Authentic Cajun Jambalaya
We all love an authentic Jambalaya recipe, but Cajun Jambalaya? Another level. The final boss of jambalayas and Cajun food. Cajun jambalaya is rice cooked in a savory broth with herbs, spice, vegetables, and seasonings mixed with shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage. It’s truly the perfect blend of flavor and spice with so much protein. A meat lover’s dream!
Being postpartum after welcoming baby number two into my life (and my last baby at that), I was OBSESSED with postpartum recovery meals that could freeze well and be made in large batches easily. This cajun jambalaya hits all the checkmarks for an easy, nutritious meal that is also freezer and budget friendly.
What is Cajun Jambalaya?
Cajun jambalaya originates from the southern state of Louisiana. It contains rice, vegetables, a variety of meats, and cajun spices. Meats are seared, vegetables are sauteed, and the rice is slow cooked in a flavorful broth. All ingredients are mixed together in a pot resulting in a beautifully seasoned meal that is smokey with a hint of heat.
What is the difference between Cajun and Creole Jambalaya?
Cajun Jambalaya is different from the traditional Creole Jambalaya in the sense that the rice is cooked in chicken stock or chicken broth rather than in stewed tomatoes. There are no tomatoes in Cajun Jambalaya. My recommendation to you if you really love that pop of flavor from tomatoes but want to try Cajun Jambalaya, just add a tablespoon of tomato paste!
Another key difference is that Cajun jambalaya uses less liquid which makes it more rice dominant. Creole jambalaya is more wet and has a slight stew-like consistency.
As for the meat, this type of jambalaya typically contains andouille sausage and chicken with the occasional appearance of seafood. This is what makes jambalaya so versatile!
Why You Will Love Cajun Jambalaya
Texture: Crisp vegetables, fluffy rice, hearty meats.. this meal has so many textures that compliment the blend of flavors in an amazing way.
Flavor Combination: With several different types of meat, the flavor combination of Cajun Jambalaya is unique. The variety of flavors and textures makes this meal the perfect dinner for someone who “doesn’t know” what they want to eat!
Leftovers: With the amount of meat, vegetables, and rice, this meal is large enough to feed a small crowd or leave you with enough leftovers for several lunches.
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs – or chicken breast. I used chicken breast because it’s what I had on hand, but personally, thighs work better for this recipe as they carry more flavor.
Shrimp – go with the large size, uncooked, deveined and preferably peeled to save you some time in the kitchen.
Andouille sausage – I always struggle finding this type of sausage in local grocery stores, but Costco carries it along with any local butcher.
Bell Pepper – Any color. I went with red bell pepper to make it more colorful but there is no flavor difference between the colors.
Onion, garlic, and celery – all for flavor and texture.
Vegetable oil – for searing the vegetables and meat.
Chicken stock and rice – I always cook the rice in stock rather than water for added flavor.
Hot sauce – optional, but this dish needs a little bit of heat for the best flavor.
Worcestershire sauce – adds SO much flavor that has a little bit of a salty tang to it.
Cajun seasoning – blend of cajun spices that are smokey, sweet, and spicy.
Thyme – my favorite herb! It brings out the flavor of the meat.
Bay leaves – adds a subtle herby aftertaste that is very mild.
Green onion – for garnish.
Salt/pepper – to taste
How to Make Authentic Cajun Jambalaya
Let’s start with the hard part first – cooking the meat. Dice the chicken, slice the sausage, and peel/devein the shrimp. Sometimes people prefer to keep the shells on the shrimp because it is said to add more flavor, but I did my own comparison and didn’t notice a flavor difference.
Heat a large heavy bottomed pot to medium high heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil. I always resort to using dutch ovens (I recently switched to using Crock-Pot dutch ovens) for large volume meals that require longer cooking times at low heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
Cook the sausage and shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside to cool. Tent all meat with foil in order to keep it warm.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot and cook until soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (Louisiana hot sauce is the best for this recipe), Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to incorporate.
Add the chicken stock, rice, and 2 bay leaves.
Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid once the rice has finished cooking and add the meat back in.
Garnish with green onion. Enjoy!
How to Store Leftover Jambalaya
Store all leftover Cajun jambalaya in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. These airtight containers from Amazon are my favorite!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links in which I may receive commission from upon sale. These are products I have tried myself and hope you love them as much as I do!
Authentic Cajun Jambalaya Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken breast or boneless thighs
- 10-15 large Shrimp raw and peeled
- 2 cups Andouille sausage
- 1 large Bell pepper any color
- 1 medium Spanish onion
- 3 stalks Celery
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 4 cups Chicken stock
- 2½ cups Jasmine rice or any long grain rice
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 2 tsp Thyme
- 2 Bay leaves
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Dice the chicken, slice the sausage, and peel/devein the shrimp.
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot to medium high heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the sausage and shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside to cool. Tent all meat with foil in order to keep it warm.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot and cook until soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (Crystal Louisiana hot sauce is the best for this recipe), Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to incorporate.
- Add the chicken stock, rice, and 2 bay leaves.
- Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid once the rice has finished cooking and add the meat back in.
- Garnish with green onion. Enjoy!