Description
Jambalaya is Louisiana’s answer to paella — a one-pot rice dish loaded with andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp in a spicy, tomato-laced broth. The Creole version (this one) includes tomatoes; the Cajun version does not. Either way, the rice cooks directly in the pot, absorbing every bit of flavor from the meat and the trinity. It is big-flavored, crowd-feeding food that only improves with a day in the fridge.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Hot sauce to taste
- 3 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with half the Cajun seasoning and cook 4 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, brown the andouille sausage 3 minutes until the edges caramelize. Remove and set aside.
- Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Cook 5 minutes until softened, scraping up the fond. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in the rice and remaining Cajun seasoning. Cook 1 minute, stirring to toast the rice.
- Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Return the chicken and sausage to the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Nestle the shrimp into the rice, cover, and cook 5 more minutes until the shrimp are pink and the rice is tender. Remove the bay leaves, stir gently, and top with green onions and hot sauce.
Notes
- Building the dish in layers — browning the proteins separately, then the trinity, then adding the rice — creates depth that a dump-and-stir method never achieves.
- Do not stir the rice once you cover the pot. Stirring releases starch and turns jambalaya into a gummy mess rather than fluffy, distinct grains.
- The shrimp go in at the very end because they cook in minutes. Buried in the rice for 5 minutes is all they need.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 880
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 165