Real Cajun Jambalaya

You'll find a real Cajun Jambalaya being eaten at most every Louisiana festival - including Mardi Gras. It's a Cajun classic and one that most would call comfort food.

Jambalaya can be served year-round and is typically eaten with a side of white beans.

There are two types of Jambalaya that you'll see. A Creole Jambalaya - which will always include tomatoes (the main difference) and a real Cajun Jambalaya. This does not include tomatoes and tends to be a little drier - which is perfect for eating with those white beans.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love it
• 🧅 Ingredients
• 🥣 Instructions
• 🔄 Substitutions and Variations
• 🔌 Equipment
• 📘 Related Recipes
• 🧊 Storage
• 💡 Tips
• 👩‍🍳 FAQs
• Real Cajun Jambalaya
• 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

• It's a one-pot meal. All your food groups are included, the meat, the rice, the veggies.
• You can spice it up as you like, depending on your tolerance to heat.
• This dish is so similar to Spanish Paella (but using chicken and sausage instead of seafood). It's a rice based dish.
• Like with any Cajun recipe, it's a big pot of happiness.

🧅 Ingredients

• Rotisserie Chicken - deboned and meat chopped
• Tasso
• Andouille Sausage
• Smoked Sausage
• Bacon
• Onion
• Bell Pepper
• Celery
• Garlic
• White Long-Grain Rice
• Chicken Broth
• Bay Leaf
• Cajun Seasoning
• Thyme
• Fresh Parsley
• Green Onions

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

🥣 Instructions

• Step 1: Add the chopped tasso, smoked sausage, andouille sausage and bacon to a heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes (until sausage has caramelized and bacon is cooked. Remove meat and leave remaining drippings.
• Step 2: Add the chopped onion, green bell pepper, celery (the holy trinity) and cook in the drippings for a few minutes until soft. Then add garlic and cook a further 2 minutes.
• Step 3: Add the meat back to the pot along with the cooked chicken, bay leaves, rice, thyme, Cajun seasoning, parsley and green onions.
• Step 4: Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Give a good stir then cover with the lid and turn down the heat to low simmer and cook like this for about 30 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this time.
• Step 5: After the 30 minutes is up remove the lid. It will seem like there's a little excess fluid but it will be soaked up very quickly, just give a good stir and leave the lid off for about 10 minutes. It's now ready to serve.

Hint: It's a good idea to make sure that you have the right amount of heat to give a good low simmer to the pot before you leave it. Peek into the pot (in the beginning) to make sure it's simmering and not just idle. Once you are happy with it do not remove the lid again.

🔄 Substitutions and Variations

• Cayenne Pepper - to add some heat.
• Brown Rice - In place of the white rice. You'll have to increase cooking time.
• Garlic Powder and Onion Powder - to add another level of flavor.
• Chopped Tomatoes - this is for a Creole version.
• Worcestershire Sauce - to add a little umami flavor. Used more in Creole cooking as they use tomatoes a lot.
• Dark Roux - some people like to cook a roux with their jambalaya.
• Italian Sausage - instead of the smoked sausage.
• Medium Shrimp - some people like to add some plump shrimp to their Jambalaya.
• Olive Oil - if you don't want to add the bacon fat.

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🔌 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I like to use a good cast iron pot (cast iron Jambalaya pot), as it adds a lot of flavor from the seasoning of the pot. If you don't have one like this then a Dutch Oven is also good for even cooking.

Check out the affiliate links in the recipe card below.

📘 Related Recipes

• Instant Pot White Beans
• Pastalaya
• Cajun Two Step Seasoning
• Cajun Cornbread
• Crock Pot Pinto Beans
• What To Serve With Jambalaya

🧊 Storage

Once this Cajun Jambalaya has cooled completely store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

It does freeze well. Store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

💡 Tips

Expert Tip: Chop the andouille sausage and the smoked sausage differently so that you can differentiate between the two. Sometimes you might want to avoid giving the kiddos a plate with too much of this.

When caramelizing the sausages in the beginning make sure to scrape up all those brown bits from the bottom of the pan. It adds great flavor.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

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