Cajun Jambalaya

A Louisiana staple and one of the first things that hooked me on the incredible food of the Bayou state. It’s hearty with layers of spice, packed with meat and heat that beg to be devoured, bowl after bowl. The perfect make-ahead dish that will be the star of your party or pot-luck contribution. This one-pot wonder is a staple in our house and goes perfectly with Honey and Jalapeno Cornbread. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

This version is different from Creole-style jambalayas that have a wetter consistency, featuring tomato sauce. Creole-style is also where you’d typically see more seafood, like shrimp, in the mix.

Cajun Jambalaya

Hearty and spicy, this single pot meal is the perfect cold-weather comfort food.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cajun

Keyword: cajun, Jambalaya, rice

Servings: 12

Equipment

• Dutch oven (Large)

Ingredients

 

1x2x

• 1 whole Cooked rotisserie chicken (unflavored) - cut or pulled into bite sized pieces
• 1 lb Andouille sausage (or Kielbasa) - 1/4" slices
• 5-6 slices thick cut bacon
• 1 Medium Spanish onion - medium dice – about 3 cups
• 1 Large Red pepper - small dice
• 2 stalks Celery - small dice
• 1-2 whole Jalapeno - deseeded and diced
• 5-6 cloves Garlic - minced
• 2 cups Long grain white rice - rinsed
• 1/4 cup Louisiana Hotsauce - or Tabasco
• 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning - low sodium
• 1 TBSP Thyme leaves
• 1-2 tsp Salt
• 3.75 cups Chicken stock

Garnish

• 1/2 Cup Green onion - chopped
• 1/2 cup Fresh parsley - chopped

Instructions

• Precut all ingredients. Pre-rinse excess starch off rice.
  
• In large dutch oven or heavy pot, add bacon to cold pot, turn heat to MED/HIGH. Sautee bacon until just short of crispy. Increase heat to high, add onion, peppers, celery, jalapeno. Sautee 2-3 min. Add garlic, cook 1 min.
• Add stock, hotsauce and spices. Bring to boil. Add rice and sliced sausage. Bring to simmer. Reduce to LOW heat, cover and cook 20-25 min until rice is done.
• Turn off heat. Add chicken to pot and combine with rice. Cover 5 min.
• Uncover, fluff rice/meat and allow to cool 10 min. Mix in green onions and parsley.
• Serve with more Louisiana hotsauce!

Notes

This is the shortcut method. You could certainly use a whole, raw chicken, break it down and cook it in the pot. The rotisserie method is just so much easier and tastes about the same.

Jambalaya is one of those things that’s even better the next day! Dish out individual portions and nuke it. Drizzle with hotsauce and more fresh parsley.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!