Last Updated on February 23, 2020 by Heather

This easy one pot meal made with chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage and rice makes the BEST jambalaya recipe! This classic southern recipe delivers bold, zesty, Creole jambalaya flavors that everyone will love.

When it comes to perfect comfort food recipes, it get’s no easier or tastier than this easy Jambalaya recipe.

The trinity of Creole cooking: onion, celery and bell pepper, sauteed with tender chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp, mixed with herbs, Cajun spices, tomatoes and rice makes this one pot meal the ultimate in comfort food and family favorite meals.

WHAT IS AUTHENTIC JAMBALAYA?

When it comes to Louisiana’s favorite dish, the specific recipe varies as this is a favorite one pot meal that is passed down from generation to generation.

Traditionally, jambalaya contains any of the following:

Chicken
Pork
Crawfish
Shrimp
Sausage
The trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery along with rice, herbs, seasonings and stock.

This jambalaya recipe is tomato-based so it is the ‘red jambalaya’ Creole version of this classic southern recipe. Without the tomatoes, it would be considered the Cajun interpretation.

WHY THIS RECIPE IS THE BEST

This easy jambalaya recipe is full of great bold and spicy flavor, mixed with your favorite proteins and probably a lot easier to make than you might think.
And it only requires 45 minutes or so from start to finish which makes this the perfect quick and easy one pot comfort food meal.
Completely customizable, this easy jambalaya recipe is perfect to make everyone happy!

To make this jambalaya recipe, you will need:

The Cajun/Creole “holy trinity”: Celery, onion and green bell pepper. I also added some red and orange peppers.
Cayenne and hot sauce: For a kick of heat.
Garlic, Cajun seasoning, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika: Some of my favorite seasonings to make this the best jambalaya recipe EVER!
Worcestershire: Extra depth of flavor.
Chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage: Feel free to choose one or two, or you can use all three like I do.
Chicken stock: A bit heartier in flavor than chicken broth and my go-to in the kitchen.
Fire roasted crushed tomatoes: For flavor. Can’t find fire-roasted? No worries, grab a can of what you have.
White rice: Long grain is traditional, but short grain white rice also works. Not minute rice ..

HOW TO MAKE JAMBALAYA

Start by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium high heat.

Add the sausage and cook until browned, remove with a slotted spoon to a waiting plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Season the chicken pieces with 1/3 of the Cajun seasoning. Add remaining oil to the pot and saute chicken until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon to the plate with the sausage, set aside.

Add the onion, bell peppers and celery to the oil in the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, bay leaves, Cayenne powder, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining Cajun seasoning.

Stir in the chicken and sausage. Cook for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Add in the rice and chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium.

Cover and let simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the shrimp to the Jambalaya mixture, stir through gently and cover with lid.

Allow to simmer until the shrimp are cooked through and pink, about 5-6 minutes.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with sliced green onions, some parsley and serve immediately… preferably with a side of corn bread 🙂

Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.

PRO TIPS FOR PERFECT JAMBALAYA

Don’t use minute rice for this recipe … learned that the hard way!
Customize this recipe based on your own preferences.. don’t like shrimp? Leave it out .. can’t find andouille sausage? Don’t sweat it!
Adjust the heat in this jambalaya recipe by adding more hot sauce, Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
Want to make this a slow cooker jambalaya recipe? Add all ingredients to a slow cooker except shrimp and rice. Cook on Low for 7-8 hours. Stir in shrimp and let cook for 30 minutes then serve over rice.
SUBSTITUTE FOR ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

You can substitute the andouille sausage in this recipe with

Chorizo sausage
Polish sausage
Smoked sausage or smoked pork