Jammin’ on the Bayou: Jambalaya

I’m Cajun, so jambalaya is practically a family obligation. Smoked sausage, chicken, shrimp, rice, and a little Louisiana attitude all come together in one skillet. After all, you can take the Cajun out of Louisiana, but you’d better not take the jambalaya out of the Cajun.
Print Recipe

Times are approximate and may vary depending on your equipment, ingredient sizes, and cooking pace.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 2
Estimated calories per serving: 600

Equipment

  • Large skillet with fitted lid
  • Small pot
  • Digital kitchen scale (grams and ounces)

Ingredients
  

  • 5 oz (140 g) raw shrimp, headless and peeled
  • 5 oz (140 g) smoked chicken sausage
  • 3 oz (88 g) canned chicken breast (drained)
  • 15 oz (425 g) bell pepper (one red and one green)
  • 3 oz (85 g) red onion
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 jalapeño (if you like heat)
  • ½ cup dry parboiled rice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 1 cup vegetable broth)
  • 1 cup water (omit if using prepared broth)

Spice Bowl

  • 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
  • ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (plus more to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ head of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon double-concentrated tomato paste

Garnish

  • 1 green onion

Steps
 

Preparation

           Shrimp, Sausage, and Chicken

    • Leave the shrimp whole. Slice the sausage into half-moons about ¼ inch thick. Drain the canned chicken, reserving the liquid, and flake the chicken with a fork.

           Broth

    • If using the vegetable bouillon cube, combine 1 cup water and the cube in a small pot. Heat until the cube dissolves. If using prepared vegetable broth instead, simply pour 1 cup broth into the small pot. Do not add water or the bouillon cube. Add the reserved liquid from the canned chicken and set aside.

           Vegetables

    • Cut the bell peppers and red onion into cubes about ½ inch across. Remove the strings from the celery with a vegetable peeler and slice it thinly. If using the jalapeño, finely chop it, with or without the seeds. Finely chop the garlic. Thinly slice the green onion diagonally for garnish.

           Spice Bowl

    • Combine the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, parsley, thyme, cayenne pepper, oregano, bay leaf, garlic, and tomato paste in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

    Sausage and Vegetables

    • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and sauté until lightly browned and some fat has rendered.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the red onion, bell peppers, celery, and jalapeño, if using. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant. Do not overcook; the vegetables will continue cooking with the rice.

    Rice and Chicken

    • Add the dry rice to the skillet and stir to coat it with the oil and sausage drippings. Add the prepared broth and the spice mixture. Stir well.
    • Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered for 5 minutes.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the canned chicken. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

    Shrimp

    • Add the whole shrimp, cover, and continue simmering at medium-low for another 10 minutes, until the rice is tender, the liquid is absorbed, and the shrimp are opaque and fully cooked.

    Serve

    • Remove the bay leaf. Fluff the jambalaya with a fork and divide between two plates. Garnish with the green onion.

    Notes

    Calorie Estimate

    We estimate calories by adding the contribution of each ingredient using nutritional information from USDA FoodData Central, supplemented by manufacturer nutrition labels and other documented sources when needed.
    Ingredient Calories
    Dry parboiled rice 346
    Smoked chicken sausage 264
    Olive oil 119
    Bell pepper 115
    Canned chicken breast 114
    Raw shrimp, headless and peeled 106
    Red onion 37
    Vegetable bouillon cube 30
    Double-concentrated tomato paste 27
    Head of garlic 22
    Celery 6
    Green onion 5
    Jalapeño 4
    Cayenne pepper 1
    Dried oregano 1
    Dried parsley 1
    Dried thyme 1
    Smoked paprika 1
    Black pepper 1
    Bay leaf 0
    Salt 0
    Water 0
    Entire recipe: 1,200 calories
    Per serving (2 servings): 600 calories

    All of Living in Beauty Recipes

    We are working on a series of recipes that are easy to fix in an RV and are approximately 600 calories per person for two people. Ultimately, they will be compiled into “The Bean Counter Cookbook.”