Jambalaya Recipe
My wonderful spicy Cajun jambalaya recipe in all its glory, with shrimp, andouille sausage, chicken, and plenty of spices.
If you like your jambalaya to be super meaty, with plenty of chunky chicken, seasoned and seared shrimp, spicy andouille sausage, then this recipe is going to make you happy. Are you a jambalaya fan? I love it so much.
I have been ITCHING to make a jambalaya for a while now, but was sort of waiting for colder weather.
There wasn’t any need for that, as you can get a great jambalaya anytime of year in warm New Orleans, but it is such a stick-to-your-bones type of recipe, it feels more like fall or winter to me.
The beauty of Cajun shrimp, chicken and andouille jambalaya is not only in the heat and awe-inspiring flavor, but also because it’s a pretty easy to make one-pot meal.
I made a version recently for a gathering and let it sit covered on the stove while everyone else scrambled with their meals. I just kept mine warm and it was certainly a crowd pleaser.
Excellent for me!
What is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a famous recipe from Louisiana and in the south eastern United States typically made with a combination of meats, vegetables and rice. The recipe and techniques vary from region to region, with meats ranging from seafood like crawfish, oysters and shrimp to smoked sausage, chicken, turkey, wild boar, duck and even alligator, among others.
Cajun and Creole versions differ somewhat, particularly in their use of tomatoes, seasonings and meats, but all together it is a highly popular and hearty dish.
My version is more of a Cajun version, with lots of Cajun seasonings, both chicken and smoked andouille, and I’m tossing in extra peppers because I like mine bit spicy, though the extra peppers are optional.
Let’s talk about how we make jambalaya, shall we?
Jambalaya Ingredients Needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2-3 serrano peppers, chopped (optional)
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
- ½ pound andouille sausage chopped – if you want to get REALLY meaty, add a whole pound!
- 3-4 tomatoes chopped – about a pound
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1-2 cups chicken stock
- 1-2 cup white rice – I used a long grain – I only used 1 cup here but you can fit 2 if you want the meal to feed more
- ½ pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 teaspoons spicy Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Your favorite hot sauce for serving
How to Make Jambalaya – the Recipe Method
- First, heat a large pan or Dutch oven to medium high heat. Add oil with onions, pepper and celery. Cook them down about 6-7 minutes, until they soften up.
- Add garlic, chicken and andouille sausage. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is no longer pink and the sausage starts to cook through.
- Add tomatoes and stir to break apart. Crushed tomatoes are good here, too. Cook about 3 minutes. Add oregano, basil, salt and pepper, tomato sauce and chicken stock. Stir.
- At this point, if you’re looking for an EXTRA SPICY version, add in a few teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce. If not, omit. I would add it!
- Stir in the white rice. Long grain rice is good. Bring to a quick boil then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and let simmer about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and tender, to your preference. It could take 25 minutes to 30 minutes. Cooking time can vary, so keep an eye on it and test.
- Heat a small pan to medium heat and add oil. For the shrimp, season with salt, black pepper and Cajun seasoning and saute a couple minutes each side, until cooked through. Stir them into the Jambalaya pot and remove from heat.
- Serve your amazing Jambalaya into bowls and garnish with parsley or chopped green onions. Add in extra hot sauce if you’d like. Enjoy!
About the Peppers
With Cajun and Creole cuisine, green bell pepper is traditional. It is party of the Cajun Holy Trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery. The regional food isn’t meant to be HOT, but is filled with wonderful spices and flavors.
However, if you’re looking to spice things up a little, you can either swap the bells for hotter peppers, or just toss in those hotter peppers. I enjoy mine with the flavor and heat of wonderful jalapeno and serrano peppers.
Jalapeno peppers are always a great addition. Nice bit of heat, excellent flavor. Serrano peppers are also quite nice. Try a combination!
Recipe Tips
- Stretch the Meal with More Rice. As mentioned, this is a thick and meaty version. I only added in a single cup of rice and a single cup of chicken stock, with a focus on the proteins. I wanted those to stand out with huge chunks, but if you want this meal to stretch a bit further, and save on costs, cut back on the proteins and double the rice and stock. I’ve done it both ways.
- If you add more rice, up your simmering time to 45 minutes or so. Really just until the rice has properly cooked through. The rice will absorb all those flavors and fill up the pan, and it will still satisfy. I know it will!
Serving Jambalaya and Spicing It Up
This will serve a small group of people, but if you’re like us and only cooking for two, it is still an excellent choice of meal because it holds up AWESOMELY to leftovers.
Scoop the rest of the jambalaya into plastic containers and refrigerate for up to a week. The flavors will continue to meld for you and will work for your next lunch or super quick dinner. Or both! It’s the best comfort food, truly.
Don’t forget the hot sauce. Another popular ingredient is Worcestershire sauce. If you enjoy the flavor, add some in.
You can add the worcestershire and hot pepper sauce when you add the tomato sauce, but you’ll already get plenty of heat from the jalapeno peppers and serranos. A teaspoon or more of cayenne pepper will heat things up, too.
If serranos are too hot for you, you can omit those and add either more jalapeno peppers or bell peppers. Still tastes great! I like to dash hot sauce over mine either in the whole pan or over the serving bowl, or both!
But that’s the beauty of hot sauce, isn’t it? Use it whenever you want.
Patty’s Perspective
I am amazed at how fast Mike put this meal together. And, I have to say this publicly, I wish he would make it more! I’m excited that one of our favorite local grocery stores known for their deli makes their own andouille sausage. I love the flavor in this dish. If you can find a high quality andouille, that can make a huge difference in the final meal.
Check Out Some of Our Other Popular Cajun Dishes
- Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Cajun Pasta with Shrimp and Smoked Sausage
- Shrimp Creole
- Creole Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Mike’s Spicy Gumbo
- Cajun Maque Choux
- Cajun Red Beans and Rice
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
My wonderful spicy Cajun jambalaya recipe in all its glory, with shrimp, andouille sausage, chicken, and plenty of spices. So easy to make!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small onions chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2-3 serrano peppers chopped
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
- ½ pound andouille sausage chopped – if you want to get REALLY meaty, add a whole pound!
- 3-4 tomatoes chopped – about a pound
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1-2 cups chicken stock
- 1-2 cup white rice – I used a long grain - I only used 1 cup here but you can fit 2 if you want the meal to feed more
- ½ pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 teaspoons spicy Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Your favorite hot sauce for serving
-
Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add oil with onions, peppers and celery. Cook about 6-7 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, chicken and andouille sausage. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink and the sausage starts to cook through.
-
Add tomatoes and stir to break apart. Cook about 3 minutes. Add oregano, basil, salt and pepper, tomato sauce and chicken stock. Stir.
-
At this point, if you’re looking for an EXTRA SPICY version, add in a few teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce. If not, omit. I would add it!
-
Stir in the white rice. Bring to a quick boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and tender, to your preference.
-
Heat a small pan to medium heat and add oil. Season shrimp with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and saute a couple minutes each site, until cooked through. Stir them into the Jambalaya pot.
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Serve Jambalaya into bowls and garnish with parsley. Add in extra hot sauce. Enjoy!
Heat Factor: Medium, though you can easily up the heat factor with extra Cajun seasonings, spicier peppers and fiery chili flakes.
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This tasted SO good! Even my almost 2 year old had a second helping and some of a third – with the jalapeños and all!
Great to hear, Lindsay! Thanks!
I’ve already rated this 5 stars, but wanted to add a small shortcut I found if you’re in a hurry. You can subsitute a 28 oz can of San Marzano peeled tomatoes for the fresh tomatoes and skip the can of tomato sauce and hardly tell the difference. I just break them up as it cooks.
Thanks for the tip, Jim!
I used roasted jalapenos and ripe Thai chiles! Also Spanish serrano ham and a generic sausage. The base was leftover crab soup. With some tweaks, it was the perfect jambalaya. For the rice, I used leftover from Chinese takeout. That worked well. Added homemade HOT sauce to take it over the top! It was great!
Sounds quite awesome, Ann! Glad you loved it!
I have made this 3-4 times since I discovered it, and I will be doing it again next week for the kids and I. I love it!! This time, I am going to try a Jamaican Jerk rub to season the shrimp and chicken.
That sounds great! Thanks, Tracy!
My go to although I cut the hot peppers in half for the family. Lay some Crystal hot sauce on top and it’s just like I expect good jambalaya to taste.
Perfect, Jim! I love it.
Just cooked this up for the first time, absolutely fantastic, thank you will definitely be doing this again.
This was easy, delicious, and SPICY – perfect ‘rainy night in’ food! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again soon!