With bold, zesty Cajun flavors, this Creole Shrimp Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage is a classic for good reason! It is the perfect warm, hearty one-pot meal to make for a crowd.
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Jambalaya Recipe
- Shrimp Jambalaya Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make Shrimp Jambalaya
- Recipe Tips
- How to Serve Jambalaya
- How to Store and Reheat
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Freezer-Friendly Recipes
- Creole Shrimp Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage Recipe
This recipe is…
This shrimp jambalaya is a reader-favorite recipe from the Fed + Fit book! Just a little bit spicy and filled with a variety of veggies and protein, it’s ideal for a cold night and can be served over white rice or cauliflower rice.
Jambalaya originates from Louisiana, where you’ll find tons of variations on the dish. This version includes chorizo, shrimp, and chicken for protein, celery, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes for veggies, and a variety of Cajun spices like cayenne and oregano for flavor.
Serve the jambalaya over Perfect White Rice or Cauliflower Rice, or with some fresh veggies like our Arugula Salad with Lemon and Sea Salt or Steamed Green Beans. And don’t forget the hot sauce!
Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Jambalaya Recipe
- A streamlined version of a Cajun classic!
- Makes about a dozen servings: enough to feed a crowd
- Easy to adapt to different preferences and spice tolerances
Shrimp Jambalaya Ingredients
Now that we’ve talked a little bit about the history of shrimp jambalaya, let’s talk about what you’ll need to make a pot of this incredible stuff! Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Onions, Celery, and Bell Pepper – Also known as the “Cajun Holy Trinity” this is a cajun twist on classic French mirepoix (which uses carrots instead of bell pepper) and provides an incredible base of flavor to the dish. You can use either green or red bell pepper here!
- Chorizo – being from Texas, we LOVE a good chorizo and thought it would add a nice, spicy twist here. If chorizo isn’t your thing though, andouille sausage is another great choice!
- Chicken – our next protein of choice was chicken. You can use either chicken breast or thighs here, depending on your preference.
- Shrimp – it of course wouldn’t be shrimp jambalaya without the shrimp!
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – we used plain canned diced tomatoes in this recipe to get that brothy, tomato flavor.
- Coconut Aminos – though it isn’t a traditional ingredient in jambalaya, we love the flavor of coconut aminos here to add just a bit of salty umami.
- Cayenne Pepper Sauce – we love Frank’s RedHot for this jambalaya.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Make this recipe your own with a few easy tweaks:
- Sausage – We call for chorizo here because it’s easy to find, packed with flavor, and well…because TEXAS! But you could also use andouille sausage, which is traditionally used in jambalaya, and has great Cajun flavor and heat.
- Hot sauce – we personally love Frank’s RedHot for this jambalaya, though you can use any type of hot pepper sauce you enjoy! If you prefer less spicy food or have kiddos to feed, start with just a few tablespoons and work your way up to your desired spice level.
How to Make Shrimp Jambalaya
Now that you’ve got your ingredients, it’s time to get cooking!
Step 1: If using link-style chorizo, remove the sausage from its casings. Cook the chorizo in an enameled cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed deep-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over high heat, using a spoon or spatula to break it up into crumbles, for 10 minutes or until browned and starting to become crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo from the pan and place it in a large bowl, leaving the grease in the pan.
Step 2: Reduce the heat to medium and add the shrimp to the pan with the sausage grease. Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes per side, until pink and no longer opaque. Transfer the cooked shrimp to the bowl with the cooked chorizo.
Step 3: Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until slightly browned. Transfer the cooked chicken to the bowl with the shrimp and chorizo and set aside.
Step 4: Next, you’ll add the celery, onion, and bell pepper to the pot and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onion is browned and the bell peppers have softened.
Step 5: Once the onion and celery have cooked, you’ll stir in the broth, tomatoes, coconut aminos, hot pepper sauce, and seasonings.
Step 6: Finally, you’ll add the chorizo, chicken, and shrimp back to the pot and cook until simmering, then you’re ready to serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
Recipe Tips
The perfect pot – Cast iron, or another type of heavy-bottomed pot, is ideal for making this recipe because it gives you the most even heat distribution. (No hot spots!)
Make ahead – If you want to make a big batch of jambalaya ahead of time for a dinner or gathering, it’s best to omit the shrimp. Then, when you’re ready to serve the jambalaya, reheat it gently. Then, add the shrimp and cook until pink and just cooked through.
How to Serve Jambalaya
Serve the shrimp jambalaya warm over white rice or cauliflower rice, garnished with fresh parsley.
How to Store and Reheat
Reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop, until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gumbo is another classic Cajun dish popular in Louisiana, and we actually have a fantastic chicken and sausage gumbo recipe! Jambalaya and gumbo have many similarities. They both start with the ‘Cajun holy trinity’ of onions, celery, and bell pepper, often contain a combination of seafood, chicken, and sausage, and are seasoned with plentiful Cajun spices.
Unlike jambalaya, however, gumbo begins with a roux, a mixture of butter and flour, that is cooked down until it is browned. The roux gives the gumbo thickness and provides a distinct flavor to the recipe. Jambalaya, on the other hand, is more brothy because it doesn’t contain a roux, and the Creole version of gumbo is tomato-based, whereas gumbo does not contain tomatoes.
When developing this recipe, I was surprised to learn that the Jambalaya I’d grown up eating was actually Creole, not Cajun. What’s the difference? Simply explained, Cajun food is described as “country food” while Creole food is described as “city food.” Creole food often comes from New Orleans and has a blend of cultural influences including Italian, Spanish, African, and Caribbean foods (for a more in-depth explanation, see this article). The biggest difference between the two cuisines, however, is that Cajun food does not contain tomatoes.
So, the biggest difference between Creole and Cajun jambalaya is that the Cajun jambalaya does not contain tomatoes. The other difference is that in Cajun jambalaya, proteins are seared before cooking. In this recipe, we’ve chosen to sear the proteins to add flavor, so it is a bit of a mix between both Creole and Cajun!
YES! Jambalaya freezes beautifully. This recipe makes a BIG pot of jambalaya (about 10-12 servings) so we definitely recommend freezing any leftovers. To freeze, simply let it cool, then portion into Ziplock bags or glass storage containers, label it, then freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can either microwave it for 4-5 minutes from frozen or add it to a pot over medium heat on the stove and cook for about 15 minutes, until fully heated through.
More Freezer-Friendly Recipes
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Creole Shrimp Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound chorizo, bulk or link style
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, if needed
- 2 cups chopped celery, about 6 stalks
- 1 small onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- ¾ cup chicken or beef broth, storebought or homemade
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- ½ cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 small lemon
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
- White rice or cauliflower rice, for serving
Instructions
- If using link-style chorizo, remove the sausage from its casings. Cook the chorizo in an enameled cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed deep-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over high heat, using a spoon or spatula to break it up into crumbles, for 10 minutes or until browned and starting to become crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo from the pan and place it in a large bowl, leaving the grease in the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the shrimp to the pan with the sausage grease. Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes per side, until pink and no longer opaque. Transfer the cooked shrimp to the bowl with the cooked chorizo.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until slightly browned. Transfer the cooked chicken to the bowl with the shrimp and chorizo and set aside.
- If there isn’t any grease left in the pan, add a tablespoon of butter. Turn the heat up to high and add the chopped celery, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and starting to brown and the bell pepper has softened. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, broth, coconut aminos, hot sauce, lemon juice, oregano, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once the soup is bubbling, return the chorizo, shrimp, and chicken to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer once more. Season with more salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
This was much too spicy for my littles liking! I think this would be a great option but next time I am going to make with less hot sauce.
Good call, Amanda!
I made this tonight and my two teenagers and my husband loved it! I used andouille sausage instead of chorizo and it was still awesome! I prepped a lot of this ahead of time (using all kinds of cool tricks I’ve learned from cooking nearly all the recipes in Cook Once Eat All Week 😀 ) and that made this recipe do-able on a work night. And because there are always such generous leftovers, I’m even more excited to be able to have leftover Jambalaya for lunch tomorrow. Woohoo!
That’s so great, Christina! Thank you for sharing this with us!!
This was so delicious! Everyone in my house enjoyed it. I ended up using 2 Tbsp of Tabasco sauce because that is what we had on hand. (Hubby added much more afterward.) Otherwise, I stuck with the recipe as written. I will definitely make this again.
Wahoo! We’re glad everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing this with us, Natalie!
I made this for Christmas dinner. It was delicious – although I think next time I’ll cut back on the Frank’s and cayenne! But my husband was thrilled with it as is. What brand of chorizo do you use? I just grabbed the first thing I found at HEB, being in a hurry and not up on my chorizo brands.
I just typically look for the one with the cleanest ingredients that is also gluten-free!
Delicious