Authentic Jambalaya Recipe. 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. 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’s the Difference Between Cajun and 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. 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. 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!
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. It’s comfort food with some kick (how much kick is up to you) and it’s sure to become a favorite. So come get your Creole on and laissez les bons temps rouler!
And now for a few words from The Carpenters (yes, that’s the version I like best. Sorry, 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!
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 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.
Ole Possum says
The doctor told me to stay away from white rice. I can do brown rice only. Would there be any other things I would need to change for that?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, brown rice needs a lot longer to cook so you’ll need to increase the cooking time to about 40 minutes. Check to see if the liquid absorbs before the rice is cooked and if that’s the case add a little more chicken broth and let it continue to cook.
Tori says
This recipe is FABULOUS and so easy! I made this cleaning out my mom’s pantry and freezer. Made a few changes based on what she had and it still turned out great. I only had 6 oz shredded chicken, 13 oz smoked turkey sausage, and a mix of 12 oz of different sized shrimp, haha. Only half an onion, 1 whole bell pepper, and no celery. I used chicken bouillon and water in place of broth and had canned tomatoes with celery, bell pepper, and onion in it. Even with all of these changes, my family raved about it. Can’t wait to make it when I have all of the right ingredients! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Tori, thanks so much for the feedback!
Cerah says
I really want to make this for my house, but 2 of my mates are allergic to shell-fish. Do you have any recommendations for substituting the shrimp? Or should I just make up for it with extra chicken and sausage?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cerah, yes that’s what I do, just add a little more chicken or sausage. Happy cooking!
irene says
Will this hold in a chafer in a buffet for a while?
Tracy Cannon says
I want to make this the night before a mardi gras party. I need to triple the recipe. 2 questions should I cook each batch separately and can this be reheated the day of party. I am afraid of it being too mushy.
Isabel says
My pan wasn´t big enough, so I had to transfer the sautéed ingredients to a pot in order to add the rice and the rest. The rice got stuck to the bottom, even having stirred the mix twice before the shrimp. Then, the rice was done, but there was still quite a lot of liquid, so the rice that was stuck to the bottom ended up burning. Maybe the tomatoes (I used one and half cups of fresh tomatoes because I didn’t have canned) added too much water, so next time I would rather add just one or one and a half cups of broth (and add more eventually, depending on the consistency), some oil to the rice so it doesn’t stick as much and a lot more stirring. Maybe a heavier bottom pot. Yummy overall, despite everything.
Gary Davis says
Hey Kim….Susan and I made this a week ago and I’ll tell ya….It was GREAT!!! I used a store bought Creole seasoning and it was a little salty…Next batch will be the Home made for sure. This is about the 5th or 6th recipe of yours that we’ve used and every one of them has been GREAT! Thanks Kim…
Gary
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you and Susan enjoyed it, thanks so much, Gary!
Patricia says
No self respecting person from Louisiana would you Carolina rice when we have some of the best rice grown here.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I won’t argue that, Patricia! It’s just hard to find Louisiana rice outside of the South.
Ilse Stea says
Can you make with pasta?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ilse, sure, you can do that. Just don’t call it Jambalaya or you’re likely to make some enemies ;)
Allyson says
This is the perfect dinner! I absolutely love it!!
Erin says
This jambalaya couldn’t look any more perfect!
Beth says
The flavoring to this easy to make jambalaya is spot on! The whole family loved it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Beth, thanks so much!
Sara Welch says
So delicious and packed with flavor! Easily, a new family favorite dish!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad it was a hit, Sara, thank you!
Annie says
This is one of our absolute favorites!
Jacque Hastert says
I love jambalaya but have never attempted it at home. You have convinced to give it a try and attempt to make it at home. This sounds easy and delicious.
Amanda says
Everyone cannot get enough whenever I make this amazing meal!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Amanda, thank you!
Carry says
Does this freeze well? I am having surgery soon and trying to fill the freezer in advance. If so, what is the best way to cook it? Thaw overnight?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Carry, rice tends to get very mushy after it’s been frozen and reheated. So I’d recommend making it without the rice (and without the shrimp if you’re using it), freezing it, and then adding the rice and shrimp later when you’re ready to it it. Wishing you a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!
Pam says
I’m making this today. It’s my second time and it’s just perfect as when I made it this summer. The spice mixture is bang on. I double the recipe and add a coloured pepper (orange today) instead of two green, just for plate appeal. I serve it with a simple butter crunch lettuce salad and cornbread bread slathered in butter. Great recipe!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Pam, thank you so much!
Gianna lukcso says
I am planning on making this for a progressive dinner party this Sunday.
What you do is go to one house for apps, another house for dinner and another house for dessert.
My house is dinner so I chose the jambalaya.
The recipe says -serves 4- but is this a generous 4.
I have 18 people attending and I really don’t want to times the recipe by 4 in order to get 16.
Would you say the recipes would serve 8? Maybe 6?
I’m going to have soup and a salad too so it’s not just the jambalaya.
Also-the grinder needed for the creole seasoning. I don’t have one of these. Is there something else I can use? Or skip it all together and just combine the ingredients and stir?
Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Gianna, I’d say it makes 6 small servings. For the Creole seasoning you can blitz it in your blender. If you don’t have a blender you can just stir in the ingredients.
Diane says
I made this but I used Tony Chacheres Cajun spice mix….but not as much as stated in the recipe.
Judy says
I LOVE this recipe, my son and husband have both been to New Orleans traveling to work with Seimens over the years and son is very picky, he went on and on when I made this saying this was the very best he has ever tasted and he has tasted it different places. I couldn’t get enough quite honestly. I could easily eat this a few times a week even breakfast lol. Thanks so much. Keep cooking and sharing…. Judy
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, Judy, and really appreciate your family’s feedback, thank you!
Anonymous says
Made this for Mardi Gras dinner. Was a hit. The creole seasoning was fantastic. Will be making this often.
Bill says
I am currently cooking Jambalaya using your reciepe (for the hundredth time!) My wife is on her way home after a couple days away and I’m going to have supper on the table for her. We love this receipe! My wife told me that she only married me because I can cook Jambalaya. I’m good with that! :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Lol, Bill! That’s wonderful, I’m so glad you both enjoy this recipe and you’re a good man for making it for her :)