This easy jambalaya recipe is a hearty one-pot meal made with chicken, shrimp, and smoky andouille sausage simmered with Cajun spices, veggies, and rice.
This is the best jambalaya recipe I’ve ever used. I’ve made it several times since I found it 5 years ago. Thank you!
– LISA
Say hello to one of the most-loved recipes on Gimme Some Oven. ♡
For more than 10 years now, this easy jambalaya recipe has been a go-to for readers craving something hearty, nostalgic, and bursting with flavor. The mix of smoky andouille sausage, juicy chicken and shrimp (or whichever proteins you prefer!) all simmer together with Cajun seasoning to make this classic dish absolutely irresistible. It’s the kind of one-pot comfort food that’s cozy and festive at the same time and easy enough for a regular weeknight.
Over the years, I’ve loved seeing how many of you have made this recipe your own. Some keep it classic, others swap in different proteins (hello, crab or veggie sausage!), toss in extra veggies, or dial the heat up or down depending on your crew’s taste. However you adapt it, the end result is reliably delicious — and the leftovers reheat beautifully, which is always a win!
If you’re new to cooking jambalaya, don’t worry. This recipe is surprisingly simple to pull off and comes together in under an hour. And if you’re a longtime fan, I hope this serves as a reminder to bring it back to your dinner rotation soon!
Jambalaya Ingredients
Alright, let’s talk ingredients. To make this classic jambalaya recipe, you will need:
- The Cajun “holy trinity”: A classic mix of celery, onion, and green bell pepper that forms the flavorful base of almost any jambalaya. Green peppers are traditional, but I sometimes like to add red or yellow peppers for extra color and sweetness.
- Heat: A jalapeño plus a pinch of cayenne pepper add just the right kick. Adjust both up or down depending on how spicy you like things.
- Seasonings: A blend of garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and a bay leaf gives this dish its signature depth and warmth.
- Proteins: I like a hearty mix of chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage, but you can keep it simple with just one or two — or even swap in other favorites (crab, smoked sausage, veggie sausage, etc.).
- Rice: Long-grain white rice is traditional and cooks up light and fluffy, but short-grain works too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Chicken stock: Keeps everything flavorful and helps the rice cook evenly; add extra if the pot starts to look dry.
- Tomatoes: A can of crushed tomatoes adds acidity and richness to the broth.
- Okra: Fresh or frozen — it naturally thickens the jambalaya and adds that classic Southern touch. If using frozen, be sure to let it thaw before adding to the recipe.
- Finishing touches: Kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning at the end, plus optional green onions, parsley, and lemon wedges for a pop of freshness before serving.
Recipe Tips
Detailed step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe below, but here are a few quick tips to read through if you’re making this recipe for the first time:
- Prep everything first. Jambalaya moves quickly once you start cooking, so it helps to have all of your veggies chopped and proteins ready to go before you heat the pan.
- Brown the chicken and sausage well. Let the andouille get nice and golden to build a flavorful base for the entire pot. Those browned bits add so much flavor and will season the rice beautifully.
- Adjust liquid as needed. If the rice looks dry before it’s fully cooked, stir in a splash of extra chicken stock. (Different rice brands can absorb liquid differently.)
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. Add the raw shrimp toward the very end and simmer just until pink and opaque — they cook quickly!
- Season at the end. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or Cajun seasoning once everything’s done. The flavors will deepen as it simmers, so wait to adjust until the end.
Jambalaya Variations
This recipe is endlessly adaptable, so please feel free to customize and make it your own! Here are a few ideas:
- Different proteins: Swap the chicken, shrimp, or sausage for whatever you love — smoked turkey, crab, crawfish, or even a vegetarian sausage all work well.
- Make it vegetarian: Skip the meat and load up on extra veggies (zucchini, mushrooms, or additional peppers are great). Use veggie stock and add beans for extra protein if you’d like.
- Adjust the heat: Prefer it milder? Omit the jalapeño and cut back the cayenne. Want it spicier? Add an extra jalapeño, cayenne, or a splash of hot sauce.
- Rice swaps: Use brown rice for a nuttier flavor and more fiber (you’ll need to increase the cooking time and stock as needed), or try cauliflower rice for a lighter, low-carb version.
- Extra veggies: Toss in chopped tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, or greens (like kale or spinach).
- Seafood jambalaya: Skip the chicken and sausage and double the shrimp, or mix in crabmeat, scallops, or mussels at the end.
- Filé powder: Stir in a pinch of filé powder (ground sassafras leaves) at the very end for an authentic Creole touch and extra depth of flavor.
More Favorite Cajun Recipes To Try!
Love this jambalaya recipe? Be sure to also check out these faves:
Jambalaya
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: About 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This easy jambalaya recipe is a hearty one-pot meal made with chicken, shrimp, and smoky andouille sausage simmered with Cajun spices, veggies, and rice.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) package andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 cup sliced okra
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 small bell peppers (green, red, or a mix), cored and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (see note below)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
- garnishes: thinly-sliced green onions, chopped fresh parsley, hot sauce
Instructions
- Brown the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Brown the sausage. Add the sausage to the same pot and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
- Quick-sauté the okra (optional but recommended). Add a small drizzle of oil to the pot if needed. Add the okra and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden. Transfer the okra to a small bowl and set aside. (This step helps reduce okra’s sliminess and keeps its texture intact.)
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot. Stir in the onion, bell peppers, celery, and jalapeño. Sauté for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Toast the rice. Add the rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme and bay leaf. Stir constantly for about 1 minute, until the rice is lightly toasted and the mixture is fragrant.
- Simmer. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and 3 cups chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If the rice is still not tender, you can add an extra ½ cup of broth, but try to avoid stirring too much so that the rice cooks evenly.
- Add the okra, shrimp, and meats. Stir in the okra, shrimp, and the reserved chicken and sausage. Turn off the heat, cover, and let everything steam for 4–5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Finish and season. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or Cajun seasoning as needed.
- Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with green onions, parsley, and hot sauce if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Cajun seasoning: Please note that Cajun seasoning can vary widely by brand in both saltiness and heat. Start with less if your blend is strong, and add more to taste at the end. You may also need to add significantly more salt to the recipe if your Cajun seasoning does not include salt.
Source: This recipe was shared with me by my friends, John and Cate. It was edited lightly in 2025 to include browning the chicken and sausage separately for deeper flavor, rinsing and briefly toasting the rice so it cooks up fluffy (not mushy), sautéing the okra first (if desired) to reduce sliminess, and finishing the jambalaya with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up all of the flavors.
Oh my goodness!! I’m clipping this recipe. It was a hit last night. Served it with some dinner yeast rolls. Love the flavors. Will be making this again in a few weeks.
Thanks Shanita — we’re happy to hear it was a hit! :)
My husband and I made this last night, and it was super yummy! We followed the recipe (two jalapenos and two tbsp. Cajun seasoning, since we like it spicy) and the only deviation was changing up the meat – we used chicken breast, spicy chicken sausage, and large sea scallops. It made so much in a single batch, our large frying pan was close to overflowing! I am looking forward to the leftovers in my lunch today. I will definitely make this again and even make it for company since you can start it and let it cook while visiting. If making for company, I would only do one jalapeno and regular sausage since not everyone can handle the heat!
Thanks for sharing Melanie — we’re glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed it! Also, we bet it was amazing with those scallops you added! :)
I don’t remember if I comment the first time that I made this recipe, now I I ready cooked more than 4 times, and my family loved
We’re so happy you and your family enjoy this recipe Elena! :)
Can you make this with instant rice?
Hi Rachael! You definitely could (if so, just mix it in towards the end), but we think this dish is so much better with regular rice. Either way, we hope you enjoy it!
I found this recipe about a year ago and have been making it regularly since! My daughter can’t handle too much spice, so I just use mild sausage and omit jalapenos. I also add sour cream to her’s to tone it down more. It’s amazing every time! If I ask my daughter what she wants for dinner jambalaya and corn bread is always her answer. It’s definitely a favorite in our house! Thank you for sharing!
We’re so glad you and your daughter enjoy this Morgan! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. :)
Made this last night and it was excellent. I followed the recipe exactly and I thought it was perfect, although one of my kids declared it spicy. A fair amount of chopping but overall it didn’t take too long– once you have the veggies cooking it goes pretty quickly. I used pre-diced onions and chicken andouille sausage from Trader Joe’s, and frozen peeled raw shrimp (thawed obviously) from Whole Foods. It made an absolute ton and it’s very filling– a complete meal with a veggie side or salad. This will be added to our regular rotation, but I’ll probably cut down a little on the jalapeno and cajun spice.
Thanks for sharing Stephanie — we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
My husband and I made this today in a crockpot…Started at noon and ate at 5:30pm…The only thing we did different was instead of adding the chicken breast in chunks, we boiled it for about 25 minutes, put the chicken in a bowl and took two forks and shredded it back and forth…It just falls apart…We then added it to the the crockpot…It was awesome and the chicken went a long way, shredding it makes it seem like there is a lot more….This is an awesome recipe…
Thanks for sharing Kathy — we think that sounds awesome, and we’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sorry, but there are errors, in my opinion, in how to prepare this dish.
There is a chemistry problem here. The rice can be fluffier.
Saute sausage and brown first, add onions and bell peppers. I use a small amount of coconut oil.
Add the chicken. Onions and peppers will cook down a lot.
Next, add the rice in the same pot and let it cook until opaque or for several minutes. Keep stirring. Make sure the rice is sauted this way before adding any liquid.
Next, add water or chicken broth and let the rice fully cook before adding tomato product.
Half way through cooking rice, add the shrimp.
Next add tomato paste, juice or sauce at the end of rice coking.
Tomato product are acidic and inhibit the rice from cooking properly and often the rice will be partially cooked and gooey.
Once the rice is cooked, add the tomato product. If I am out of tomato paste or sauce, I use V8. V8 gives it a great flavor.
Also, I use Better than Bouillon chicken bouillon (no msg).
I am surprised someone did not complain about the rice being undercooked.
If you make it the way I suggest your rice will be fluffy and your jambalaya won’t be gummy or soupy.
There is a You Tube video of a lady who does it this way and she is the only one who seems to do it properly. However,I think she uses instant converted style rice which I tell you how to make your own. This will also give you a fluffy jambalaya if you don’t add too much liquid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyxG1383cIo
We appreciate your feedback!
This jambalaya was beyond delicious. I have been searching for a copy cat of BJ’s Restaurants’ jambalaya. This is far better! I made it last night with chicken, sausage and shrimp. I followed your recipe to the T. It was sooooooooo yummy! My husband, who is very picky, also loved it. He told me to make it very often and to make it for future guests. Im so glad i found this recipe and your blog. I will be making more of your recipes! :) I pinned it TWICE on pinterest LOL that;s how much we loved it!
Awesome! SO happy you and your husband loved it! :D
Thank you so much for the recipe. I had to make Jambalaya for Diversity day at work. It was a great hit! I had to leave out the shrimp.
Awesome — we’re so glad it was a hit!