One-Pot Jambalaya is an easy basic weeknight version of the classic Cajun dinner. It's full of creamy tomatoey rice, Andouille Sausage and the Cajun trinity of vegetables - onion, celery, and green bell pepper. With simple pantry ingredients, this super basic jambalaya is sure to become a family favorite you'll want to make again and again!
One-Pot Comfort Food!
- Basic and EASY Jambalaya! - Jambalaya is the perfect one-pot comfort food, and this is a super easy and basic version! It's just the right balance of veggies, rice, and meat, all simmered together for easy clean up and amazing flavor! If you've never made jambalaya, start here!
- You'll Love the Ingredient List! - It's only 10 easy to find, simple real food ingredients. Nothing out of the ordinary, totally common, heavy on the veggies, a can of tomato and that bag of white rice already sitting in your pantry. You will need Andouille or Kielbasa Sausage, some basic vegetables and spices you already have in the cabinet.
- If you Love One-Pot Dinners, try my Baked Tortellini with Italian Sausage and my One Pot Maple Pork Roast!
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Ingredients
- The Cajun Vegetable Trinity - Onion, Green Bell Pepper, Celery - That classic combination known in Cajun cooking! Onion, green bell pepper and celery are a healthy veggie base to this dish while bringing big jambalaya flavor!
- Andouille Sausage - Andouille is a spicy, smoked sausage that packs a ton of flavor into this simple jambalaya. Kielbasa can be substituted.
- Salt and Pepper - To season the veggies.
- Garlic - Fresh chopped garlic brings great flavor to this dish.
- Paprika - Paprika brings a smokey flavor, enhancing the smokiness of the sausage.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes - Canned tomatoes work beautifully because their tomato juice really flavors the rice. You can use a 14 ounce can of diced or fire roasted tomatoes, or whole peeled tomatoes and chop them with a knife. Just be sure to add all the juice from the can!
- White Rice - I use a very basic white rice for this dish. It's quick cooking, simple and absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients. If you wanted to use brown rice, it should be cooked separately since it needs to be cooked much longer.
- Chicken Stock - The basic liquid used to cook the rice. You could also use vegetable stock or water, however chicken stock adds flavor. Try saving your bones and veggie scraps and stock your freezer with Homemade Chicken Stock!
Instructions
Step 1 - In about 45 minutes, one pot jambalaya is one of the easiest dishes to make! Use a skillet or large pot with a lid, jambalaya in a Dutch oven works well, something large enough to hold the entire dish.
Start by chopping the veggies and sausage.
Step 2 - Saute them in olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Step 3 - When they are starting to caramelize and darken in color, add in your garlic and paprika, the only spices needed!
Add in a can of tomato with its juices, basic white rice, and chicken stock.
Step 4 - Bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 25 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Give it an occasional good stir. The rice soaks up the juicy tomatoes and stock, turning creamy and delicious!
If you find that the liquid has been soaked up but the rice still isn't quite done, just add a bit of water and keep simmering. Garnish with scallions and serve!
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
- Storage - Leftover Jambalaya can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and microwaved or rewarmed on the stovetop.
- Make Ahead - This entire dish could be made ahead of time, cooled and stored in the fridge for a quick dinner. If making ahead to quickly reheat for dinner, don't quite finish the simmering time at first. Simmer for just 15 minutes instead of 25, so the rice is only par-cooked. After being refrigerated, you can finish cooking it as you rewarm it on the stovetop or in a crockpot.
- Freezer - Extra jambalaya can be frozen in individual containers for up to 3 months, although the texture of the rice after being frozen is not quite as good. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
The spice level of this jambalaya depends entirely on the sausage you use. Aside from the sausage, no it isn't spicy. Andouille sausage can be spicy so check the label. Kielbasa is a great substitute that is milder in spice.
Yes, while the sausage alone is enough, it's also fine to throw in a handful of frozen shrimp to simmer when you add the rice.
Jambalaya is the hallmark Creole dish but it varies widely from cook to cook. It can be cooked with almost any kind of meat, poultry, or shellfish. So yes, this basic recipe could certainly be altered to include additional meats or substitutions. To keep it basic, I think one is enough. It's the right balance of veggies, starch and protein. Another meat would throw that off, unless you were making a larger portion. Plus, it becomes less simple! I love the cajun flavor of the Andouille, but I have also used Kielbasa, a similar Polish smoked sausage. Both work fine, Andouille can be on the spicier side, so check what the package says.
Yes! Full of veggies, gluten-free, this creamy jambalaya is a complete balanced one-pot dinner. Its simple clean ingredients are heavy on the protein and vegetables.
More Favorite Easy Dinners!
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One-Pot Jambalaya
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 pound Andouille or Kielbasa sausage sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 grinds fresh black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14 ounce)
- 1 ½ cups white rice
- 4 cups chicken stock plus ½ cup of water, more if needed
- 2 Tablespoons scallions sliced for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot with a lid, over medium heat, add oil and saute onion, bell pepper, celery, and sliced sausage. Season with salt and pepper, about 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato, rice, stock and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover, reduce heat to medium low, and gently simmer about 20 to 25 minutes (taste the rice to make sure it's done). Stir occasionally.
- Garnish with scallions and serve.
Notes
- Shrimp - Fresh or frozen shrimp can be added when you add the rice to simmer.
- Storage - Store jambalaya leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and microwave to reheat.
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