Jambalaya is a quintessential one pot recipe with chicken, sausage, shrimp and rice! Coming to you from New Orleans!
An easy Jambalaya recipe is pure comfort food filled to the brim with flavour. The aromatic trinity of Cajun/Creole cooking: onion, celery, and bell peppers (capsicums), sautéed in andouille drippings with garlic, herbs and Cajun spices! Adding chicken and shrimp to this pot of tomato rice makes this one amazing meal in the comfort of your own homes!
Authentic Jambalaya Recipe
What is in a Jambalaya
Louisiana’s favourite one-pot dish varies from kitchen to kitchen, depending on the cook and the recipes passed down from older generations. Jambalaya traditionally contains any of the following meats:
- Chicken or pork
- Sausage — andouille, chorizo or smoked sausage.
- Seafoods — crawfish or shrimp are the favourite choices.
A soffritto-like trinity of onion, bell peppers and celery are also included, along with rice, chili’s, seasonings and broth. Everything usually cooks together in the one pot until the rice is done.
There are two kinds of Jambalaya: Creole and Cajun. This recipe is the tomato-based Creole version.
What is a good substitute for andouille sausage?
- Mexican chorizo sausage (comes close to andouille in flavour, but not in texture)
- Kielbasa
- Any Polish smoked sausage
Cajun vs Creole Jambalaya
Creole cooks make a ‘red jambalaya’ including tomatoes in their recipe, whereas Cajun cooks do not. Another difference is the order in which the ingredients are prepared. Trying both while testing, I combined a little of both in this final recipe, choosing to sauté the sausage first to release drippings into the pot for the ‘soffritto’. We found doing this created the best flavour!
What is the difference between paella and jambalaya?
Even though Jambalaya is very similar to a Paella and includes pretty much the same list of main ingredients, the spices and seasonings change. Saffron is the main spice component in Paella, and Paella is milder than Jambalaya in the heat department.
What is the difference between a gumbo and jambalaya?
Gumbo is a stew or soup usually made with a roux to thicken it, whereas Jambalaya is a rice based dish. Okra is normally used in Gumbo to help thicken the stew and add a wonderful flavour to it. I use it in this Jambalaya recipe for the same reason! If you don’t like okra, you can use File Powder.
Best rice for Jambalaya
I use both long grain and short grain white rice. You could also use brown rice, but you will need to add more liquid and cook it longer than white.
Best wines with Jambalaya
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Vouvray
- Riesling
- Pinot Gris
- Pinot Noir
Sides that go with Jambalaya
Jambalaya is THE perfect one-pot meal full of ingredients, you really don’t need to serve it with anything other than cornbread, or fresh baguettes, plus a salad with a simple dressing to not over-power all of the spices in this Jambalaya.
Love one pot meals? Try these!
One Pan Tomato Basil Chicken & Rice
One Pot Ravioli in a Creamy Tomato Beef Sauce
Jambalaya Recipe (Creole)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama/Cajun seasoning, (adjust to suit your tastes/heat preference)
- 10 ounces (300 g) andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
- 1 pound (500 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 onion diced
- 1 small green bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and diced
- 1 small red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and diced
- 2 stalks/ribs celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 ounces (400 g) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon each dried thyme and dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup thinly sliced okra (or 1 teaspoon file powder)
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (short grain or long grain)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound (500 g) raw shrimp/prawns tails on or off, peeled and deveined
- Sliced green onions and chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the sausage and chicken pieces with half of the Cajun seasoning.
- Brown sausage in the hot oil; remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add remaining oil to the pot and sauté chicken until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon; set aside.
- Sauté the onion, bell pepper and celery until onion is soft and transparent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
- Stir in the tomatoes; season with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes (or Cayenne powder), hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining Cajun seasoning. Stir in the okra slices (or file powder), chicken and sausage. Cook for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Add in the rice and chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium. Cover and let simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, while stirring occasionally.
- Place the shrimp on top of the Jambalaya mixture, stir through gently and cover with lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink (about 5-6 minutes, depending on the size/thickness of the shrimp being used).
- Season with a little extra salt and pepper if needed and remove from heat. Adjust heat with extra hot sauce, Cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning. Serve immediately with sliced green onions and parsley.
William says
This looks wonderful, I’m a big fan of good flavorful jambalaya and not afraid to kick it up a notch! I’m not supposed to eat rice, so I’m wondering if you thought quinoa might be a potential substitute? I’ve also never used Slap Ya Mama seasoning, but am a huge fan of Tony Cacheres. I can’t wait to try this!!!
Jean says
The reviews are so good, I’ll be making this for a friend this week. Would it be ok to use bay scallops instead of shrimp??
Thanks!
Sheema Harris says
Absolutely love this Jambalaya recipe! I typically use Tony’s Cajun seasoning, but the no or low sodium one as I find many Cajun seasonings are rather salty. I’ve tried many versions over the years and this is definitely a keeper! I absolutely love to cook and entertain, and as a new follower your recipes have not disappointed me yet…. looking forward to trying many more to try out with our friends!
Thank you!
Sheema
Courtney says
Oh my word! This was absolutely delicious! Since I was feeding my little one too, I cut the spice in half and it was perfect for our whole family. I have seriously not found a single recipe of yours that wasn’t incredible and packed with flavor and this one did not let me down either! Thank you for sharing your incredible food loving talent with us all!
Karina says
That’s so sweet! I’m glad you like my recipes. Have you joined my Facebook group? I share recipes there, but the members share what they’ve done with them. I think you’d enjoy it.
Renee G. says
Followed this recipe to the T. VERY tasty. A definite do again. Used long grain brown rice. Let it simmer on very low for an hour and it turned out perfect.
Karina says
Thanks for the feedback. I love hearing how the recipes work out for others!
Joe Weinroth says
I use hot Italian sausage and pork or beef hot links instead of the milder sausages—also add a can of Rotel (a Mexican product of diced tomatoes and chilis)—double-up on the recipe as you can eat it with friends for the rest of the week! I don’t use bell peppers as they “repeat” on me all day—no one seems to notice the difference…
Kimberly says
This came out perfect!!! Instead of shrimp, I added frozen (thawed) bay scallops (using the same directions as the shrimp). It was so delicious, I would definitely make again.
Gail Smith says
Just a note to say after viewing several recipes for Jambalaya, yours was my favorite. Post after post, everyone directed we saute the vegetables before the meats. I kept asking myself, why? Why would you not start with the sausage, chicken, then veggies to absorb all the scrumptious fats? And, there you were instructing us to use my favored method. Great recipe. Thanks.
Toni says
Best recipe ever! Thank you for the gumbo/jambalaya differences!
Alyssa says
This was SO good and flavorful! Everyone loved it and it was super easy to throw together. We had leftover chicken halves that we had smoked over the weekend and the smoky flavor of the chicken went absolutely perfectly with this dish. Thanks so much!
Adam says
Great recipe. I substituted the chicken stock for shrimp stock. With all the leftover shells, it’s almost a no-brainer. Next time I’ll probably half the thyme as my Cajun seasoning already has a bunch of thyme already, so it was a bit over powering.
Joy M Hammond says
When you listed calories, how do I know the size of the serving? Because this recipe says it can serve 6-8, so I’m unsure of how to count the calories. Thank you!!
Pascha says
I fulfilled a childhood desire today by making this Jambalaya. I used to find the Carpenters song so fascinating hehe. It was an interesting adventure and I got to try some cajun seasoning for the first time too. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes with us, Karina. ♡ I have been happily making loads of things off your blog and my family is enjoying them.
Ashleigh McDonald says
This was amazing my husband loved it !!!
Lindsey F says
This was an amazing dish! Great balance of spicy and hearty. This will be on our regular rotation in our household. Thanks for sharing this jambalaya recipe.
jenny says
This is so good! Just perfect. I made it with brown rice the second time I made it, just to make it a little healthier, and it was just delicious. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Pam Romines says
I’ve made jambalaya for years, but this is by far the best and most delicious recipe I’ve ever tried! It will be my new go-to recipe! I followed it exactly except left out the chicken since I didn’t have any on hand. The unique instruction that turned out phenomenally different was steaming the jumbo shrimp on top of the rice the last few minutes of cooking. WOW! Wish I could attach a picture because the shrimp were utter perfection: plump, pink, and gorgeous!! Thank you for an incredible recipe!!
tim says
As a meat cutter with 30+ years experience, if you use the 90/110 cooked shrimp in Karina’s Jambalaya, there’s no need for tail removal & they’re bite-size
Scott says
This recipe is fantastic! Great flavors! The prep time took me about 45 minutes versus 15 but the cook time was spot on. As well, I used Kielbasa instead of Andouille. It’s just a personal preference. This recipe makes a lot of food so invite sound friends.
Pierre says
Hi Karina,
I was looking for Jambalya’s recipes and found your web page which looks really great ! I will try your version of the jambalaya tomorrow with my family and some friends. I’m sure it will be delicious.
PS : I just hope my english is readable…
Dan says
Great recipe! Perfect change of pace for dinner. My wife loved it. I made it nice and spicy and it wasn’t too hard given my lack of cooking abilities.
Miguel says
Karina, I just made it tonight for wife and daughters and they’re friends for they’re girls night out at home, not one piece of rice remained. After I made it I made myself a plate and went upstairs to watch football so they can talk lady talk. Came down hours later for another beer and drink and more jambalaya and there was none left! Will definitely double up on recipe next time, ever since I started using your recipes I am the star chef! Thank you so much,,I tell them it’s all because of you…
Misty says
Fantastic recipe! The only change I made was not adding salt which included making my own Cajun Seasoning. This is definitely a keeper!
Suzanne Reisel says
Absolutely delicious recipe. It makes a big pot of yumminess. It’s spicy and comforting. I added peas at the very end instead of okra.
Nathan says
Fantastic recipe! I made it exactly as written and I would not change a thing. However, my 10 year old son thought it was too spicy. For my taste it was exactly what I hoped it would be. A must try!
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that you loved it and enjoyed it all. Thank you so much for sharing and following along with me! XO
Anthony Seale says
This was the best pot of jambalaya that I’ve ever eaten. I had to tone down the amount of spice due to my wife having issues with heat, though. I only used 1 tablespoon of Cajun Spice and no cayenne and it was still almost too hot for her. It still turned out to be the greatest flavor.
Amanda says
This was excellent! I did pull off the tails of my raw shrimp first. But other than that, I cooked it as written. So yummy! Served along side a salad with the oak alley plantation dressing. Made cornbread with honey and butter. Best meal in a long time.
Jeremy C. says
I feel like I just made the greatest pot of Jambalaya in history?
Jim says
Excellent! I substituted quail (which I had on hand) for the chicken
Jane Barros says
I tried Jambalaya today! It was increadible!!!! I received lots of congratulations! Thank you for sharing these delicious recipies with us!!!
Ayana says
Oh Karina this is basically how my aunt makes it. I CAN ALREADY TASTE IT just by your pictures wow they are stunning. Sorry caps lock was on must be all the excitement. I’m going to try your way of seasoning the sausage as well as the chicken. She only ever seasoned the chicken but you have me all sorts of intrigued. We use okra also and I was happy to see you included it because not many people do. Woman of many talents you are. I know what I’m making come memorial day thanks to you. God bless you.
Karina says
Anaya you have made my day! I’m so glad you approve of this recipe. It certainly is delicious BUT I’d love to try your aunts version! Something about original recipes and cooks that can’t be beat or compared 🙂
Thank you for your comment!
Michael says
what is slap yo mama spice? can i substitute if i can’t find it?with what?
Karina says
Hi Michael. It’s a Cajun seasoning brand, but any Cajun seasoning is fine.
Jody says
Do you cover the pan in step 5? Add rice and broth…
Karina says
Yes, that is correct! Good luck and enjoy!!
ALICE HILL says
I found your article on jambalaya really interesting and super informative – Thank you so much for the post!
Karina says
Thank you for following along with me! Hope you enjoy your Jambalaya!!