Creole Jambalaya

Cultural Context

Jambalaya is a foundational New Orleans rice dish shaped by the city's West African, Spanish, French, and Caribbean foodways. The Creole, or "red," style is associated with New Orleans and uses tomatoes, while many Cajun versions west of the city are browner and tomato-free. This version keeps the classic Creole profile: rice cooked with the holy trinity, tomatoes, andouille, chicken, shrimp, scallions, and Louisiana-style hot sauce.

Ingredients

Tomato-Rice Base

• 1 can (795 g / 28 oz) peeled whole tomatoes packed in juice
• About 720 ml (3 cups) low-sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed
• 370 g (12 oz / 2 cups) long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
• 15 g (1 Tbsp) tomato paste
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) Louisiana-style hot sauce, plus more for serving

Proteins

• 565 g (1 1/4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 340 g (12 oz) andouille or Creole smoked sausage, sliced into thin rounds
• 340 g (12 oz) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) neutral oil, plus more if needed

Holy Trinity & Seasoning

• 225 g (8 oz / about 1 medium) yellow onion, diced
• 280 g (10 oz / about 2 medium) green bell peppers, diced
• 170 g (6 oz / about 4 ribs) celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves

Substitutions:

• Andouille sausage -> Chaurice, hot smoked sausage, or kielbasa with an extra pinch of cayenne
• Chicken thighs -> Boneless chicken breast, added later and cooked gently to avoid drying out
• Shrimp -> Omit for a chicken-and-sausage version, or replace with cooked crawfish tails stirred in at the end
• Louisiana hot sauce -> Crystal, Tabasco, or another vinegar-forward cayenne sauce

Equipment

• 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid
• 4-cup liquid measuring cup
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Cutting board and chef's knife
• Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

Preparation (Active time: 20 min)

1. Measure the tomato liquid: Set a fine-mesh strainer over a 4-cup measuring cup. Pour in the canned tomatoes and juices. Move the drained tomatoes to a bowl, crush them well with your hands, and strain any released juices into the measuring cup. Add enough chicken stock to the tomato juice to make exactly 960 ml (4 cups) total liquid. Set the crushed tomatoes and liquid aside separately.

2. Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season all over with kosher salt and black pepper. Let it sit while you dice the vegetables and slice the sausage.

Cooking (Active time: 15 min; oven time: 45 min)

3. Brown the chicken: Heat oven to 325 F (160 C). Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and brown about 6 minutes per side, adjusting heat to prevent scorching. Transfer to a board, rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. The chicken will finish cooking with the rice.

4. Render the sausage: Add the sausage to the same pot. Cook, stirring often, until the edges darken and some fat renders, about 3 minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a small splash of oil.

5. Cook the trinity: Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and the white parts of the scallions. Cook, scraping the browned bits from the pot, until the vegetables soften and begin to turn lightly golden, about 8 minutes.

6. Build the Creole base: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until it darkens slightly. Add hot sauce, thyme, oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, a generous grind of black pepper, crushed tomatoes, the measured tomato-stock liquid, diced chicken, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and taste the liquid; it should be well seasoned because it will flavor the rice.

7. Bake the rice: Stir in the rice, return to a simmer, cover tightly, and transfer the pot to the oven. Bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Avoid stirring during this time so the grains stay intact.

Assembly & Finishing

8. Finish with shrimp: Remove the pot from the oven. Gently fold in the shrimp and the green parts of the scallions. Cover and return to the oven until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

9. Rest and serve: Let the covered pot rest off heat for 15 minutes. Remove visible bay leaves. Fluff gently from the edges toward the center, then serve hot with extra Louisiana hot sauce at the table.

Food Safety & Storage

• Minimum safe internal temperature: Chicken should reach 165 F (74 C); shrimp should be opaque and firm, 145 F (63 C).
• Storage: Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Freeze cooled jambalaya in portion containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheating: Reheat covered on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of stock or water, or microwave covered in 1-minute bursts, stirring gently, until steaming hot throughout.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve as a one-pot main course with Louisiana hot sauce.
• Add a simple green salad, smothered green beans, or warm French bread.
• For a New Orleans table, pair with iced tea, a light lager, or an off-dry Riesling.

Scaling Notes

Half recipe (1/2x): Use a 4-quart Dutch oven, halve all ingredients, and check rice after 32 to 35 minutes in the oven.

Double recipe (2x): Use two Dutch ovens rather than one crowded pot. Doubling in a single pot can cook the rice unevenly and overcook the shrimp.

Chef's Notes

• Sourcing: Use smoked andouille or chaurice with a coarse texture and visible spice. Avoid bland smoked sausage if you can find a Louisiana-style option.
• Make-ahead: Dice the trinity, slice the sausage, and peel the shrimp up to 1 day ahead. Keep shrimp refrigerated separately until cooking.
• Technique: Measuring tomato juice plus stock to exactly twice the rice volume keeps the jambalaya moist without turning soupy. Baking reduces scorching and protects the rice from over-stirring.
• Variations: For a Brennan-style shrimp-and-ham Creole jambalaya, replace the chicken with 115 g (4 oz) diced ham or pickled pork and simmer the tomato-stock base longer before adding rice.
• Common pitfalls: Do not use instant rice; it will turn mushy. Do not stir repeatedly after the rice goes in. Do not add shrimp before the rice is done, or it will overcook.

Nutrition Information (Optional)

Per serving: approximately 430 kcal

• Protein: 31g | Fat: 15g | Carbohydrates: 41g | Fiber: 3g

---

Sources

• Serious Eats, "Creole-Style Red Jambalaya With Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Recipe": https://www.seriouseats.com/creole-style-red-jambalaya-chicken-sausage-shrimp-recipe
• NewOrleans.com, "Jambalaya": https://www.neworleans.com/restaurants/traditional-new-orleans-foods/jambalaya/
• Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, "Creole Jambalaya": https://www.neworleans-food.com/creole-jambalaya/
• Southern Living, "Our Best Jambalaya": https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/best-jambalaya
• Hero image source, Wikimedia Commons, "Mmm... jambalaya.jpg": https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mmm..._jambalaya.jpg
• Original hero image source, Flickr by jeffreyw: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyww/5981554205/

Version History:

• v1 (2026-06-30): Initial recipe by @Codex

Credits:

• Recipe development: @Codex, synthesized from the sources listed above
• Testing: @Codex
• Verification: @Coordinator
• Photography: "Mmm... jambalaya.jpg" by jeffreyw, via Wikimedia Commons/Flickr, licensed CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

---

Recipe Location: /Recipes/new-orleans/new-orleans_creole-jambalaya_v1.md
Images Location: /Images/creole-jambalaya/