This Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya dinner is healthy comfort food that is made in just one pan! It’s loaded with veggies including celery, bell pepper, onion, diced tomatoes and bold cajun flavors that I know your family will love.
I have several favorite cajun and creole inspired dinner recipes on my site, including this one! You may also like Authentic New Orlean’s Gumbo, Cajun Chicken and Sausage Kebabs and Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta.
Jambalaya
One pot meals are all the rage lately, and it’s one trend I don’t ever see going away! And why would it? A simple dinner you can cook all in one pan, usually in less than 30 minutes? Umm, yes please.
As long as I’ve got a family to feed, one pan meals are my BEST friend. (Check out some of my other one pan meals here and here)
I’m particularly love this Jambalaya recipe. I’m a HUGE lover of cajun/creole food, and my mom’s authentic New Orleans Gumbo recipe could be my all time favorite meal.
Speaking of one pan meals, if you have an INSTANT POT, try this same recipe converted to Instant Pot Jambalaya!
What is jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a Southern recipe (originating in Louisiana) that is essentially a rice dish with vegetables, cajun seasoning, and sausage.
The ingredients in this jambalaya recipe include the “trinity” of green bell pepper, onion and celery, rice, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, spices, chicken and andouille sausages.
Feel free to add shrimp to this dish if you’d like. Jumbo, uncooked shrimp could be thrown in the same time as the rice and cooked with everything together. Or you could cook the shrimp separately (or thaw frozen cooked shrimp) and add it at the end.
What is the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?
Although jambalaya and gumbo are both popular dishes made in Louisiana, they are different, and their cooking methods can be different as well, depending on whether they’re prepared cajun or creole style.
Jambalaya is a rice dish, similar to paella (in looks, but not taste). Gumbo is more of a stew that’s often served over rice. Both contain what’s called the “holy trinity” of cajun cooking which is a base of bell peppers, onion and celery. Both also often contain sausage and shrimp.
Ingredients in jambalaya:
- Andouille sausage or Polska kielbasa
- chicken
- flour
- butter
- onion
- green onion
- garlic
- celery
- bell pepper
- dried basil
- cajun seasoning
- diced tomatoes
- sugar
- chicken broth
- long grain white rice
How to make jambalaya:
- Brown the sausage and chicken in a large skillet.
- Remove the meat to a plate and add butter and flour to the pan.
- Add onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper and saute.
- Add basil, cajun seasoning, diced tomatoes, and sugar.
- Add chicken broth, rice, and meat back to the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
After I fluff the mixture with a fork I like to let the jambalaya cool for another 10-15 minutes before I serve it. If you stir it too soon you’ll end up with a mushier texture of rice.
Consider trying these popular dinner recipes:
- Authentic New Orlean’s Style Gumbo
- One Pan Baked Ziti
- One Pan Skinny Chicken Alfredo
- Other one pan recipes
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Recipe
One Pan Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 pound andouille sausage , cut into thin slices*
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow or white onion , chopped
- 4 green onions , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 3 ribs celery , chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped*
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, add more for spice, if desired.
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cup long grain white rice
Instructions
- In a large skillet with a fitted lid, add the oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, flipping once or twice to brown on all sides (don't cook chicken through). Remove to a bowl. Add sausage and cook until browned on both sides. Add to the bowl with the chicken.
- Reduce heat to medium and add butter and flour to the pan and stir well, scraping up any leftover browned bits from the pan. Add onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers and sauté for a 3 minutes.
- Add basil, cajun seasoning, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Add chicken broth and rice bring mixture to a gentle boil. Add reserved meat to the pan. Reduce heat, cover pan with fitted lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. Then gently fluff with a fork and rest again for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
*I originally shared this recipe April 2015. Updated January 2019.
Not a fan of green peppers but loved this recipe! I made it early and put in crock pot on low, added some chicken broth so it wouldn’t dry out, and didn’t add the rice. (It was only in there a couple of hours.) About 30 minutes before we ate I added some already cooked shrimp (thawed) to the pot. I cooked the rice in my rice cooker using chicken broth instead of water. It was delicious! Will definitely make again!!
I love this recipe SO much. Relatively inexpensive, full of veggies, and most importantly, delicious as can be. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made it. It’s a crowd pleaser and it’s easy for me to make a bunch for myself and freeze portions for later. Thank you for this fave!
Made this and we loved it. My modifications (selfishly posted so I can refer back. Almond flour instead of all purpose. 1/2 teaspoon monkfruit brown sugar. Used brown rice and added more chicken broth and time to cook. Used spicy chicken sausage but will try spicy Turkey sausage or andouille next time. I used mild Rotel for the diced tomatoes to up the spice. I tripled the Cajun seasoning. I sautéed and added shrimp at the end. I added Cajun seasoning to the shrimp as I prepared it. Added chopped parsley when I added the shrimp. Also added some fresh basil. Doubled the vegetables. I halved the recipe as it’s just my husband and I but this was so good we demolished it. I’m just going to make the full recipe next time so we will have leftovers.