One Pan Jambalaya

This easy Jambalaya recipe is full of bold cajun flavors, and made in just one pan. It’s the kind of healthy comfort food I crave, since it’s hearty but also loaded with protein, and veggies.

Check out my other favorite cajun and creole inspired dinner recipes, including Gumbo, Cajun Kebabs and Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta.

Why I love this meal:

• One-Pot Meal means minimal mess in the kitchen, and no sacrifice of flavor, for the best sausage jambalaya recipe.
• Easy – it’s simple enough for anyone to make. My kids often choose it when it’s their turn to cook dinner.
• Adaptable: We like to add jumbo shrimp, or extra diced veggies from the fridge that need to be used. You can use any kind of sausage, or omit the meat and use chicken broth, to make it vegetarian.

Gumbo vs Jambalaya:

Jambalaya and gumbo are both popular dishes made in Louisiana but the dishes and cooking methods are different. Jambalaya is a rice dish, similar to Paella (in appearance, but not taste), and Gumbo is more of a stew that’s often served over rice. Both contain the “holy trinity” of cajun cooking, which is bell peppers, onion and celery. Both also often contain sausage and shrimp.

How to Make Jambalaya:

Brown Meat: Add the chicken to a large pan with a little oil over medium high heat. Cook, flipping once or twice to brown on all sides (don’t cook chicken through). Remove to a bowl then add sausage and cook until browned on both sides. Add to the bowl with the chicken.

Sauté Veggies: Reduce heat to medium and add butter and flour to the pan then stir well, scraping up any leftover browned bits from the pan. Add onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers then sauté for a 3 minutes.

Combine: Add basil, cajun seasoning, diced tomatoes, salt, then pepper. Stir well to combine then add chicken broth and rice. Bring mixture to a gentle boil then add reserved meat to the pan. Reduce heat, cover pan with fitted lid, then cook for 20 minutes.

Serve: Remove from heat and rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. Then gently fluff jambalya rice with a fork and rest again for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Variations:

• Sausage: Andouille sausage has a little bit of a kick. If you’d like mild sausage, substitute a Polska Kielbasa, or other pork sausage.
• Add Shrimp: Jumbo, uncooked shrimp could be added in the same time as the rice and cooked with everything together. Or you could cook the shrimp separately (or thaw frozen cooked shrimp) and add it at the end.
• Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe.

*I originally shared this recipe April 2015. Updated January 2019 and August 2023.

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