Easy Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp, and Andouille Sausage ready in under an hour. A New Orleans-style meal fit for the family. Check it out!
This is the perfect filling and flavorful comfort food dinner. For more hearty Southern Stews, try my Seafood Gumbo and Brunswick Stew.
Sabrina’s Easy Jambalaya Recipe
This savory and rich Jambalaya is a classic comfort food that contains chicken, sausage, and shrimp cooked with the holy trinity of New Orleans flavors, celery, onion, and bell peppers! Cajun seasoning and other spices are added to flavor the dish, while rice — traditionally cooked with the rest of the ingredients — can be served alongside it. To experience all the flavors of New Orleans, you can also make Beignets for dessert.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts , skinless, boneless, cut into chunks
- 1 pound andouille sausage links , sliced
- 1 pound shrimp , 13-15 count
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion , chopped
- 1 red bell pepper , finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery , thinly sliced
- 1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes , diced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add vegetable oil to your Dutch oven on medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage to the pan and cook until crisp and browned.
- Remove the sausage and add in the onion, bell pepper and celery.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken, tomatoes, broth, thyme, oregano, cajun seasoning and cayenne and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes. (It should be simmering but not boiling, reduce heat as needed)
- Add the shrimp and sausage, stir and cook for 3-5 minutes, uncovered, before serving.
Nutrition
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Chefs Notes
This dish makes great leftovers but only if reheated the right way! If cooked without rice, scoop some rice into your bowl and ladle the jambalaya over top, removing the shrimp from the bowl and setting it aside. Cover with a wet paper towel and microwave until very hot (for us this is 3-4 minutes). Lift the paper towel, add the shrimp into the bowl, recover it, and let it sit for 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, reheat the shrimp in a skillet over medium heat.
Table of Contents
About this Recipe
Yes, this Louisiana dish is traditionally made with white rice in the pot. However, I tested cooking Jambalaya the traditional way as well as without rice in the pot, and I love this version significantly more.
This is a giant pot of food, and you’ll likely have leftovers. If you store it with rice mixed into the pot, it will dry out the stew. The rice can also turn out mushy or dry when cooked in the pot. So, I recommend the rice on the side. You can use long-grain rice (Basmati rice) or short-grain white rice in your dish. Make the rice buttery and slightly salted before pouring this over, and just give it a few minutes to marry the flavors together.
Can This Be Made Ahead?
Absolutely! Jambalaya tastes even better when made ahead as the flavors have more time to meld. Simply let it cool, store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. It’s perfect to freeze for meal prep or to enjoy later.
How to Store
- Store: Do not leave Jambalaya at room temperature longer than 2 hours before refrigerating. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
FAQ’s
Gumbo is a traditional stew-type dish made with a roux to thicken the sauce. Jambalaya is a traditional rice-based recipe made with chicken, sausage and shrimp in one pot.
½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or white pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoons dried thyme. Mix all the ingredients together and store in a covered container for up to three months
This recipe is not designed to be too spicy at all. If you enjoy spicy food just add your favorite hot sauce or some crushed pepper flakes to your dish according to your heat preference!
2 cups uncooked rice makes about 6 cups cooked rice, which should work perfectly for the family.
Traditionally it’s served with rice and a side of Southern cornbread. Sometimes creamed corn is served, and if served with creamed corn try spicing it up with some jalapeños!
Related Recipes
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Photos used in a previous version of this post.
I’ve made this about 10-12 times. Always good and feeds 2 of us for 4-5 dinners. I add a poblano or two, frozen okra and up the spices. It’s really good and simple to make.
Thanks for all the great “adds” Deb and for the five star review.
The nutrition information says a serving is 1g. I’m sure that’s wrong! Any idea what it’s supposed to be?
Katy, thank you for pointing that out. I think it was initially supposed to be typed as 1 bowl, but didn’t translate onto the recipe card. The weight per serving will be approximately 459 grams.
the recipe says ‘reduce heat’ but doesn’t say to what, simmer, medium, medium low? its a little vague. Please specify, thank you.
Thanks Daniel for bringing this to my attention. I’ve updated the instructions to say ‘reduce to medium heat’. Please let us know if you try the recipe and how it turns out.
I followed the recipe exactly and cooked the rice separately. As suggested I added a little butter to the rice and also a little Cajun seasoning. My guests and husband raved over it, and all had a second helping. Great recipe to keep. Thanks.
So glad to hear the Jambalaya turned out for you guys! Thanks so much for the 5 star rating Eileen!
All of your recipes have been rated A++. I live in Southern , Ca and they have a restaurant called Ramona’s. By any chance, have you heard of them? If you have, do you have a recipe for their red and green chili. I cannot come close to duplicating their recipe. Thank You in advance.
You’re welcome in advance! How did your Jambalaya turn out?
I love the idea of leaving the rice out so it doesn’t absorb all the broth, but won’t the shrimp get rubbery?
Great question. Did yours?
Must say, a very simple recipe and it makes a lot! Mea Ono!!
Thank you for sharing. This recipe is delicious and easy. My husband could not get enough.
I made this last night for me and my husband. He was helping in the kitchen and remarked at one point, “Which army do you plan to invite to dinner?” It makes a lot, but we froze over half of it, and it’s always great to have meals prepared. I used suggestions in the comments to add 2 cups of rice, upping the chicken broth accordingly, and used about a pound each of spicy grilled sausage and raw chicken chunks, and added raw shrimp at after the rice was done. The jasmine rice I used was done after 40 minutes of simmering and stirring. I had a large can of crushed tomatoes, so that’s what went in. As for the spices, I feared the oregano was going to dominate, but it had faded into the background by the time it was done. The spices were lovely and the jambalaya had a wonderful aroma and flavor. I had planned to add a cup or two of our garden okra from the freezer but I forgot! It adds a freshness and wonderful smell and taste, and I recommend using it if you have it. It should go in just before the shrimp. This dish was fairly quick and uncomplicated, and it’s the kind of thing you can play around with and customize to your liking. (I added a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease but don’t tell anybody. Definitely a plus.) This is one I will keep on the menu. Thanks, chef.
Tried it love it easy to make
Super easy and even though I had to substitute turkey kielbasa for the sausage it had plenty of flavor.
I’ve made this for Fat Tuesday for the past 3 or 4 years. It is delicious. I cook the rice separately and serve the Jambalaya over the rice. I’ve made Jambalaya with the rice in the pot and the rice gets mushy.
Absolutely loved this
It turned out perfect!!!!
I have never made jambalaya but this was so easy and delicious ? My husband loved it! I will definitely make this again and share with my daughters. Thank you for a great recipe!
While I have found your recipes to be very tasty, I gotta stop you here with this Yankee version of Jambalaya. Don’t get me wrong, the lion’s share of the recipe is great. The issue I have is this bit about Cajun Seasoning and Oregano. I live in Lafayette, La so let me give you a better version of seasoning: 2 teas. Salt, 2 teas. Cayenne ( not red pepper, its not the same), 1 1/2 teas White pepper, 1 teas. Black pepper, 2 teas Thyme and 2 Bay Leaves. Oh and have some type of citrus juice to drink. Citrus kills the burning effect of Cayenne on contact. I hope this helps.
Super easy! I hate when recipes day easy and they are not. I didn’t have Cajun seasoning but i had everything minus the onion powder. I also didn’t have andouille sausage so i used Johnsonville Firecracker sausage. The dish was amazing even with the alterations. My fiancee absolutely loved it!! 6/5 stars