Jambalaya

Name: Jambalaya
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Long-grain white rice, 1½ cups; Chicken thighs, boneless and cut into chunks, 1 lb; Andouille sausage, sliced into rounds, 12 oz; Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, 12 oz; Yellow onion, diced, 1 large; Green bell pepper, diced, 1 medium; Celery stalks, diced, 3 stalks; Garlic cloves, minced, 4 cloves; Crushed tomatoes, 1 can (14 oz), for Creole style; Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, 2 tablespoons; Chicken stock, 2½ cups; Fresh green onions and parsley, chopped, for garnish

About this dish

Jambalaya is a hearty, one-pot rice dish from Louisiana that combines meat, seafood, and vegetables in a boldly seasoned base, reflecting the state's rich mix of Creole and Cajun culinary traditions. It is a staple of Southern cooking, commonly served at family gatherings, festivals, and everyday meals throughout the Gulf Coast region.

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Ingredients

🍚Long-grain white rice, 1½ cups

🍗Chicken thighs, boneless and cut into chunks, 1 lb

🌭Andouille sausage, sliced into rounds, 12 oz

🦐Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, 12 oz

🧅Yellow onion, diced, 1 large

🫑Green bell pepper, diced, 1 medium

🥬Celery stalks, diced, 3 stalks

🧄Garlic cloves, minced, 4 cloves

🍅Crushed tomatoes, 1 can (14 oz), for Creole style

🫙Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, 2 tablespoons

🍲Chicken stock, 2½ cups

🌿Fresh green onions and parsley, chopped, for garnish

Method

Serves 2

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a little oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and Cajun seasoning, then brown them in batches until golden. Remove and set aside.

Add the andouille sausage slices to the same pot and cook until lightly browned, about 3–4 minutes. Remove and set aside with the chicken.

Reduce heat to medium and add a little more oil if needed. Sauté the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery — the Cajun 'holy trinity' — until softened, about 6–8 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the minced garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes (if making Creole style) and cook for 2–3 minutes, then return the browned chicken and sausage to the pot.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the uncooked rice, reduce heat to low, and cover the pot tightly. Cook for about 20–25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking.

Nestle the shrimp into the rice during the last 5–7 minutes of cooking, cover, and cook until the shrimp are just pink and cooked through.

Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning, then garnish with chopped green onions and parsley before serving directly from the pot.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Jambalaya is deeply rooted in Louisiana's multicultural heritage, drawing on West African, French, Spanish, and Native American culinary influences that shaped the region's cooking over centuries. Two broad regional styles are widely recognized: Creole jambalaya, associated with New Orleans, which typically includes tomatoes, and Cajun jambalaya, more common in rural Louisiana, which generally omits them and achieves a darker color from the fond built up in the pot. The dish is closely tied to communal cooking culture and remains a defining dish of Louisiana cuisine.

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