Authentic Jambalaya Recipe.Ā This quintessential dish from New Orleans is a spicy one-pot rice dish featuring chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp, and a whole host of Southern flavors.Ā Let the feast begin!
Most of us won’t be going down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but that doesn’t have to stop us from enjoying some great Creole food, does it?Ā No way!Ā We can travel to New Orleans via our taste buds by making and enjoying its most famous dish, Jambalaya!Ā This authentic Jambalaya recipe consistently gets rave reviews and is sure to be a hit at your dinner table!
What’s the Difference Between Cajun and Creole Jambalaya?
There are two general kinds of jambalaya: Ā Creole and Cajun.Ā Both utilize what’s referred to as the “holy trinity” – onion, celery, and bell pepper (usually green).Ā The main difference is that Creole jambalaya, also called “red jambalaya” uses tomatoes while Cajun jambalaya does not. Ā Another difference is the order in which the ingredients are prepared.Ā This jambalaya recipe is the Creole version.
An important element in this dish is the Creole seasoning and we STRONGLY recommend you make your own. Ā The flavor will be fresher, bolder and SO much better than store-bought!Ā It’s super quick and simple to make and trust me, it’s WORTH it!
Get our recipe for the BEST homemade Creole Seasoning!
Tender chicken, juicy shrimp and spicy andouille sausage and tossed with rice, bell peppers, onions, celery, tomatoes, and a generous dose of Creole seasoning. Ā It’s comfort food with some kick (how much kick is up to you) and it’s sure to become a favorite. Ā So come get your Creole on andĀ laissez les bons temps rouler!
And now for a few words from The Carpenters (yes, that’s the version I like best.Ā Sorry, Hank.). Ā Hit it, Karen!
Goodbye, Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh.
Me gotta go, pole the pirogue down the bayou.
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh.
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!
Thibodaux, Fontaineaux, the place is buzzin’,
kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen.
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh.
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filƩ gumbo
‘Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio.
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo,
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!
Let’s get started!
Make the homemade Creole Seasoning.Ā Trust me, it’s so much better than store-bought and will make a HUGE difference in the flavor outcome of your jambalaya.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and slice the andouille sausage.Ā Stir half of the Creole seasoning in the chicken to evenly coat.Ā Ā Set aside until ready to use.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned on all sides.
Add the andouille sausage and cook for another 3 minutes or until the sausage begins to brown.
Add the onion, garlic, green bell pepper, and celery and cook for another 4 minutes.
Stir in the rice, tomatoes, and the remaining Creole seasoning.
Add the broth, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and bay leaves. Ā Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Ā Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, giving it a stir around the halfway point.
Stir in the shrimp, cover, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Ā Add more Creole seasoning, hot sauce, or salt and pepper to taste.
Serve sprinkled with some sliced green onions.Ā Your jambalaya is ready to serve!
Enjoy!
For more delicious Southern fare be sure to try our:
- Grillades and Grits
- Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
- Black Eyed Pea Salsa
- Peach Mustard Pork Chops
- Sorghum and Black Eyed Pea Salad
PIN ME!
Authentic Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound chicken breast ,cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage ,sliced in 1/4 inch slices
- 1 yellow onion ,chopped
- 3 cloves garlic ,minced
- 1 green bell pepper ,diced
- 1 stalk celery ,diced
- 1 cup long grain white rice (e.g. Louisiana or Carolina rice or similar)
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning , click link for homemade Creole seasoning recipe (STRONGLY recommended)
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound medium raw shrimp ,deveined (optional: tails removed)
- 4 green onions ,thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the homemade Creole seasoning. Set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Add the andouille sausage and cook for another 3 minutes or so until the sausage begins to brown.
- Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice, diced tomatoes, remaining tablespoon of Creole seasoning, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves.
- Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, giving it one stir around the halfway point. Add the shrimp, cover, and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Serve sprinkled with some sliced green onions.
Nutrition
Anonymous says
Loved this jambalaya. It had the perfect amount of kick and was a very easy one pot meal
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Terrific, so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Anonymous says
Where’s the filĆ© powder?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
FilƩ powder is an integral ingredient in gumbo but is not commonly added to jambalaya.
Jo Palis says
Can anyone help me plan a meal around this? Cocktail, appetizer, dessert? Thanks it’s for DH birthday.
Barbara says
Hi, Kimberly. I love to cook and am so accustomed to sauteeing my vegetsbles before throwing them in that pot with the sausage and chicken. Can I still do that with the jambalaya or do I need to throw them in without cooking, as you have done in your recipe? 2) Also, I am not used to including white meat in my gumbos and such cajun/creole; I use the dark meata nd save white for ch salads. Could I go with dark, or both, in your recipe? I find the dark meat so much more succulent in recipes and the white meat more dry. What is your recommendation here?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Barbara, you do the saute the veggies in this recipe as well, in step 3. They’re sauteed with the chicken and sausage so they can absorb those flavors. You mentioned that you usually saute them first and you can certainly do that too if you prefer. I agree, dark meat is more flavorful, no question, and you can most certainly substitute the white meat for dark or in combination, whichever you prefer. Happy cooking!
Carole says
Hi have you tried this in a slow cooker? How much time should I cook it if I do? thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Carole, I actually have one that’s for the slow cooker, here you go: Slow Cooker Jambalaya. Happy cooking!
Lucas says
Do you drain the can of tomatoes or add with the liquid?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lucas, add both the tomatoes and the liquid. Happy cooking :)
Emily says
I happened to stumble upon your blog when looking for a good jambalaya recipe, and yours looked the most appealing. I made it, and I loved it. It was perfect! And now, my friends and family won’t hear the end of it :). I just want to say thank you for sharing your talent and passion, and that I look forward to finding more awesome recipes on your blog!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Emily, I’m thrilled to hear that, thank you! I’m so happy you found my blog and looking forward to seeing you around! :)
Barbara @ ww.allmylivesnow.com says
Using this recipe for Fat Tuesday. Can’t wait.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Barbara! Happy cooking and eating! :)
Tina says
Is this all done in a skillet or do you transfer it to a different pan?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tina, it’s all made in the same skillet.
Joe says
Do I need to pre-cook the rice or will it cook during the process?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Joe! No, don’t pre-cook the rice. It will cook with the other ingredients.
Jennifer says
HI KImberly, many questions on this one: 1)What is a good vege sausage replacement for andouille sausage? 2)Dice tomatoes no spices in it? 3) Dont have chicken broth but I have 2 alternatives; usingvege broth OR is it tastier to put the chicken cube. If I use cube, how many and how much water? 4) When i add the tomatoes, do i exclude the juices?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer! I don’t have much experience with vegetarian sausage brands so I don’t have a recommendation to make on that one. The diced tomatoes – this recipe uses plain, no spices added. Yes, you can use vegetable broth. If you use cubes or powder, it’s usually 1 cube for 2 cups of water (the package will say) or 1 teaspoon powder per cup of water. The tomatoes (not drained) are added in step 3. Happy cooking!
Jennifer says
So, I made it… I used ‘Artisan Tofurky andouille cajun-style’ sausages. It’s not bad and has a nice smokiness to it. I had to add some oil since it was pretty dry when I got to step 2. Added 1 chicken cube, with 2 cups of water but didn’t add any salt. Seeing as I’ve never had jambalaya, I had no reference but it was good. The taste is similar to Filipino’s Kaldereta (just spicier, smokier). Another hit!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome! I’m glad it tasted good even with the vegetarian sausage – thanks for the feedback, Jennifer!
Amanda Hunt says
Great recipe. My family loves it! Thank you!
Rolf Eustergerling says
Hi Kimberly,
last week I told you, the next will be Jambalaya. Well, it has been.
I called it New Orleans Paella :-)
A hint for all Germans in this forum (will become more, I link on my site) : Andouille sausage is hard to get in Germany. You may use “Krakauer” which has a very similar description. I don’t beleive it’s totally different. However, it was great. So I’m pretty sure this was not the last receipe from you, I made.
Keep up the good work and have a nice weekend on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Rolf! Paella, yes – it has been said that jambalaya was the Southās attempt at recreating Spanish paella in the New World, so that’s a fitting name for it. Yes, I don’t recall ever seeing andouille sausage in Germany – Krakauer will definitely do just fine. Thank you for your feedback, Rolf, and for directing your friends to my site! :)
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
This looks amazing! I’m from the Gulf Coast and loooove Cajun food. I actually will be going home next month and should be in New Orleans for at least a day or so. Looking forward to that good food, but your recipe makes me feel like I’m already there :)
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Andi! Ah, you grew up on all this great stuff! You probably had access to “real” andouille sausage, too – I’m jealous! The store-bought stuff everywhere else just can’t compare.
ed says
Andi,
As the chef said, this is a Creole dish, not a Cajun dish. There is a difference.
Bayou Andy says
First your food looks wonderful. However, due to your
youth, you need to know Hank Williams, Sr. made the
song Jambalaya popular. That takes NOTHING away
from your cooking skills. I bow to you.
The Daring Gourmet says
Bayou Andy, thank you for the compliment. And I will have you know, despite my youth, I am aware that Hank was the first to perform the song. But it is The Carpenter’s version that I’m able to listen to without grimacing. That takes nothing away from Hank’s talent or legacy, it’s just a personal preference. The “twang” and I have never been close friends. Still, it’s the food that matters here and I’m happy we agree on that! Happy cooking, Bayou Andy! Best, Kimberly
mark says
Listen to the late Leon Russell’s version– it is good also!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I sure will, Mark! :)
Anonymous says
Many different versions. I prefer CCR myself.
GReat recipe!
ROSA SHARPE says
YES!!!!!! MY DADDY ALWAYS SANG HANK’S STYLE IN OUR FAMILY BAND. LOVE KAREN’S VOICE AND RICHARD’S AMAZING ARRANGEMENTS. BUT HANK’S YOUR MAN. WILL LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DISH … MAKING IT TODAY!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Rosa, happy cooking and looking forward to the feedback!
mike says
He not only made it popular, he wrote it and it made HIM popular. A glaring oversight.
bakeaffairs says
Kimberly, this looks delicious and beautiful; I love the flavors and various colors! Have a great weekend
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, bakeaffairs, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too!
Dana says
I have a question….should I cook the rice first before I add it to the mix? Or just let it cook with everything?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Dana, just add it raw and let it cook with everything.
Anonymous says
Do not precook the rice
travis says
lovely! But what’s with the Carpenters?! This is Hank Williams Sr who wrote and played this back in the early 50s! Blasphemy! lol
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yeah, yeah, I know, but what can I say? Karen simply does it better than ol’ Hank ;)
travis says
I’d like to agree, but then we’d both be wrong ;) Karen can sing it, but it’s always the original artist that gets the credit as ‘their’ song … perhaps we will agree to disagree, yes? lol Cheers!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Credit as ‘their’ song, absolutely – that goes to the original whether they did it best or not. On that we are agreed :) Happy cooking!
Tom Schulz says
I made this for the guys on poker night and it was a huge hit ,everybody loved it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, thanks so much, Tom!