Jambalaya
intro
Hearty, smoky one-pot rice dish loaded with sausage, chicken, and shrimp, bold with warm Creole spices for a deeply comforting, flavor-packed family meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all ingredients
Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels, toss with 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning, and set aside. Slice andouille into 1cm thick rounds, dice onion, bell pepper, and celery into uniform 1cm pieces, mince garlic, and rinse rice under cold running water until the runoff is completely clear; arrange all prepped items next to your stovetop for easy access.
Sear sausage and chicken
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 5.5L heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F). Add sliced andouille and cook for 3 minutes per side until browned and crisp at the edges, then remove with a slotted spoon to a clean plate. Add seasoned chicken to the remaining hot oil, cook for 4 minutes per side until golden brown on all surfaces, then transfer to the plate with the sausage.
Sauté aromatic trinity
Reduce stovetop heat to medium (165°C/325°F), add diced onion, bell pepper, and celery to the rendered sausage and chicken fat in the pot. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and turn translucent. Add minced garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and cayenne, and cook for 30 seconds until highly fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic which will turn bitter.
Build the flavor base
Stir in crushed tomatoes, scraping up all browned flavorful bits (called fond) from the bottom of the pot, and cook for 2 minutes. Return the seared sausage and chicken to the pot, pour in 720ml low-sodium chicken broth, and stir to fully combine. Bring the mixture to a steady rolling boil over medium-high heat, which will take approximately 4 minutes.
Simmer rice covered
Stir rinsed long-grain white rice into the boiling liquid, return to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low (120°C/250°F). Seal the pot tightly with a heavy lid, and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid at any point—do not stir the rice during this time to ensure even, fluffy cooking and prevent mushy texture.
Add shrimp and rest
After 20 minutes of simmering, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and scatter peeled deveined shrimp in an even layer over the top of the rice. Replace the lid and let the jambalaya rest, covered, for 10 minutes; residual trapped heat will cook the shrimp to tender, opaque perfection. Fluff the rice gently with a fork, adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed, and top with sliced green onions to serve.
Tips
2.Avoid lifting the pot lid while rice simmers: escaping steam drops internal pot temperature quickly, leading to unevenly cooked, crunchy rice at the pot bottom.
3.Adjust cayenne levels to match your heat preference: use 1/2 teaspoon for extra-spicy jambalaya, or omit cayenne entirely for a mild, kid-friendly version.
OMG this jambalaya is SO good! I brought it to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. The andouille gives it the perfect kick without being too spicy for my picky sister. Total game changer for my go-to weeknight rotation!
My kids loved it! I was worried the spice level would be too much for my 7 and 9 year old so I cut the cayenne in half, and they both went back for seconds. Served it with a side of cornbread for our Sunday family dinner, 10/10.
Threw this on the side burner of my grill while I was smoking ribs for game day, and it stole the show. I added a little extra smoked sausage because why not, and the smoky flavor paired perfectly with everything. Will absolutely make this again for the next tailgate.
Wait as a broke college student who can barely make mac and cheese, this was way easier than I thought it would be? I used pre-chopped veggies from the grocery store to cut down on prep time, and my roommates thought I was a professional chef. Only downside is I wish I made more—we ate the whole pot in 10 minutes!
I’ve been making jambalaya for 20+ years and decided to give this recipe a shot to change things up. The ratio of rice to meat to veggies is spot on, but I will say I added a dash of hot sauce at the end like my grandma taught me. Solid recipe, even my hard-to-impress mother-in-law approved!
Made this for my church potluck and it was gone in 15 minutes flat! I did a mix of chicken, andouille, and shrimp like the recipe says, and even the people who say they ‘don’t like spicy food’ were raving about it. I will say, make sure you don’t lift the lid while the rice is cooking! I made that mistake the first test batch and the rice was a little mushy.
Meal prepped this for the week and it held up so much better than I thought! I portioned it out into 5 containers for lunches, and the flavor got better every day. Way more exciting than my usual sad turkey sandwich lunches. 10/10 for meal prep.
Just made this for dinner tonight and OMG, the flavor is insane! I’ve had jambalaya at restaurants in New Orleans before and this tastes exactly like what I remember. My husband said it’s restaurant quality, which is the highest praise he ever gives. Will be making this monthly for sure!
I love spicy food so I added an extra jalapeño and a pinch of cayenne to this, and it was perfect for my taste buds. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is that the cook time was a little longer than 55 minutes for me—took closer to 70 minutes total, probably because my stove runs a little cool. Still delicious, though!
Grew up eating my grandma’s Creole jambalaya in Louisiana, and I was skeptical a random online recipe could measure up. Color me impressed! It has all the deep, savory flavor I remember, none of that weird tomato-heavy stuff some people pass off as jambalaya. Tastes like home.
First time making jambalaya ever, and I’m so proud of how it turned out! I followed the recipe exactly, no substitutions, and it came out perfect. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is add more shrimp because I’m obsessed with shrimp. Can’t wait to make this for my roommates next weekend.
Help! I’m making this right now and I just realized I don’t have any celery. Can I skip it, or do I need to run to the store? I have everything else ready to go, I don’t want to mess this up!
As a retired line cook who spent 10 years working in a Creole restaurant, I can confirm this recipe is legit. The seasoning blend is perfect, the method for cooking the rice in the same pot as the meat and veggies builds so much depth of flavor that you just don’t get from cooking rice separately. Great work on this one!
Made this for my college football watch party last weekend and everyone lost their minds. I set up a little topping bar with extra hot sauce, sliced green onions, and shredded parmesan (don’t knock it till you try it) and people were customizing their bowls all night. Will be a permanent game day menu item from now on.
I made this for a casual dinner party with my girlfriends last night, and we all went back for seconds. I paired it with a crisp sauvignon blanc and some garlic bread, and it was the perfect cozy girl’s night meal. So flavorful, not too heavy, everyone asked for the recipe!
So happy this recipe is naturally gluten free! I have celiac and I’m always paranoid about pre-made seasoning blends having hidden gluten, so it was great to be able to mix my own spices exactly like the recipe says and not have to worry. Tasted amazing, no weird gluten free hacks needed.