a seafood gumbo will leave you feeling quite heavy and groggy afterwards. Guess what thought? You will NOT feel any of those feelings *or any other unpleasantries* after chowing down on a bowl of this gumbo.
How to make Instant Pot Seafood Gumbo
Season the barramundi with some salt and pepper, and make sure they are as evenly coated as possible. Sprinkle half of the Cajun seasoning onto the fish and give it a stir- make sure it is coated well and set aside.
Put the ghee in the Instant Pot and push “Sauté”. Wait until it reads “Hot” and add the barramundi chunks. Sauté for about 4 minutes, until it looks cooked on both sides. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fish to a large plate.
Add the onions, pepper, celery and the rest of the Cajun seasoning to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Push “Keep Warm/Cancel”. Add the cooked fish, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and bone broth to the pot and give it a nice stir. =
Put the lid back on the pot and set it to “Sealing.” Push “Manual” and set the time for just 5 minutes! The Instant Pot will slowly build up to a high pressure point and once it reaches that point, the gumbo will cook for 5 minutes.
Once the 5 minutes have ended, push the “Keep warm/Cancel” button. Cautiously change the “Sealing” valve over to “Venting,” which will manually release all of the pressure. Once the pressure has been release (this will take a couple of minutes), remove the lid and change the setting to “Sauté” again.
Add the shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp have become opaque. Add some more sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve hot and top off with some cauliflower rice and chives.
*See stovetop instructions in the notes section!*
Get creative with protein swaps in this seafood gumbo!
Gumbo goodness- say that 12 times over and over again. It sounds pretty catchy, actually. I’m seriously so darn happy the weather is slowly but surely cooling down here in Southern California.
I’m a huge fan of all of the coolness the Fall and Winter months bring to the table. That means that I get to make and eat all of the soups and stews.
In fact, I’m probably going to end up matching this seafood gumbo again next week and throwing it into the freezer. Why not?!
As I mentioned before, you can get as creative as you’d like with this gumbo goodness. If you’re not into shrimp, I’d recommend replacing it with some compliant sausage of some sort.
That’s what usually comes inside of traditional gumbos, and there is great reason for that. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Whole30 Instant Pot Seafood Gumbo
Ingredients
- 24 ounces sea bass filets patted dry and cut into 2" chunks
- 3 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons cajun seasoning or creole seasoning
- 2 yellow onions diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 4 celery ribs diced
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups bone broth
- 2 pounds medium to large raw shrimp deveined
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the barramundi with some salt and pepper, and make sure they are as evenly coated as possible. Sprinkle half of the Cajun seasoning onto the fish and give it a stir- make sure it is coated well and set aside.
- Put the ghee in the Instant Pot and push “Sauté”. Wait until it reads “Hot” and add the barramundi chunks. Sauté for about 4 minutes, until it looks cooked on both sides. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fish to a large plate.
- Add the onions, pepper, celery and the rest of the Cajun seasoning to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Push “Keep Warm/Cancel”. Add the cooked fish, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and bone broth to the pot and give it a nice stir. Put the lid back on the pot and set it to "Sealing." Push "Manual" and set the time for just 5 minutes! The Instant Pot will slowly build up to a high pressure point and once it reaches that point, the gumbo will cook for 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes have ended, push the "Keep warm/Cancel" button. Cautiously change the "Sealing" valve over to "Venting," which will manually release all of the pressure. Once the pressure has been release (this will take a couple of minutes), remove the lid and change the setting to "Sauté" again. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp have become opaque. Add some more sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve hot and top off with some cauliflower rice and chives.
- *See recipe notes for stove top instructions!*
Notes
- For a great how to video on pan-frying fish, go ahead and check this one out!
- If you're going to make this recipe on the stove top, start by browning the sea bass in a large saucepan and transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the onions, peppers, and celery, and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add the browned fish, tomatoes, broth, and bay leaves into the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let this stand and cook for about 30 minutes. Add the shrimp just a few minutes before you plan on serving the gumbo. Simply add them to the stew and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are opaque throughout. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Hi! I’m Monica – recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things chocolate, kombucha and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food lover, & bonafide hustler behind the blog ‘The Movement Menu.’ I’m so excited to welcome you to my happy space, where my appreciation of creative recipes and healthy & mindful eats come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.
Great taste, very filling!
I made this recipe this week and it was delicious! I plan to make it again next week. Definitely a winner!
THANK YOU!!! It’s one of my favorites, too… I actually eat it cold quite often.
Hi!
If you’re adding rice directly into the recipe, do you just add it when you add all the other ingredients, or should you cook it first and mix it in at the end?
May be a silly question, but I wasn’t sure.
Thanks!
Also (sorry), how much rice is appropriate to add to this recipe’s proportions?
Good question!!!! If you are adding rice, I’d add already cooked rice! I’d add maybe 3 cups total!
What is a good replace fish for sea bass?
Any white fish would be okay!
My family loved this recipe. I halved it and it was enough for my family of five With leftovers! We aren’t heavy eaters though. One small modification is that I didn’t have tomato paste so I used the full 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and let it simmer down Just a bit after the last step. I also used cauliflower rice in each bow which thickened it up a bit. Great recipe. Loved it!
In your ingredients you list “bone broth”. Hate to be picky but is that beef or chicken bone broth? Please, no rude comments about I should know what Monica means.
Hi there. Aw, you are so sweet. I typically use chicken, but you can honestly use either… even chicken broth!