Authentic Jambalaya
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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. This authentic jambalaya recipe is all you need to create that classic Creole dish that is guaranteed to win everyone over. 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? No way! We can travel to New Orleans via our taste buds by making and enjoying its most famous dish – Jambalaya! This authentic Jambalaya recipe consistently gets rave reviews and is sure to be a hit at your dinner table!
What is Jambalaya?
If there’s one dish that captures the soul of Louisiana cuisine, it’s jambalaya. This hearty and spicy one-pot chicken, sausage, shrimp and rice dish is a celebration of history, culture and flavor. Jambalaya has deep roots, tracing its origins to the Spanish Valencian Paella and Seafood Paella and the flavors of French, African, and Caribbean cuisine. The dish is built in layers, with the “holy trinity” (onions, bell peppers, and celery), proteins (usually chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp), tomatoes, spices, and rice. It simmers to perfection, letting all the flavors meld into a beautiful, spicy, deeply satisfying dish.
Cajun vs Creole Jambalaya
There are two general kinds of jambalaya: Creole and Cajun. Both utilize what’s referred to as the “holy trinity” – onion, celery, and bell pepper (usually green). The main difference is that Creole jambalaya, also called “red jambalaya” uses tomatoes while Cajun jambalaya does not. Another difference is the order in which the ingredients are prepared. I’m sharing an authentic Creole jambalaya recipe with you.
Jambalaya Ingredients and Substitutions
Creole jambalaya is made with a combination of proteins, vegetables, rice and seasonings. Here is what you’ll need to make it:
- The “Holy Trinity”: Onion, celery and green bell pepper. Additionally, diced tomatoes are added along with yellow onion, green onions and garlic.
- Proteins: Chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. While anyone in New Orleans will tell you that it’s sacrilegious to use anything but andouille sausage, if you have a hard time finding it you can substitute a smoked sausage of your choice. For the shrimp, choose medium shrimp and devein them. Whether you leave the tails on or remove them is purely aesthetics and a matter of personal preference.
- Butter: For sautéing the chicken and vegetables.
- Rice: Choose a long grain white rice variety for this such as Louisiana rice (like this one or this one), Carolina rice or similar. As a matter of personal preference, some people like to use par-boiled rice because it isn’t as sticky.
- Chicken Broth: For simmering everything in. Store-bought or homemade chicken broth, your choice.
- Seasonings: Hot sauce for some kick (add more or less per preference), Worcestershire sauce for depth and umami, bay leaves for an earthy flavor, salt to tie it all together, and most importantly Creole seasoning. I very strongly recommend making your own homemade Creole Seasoning. I promise, it will give you the BEST flavor.
As I already mentioned above, an absolutely key ingredient in this dish is the Creole seasoning and I STRONGLY recommend you make your own. The flavor will be fresher, bolder and SO much better than store-bought. It’s super quick and simple to make and trust me, it’s WORTH it! Check out my recipe for homemade Creole Seasoning.
Jambalaya Recipe
Let’s get started!
Make the homemade Creole Seasoning. 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. Stir half of the Creole seasoning in the chicken to evenly coat. 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.
Stir to combine and bring to a boil. 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. Add more Creole seasoning, hot sauce, or salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with some sliced green onions. Your authentic jambalaya is ready to serve!
Enjoy!
New Orleans Jambalaya is truly the ultimate comfort food and is sure to become a favorite (just check out all the rave reviews below). So come get your Creole on and laissez les bons temps rouler!
But first, a few words from Mr. Hank Williams Jr.. And yes, at the risk of starting a rebellion I’ll admit that I like The Carpenter’s version best. My apologies to Hank. 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 filé 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!
For more delicious Southern recipes be sure to try my:
- Shrimp and Grits
- Butter Beans
- Grillades and Grits
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Fried Okra
- Pickled Okra
- Corn Pudding
- Andouille and Greens with Cheese Grits
- Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
- Boiled Peanuts
- Skillet Cornbread
- Southern Black Eyed Pea Salad
- Fried Catfish
- Chicken Fried Steak Burgers
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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 thick rounds (can substitute smoked sausage of choice)
- 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)
- 14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons homemade Creole seasoning , (click link for recipe; homemade STRONGLY recommended for the best flavor)
- 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
Originally Published on The Daring Gourmet February 2014
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
I made this recipe after I saw a friends posted it with his results. WOAH! It was fantastic, I’m a big fan now. I did only half the cajun seasoning (because I only had one teaspoon left of powdered garlic) and twice the garlic cloves, and it was perfect. It was a lovely kick of flavour, spices and happiness. It will definitely become a home plate at least once a month. So much comfort food to rejoice the heart! <3
I'll have a look at more recipes here.
Wonderful, Kat, I’m thrilled to hear that, thank you! I hope you equally enjoy the other recipes you try here!
PS , I am with you on the Carpenters! Love their version of that and all of their songs!
YES, finally someone agrees!! The Carpenters are just downright awesome :)
Holy wow wow wow!!! This is so so so so flavorful and much fun to make. I followed the recipe for the most part, made my own Creole seasoning per instructions. My only drparture was adding about a tsp of seafood seasoning when I added the shrimp because it just made sense to me. Also, I cooked the rice separately for the low carb followers in the house. The flavor blend is exquisite! My SO loved it! Thank you for making me feel like I can actually cook! Feels great!!
Wahoo, Debbie, I’m so glad it was a hit and appreciate the feedback, thank you! :)
Made this a month ago. We loved it. The seasoning package is the glue that makes it so balanced and flavorful. My daughter said she hates seafood, but this was great. My wife doesn’t like jambalaya or gumbo but she liked this. Only criticism was that it could have used more rice but I fix when I make again tonight.
Wonderful, Kevin, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you! Agreed, the seasoning blend makes all the difference.
Hi there……can I make a larger quantity and cook it in a magnalite pot vs a skillet?
Hi Deanie, yes absolutely. Happy cooking!
Excellent recipe Kimberly! Especially the recipe for the Creole Seasoning. I made a jar of it for future use. My one suggestion: Remind your readers to deglaze the pan after cooking the meat and Trinity to loosen all of the Cajun goodness sticking to the bottom. It can be done with a half cup to a cup of the chicken broth and only takes a minute or two.
Its amazing how much flavor it can add to the dish.
Fantastic, Jerry, and thanks for the tip!
Made this tonight, It turned out amazing! I left out the hot sauce and halfed the cayenne (for my spice intolerant children). Served up their dishes and then added it in. This was flavorful enough to be excellent both ways. Also did wild rice for mine and pasta for the rest of the fam so made them on the side. All ways it was a hit!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Jenny, thank you!
Kimberly, this recipe is outstanding and we really enjoyed it! One Jambalaya tip I picked up from a NOLA friend of mine was to make a quick 10-minute shrimp stock with the peeled shrimp shells and use that as the liquid in the chicken broth (I use the ‘Better than Bouillon’ chicken base/paste) The shrimp stock adds an additional flavor depth that opens up those New Orleans flavors. Even without this enhancement, this is my new favorite Jambalaya recipe. Thanks for posting it!
Fantastic, Jim, thanks so much for the feedback! Thanks for that tip, it’s a great idea and I’ll definitely do that from now on.
I made this and we enjoyed it. I did par cook the rice first and cut back on hot sauce. We added it to personal taste. Will make again
Wonderful, Linda, thank you!
This looks fantastic! I was born in Louisiana but lived in Austin for most of my life so I like spice! Now, I live in the Pacific Northwest (Bellingham). I’m having a dinner party of Saturday (some are meat eaters while others are vegan) so I’ll make a two batches of this recipe–one with meat and the other without or with fake sausage. Is the crockpot version as good as the skillet version? Which do you recommend?
Thanks, Shannon! The crockpot version is adapted to be more fuss-free and it’s also delicious, but this traditional version is the one I recommend. All the best for your dinner party!
I’ve had a lot of Jambalaya over the years and this recipe is spot on! In fact, it”s better than some I’ve tried in Louisiana.
I made it exactly to your instructions and the dish is excellent.
Thank you so much
Wahoooo! I’m thrilled to hear that, Cliff, thanks so much for your feedback!
I cooked this tonight and my family loved it. I am in England so used Chorizo sausage as I couldn’t get the other sausage you mentioned in mainstream supermarkets here.
Wonderful, Marisa, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you! Spanish chorizo is a great substitute, good choice.
After reading a dozen other recipes, this one is definitely my favorite.
Thanks so much, Emery!
How much does this recipe make.
Hi Gary, it serves 4.
I’m excited to make this but worried it won’t fit in my “large” skillet. I have a 12 inch AllClad skillet. Am I crazy?
Hi Angelica, your 12″ skillet should do the job perfectly!