When it comes to classic Cajun dishes, jambalaya is one of my favorites. It’s quintessential comfort food and a Louisiana staple. You can enjoy it as a side to fried chicken or catfish, or as a one-pot dinner dish.
What makes jambalaya amazing is it come together upon layers and layers of flavor built from beginning to end. At the base is the holy trinity, a mixture of chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper that creates the seasoning foundation of the jambalaya.
Another key in layering those flavors is cooking your meats separately. In a separate skillet I cook the chicken until fully cooked along with browning the sausage, and dump it all into the jambalaya pot to marry the flavors.
Jambalaya Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- andouille sausage
- boneless-skinless chicken thighs
- large fresh shrimp
- holy trinity – onion, bell pepper celery
- garlic
- long grain rice
- chicken broth
- butter
- Italian Seasoning
- Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
- bay leaves
How to make jambalaya
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium high heat.
- Season chicken with Cajun seasoning and add to pot to cook for 7-10 minutes, or until browned and fully cooked.
- Remove from pot and add in sausages. Let sausages sear for 3 minutes. stir and let cook for another 3 minutes and remove from pot.
- Add onion, celery, and bell pepper, and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until tender.
- Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add rice, and stir for about 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Add the meats back to the pot, along with chicken broth, and more seasoning.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
- In a separate pan, melt butter and add in shrimp seasoned with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes, tossing the shrimp around frequently in the pan over medium heat. Remove from heat.
- When broth has been fully absorbed and rice is fully cooked, turn off heat and stir shrimp into jambalaya. Add in fresh parsley and stir into jambalaya.
- Continue to season as desired before serving.
Make jambalaya a day ahead of when you plan to serve so that the flavors can further develop and deepen overnight.
Jambalaya
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium high heat.
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Season chicken with Cajun seasoning and add to pot to cook for 7-10 minutes, or until browned and fully cooked.
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Remove from pot and add in sausages. Let sausages sear for 3 minutes. stir and let cook for another 3 minutes and remove from pot.
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Add onion, celery, and bell pepper, and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
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Add rice, and stir for about 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted.
Add the meats back to the pot, along with chicken broth, and more seasoning.Â
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Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
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In a separate pan, melt butter and add in shrimp seasoned with Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes, tossing the shrimp around frequently in the pan over medium heat. Remove from heat.
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When broth has been fully absorbed and rice is fully cooked, turn off heat and stir shrimp into jambalaya. Add in fresh parsley and stir into jambalaya. Continue to season as desired before serving.
