JAMBAL AYA

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Hands-down the best jambalaya recipe! It is

surprisingly easy to make, customizable with your
favorite proteins (I used chicken, shrimp and
Andouille sausage), and full of bold, zesty, Cajun
jambalaya flavors that everyone will love.

I thought it was time we revisit an old favorite

recipe of mine here on the blog today, which I
love all the more because it always reminds me
of two of my favorite people — John and Cate’s
famous jambalaya recipe! ♡

John and Cate were two of the very first

neighbors I met when I moved to downtown
Kansas City five years ago. When I arrived in
the neighborhood, I didn’t know a soul around.
But a cute new coffee shop
serendipitously also happened to be opening
next door that very week. And as I began to
stop by morning after morning to order my
favorite iced pour-over, I noticed that another
couple was doing the same. Eventually we all
introduced ourselves, and one of my favorite
friendships was born.

For years, the three of us crossed paths at the

coffee shop nearly every morning — giving each
other groggy pre-caffeinated hugs, catching up
on the past day’s events, ruffling the heads of
one another’s pups, talkin’ shop about all things
small business, and finally settling in at nearby
tables with our laptops to work for a few hours.
Then morning hangs eventually extended to
evenings, swinging by one another’s places for
impromptu happy hours and dinners, sneaking
up to the rooftops to watch the fireworks on
the 4th of July, or rallying all of our neighbors
together each Tuesday for our beloved
“neighbor nights” dinners.

In a heartbeat, these two moved from being

neighbors, to what we called “freighbors”, to
what we now consider “framily.” And I miss
them and our Tuesday nights something fierce
now, being 4800 miles across the ocean.

But whenever I pull out the ingredients to whip

up a batch of their famous homemade
jambalaya recipe, I’m instantly transported back
to their old loft, and those impromptu,
hilarious, always-longer-than-planned hours we
used to spend cooking up a storm together in
the kitchen. And the jambalaya simmering on
the stove, wine glasses being refilled left and
right, random neighbors showing up when they
heard we were cooking. And those easy, good,
long nights shared around the table together as
our little neighborhood family.

As Julia Child once said, “People who love to

eat are always the best people.” And John and
Cate are certainly two of my best.

So is their jambalaya. ♡

EASY JAMBAL AYA RECIPE | 1-

MINUTE VIDEO

00:39 / 01:01

JAMBAL AYA INGREDIENTS:

Alright, let’s talk ingredients. To make classic

jambalaya, you will need:

• The Cajun/Creole “holy trinity”: Celery,

onion and green bell pepper (although for
some extra color, I’ve also used red and
yellow bell peppers).

• Jalapeño and cayenne: For heat. Feel free to

add more or less of either, depending on your
heat preferences.

• Garlic, Creole or Cajun seasoning, bay leaf,

thyme: Some of my favorite seasonings.

• Chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage: Or

whatever proteins you prefer. Feel free to
choose one or two, or you can use all three
like I do.

• Chicken stock: If the rice needs more liquid

as it cooks, feel free to add in more.

• Crushed tomatoes: For flavor.

• White rice: Long grain is traditional, but

short grain white rice also works.

• Okra: Fresh or frozen; we will use this to

help thicken the jambalaya.

• Salt and Black Pepper: Very important!

Don’t forget to taste and season with salt and
pepper to taste at the end.

Also, feel free to garnish with whatever you

prefer! I like to use sliced green onions and a
hint of chopped fresh parsley and lemon
wedges.

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HOW TO MAKE JAMBAL AYA:

Heads up! I’ve edited this method a bit since I

first posted this recipe back in 2014. The
ingredients are all the same — I just changed the
order of things slightly.

Next, let’s talk about how to make jambalaya.

Simply…

1. Sauté the chicken and sausage. Sauté until

the chicken is cooked through and the
sausage is lightly browned. Then transfer to
a clean plate and set aside.

2. Sauté the veggies. Sauté the onion, bell

pepper, celery, jalapeño and garlic until soft.

3. Add rice, liquids and seasonings. Add in the

uncooked rice, chicken stock, crushed
tomatoes, Cajun/Creole seasoning, thyme,
cayenne and bay leaf. Give everything a
good stir.

4. Cover and cook. Then cook for 25-30

minutes, being sure to stir the mixture
every 5 minutes or so (to prevent burning)
until the rice is nearly tender.

5. Add the okra and shrimp. And cook for a

final 5 minutes or so, until the shrimp is
pink and opaque. Add the chicken and
sausage back in.

6. Taste and season. Season the jambalaya

with salt and pepper (and extra
Cajun/Creole seasoning, if needed) to taste.

7. Serve warm. Garnished with your desired

toppings!

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OPTIONS TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR

JAMBAL AYA RECIPE:

Want to mix things up? Feel free to:

• Add more/less heat: If you’d like a milder

jambalaya, I’d recommend nixing
the jalapeño and just stirring in some
cayenne at the end if you’d like. For a spicier
jambalaya, use two jalapeños. And then you
can always add more cayenne at the end if
you’d like.

• Pick your protein: Chicken, shrimp and

Andouille sausage are all traditional options
for jambalaya. But feel free to choose just
one, two or use all three, depending on what
proteins you like. Other options could
include other kinds of seafood (i.e. cod,
mussels, clams, crawfish, etc.), pork or firm
tofu.

• Make it vegetarian: Wanting to avoid the

meat? No prob! I also love making a
vegetarian version of this with veggie stock
and lots of hearty veggies (such as carrots,
squash, mushrooms, broccoli, etc). Some
veggies can withstand the long cooking time
with the rice. But if you use some softer
veggies, feel free to set them aside after
sautéing at the beginning, and then add them
back in at the very end.

• Use file powder: Not into okra? Feel free to

sub in 1.5 teaspoons file powder instead.

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WHAT TO SERVE WITH

JAMBAL AYA:

Since this dish is already incredibly hearty, I

would recommend serving it with anything light
and fresh, such as:

• My favorite Everyday Salad recipe

• Fresh sliced seasonal fruit (or this Berry

Fruit Salad or Winter Fruit Salad)

• Iced tea, crisp dry white wine, or maybe a

round of Moscow Mules

My original photo for this jambalaya recipe from 2014.

MORE GREAT CA JUN RECIPES:

Love this jambalaya recipe? Be sure to also

check out these faves:

• My All-Time Favorite Gumbo

• Vegetarian Gumbo

• Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

• Cajun Corn Chowder

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JAMBAL AYA
★ ★ ★ ★ ★4.8 from 477 reviews

 prep time: 15 MINUTES

 cook time: 40 MINUTES
 total time: 55 MINUTES
 yield: 0 ABOUT 6-8 SERVINGS
1X

 PRINT RECIPE  PIN RECIPE

DESCRIPTION

Hands-down the best jambalaya recipe! It is

surprisingly easy to make, customizable with
your favorite proteins (I used chicken, shrimp
and Andouille sausage), and full of bold,
zesty, Cajun flavors that everyone will love.

INGREDIENTS
SCALE 1x 2x 3x

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut
into bite-sized pieces
1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced
into rounds
3 small bell peppers, cored and diced (I
used a yellow, red and green bell pepper)
2 ribs celery, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely
chopped
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3–4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or Creole
seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and
deveined
1 cup thinly-sliced okra*
Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black
pepper
optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley,
thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce

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INSTRUCTIONS

1 Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a stock pot (or a

very large, deep sauté pan) over
medium-high heat. Add the chicken and
sausage and sauté for 5-7 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until the chicken is
cooked through and the sausage is lightly
browned. Transfer to a clean plate and
set aside.

2 Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to

the stock pot. Add bell peppers, celery,
jalapeño, onion and garlic. Sauté for 6
minutes, stirring occasionally, until the
onions are softened.

3 Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken

stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme,
cayenne, bay leaf, and stir to combine.
Continue cooking until the mixture
reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to
medium-low, cover and simmer for
about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is
nearly cooked through, stirring every 5
minutes or so along the way so that the
rice does not burn.

4 Add the shrimp, okra, and stir to

combine. Continue to simmer, stirring
occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked
through and pink. Stir in the chicken and
sausage, and remove and discard the bay
leaf.

5 Taste season the jambalaya with salt,

pepper, and additional Cajun seasoning if
needed. (I typically add about 2
teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.)
Remove from heat. ×