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!
Don’t like smoked or andouille sausage..going to try with Italian Sausage
Sure it’s good, but that squashes the authenticity of the dish. No one in NO would be caught dead using Italian sausage. Hell, they prob don’t know what it is.
I don’t have a spice blender. I would love to make this recipe the way you posted, is the spice blender necessary? Or can I just combine the spices? Any budget friendly suggestions?
Hi Cristal, you can use a regular blender too if you have one. If not, you can pound them in a plastic bag or just add the spices as they are.
This recipe is magic…
Thank you, Brandon!
Very late to comment but this is saved as my new favourite recipe. Delicious!
Thanks so much, Ben, I’m delighted to hear that!
Kimberly, this sounds wonderful. Thank you for the recipe. Is this freezable? Could I possibly leave out the rice and shrimp, freeze it, then add the rice and shrimp when reheating?? If so, do you think it would last 3 weeks in the freezer?
Hi Jennifer! Yes, that’s exactly what I’d recommend – add the rice and shrimp later, otherwise you run the risk of mushy rice and overcooked shrimp. Three weeks in the freezer is perfectly fine. Happy cooking!
This is my second time making your Jambalaya and it is absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Fantastic, Haydee, thanks so much!
This was one of the best jambalaya recipes I’ve ever made. The spices combination are delicious. Made it almost exactly “as is” except I used hot Italian sausages. Spicy dish but so so flavorful. Thank you!
Fantastic, Maree, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
This recipe is simply wonderful. The flavor is outstanding and I have made this my go-to jambalaya recipe for all time. I like the flavors and everything came together so nicely. This recipe is a keeper, and I thank you for sharing!
Fantastic, Kirsten, I’m thrilled to hear that, thank you!
It was good! But boy does it have a kick. I may have bought the wrong sausage though. It was cajun style Andouille. Regardless, it was tasty.
Awesome, Mary, thank you! Yes, a lot of andouille is very spicy but you can find milder ones too.
Hey I’m wandering if u mean mix these spices and hurbs and that’s your Creole or u mean use those seasonings with hurb and creole
Hi Michael, at the end of the list of ingredients you’ll see “For the Creole Seasoning:” Add those herbs/spices together to make that Creole seasoning and you’ll be using 2 tablespoons of it for the Jambalaya. I hope that makes sense. Happy cooking!
Hey, quick question. I know White rice is traditional in Cajun recipes, but I prefer using brown and wild grain rice. Do I need to change the recipe to account for the longer cook time?
Hi Andy, yes, brown rice rice takes more than double the amount of time as white rice and you’ll likely need a little more liquid as well.
I have made this receipe twice! It is awesome! Best jambalaya receipe I’ve found…. will not disappoint!
Awesome, Sherri, I’m so glad – thank you!
This recipe is so so good. I’m wondering if you’ve tried the recipe using instant pot. I think I might have to reduce the chicken broth. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love it.
I have to make a batch for 25 people. I understand the amounts (6×), but since I want to do this ahead of time, can I pre cook the rice and add it at the last minute after I add the shrimp?
Also, how far ahead of time can I make it.
Sounds great! Hope I don’t flunk
Made this yesterday. I never had or made jambalaya before and this was an A++ first taste of it! Easy, relatively quick and a crowdpleaser. This recipe has earned it’s place in our rotation :)
Fantastic, Karen, I’m so glad to hear it, thank you!