Easy Jambalaya
Easy, no-fuss jambalaya packed with sausage, shrimp, vegetables, rice and Cajun seasoning made in less than 45 minutes! A weeknight favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 red beller pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in rice, garlic, paprika, oregano, onion powder, thyme and bay leaf until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in chicken stock, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and hot sauce. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until reduced and flavors have blended, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in shrimp; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, covered, until pink and cooked through and rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is the traditional choice for Cajun cooking as it distributes heat evenly and locks in flavor. It is truly the best pot for homemade jambalaya recipes and other New Orleans favorites like gumbo!
- Brown the sausage first. The browned bits left at the bottom of the pot from cooking the sausage (also known as fond) will add all the flavor to the jambalaya.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your jambalaya. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste is a key ingredient, adding body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- Know your shrimp size. Shrimp size is calculated on number of shrimp per pound. The smaller the number, the larger your shrimp. There are about 40-50 medium shrimp per pound.
- Buy frozen shrimp. For superior quality and freshness, using frozen shrimp is ideal (but avoid the bags with freezer burn), opting for a quick thaw under cold running water.
- Add the shrimp at the end. Shrimp cooks very quickly in just a few minutes. Wait until the very end to add in the shrimp to avoid rubbery, overcooked shrimp.
- Avoid over-stirring. Stirring too much will release starch, resulting in gummy jambalaya.
- Serve with hot sauce and crusty bread. Serve with hot sauce (for a kick of heat and to balance its rich flavors) and all the homemade cornbread, the perfect pairing!