Jambalaya Recipe

Brown sausage and ham

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. When hot, add sliced smoked sausage in a single layer and brown, stirring occasionally, 4–5 minutes until edges are caramelized. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a bowl, leaving rendered fat in the pot.

Optional: Brown chicken

If using chicken, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Pat chicken pieces dry and season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Brown chicken in batches 3–4 minutes per side until golden but not fully cooked. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage.

Add diced ham back to the pot with sausage drippings briefly just to warm and sear edges for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with sausage/chicken.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pot. When melted, add diced onion, green bell pepper, celery, and jalapeño. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Add garlic

Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, stirring so it doesn’t burn.

Toast rice

Add the rinsed long-grain rice to the pot with the vegetables. Stir to coat the rice grains in the fat and aromatics and toast lightly for 1–2 minutes—this builds flavor and helps keep the rice from becoming mushy.

Deglaze and combine

Pour in the canned diced tomatoes with their juices and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon. Return the browned sausage, ham, and chicken (if used) to the pot and stir to combine.

Add stock and seasonings

Pour in 4 cups chicken stock. Add Creole/Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, dried thyme, bay leaf, remaining salt and black pepper, and hot sauce or cayenne. Stir once to distribute evenly.

Simmer and cook rice

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and simmer without stirring for 18–22 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Start checking at 18 minutes; if rice still has a lot of liquid, cook an additional 2–4 minutes. Avoid stirring during this phase to prevent gummy rice.

Rest and fluff

When the rice is cooked, remove the pot from heat and let it rest, covered, for 5–10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Then use a fork to gently fluff the rice, mixing the meat and vegetables evenly throughout.

Adjust seasoning and serve

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or hot sauce as desired. Stir in chopped parsley and half of the sliced green onions. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle remaining green onions on top as garnish. Serve hot.