This quick and easy Jambalaya is a flavorful and filling meal all made in one pot, featuring sausage, shrimp, rice, vegetables, and cajun seasoning. Weeknight dinner comfort food at its best!
This Jambalaya recipe is a family favorite and never disappoints. Packed with flavor, made all in one pot, it’s a great weeknight meal that’s so delicious and hearty. Leftovers (if you’re lucky enough!) are great the next day, too.
What is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a creole rice dish that is usually made up of meat and seafood such as sausage, pork, chicken, crawfish or shrimp, along with vegetables and rice. It’s also seasoned with cajun spices.
What’s the difference between Gumbo and Jambalaya?
New Orleans, famous for its culture, architecture, and food, has birthed many Creole dishes, including both Gumbo and Jambalaya. Gumbo has been around longer, though, originating in South Louisiana in the 1700’s.
While both dishes are similar because of the vegetables and meats used, there are some major differences that set them apart. Gumbo is a stew, which simmers for hours, almost always made with a roux to thicken it, and served with rice on the side. Jambalaya, on the other hand, is a rice-based dish, usually made in one pot with the rice.
Jambalaya Recipe
NOTE: Jambalaya is like most classic recipes – there’s a basic concept with a million iterations. This is our version. Here’s what you’ll need:
*Don’t miss the detailed recipe card below.
- Shrimp: You’ll need peeled and deveined shrimp. Use fresh from the seafood counter or frozen shrimp, that’s been thawed.
- Kielbasa or Andouille Sausage: Andouille sausage is a smoked cajun flavored sausage and is typically used in this dish. Kielbasa is similar, but more mild in flavor. You can use either, depending on your tolerance for heat.
- Ham: Diced up leftover ham or ham steak. Avoid deli ham because it’s too thin.
- Vegetables: Onion, celery, and garlic provide wonderful aromatics.
- Tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano.
- Rice: Uncooked long grain white rice.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth adds great flavor as the rice absorbs it.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and fresh chopped parsley.
- Vegetable oil: Used to sauté the vegetables.
How to Make Jambalaya
Here are the steps to make it:
*Scroll down for the complete detailed recipe card and video tutorial.
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- In an extra-large skillet (with a lid), warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and celery; saute until softened, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, sausage, rice, cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp, cover again, and cook for another 5 minutes or more until shrimp is opaque and rice is tender.
- Stir in the ham and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a touch more salt and pepper, only if necessary.
- Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve.
Jambalaya Video
Storing Leftovers
Allow to cool completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze jambalaya? Yep. Store in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What to Serve with Jambalaya
Jambalaya is full of so many hearty ingredients, it’s truly a meal by itself, but I love to serve it alongside some homemade cornbread and a simple side salad.
Other One Pot Recipes We Love!
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Easy Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (thawed, if frozen)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1/3 cup diced celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano, undrained
- 8 ounces kielbasa or andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 3/4 cup small cubed cooked ham
- fresh chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- In an extra-large skillet (with a lid), warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and celery; saute until softened, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, sausage, rice, cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp, cover again, and cook for another 5 minutes or more until shrimp is opaque and rice is tender.
- Stir in the ham and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a touch more salt and pepper, only if necessary.
- Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
Great recipe….but where are the bell peppers? The holy trinity is bell pepper, onion & celery…still great and will be making again
One of the best we’ve tried!
Very good recipe! I added a little more spice and kept it lower carb by using cauliflower rice.
Great recipe for the family, just cut back a little on the cajun.
This was my first time to ever make homemade jambalaya, and my family loved it. One plate each and we were all full. Definitely will be freezing the rest. I fed 2 adults and 2 young boys. It will definitely give us another meal
FABULOUS!! I’ve never eaten or cooked Jambalaya so this was a first. My daughter brought me a pkg of andouille sausage and I didn’t know what to do with it. Found your recipe and — voila! It was so easy to make and so full of flavor. We LOVE it so much. The hubs says he could eat it every day. Thank you!
I have made this recipe several times and it is a hit! Simple, flavorful, and freezes well so make a double or triple batch! I use long grain brown rice and extra veggies.
Great recipe for also using up all those frozen pieces of chicken or bits of uncooked veggies. I tossed in over a period of time depending how long they take to cook…baby potatoes (pierced and pre-cooked in micro, carrot chunks, bok choy, gai lan, green beans, leftover corn on the cob. A friend gave me some poblano peppers and I tossed in three near the end so they still had some crunch. I also sprinkled in some cracked black pepper for some mild heat. I served with Naan bread as I didn’t want to make cornbread.
We really enjoyed this and it was easy to make!
Ooh, this was so delicious and easy! The entire family loved it. The rice and beans with kielbasa was also a huge hit over here. Thank you for such great recipes!