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Jambalaya

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Hands-down the best jambalaya recipe! It is surprisingly easy to make, customizable with your favorite proteins (I used chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage), and full of bold, zesty, Cajun jambalaya flavors that everyone will love.

The BEST Jambalaya Recipe

I thought it was time we revisit an old favorite recipe of mine here on the blog today, which I love all the more because it always reminds me of two of my favorite people — John and Cate’s famous jambalaya recipe! ♡

John and Cate were two of the very first neighbors I met when I moved to downtown Kansas City five years ago. When I arrived in the neighborhood, I didn’t know a soul around. But a cute new coffee shop serendipitously also happened to be opening next door that very week. And as I began to stop by morning after morning to order my favorite iced pour-over, I noticed that another couple was doing the same. Eventually we all introduced ourselves, and one of my favorite friendships was born.

For years, the three of us crossed paths at the coffee shop nearly every morning — giving each other groggy pre-caffeinated hugs, catching up on the past day’s events, ruffling the heads of one another’s pups, talkin’ shop about all things small business, and finally settling in at nearby tables with our laptops to work for a few hours. Then morning hangs eventually extended to evenings, swinging by one another’s places for impromptu happy hours and dinners, sneaking up to the rooftops to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July, or rallying all of our neighbors together each Tuesday for our beloved “neighbor nights” dinners.

In a heartbeat, these two moved from being neighbors, to what we called “freighbors”, to what we now consider “framily.” And I miss them and our Tuesday nights something fierce now, being 4800 miles across the ocean.

But whenever I pull out the ingredients to whip up a batch of their famous homemade jambalaya recipe, I’m instantly transported back to their old loft, and those impromptu, hilarious, always-longer-than-planned hours we used to spend cooking up a storm together in the kitchen. And the jambalaya simmering on the stove, wine glasses being refilled left and right, random neighbors showing up when they heard we were cooking. And those easy, good, long nights shared around the table together as our little neighborhood family.

As Julia Child once said, “People who love to eat are always the best people.” And John and Cate are certainly two of my best.

So is their jambalaya. ♡

Easy Jambalaya Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Jambalaya Ingredients:

Alright, let’s talk ingredients. To make classic jambalaya, you will need:

  • The Cajun/Creole “holy trinity”: Celery, onion and green bell pepper (although for some extra color, I’ve also used red and yellow bell peppers).
  • Jalapeño and cayenne: For heat. Feel free to add more or less of either, depending on your heat preferences.
  • Garlic, Creole or Cajun seasoning, bay leaf, thyme: Some of my favorite seasonings.
  • Chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage: Or whatever proteins you prefer. Feel free to choose one or two, or you can use all three like I do.
  • Chicken stock: If the rice needs more liquid as it cooks, feel free to add in more.
  • Crushed tomatoes: For flavor.
  • White rice: Long grain is traditional, but short grain white rice also works.
  • Okra: Fresh or frozen; we will use this to help thicken the jambalaya.
  • Salt and Black Pepper: Very important! Don’t forget to taste and season with salt and pepper to taste at the end.

Also, feel free to garnish with whatever you prefer! I like to use sliced green onions and a hint of chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

How To Make Jambalaya:

Heads up! I’ve edited this method a bit since I first posted this recipe back in 2014. The ingredients are all the same — I just changed the order of things slightly.

Next, let’s talk about how to make jambalaya. Simply…

  1. Sauté the chicken and sausage. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned. Then transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
  2. Sauté the veggies. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño and garlic until soft.
  3. Add rice, liquids and seasonings. Add in the uncooked rice, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, Cajun/Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne and bay leaf. Give everything a good stir.
  4. Cover and cook. Then cook for 25-30 minutes, being sure to stir the mixture every 5 minutes or so (to prevent burning) until the rice is nearly tender.
  5. Add the okra and shrimp.  And cook for a final 5 minutes or so, until the shrimp is pink and opaque. Add the chicken and sausage back in.
  6. Taste and season. Season the jambalaya with salt and pepper (and extra Cajun/Creole seasoning, if needed) to taste.
  7. Serve warm. Garnished with your desired toppings!

Options To Customize Your Jambalaya Recipe:

Want to mix things up? Feel free to:

  • Add more/less heat: If you’d like a milder jambalaya, I’d recommend nixing the jalapeño and just stirring in some cayenne at the end if you’d like. For a spicier jambalaya, use two jalapeños. And then you can always add more cayenne at the end if you’d like.
  • Pick your protein: Chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage are all traditional options for jambalaya. But feel free to choose just one, two or use all three, depending on what proteins you like. Other options could include other kinds of seafood (i.e. cod, mussels, clams, crawfish, etc.), pork or firm tofu.
  • Make it vegetarian: Wanting to avoid the meat? No prob! I also love making a vegetarian version of this with veggie stock and lots of hearty veggies (such as carrots, squash, mushrooms, broccoli, etc). Some veggies can withstand the long cooking time with the rice. But if you use some softer veggies, feel free to set them aside after sautéing at the beginning, and then add them back in at the very end.
  • Use file powder: Not into okra? Feel free to sub in 1.5 teaspoons file powder instead.

What To Serve With Jambalaya:

Since this dish is already incredibly hearty, I would recommend serving it with anything light and fresh, such as:

Jambalaya

My original photo for this jambalaya recipe from 2014.

More Great Cajun Recipes:

Love this jambalaya recipe? Be sure to also check out these faves:

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Jambalaya

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 482 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 0 About 6-8 servings 1x

Description

Hands-down the best jambalaya recipe! It is surprisingly easy to make, customizable with your favorite proteins (I used chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage), and full of bold, zesty, Cajun flavors that everyone will love.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 3 small bell peppers, cored and diced (I used a yellow, red and green bell pepper)
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 34 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup thinly-sliced okra*
  • Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a stock pot (or a very large, deep sauté pan) over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and sausage and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned.  Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
  2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the stock pot.  Add bell peppers, celery, jalapeño, onion and garlic. Sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.
  3. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes or so along the way so that the rice does not burn.
  4. Add the shrimp, okra, and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink. Stir in the chicken and sausage, and remove and discard the bay leaf.
  5. Taste season the jambalaya with salt, pepper, and additional Cajun seasoning if needed.  (I typically add about 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.)  Remove from heat.
  6. Serve warm with your desired garnishes.  Or refrigerate and store in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Notes

*Feel free to use fresh or frozen okra.  If using frozen, make sure to thaw it before adding to the jambalaya.

If you like spicy jambalaya, I would recommend adding in 2 jalapeños.  If you would like it more mild, you can omit the jalapeño altogether.

This recipe was edited slightly in August 2018 — just the order of the steps, not the ingredients.

Chicken Jambalaya Recipe with Sausage and Andouille Sausage

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1,250 comments on “Jambalaya”

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  1. Oh and I also made a vegan version with carrots, green beans, butternut and mushrooms was delicious!!!






  2. Oh no mine came out with the rice SUUUUPER mushy it almost looks like smashed potato jambalaya. I followed every direction to a T.






  3. Good recipe. I seldom find one that actually comes out good.






  4. I used the original version of the recipe instead of the updated one. I also left out the okra. It came out tasting amazing! Thank you so much for posting this. Also, learned the hard way not to handle jalapeño with my bare hands. Gonna be paying for that for awhile.






  5. This recipe is delicious, but definitely far too spicy and that’s coming from a house not afraid of spice. I ended up only using one jalapeño, a tablespoon and only half of creole seasoning – no Cheyenne and even then I found its a bit too spicy and preferred to cut it with sour cream when serving






  6. Just curious if we make jambalaya in the crockpot can we leave it on to keep it warm enough through the whole party. Should it be high or low?

  7. Jambalaya does not have tomatoes in it. Absolutely not.






  8. This was easy and delicious! My whole family loved it!






  9. This is the best jambalaya I’ve ever had! Pretty easy too, just a decent amount of prepping/cutting. My boyfriend and I love making this all the time, it usually last us quite a few days of lunches too. Yummy!






  10. This is incredible, we make it even Sunday now. It is the best Jambalaya I have ever tasted. The only change I made was I like to get a char on the sausage and I like to ad yellow, orange and red peppers for colors. Thanks for sharing this gem!!






  11. A really good recipe. I left out tomatoes because I’ve never put them in jambalaya or any other Cajun dish for that matter.






  12. I’ve made this a few times. It is outstanding! For anyone who commented about mushy rice, the trick is to rinse it. I put it in a fine mesh strainer & run cool water over it until the liquid runs clear. Works every time!






  13. AWESOME recipe! Made it for the first time by the directions and it was perfection. Easily customizable. If you are sensitive to spicy food, I’d recommend leaving out the jalapeño and/or cayenne. I may add even more vegetables next time because they were so delicious.






  14. Made this tonight and it was everything I wanted. My family is on a highly limited salt intake, so I followed your homemade cajun seasoning recipe in the comments. The only salt was from the chicken broth and sausage. We also are limiting our carbs so I used 1 cup rice with 2 3/4 cups of broth. Cooked the rice perfectly. So glad I found your recipe because it worked beautifully.






  15. Absolutely the best jambalaya recipe ever! Also recommend the Everyday Salad and the dressings! I love this recipe so much I make it year round!






  16. Beat jambalaya I have ever made. I used ham and sausage (fresh from my favorite pig farmer) and shrimp! Home canned tomatoes as well. Thanks for sharing!






  17. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have made it three or four times now, and it is a great one-pot dinner. I make it vegetarian with a few changes: I saute 1 pack of Field Roast spicy sausage and 1 bag of Beyond Meat Crumbles at the beginning to substitute for the chicken and sausage, and add 1 cup cooked black beans at the end to substitute for the shrimp. I also double the okra to bulk it up a bit more. It’s really delicious.






  18. Outstanding recipe. Easy to follow and full of flavor.






  19. Awesome. Loved it.






  20. I just finished making this recipe and it was fantastic. It was my first time making Jambalaya myself and I will definitely use this recipe again.






  21. This is delicious but super spicy! I omitted the jalapeño bc I was making it for a family who has a kiddo who doesn’t like spicy food and it was still making me sweat when I tasted it! Just adjust to your level of spiciness ;)

  22. Great flavors but this was not enough time for the rice to cook, and by the time the rice was complete, the chicken was completely dry! I will cook my rice before adding it next time. (Wanted to give 1 star for this, but the flavors redeemed the meal.






    • Sarah – whenever I make this recipe I use chicken thighs instead of breast. It’s my preference anyways, but I find I like it as well because the thighs stay more moist during all the cooking.

    • Sarah, I don’t put my chicken back in until the very end, that way it’s not over cooked! Maybe something to try next time :)

    • Hi Sarah, I added my chicken near the very end as the recipe states, so it doesn’t cook in the rice and doesn’t get a chance to dry out- could give that a go? Also I use thighs too like Christina.






    • About cooking the rice before head and then adding to the rest of the ingredient creates another problem, the liquid will not be absorbed. I would follow the directions, but add the shrimp, chicken and sausage later so it doesn’t over cook.

  23. I would say that I am a very serious (and snobby) cook and rarely follow a recipe to a tee, but today I did. Absolutely fabulous Jambalaya! Just the right amount of spice. My husband loved it, too.






  24. Excellent dish!

    I just made it for the second time in two weeks.

    I’m new to cooking and it was a blast to make.

    (Sure, my prep time was note like *two* hours my first time in but it was still worth it. :-)

    Thanks!






  25. Excellent Jambalaya recipe! Easy enough to make and tastes great!






  26. Can you use cabbage??

  27. I loved this recipe and my husband is saying he wants to have it for his birthday!






  28. I’ve made this a few times with hot Hungarian farmers sausage and it’s honestly life-changing. Thanks so much for posting! I’ve got a big pot simmering on the stove right now.






  29. Have made this 5 times now. Great recipe, only think I leave out is okra…. otherwise it is gray the was it is.
    Go Chiefs!






  30. Have made this 5 times now. Great recipe, only think I leave out is okra…. otherwise it is great the was it is.
    Go Chiefs!






  31. Absolutely DELICIOUS, as written! Definitely saving this recipe and will make often! Thank you!!






  32. If I am cooking the rice separately due to wanting leftovers, should I cut back on the stock added to the pot?

  33. I’ve been making this recipe for years now when I found it back in 2015. It is absolutely fabulous and everyone I serve it to raves about it! Absolutely outstanding! A staple in my cookbook for sure. Thank you for sharing!






  34. This was so easy to make. It is very delicious. Next time I will add a jalapeño for the extra heat!






  35. This recipe was phenomenal. I followed it to a T and my family and I loved it! I normally have to add seasonings to recipes because they are somewhat bland, but not this one. Saved and will use again. I would rate it a 10 if I could…






  36. I tried this recipe today for the very first time. However being Italian & whipping recipes up off the top of my head, I changed it up a bit. I used hot italian sausage, seafood medley, & added mushrooms…as well added 1 secret ingredient (of which I use in all my cooking & simply cannot share). This meal was amazing.

  37. I’ve made this twice now, and it is SPECTACULAR! Seriously, this jamalaya is bangin’. Follow the recipe to a tee and you will be in heaven. 100% delicious and authentic.






  38. Made this scrumptious recipe for dinner. Using chicken thighs and brown rice just for my Taste, and boy was it a really great meal. Saved this recipe because I will definitely be making this again and again. Thanks for sharing!






  39. I really love this Jamba recipe, and the flavor is still good, but I cant stand the update that was done that changed the order of things. It makes the meat less flavorful and by the time its added back to the pot there’s not enough cook time left for it to take on the flavors of the dish.






  40. My daughter and I made this together, she is only 12 yrs old we had a blast and it came out so very delicious. This will be a staple in my house. It’s meaty enough to serve as the main dish no need to have sides unless you want it.






  41. Not disappointed. My partner ate three bowls; he couldn’t stop! So filling and delicious! I didn’t need to add pepper or salt. Instead of three cups of chicken stock I did 1.5 stock to 1.5 water. I also used spicy Italian sausage. This makes a tonne of food (which is great because you get to eat it multiple times). I added jumbo prawns and once I mixed them in, I covered the pot and simmered for an additional 4 mins, which cooked them
    Perfectly.






  42. This was delicious. Super flavourful and an easy recipe to work with. Spice it up or down as you prefer. I ended up adding about a teaspoon of chili flakes and used 1 1/2 jalapeños. It was a great meal on a snowy fall night.






  43. I made this last night in the crock-pot and it was INCREDIBLE! I’ve made it on the stove top a number of times but I was feeling supremely lazy yesterday and didn’t feel like tending to it. I read through the comments searching for any advice on crockpot or slow cooker modifications and didn’t really find anything – so I thought I’d share exactly what I did!
    I put the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, spices, and raw chicken thighs to the crockpot first and put it on high. After about an hour, I cooked the celery, onion, bell peppers, serrano peppers (instead of jalapeno because I like a lot of heat) and garlic for about 5 minutes on the stovetop and added it to the crockpot. I let all that simmer for an hour. Then an hour before serving, I added the rice. I came back and stirred it periodically so the rice didn’t sink to the bottom and burn.
    Then about 15 minutes before serving, I pulled the chicken out and shredded it and added in the shredded chicken, raw shrimp, raw cod, and pre-cooked sausage (johnsonville’s is my absolute favorite). And once the shrimp and cod were cooked, served it up!
    So, total time in the crockpot from start to finish was about 3 hours. This is one of my solid winter staples, and I always make it for Fat Tuesday, and I’m so glad it works in the slow cooker for future lazy days!






  44. It was very good!!!!






  45. I haven’t used this recipe I usually follow my own however I want to point out that I leave my chicken cooking with the onions and peppers . I then let my chicken stock boil with the meats and peppers then I add in my rice. This allows more flavors to get into everything slowly cooking :) Great recipe though






  46. How long do you suggest this will last in the fridge if I make a double or triple pot?

    Also, do you have recommendations on how to best reheat it? Just a little bit of chicken broth and reheat in a skillet?

    Thanks. I like your approach to spelling out the recipe so that it’s easily adjustable.






  47. I follow the recipe (out the okra) a year ago and all my family said: oh my God!!, now I have to make it every family party.
    Thanks for an excellent recipe of Jambalaya.






  48. Awesome Recipe! I omitted the jalapeño and chicken. Newly pescatarian/vegan. Cooked quinoa on the side instead of rice (to cut down on the carbs) and sautéed turkey kielbasa sausage on the side for hubby who is “vegan friendly.” Didn’t need any extra pepper or salt. Will make again.






  49. Turned out great






  50. My whole family just loved it! Says 15 mins prep time but with all of the chopping it is probably more like 30 mins. I used 4 cups of broth and a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes to make it a little more saucy like my family likes it. I just added a little more of all of the herbs and spices. Turned out great!