Jambalaya

A savory, Cajun rice dish made with shrimp and andouille sausage.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword jambalaya

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 485kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

8 ounces shrimp
12 ounces andouille sausage
1 green bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
4 celery
1 jalapeno
½ white onion
4 cloves garlic
14 ounces crushed tomatoes
3 ½ cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Instructions

Thaw the shrimp. Remove the tails and devein if needed; some frozen shrimp brands will have this step already done.
Slice the sausage into small coins. In a large dutch oven or pot, cook the sausage and shrimp together over medium heat for a couple minutes. The goal here is just to give the meat some texture as well as impact some of the andouille sausage flavor to the pot, as we begin to build the flavor of the Jambalaya.
Meanwhile, finely chop the bell peppers, celery, jalapeno (removing the inner veins and seeds) and onion. Mince the garlic.
Once you have removed the meat from the dutch oven, add the vegetables: bell peppers, celery, jalapeno and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. You likely won’t need to add oil, as some of the fat from the sausage is in the pot, BUT if you notice things sticking feel free to drizzle some into the pot.
Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Then add the crushed tomatoes and season everything with the Cajun/creole seasoning and red pepper flakes.
Turn the heat down to medium and add in the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, rice and bay leaves.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the rice on the bottom doesn’t burn or stick to the pot.
Once all the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender to the bite, remove the bay leaves and add the meat back in. Cook until everything is hot.
Taste and season with a little more salt and pepper, or hot sauce, as needed. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using.

Notes

You can use chicken in place of shrimp, or even both if you prefer.
I like to use cooked (cocktail) shrimp for weeknight dinners because it’s easy. The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is to place the sealed bag in the refrigerator overnight.
I like to use a mix of green and orange or red bell peppers for color. But you can use all green bell peppers if you like.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple days. Rewarm on the stove top or in the microwave. Jambalaya makes great leftovers.

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