Jambalaya Recipe – Easy, tasty, one pot recipe for Jambalaya prepared with rice, chicken, shrimp, and sausages. Whip up this Southern favorite in just 30 minutes and get ready for a Mardi Gras dinner that the whole family will love!
Jambalaya is my go-to winter stew! During the winter season, I make this Jambalaya recipe about once a month. It’s easy, hearty, and it takes me about 40 minutes to put it all together. Just chop a few vegetables, devein some shrimp, place all things in a dutch oven and wait for the warm and spicy aroma to fill the house.
WHAT IS JAMBALAYA
Jambalaya is a very popular dish that has Spanish and French influence. It’s prepared with chicken, shrimp, sausages, and rice – or a variation of that – and it is comfort food at its best. Jambalaya is one of the easiest one-pot meals you can put together, even on a busy weeknight.
JAMBALAYA INGREDIENTS
We will need:
- onions
- bell peppers
- celery
- garlic
- chicken
- seasonings
- andouille sausage
- diced tomatoes
- tomato paste
- chicken stock
- rice
- shrimp
- To make Jambalaya, we will first start with sauteeing the onion, bell peppers, celery, and garlic in a large dutch oven.
- Next, we are going to cut up chicken breasts into cubes, season with paprika and oregano, and add it to the pot to cook until browned.
- Sliced andouille sausage goes in next, followed by tomatoes and tomato paste, as well as a teaspoon of cajun seasoning, plus chicken stock and rice.
- All of that will need to simmer for about 20 minutes before we finally stir in the shrimp, let cook for a few minutes, and then serve.
It’s basically a pot of rice loaded with meats, seafood, tomatoes, and more flavors and textures than you thought you could handle in just one meal.
For a complete dinner, serve this with some crusty bread, a green salad, and a glass of your best wine.
MORE CAJUN INSPIRED RECIPES:
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Sheet Pan Andouille Sausage with Potatoes and Veggies
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe
- Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Skillet
- Mom’s One-Skillet Sausage and Rice
ENJOY!
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TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced (you can also use red, green, yellow, etc.)
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 6 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups low-sodium fat free chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-oz can) diced tomatoes
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning, or to taste,
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- dried parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions, celery, and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 4 minutes, or until just tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken and add sweet paprika and oregano.
- Cook for 5 minutes, or until chicken is browned on all sides.
- Stir in prepared sausage and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, rice and cajun seasoning.
- Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot with a lid.
- Cook for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Remove from heat.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and dried parsley.
- Serve.
Notes
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
30 Min
Slow Cooker
Freezer Friendly
Low Carb
Instant Pot
Gluten Free
Keto
Beef
This is my go-to recipe. It’s bookmarked and I try to make it at least once a month if not more!
Excellent! 10/10 for this meal tonight. Thank you!
That’s wonderful! Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Super easy to make and so delicious. I added 1 jalapeno for additional spice and wow it was amazing. Definitely one I will make for the next family gathering!
That’s great to hear! I’m very happy you loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
My andouille sausage is fresh from our local store’s deli. Is that the type you are supposed to use? Should I pre boil it first? Thank you!
Yummy!!! I added a little white wine for added flavor
That’s great! I’m very happy you loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I cooked this dish on tonight and added some okra to it. My soon to be husband loved it! Glad I found this recipe!
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your husband loved it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
There are no tomatoes in jambalaya. Trust me; I’m a native of the Jambalaya Capital of the World,
If you love this particular recipe, great. Just don’t call it jambalaya.
Can you share a proper jambalaya recipe?
I have always wanted to try it , ever since watching the princess and the frog LOL!!
😂😂😂
You know what they say…everyone has an opinion.
I’ve had plenty of jambalaya with tomatoes and plenty without. Anyone can put their own spin on it. 🤦🏻♀️
What if I don’t have celery or celery salt?
I guess you could make the jambalaya without it, but the celery does add to the overall taste and texture.
Made this tonight, and my hubby loved it! I used all colors of peppers and also added 1/2 tsp of chipotle pepper, and 1 tbsp of smoked paprika, to give it heat and smoke.
Great recipe, and easy to make.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Absolutely amazing!!! Made this for me and my family and everyone loved it!! Note my kids are very picky and they all loved it… only thing I did different was add all the colors of bell peppers to give it more color but followed as is… thank you so much for this recipe one of my favorites so far
I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I made it last night, it was delicious and everyone loved it. I substituted the sausage with hot Italian, because that was what I had on hand and stuck true to the rest of the recipe. Simple comfort food.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Great recipe, it’s been added to my usual rotation because my better half LOVES it. I make my own Cajun seasoning mix for it because the store bought ones contain far too much salt. Thanks for a tasty but super quick and easy dinner idea!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This is an amazing recipe that everyone can put their own spin on. I use old bay to season my chicken. Use chicken andouille sausage… It’s so good!
The only improvement I would make is to fry my smoked sausage first and get a crustiness to it. I also added a large diced jalapeño. Great recipe!
OMG! My family loved this recipe. They asked me to add this to the regular favourites! Thanks for sharing, Katerina!
I am so happy to hear that!! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
We all loved your version of Jambalaya, I will make it again. But 10 minutes prep time? How many people did you have prepping?
I switched out the andouille sausage for smoked gouda chicken sausage and it brought the points down to 3 on purple!
That sounds delicious! 🙌
I cooked the rice separately and used beef broth instead of chicken broth. I also used creole seasoning instead of Cajun seasoning. It was delicious
I tried this recipe because it looked so good in the photo. My husband loved it and I will definitely make it again. Thank you.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
No okra no jambalaya
Add some dang okra, then.
So add okra, it ain’t hard.
What size Dutch oven should be used? How many quarts?
Hi!
6.5-qt or bigger.
This recipe was AMAZING!! The flavor was incredible and it came together really nicely. I used 1/2 tsp of cajun seasoning bc of the kids and it was just right. I did try to be healthy by using brown rice which more than doubled the cooking time and used a lot more chicken stock. Next time I will probably half cook the rice. Definitely a must try recipe! Ps – I would love a crock pot version.
I was born and raised in South Louisiana and have been cooking jambalaya for years, trust me when I say if you cook this for an authentic Cajun, you will be laughed at relentlessly. This is NOT jambalaya.
Why are you reading this recipe then, go somewhere else
I don’t care what you call this, I just know how delicious it is! I followed this recipe to the “T” and was very impressed with the flavor and ease of preparation. I sliced up a package of 4 Andouille chicken sausages and used extra long grain rice. Not gonna lie, I always bought Zatarians but not anymore. This recipe is a keeper!
Is it really so hard to be nice?
This was a huge hit with my family!! I don’t eat pork so replaced the andouille with hot turkey sausage –
Thank you for posting this recipe!!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Wow so critical of someone who is just sharing her recipe. They have kept it simple and easy. Just because you were born and raised in Louisiana, I find that most people from there cannot cook. what tastes good to you other people my not like it.
I enjoyed this recipe but I also loved Jambalaya when I was in New Orleans. Do you have an authentic recipe to suggest?
Cajun jambalaya is referred to as a brown jambalaya because of its origin in the bayous of Lousiana. The ingredients include smoked andouille sausage that’s browned until the fat is rendered in a pot. It’s then cooked with onion, celery, and green bell pepper in stock with traditional seasoning and rice.
In Creole cuisine cooking, the introduction of tomatoes and shrimp has influences from Spanish, French, Africans locals. Today, Creole jambalaya is more popular than Cajun Jambalaya. You’ll find local restaurants serve “red” Creole Jambalaya with tomatoes more often than Cajun Jambalaya in New Orleans. Most of the locals I know prefer to make jambalaya with the addition of tomatoes.
I made this and the flavor was phenomenal but the rice got mushy. I want to cook the rice on its own first and then add it, but what liquid amounts should I eliminate from the jambalaya?
Hi! I haven’t made it without rice, so I’m not 100% on this, but I think you can eliminate 1 cup of the broth, and if the jambalaya looks too dry, you can always add more liquid. I hope this helps.
How does this freeze? Would like to make ahead of a busy weekend with company.
The best jambalaya I’ve ever made! Everyone loved it!
My husband is a huge fan of jambalaya and he can’t stop talking about this recipe. Thanks!
Looks fantastic and so comforting for a cold winter’s night!!
Absolutely delicious recipe. It makes a big pot of yumminess. It’s spicy and comforting.
This looks like my next meal, amazing!
I’m ready to warm up with a giant bowl of this!
Not sure what was up with that guy, but for me, this recipe is like all others, just a guideline, it works, substitute anything and any measurements that you want, I’m from the south and this is perfect the way it is or since I don’t measure anything, these are just the basic ingredients to make an awesome dinner. Everyone who has tried mine loved. Thanks for the website and all of the great ideas.
Easy and delicious. My hubs asked me to continue to make my Jumbalaya this way and I cleaned my plate. I rarely eat the food I make and I wasn’t passing this up. I used about 1 1/2 orange, green and yellow bell peppers. I also used half a yellow and half a red onion for color. I cut up 1 1/2 cups Roma tomatoes instead of canned. But this is delicious.
Oh and I made my own Cajun seasoning. Was able to use less salt that way.
This was my first attempt at jambalaya and it turned out much better than expected. Subtituted a pinch of Cayenne Pepper for the paprika, forgot it and was to lazy to go back to the store, but this is a fantastic recipe. Thanks…
I love this. Actually, everyone in the family loves it!!! Thanks for a simple, tasty, filling one pot meal recipe.
I made this tonight for my husband and myself, and it turned out incredibly. Super easy to make, but the flavors came together really quickly. I used chicken andouille sausage from Whole Foods, which worked great. This was delicious and I’m adding it to my regular rotation of weeknight dinners!
This looks really flavorful! Such an amazing meal for my family!
Never attempted Jambalaya before but this recipe is awesome. So easy, and the Ingredients were already in my pantry and freezer. The flavors blend well together and the sausage gives it just enough heat! This will be a regular dinner for us from now on!!
Jambalaya is one of my all time favorite dishes!
a really nice recipe, love the flavors, have never tried to tackle Jambalaya before, now am inspired to try, thank you
It looks delicious … I wish I could get andouille sausage though. I wonder if there’s a decent substitute in a mostly Eastern European area.
Hi ya!!
Smoked pork sausage, I think, would be closest to it.
This looks absolutely perfect! SO flavorful!
I always order this if it’s on the menu but have never attempted it at home. Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Going to have to grab some andouille and get to jamalaya-ing : )
I LOVE jambalaya-ing!
I’m originally from New Orleans and LOVE jambalaya! I’ve never added chicken to mine but love that you did. You just can’t go wrong with a delicious jambalaya recipe and yours looks and sounds like a winner!
I typically hear “jambalaya” and “stew” and avoid those textures and recipes. But your pictures grabbed my eyes first and they looked amazing! I made something like this a long while back and didn’t keep the recipe so thanks for sharing it. I know we’re going to love it! PS We have andouille sausage in MN too.
Perfect for a cold! Bonus that it’s less clean up too!!
Can you share what your serving size is for this to be 4 WW freestyle points?
Hi! This jambalaya serves 6, and a serving size is 1 cup. Shrimp and chicken are zero points.
Every self respecting human being who cooks, south of the Mason Dixon line, would sneer at your “yankee” Jambalaya recipe……….. try a single green bell pepper otherwise the you’ll overpower the other flavors, 2 onions, 5 ribs of celery and where’s the heat? Black pepper? ……..sissy!! And good luck finding the sausage north of South Carolina….. substitute SMOKED beef. Oh, yeah one more thing….. IT’s Cajun/Creole not “Southern” the recipe can be found all along the Gulf coast…….the basic recipe came there with the French Acadians when they migrated south because of religious persecution in Nova Scotia.
Hi!
First, thank you for the background story – I truly do appreciate it. I love to know these things!
To your other point; my food is always about simplicity, and if you have followed this recipe blog long enough, you would see that I try to create almost all dishes as easy and as uncomplicated as can be. Very straightforward. Not everyone has the time nor the resources to make everything like grandma used to make.
And, I’ve never ever had a problem with finding andouille sausage up here in Chicago and beyond. I don’t know why you’d assume that we don’t have it.
No problem finding it in Washington State either! Really watching the old diet for health-do you think it would be criminal to sub brown rice?
Hi!
Criminal… could be! I would definitely use some brown rice. I like it … it’s better for you and it adds flavor. 😀
We have it here in CT too! I just made this last night. It was excellent!
Aren’t you just a bowl of sunshine! You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but please don’t speak for the rest of us. Oh, and I’m up North of the Carolinas and have no problem finding andouille sausage.
I’m trying this recipe tonight in SC. It sounds delicious. IF you don’t like it, go post your own.
^^EXACTLY!!
Why, why, why do people have to be so snide? just because they can?
I have the Jambalaya cooking now,& it smells great.
This is a delicious, healthy, fast hack on the traditional recipe. My hubby had seconds and raved! Thank you Katerina!
Someone needs a hug? Poor boy.
To author,
Recipe looks great. Feeding the family tonight and can’t wait
Thank you so much! I hope you and your family enjoy it! 🙂