This Cajun Jambalaya is a hearty one-pot meal made with chicken, sausage, shrimp, and seasoned rice cooked together for an easy dinner with bold flavors. Finished with fresh green onions and parsley, it’s perfect for sharing.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Cajun Jambalaya
When I travel, I take cooking classes and food tours to learn the foods from the region. I learned to make this Jambalaya in New Orleans!
- Flavor: This dish has a smoky, savory flavor with tender chicken, spicy sausage, seasoned rice, and a hint of herbs throughout.
- Skill Level: Easy! Don’t let the long ingredient list fool you. It comes together with simple, straightforward steps.
- Serving Suggestions: I like serving this with homemade cornbread or a simple green salad to round out the meal.
Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins (20-min prep) Servings: 6 Cooking Method: Oven
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs stay tender during the long bake and add extra flavor to the jambalaya compared to chicken breasts.
- Andouille Sausage: Andouille sausage adds a smoky, spicy flavor to the jambalaya. Smoked sausage can be used for a milder version.
- Onion, Celery, and Green Bell Pepper: This classic Cajun and Creole vegetable base adds savory depth and fresh flavor to the jambalaya.
- Cajun Seasoning: Homemade Cajun seasoning lets you control the salt and heat levels. Store-bought seasoning works well too, but taste the broth before adding extra salt.
- Parboiled Rice: Parboiled rice is ideal for this oven method because it holds its shape and is less likely to become mushy during cooking.
- Shrimp: Adding raw shrimp after baking allows them to cook gently during the covered resting time, keeping them tender and juicy.
How to Make Cajun Jambalaya
- Brown the chicken and sausage. Cook the onion, celery, and bell peppers.
- Add the seasoning, rice, broth, and bay leaves, then bake (full recipe below).
- Add the shrimp, parsley, and green onions. Then cover and let rest.
Storing Leftover Jambalaya
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe container or zippered bag for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of broth to loosen the rice. Stir occasionally so it heats evenly.
More Cozy-Cajun Inspired Favorites
Did you enjoy this Cajun Jambalaya? Leave a comment and rating below!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cubed
- ½ pound andouille sausage or smoked sausage, chopped
- ½ small onion diced
- 1 rib celery chopped
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon low sodium cajun seasoning I prefer homemade
- 1 cup parboiled rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven or large oven-proof pot with a lid. Add chicken and sausage. Cook until you get a deep crust. Do not stir too much.
- Add onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes scraping up any brown bits in the bottom of the pan.
- Add garlic, seasoning, and rice and mix very well to ensure the rice is seasoned.
- Add broth and bay leaves. Cover and bake 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven, add raw shrimp, green onions, and parsley. Stir well, cover, and rest 15 minutes.
- Discard bay leaves. Serve with french bread.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Your recipe reads that you prefer your own homemade Cajun seasoning. Can you share that recipe? Thank you
You’ll find our homemade Cajun seasoning here.
Should the rice be rinsed before cooking?
I don’t rinse the rice for this recipe.
I’ve made this recipe several times, especially when we have a ‘hankerin’ for some extra flavours in our dish! Simple, easily accessible ingredients make this a delicious weeknight meal!
Hello,
Ever had one of those recipes that just make you close your eyes and you say to yourself “where has this been all my life?” This is one of those meals!
This recipe is so amazingly delicious! So easy to put together but not easy on the flavour. I just loved this! This recipe will always be on my list of recipes to put into my rotation. Actually it will be on the top i loved this so much!
Thank you!
That makes me so happy to hear, Angela!
Holly, I’ll be making this — along with Creole style batch — for 60 coworkers for Mardi Gras lunch. I’ll have to use electric roasters for the project owing to the lack of true kitchen facilities at work. When would you suggest adding the rice? Too soon and it would turn to mush, too late and it won’t completely hydrate.
I’ve done large batches of jambalaya for years with a recipe very similar to this one but never with the restrictions I’ll have this time around. I’ll have most of the ingredients precooked and prepared, but the rice and shrimp concern me.
Thanks, Mark.
I haven’t tried this with an electric roaster so I can’t say for sure. I’d suggest checking the manual.
Made this exactly as written and my family loved it! In fact, my husband said it was one of the best dinners I’ve made in a long time!
Alisa, that’s awesome to hear! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it, and it’s amazing that your husband thought it was one of the best dinners! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Delicious! I did sauté bacon, then spicy chicken sausage and chicken.
Followed the rest as is with exception of rice measurements. Did two cups of rice 4 of broth.
Your recipes have never failed me. Thank you!
Hello Florida-Mari. So glad that you enjoyed this Canjun Jambalaya recipe and that you have enjoyed other recipes.
Do you cook the rice before you add it?
The rice is added uncooked
Looks great-can you substitute okra for the green pepper? Or would that ruin this recipe?
If you enjoy okra I hardly think it would ruin the recipe, but I have not tried is in this recipe so I can’t say for sure.
is there a way to do this on a stove top I don’t have a oven proof pot
I have only tried the recipe as written Angie so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. You could try leaving it on the stove at a simmer. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I have a bag of frozen cooked shrimp. Can I use them? If so how would you recommend working them?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Angela, but that should be just fine. I would cook them on the side and add them in at the end. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
This has become my go-to Jambalaya recipe (after having tried several different recipes); the ingredients are easy to find, the flavour is exceptional, the texture is perfect (as in, the rice doesn’t get mushy),and it’s such a nice change to my repertoire!
So glad you loved this Lori!
I just made this for dinner.. delicious! Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe Thank you for another great recipe :)
Glad we could help! Enjoy :)
I have tried many Jambalaya recipes; this is by far the most flavourful and easy to follow recipe! It will be my go-to Jambalaya recipe always.
So glad you loved it Lori!
This Cajun Jambalaya recipe is delicious! Just had for dinner tonight and my husband said that it’s a keeper!
This Jambalaya recipe is definitely a keeper! So easy to make and a hit with my husband. In place of chicken thighs, I used about 3 cups of cubed leftover rotisserie chicken, but other than that followed the recipe. Thanks for sharing this!
Happy you both enjoyed it, Lorna! Thanks for sharing your substitutions.
How do you parboiled rice?
Thanks
It is a type of rice that you buy at any grocery store, or at Amazon. Enjoy!
Back at what temperature?
Hi Joe, the first instruction is to preheat your oven to 350°F. Hope that is what you were looking for! Enjoy the recipe!
So, put the raw shrimp in after its baked for an hour? No further cooking needed for the shrimp? Thanks
Correct. The shrimp will cook from the heat of the rice while the dish rests. Enjoy Travis!