Jambalaya is a dish originally from Louisiana and makes me think of New Orleans. It’s a Cajun recipe with roots from West Africa, Spain and France. It reminds me of risotto or paella and is made similarly. It also has a lot of the same flavors as gumbo. So, if you can chop and stir, you can make this Jambalaya recipe.

This is comfort food at its best! Jambalaya is flavorful and easy to make, plus very filling. I like to use shrimp and sausage, but other proteins like chicken are welcome too.

Related: To use in this recipe and others, learn to make your own Cajun seasoning.

Ingredients

• Andouille sausage
• Shrimp
• Green bell pepper
• Celery
• Jalapeno
• White onion
• Garlic
• Crushed tomatoes
• Chicken stock
• Worcestershire sauce
• Long-grain rice
• Cajun seasoning/Creole seasoning
• Red pepper flakes
• Bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper

You may also want some fresh parsley, thyme or green onions to top this with.

How to cook Jambalaya

Thaw the shrimp. Remove the tails and devein if needed; some frozen shrimp brands will have this step already done. Slice the sausage into small coins. In a large dutch oven or pot, cook the sausage and shrimp together over medium heat for a couple minutes. The goal here is just to give the meat some texture as well as impact some of the andouille sausage flavor to the pot, as we begin to build the flavor of the Jambalaya.

Meanwhile, finely chop the bell peppers, celery, jalapeno (removing the inner veins and seeds) and onion. Mince the garlic.

Once you have removed the meat from the dutch oven, add the vegetables: bell peppers, celery, jalapeno and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. You likely won’t need to add oil, as some of the fat from the sausage is in the pot, BUT if you notice things sticking feel free to drizzle some into the pot.

Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the crushed tomatoes and season everything with the Cajun/creole seasoning and red pepper flakes.

Turn the heat down to medium and add in the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, rice and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the rice on the bottom doesn’t burn or stick to the pot.

Once all the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender to the bite, remove the bay leaves and add the meat back in. Cook until everything is hot. Taste and season with a little more salt and pepper, or hot sauce, as needed. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using.

Tips and Notes

• You can use chicken in place of shrimp, or even both if you prefer.
• I like to use cooked (cocktail) shrimp for weeknight dinners because it’s easy. The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is to place the sealed bag in the refrigerator overnight.
• I like to use a mix of green and orange or red bell peppers for color. But you can use all green bell peppers if you like.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple days. Rewarm on the stove top or in the microwave. Jambalaya makes great leftovers.

More Easy Weeknight Dinners

• Enchiladas
• Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Stuffed Peppers
• Goulash
• Ratatouille
• Spicy Peanut and Wild Rice Soup
• Pozole
• Turkey Chili
• Crab Cakes
• Mississippi Pot Roast
• Pineapple Fried Rice
• Pad Thai with Shrimp

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#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }5 from 1 vote Print Get the Recipe A savory, Cajun rice dish made with shrimp and andouille sausage. Yield 6Prep 10 minutes minsCook 45 minutes minsTotal 55 minutes mins Ingredients1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 ounces shrimp
• ▢ 12 ounces andouille sausage
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper
• ▢ 1 orange bell pepper
• ▢ 4 celery
• ▢ 1 jalapeno
• ▢ ½ white onion
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic
• ▢ 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 3 ½ cups chicken stock
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 ½ cups long grain rice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ salt and pepper

Instructions

• Thaw the shrimp. Remove the tails and devein if needed; some frozen shrimp brands will have this step already done.
• Slice the sausage into small coins. In a large dutch oven or pot, cook the sausage and shrimp together over medium heat for a couple minutes. The goal here is just to give the meat some texture as well as impact some of the andouille sausage flavor to the pot, as we begin to build the flavor of the Jambalaya.
• Meanwhile, finely chop the bell peppers, celery, jalapeno (removing the inner veins and seeds) and onion. Mince the garlic.
• Once you have removed the meat from the dutch oven, add the vegetables: bell peppers, celery, jalapeno and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. You likely won’t need to add oil, as some of the fat from the sausage is in the pot, BUT if you notice things sticking feel free to drizzle some into the pot.
• Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
• Then add the crushed tomatoes and season everything with the Cajun/creole seasoning and red pepper flakes.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add in the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, rice and bay leaves.
• Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the rice on the bottom doesn’t burn or stick to the pot.
• Once all the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender to the bite, remove the bay leaves and add the meat back in. Cook until everything is hot.
• Taste and season with a little more salt and pepper, or hot sauce, as needed. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using.

Notes

• You can use chicken in place of shrimp, or even both if you prefer.
• I like to use cooked (cocktail) shrimp for weeknight dinners because it’s easy. The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is to place the sealed bag in the refrigerator overnight.
• I like to use a mix of green and orange or red bell peppers for color. But you can use all green bell peppers if you like.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple days. Rewarm on the stove top or in the microwave. Jambalaya makes great leftovers.

© Author Emma ChapmanCourse Main CourseCuisine AmericanKeywords jambalaya Nutrition .wprm-nutrition-label-layout .wprmp-nutrition-label-block-line {background-color: #333333;} .wprm-nutrition-label-layout .wprmp-nutrition-label-block-nutrient {border-top-color: #333333;} Nutrition FactsJambalayaAmount per ServingCalories485% Daily Value*Fat 18g28%Saturated Fat 6g38%Trans Fat 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat 4gMonounsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 114mg38%Sodium 849mg37%Potassium 932mg27%Carbohydrates 54g18%Fiber 4g17%Sugar 8g9%Protein 27g54%Vitamin A 2187IU44%Vitamin C 53mg64%Calcium 97mg10%Iron 3mg17%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

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