This quick and easy skillet is full of flavorful meats which include sausage, shrimp, rice, some vegetables, and a great blend of spice and seasonings.
Weeknight dinner comes together quickly, cooking this fantastic meal all in one pan.
We added kielbasa, chicken thighs, and shrimp to our recipe and the sauce complements our choices perfectly.
When making this creole-style dish the skies the limit on options you can add and we have a list of suggestions below for you to adapt this recipe with your own personal favorites.
We are big fans of easy recipes, and this is certainly one to add to your recipe collection.
This is a great version to try if it's the first time making jambalaya and these step-by-step instructions will make it a cinch.
Scroll down to our printable recipe card and don't forget to read all the options.
What is Jambalaya?
A classic Jambalaya is a creole rice dish that has a variety all one pan usually sausage, pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp, along with vegetables and rice all seasoned with a cajun spiciness.
Perfect for entertaining or backyard get-togethers in the summertime when hosting parties to feed a large crowd because the recipe can be doubled.
This huge pan has assorted vegetables, seafood, and sausage and with the rice a whole meal in itself.
We love the addition of sazon (maybe you remember my Pork Sazon recipe), it just brings all the ethnic flavors together in one big pan of yumminess.
Jambalaya is a famous New Orleans dish with Spanish, French, and African influences (inspiration coming from dishes such as paella, Jollof, and jambalai).
This one-pan homestyle dinner has a rich history and a wonderful combination of flavors.
Most commonly it consists of andouille sausage, chicken or pork, and seafood such as shrimp or crawfish.
Another question often asked is what's the difference between Gumbo and Jambalaya, well it's simple, Gumbo is like a thick stew and rice is served alongside it, and Jambalaya is thinner and more like a casserole made all in the same pan, both originating from New Orleans.
Ingredients You Will Need (complete instructions see recipe card below)
- kielbasa or andouille sausage (any kind you prefer)
- cleaned peppers red and green sweet or hot
- onion
- olive oil
- cajun seasoning
- crushed tomatoes
- sazon seasoning
- fresh basil
- chicken or beef stock or boullion
- salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
- shrimp with tails off, large scallops, or crawfish
- chicken thighs, breasts boneless cubed, ribeye steak, cubed boneless pork
Optional Additions
- chopped celery
- scallops or crawfish,, crab, lobster, oysters, clams
- hot peppers
- okra
- any smoked meats
- chicken cubed or bone-in
- plum tomatoes quartered
- any kind of white or brown rice in a pinch use a prepackaged creole style boxed rice
- collard greens
- boneless pork and steak
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Try our Version
This recipe is so customizable with whatever you like it's a win-win every time you make it.
You can get those Cajun jambalaya flavors with that delectable creole sauce that everyone loves all in one pan easily.
Try our recipe and tell us what you think in the comments!
Easy Jambalaya
Yield: 15
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min
When I think of Jambalaya, I think of a pan of a delicious assortment of my favorite meats, seafood, and vegetables that will feed a large hungry crowd!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 chicken thighs, left whole or boneless ( or chicken breasts boneless cubed, ribeye steak, cubed boneless pork)
- 1 pound kielbasa, andouille sausage, or another you prefer (sliced or cut into pieces to fit into a bun for later)
- 3 small bell peppers any color
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups beef or chicken bouillon or stock
- 1 1/3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 2 fresh basil leaves
- 1 packet of sazon seasoning mix
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
- 1 pound cooked extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Optional : 1 cup okra ( frozen) see other options under notes
- salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
- Optional Serving ideas and Garnishes: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, your favorite hot sauce, rolls for sausage or hard-crusted bread for dunking in the sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a paleo pan or large deep pan.
- Add some oil to the pan and saute the meats on each side then set aside keeping warm.
- In that same pan add a little more oil, add the, peppers, onion, and garlic, and saute until golden not browned.
- Stir in tomato, beef stock, rice, sazon, and all seasonings, then add the rest of the herbs and spices to taste with salt and pepper.
- Simmer covered for around 40 minutes or longer if you like softer rice. NOTE: Add more liquid if needed.
- Add hot sauce and garnish with parsley if desired, and serve.
Notes
Optional Additions
- chopped celery
- scallops or crawfish,,crab, lobster, oysters, clams
- hot peppers
- okra
- any smoked meats
- chicken cubed or bone-in
- plum tomatoes quartered
- any kind of white or brown rice
- collard greens
- boneless pork and steak
Nutrition Facts
Calories
306.77Fat (grams)
17.61Sat. Fat (grams)
4.67Carbs (grams)
18.7Fiber (grams)
1.76Net carbs
16.94Sugar (grams)
2.84Protein (grams)
18.86Sodium (milligrams)
546.77Cholesterol (grams)
104.23
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