United States • Regional Dish • Main Course

Cajun Jambalaya

Servings8

Prep Time20 min

Cook Time50 min

DifficultyEasy

Print Recipe

Ingredients

US Metric

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

12 oz smoked andouille sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 tbsp canola oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Cajun seasoning, divided, preferably low-sodium

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and well-drained

3 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp kosher salt, if needed

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

To taste Louisiana-style hot sauce, for serving

900 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 cm pieces

340 g smoked andouille sausage, sliced 1 cm thick

15 mL canola oil

250 g yellow onion, diced

150 g green bell pepper, diced

120 g celery, diced

12 g garlic, minced

15 mL Cajun seasoning, divided, preferably low-sodium

2 g dried thyme

2 g freshly ground black pepper

10 mL Worcestershire sauce

370 g long-grain white rice, rinsed and well-drained

720 mL low-sodium chicken stock

2 bay leaves

2.5 g kosher salt, if needed

4 green onions, thinly sliced

15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

To taste Louisiana-style hot sauce, for serving

Instructions

Pat the chicken dry and season it with about one-third of the Cajun seasoning and a little black pepper.
Heat the canola oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches for about 4 to 5 minutes, turning so several sides pick up good color. Transfer to a plate.
Add the andouille to the same pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until browned and some of its fat has rendered. Transfer it to the plate with the chicken.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, green bell pepper and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the garlic, remaining Cajun seasoning, thyme and black pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add the rinsed rice and stir for about 1 minute so the grains are coated with the seasoned fat. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaves. Return the chicken and andouille, along with any juices, to the pot. Stir once and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and cook for 25 to 30 minutes without repeatedly lifting the lid or stirring. The rice should be tender and the liquid absorbed. If the rice is still firm, add a small splash of stock and cook a few minutes longer.
Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, then gently fluff the jambalaya with a fork. Taste and add salt only if needed.
Fold in half the green onions and parsley. Spoon into bowls and finish with the remaining green onions, parsley and Louisiana-style hot sauce at the table.

Cultural Context

Jambalaya is a signature Louisiana rice dish with especially strong ties to South Louisiana and Acadiana. Its precise beginnings are debated. Food historians point to French, Spanish, African and other influences rather than one tidy origin story. Cajun jambalaya is commonly called “brown jambalaya”: meat is browned first, the holy trinity follows, and rice cooks directly in the seasoned liquid without tomatoes. That also separates it from Cajun chicken-and-andouille gumbo. Gumbo is a roux-based stew served with rice; jambalaya cooks the rice inside the pot, where it absorbs the broth and browned flavors.

Fun Fact

Gonzales, Louisiana, officially calls itself the “Jambalaya Capital of the World.” That sounds like civic confidence bordering on bragging. Still, jambalaya has the résumé for it: the dish is built to feed crowds, which is why enormous pots regularly show up at festivals, fundraisers, family gatherings and parade routes across Louisiana.

Cook’s Tip

Andouille is the classic choice for smoky Louisiana character, but a good smoked pork sausage or kielbasa works when andouille is unavailable. Chicken breast can replace thighs, though thighs stay juicier during the covered simmer. Use long-grain white rice for the best separate grains; jasmine or basmati will cook, but their aroma changes the traditional profile. Cajun seasoning brands vary widely in salt, so taste before adding extra. This version intentionally contains no tomatoes. Adding tomatoes moves the dish toward Creole-style red jambalaya rather than the brown Cajun style.

Trivia

One of the earliest known printed jambalaya recipes wasn’t published in Louisiana at all. It appeared in an 1878 church cookbook from Mobile, Alabama, spelled “Jam Bolaya.” The earliest identified Louisiana cookbook version followed in 1885. Food history rarely respects state lines.

About This Recipe

Cajun jambalaya is the kind of one-pot dinner that earns repeat appearances. Chicken, smoky andouille, the holy trinity and long-grain rice cook together until the rice absorbs the seasoned broth and browned-meat flavor. Unlike gumbo, there’s no roux and no separate bowl of rice waiting at the end. Everything happens in the same pot. This version stays firmly in the Cajun “brown jambalaya” camp, skipping tomatoes and letting the meat, vegetables and spices do the heavy lifting. Big Louisiana flavor, surprisingly little fuss, and excellent leftovers if the pot somehow survives dinner.

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Cajun Jambalaya

Instructions

Cultural Context

Fun Fact

Cook’s Tip

Trivia

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