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Jambalaya

A classic Louisiana dish loaded with smoked sausage, chicken, shrimp, and seasoned rice, making it a perfect one-pot meal for celebrations.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun, Louisiana
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Jambalaya
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced into coins
  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1.5 cups long grain white rice, rinsed
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1.25 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
  • 0.25 to 0.5 teaspoon cayenne, to taste
  • 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • as needed lemon wedges and hot sauce for serving

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Warm oil in a wide heavy pot over medium high heat. Brown the sausage until crisp at the edges, then remove to a plate.
  2. Add chicken, season with a pinch of salt, and sear until lightly browned. Remove to the plate with sausage.
  3. Add onion, peppers, and celery to the pot with a small pinch of salt. Cook until they soften and pick up the browned bits.
  4. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
Building the Base
  1. Stir in tomatoes with their juices, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, pepper, and cayenne. Let it bubble for a minute.
  2. Stir in the rice to coat it in the spices, then pour in broth and tuck in the bay leaf. Return sausage and chicken to the pot.
  3. Bring to a lively simmer.
Cooking
  1. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
  2. Scatter shrimp on top, gently nestle them in, re-cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more, until the shrimp are pink and the rice is tender.
  3. Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, fluff gently, and sprinkle with parsley.
  4. Taste and adjust salt or heat. Serve with lemon and hot sauce.

Notes

For extra moisture, add a few tablespoons of hot broth if needed before resting. Serve family-style from the pot.