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jambalaya is a quintessential one-pot recipe with chicken, sausage, shrimp, and rice! coming to you from New Orleans!
An easy Jambalaya recipe is pure comfort food filled to the brim with flavor. The aromatic trinity of Cajun/Creole cooking: onion, celery, and bell peppers (capsicums), sautéed in andouille drippings with garlic, herbs, and Cajun spices! Adding chicken and shrimp to this pot of tomato rice makes this one amazing meal in the comfort of your own home!
what is in a jambalaya?
Louisiana’s favorite one-pot dish varies from kitchen to kitchen, depending on the cook and the recipes passed down from older generations. Jambalaya traditionally contains any of the following meats:
Chicken or pork
Sausage — andouille, chorizo, or smoked sausage.
Seafood — crawfish or shrimp are the favorite choices.
A soffritto-like trinity of onion, bell peppers, and celery is also included, along with rice, chili, seasonings, and broth. Everything usually cooks together in one pot until the rice is done.
There are two kinds of Jambalaya: Creole and Cajun. This recipe is the tomato-based Creole version.
what is a good substitute for andouille sausage?
Mexican chorizo sausage (comes close to andouille in flavor, but not in texture)
Kielbasa
Any Polish smoked sausage
cajun vs creole jambalaya
Creole cooks make a ‘red jambalaya’ including tomatoes in their recipe, whereas Cajun cooks do not. Another difference is the order in which the ingredients are prepared. Trying both while testing, I combined a little of both in this final recipe, choosing to sauté the sausage first to release drippings into the pot for the ‘soffrito’. We found doing this created the best flavor!
what is the difference between paella and jambalaya?
Even though Jambalaya is very similar to a Paella and includes pretty much the same list of main ingredients, the spices and seasonings change. Saffron is the main spice component in Paella, and Paella is milder than Jambalaya in the heat department.
what is the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?
Gumbo is a stew or soup usually made with a roux to thicken it, whereas Jambalaya is a rice-based dish. Okra is normally used in Gumbo to help thicken the stew and add a wonderful flavor to it. I use it in this Jambalaya recipe for the same reason! If you don’t like okra, you can use File Powder.
the bestrice for jambalaya
I use both long grain and short grain white rice. You could also use brown rice, but you will need to add more liquid and cook it longer than white.
sides that go with jambalaya
Jambalaya is THE perfect one-pot meal full of ingredients, you really don’t need to serve it with anything other than cornbread, or fresh baguettes, plus a salad with a simple dressing to not over-power all of the spices in this Jambalaya.
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion diced
1 tbsp olive oil
6 oz. andouille sausage sliced into coins
2 celery ribs diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
10 ounces (300 g) andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp or to taste, Cajun seasoning
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 c. low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 14.5-ounces can of diced tomatoes
1 c. long grain rice
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
2 bell peppers diced (you can use red, green, yellow, etc.)
dried parsley for garnish
2 green onions thinly sliced, for garnish
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
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