By Taylor KiserJump to Recipe
This quick and easy Jambalaya is made in one pot and is loaded with a little New Orleans flavor! It’s the perfect gluten-free meal for busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
I’m jamming to the spicy, creamy and SUPER-hearty JAM-balaya beat today.
It’s probably a good thing you’re not here to witness it. I’m not one of those dancers who is full of poise and grace and whatever.
More like flailing arms, awkwardly wiggling legs and I-may-have-possibly-turned-into-a-chicken head thrusts.
The huberoni tells me to “stop doing that” on a very regular basis.
Until I made him a steaming, cozy pot of tender, lightly friedrice, crunchy celery and peppers all mixed up with tangy-sweet tomatoes and BURSTS of a little spicy Cajun flavor. With sausage.
Why You Will LOVE This Recipe
- After trying andouille sausage for my FIRST TIME (I can feel the OVERFLOW of JUDGEhappening right now) I have started to obsess in the only way that I know how: Umm, eat it every single meal and write pretty cursive “Taylor + Andouille” all over my recipe notebooks with scribbly hearts around it. And you know what? If you have never had andouille sausage, you’ll obsess, too.
- It’s New Orleans flavor packed into a one-pot wonder of a meal with SAUSAGE.
- Even your can’t-make-toast husband can REPLICATE, WITH Z-E-R-O LEFTOVERS to hog prized fridge space. Everyone’s a winner. Maybe you’ll even get your hubby to make dinner while you flail your arms to some super-catchy-upbeat tune.
Is Jambalaya Healthy?
Like most soups, stews, and meals of this nature, just how healthy a jambalaya is depends on what you put in it. In this case, it is on the healthier side of things. We use olive oil, which contains monounsaturated fats (i.e., the good kind). We could have also use avocado oil, another healthy one. It also contains numerous vegetables, so you get a range of nutrients from them. Rice in jambalaya is usually white, though you could opt for brown rice, which is higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Choose low-sodium broth and perhaps be aware of the sodium content of the store-bought Cajun seasoning.
INGREDIENTS
I hope you’re a gambler cos this recipe requires you to “dice” a full deck of veggies.
- 1tbsp vegetable oil,I used olive
- 1cupgreen bell pepperdiced (about 1)
- 1cupsmall onion, diced(about 1/2 )
- 2celery ribs,diced
- 2clovesgarlic,minced
- 1/2lb bonelessskinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6oz andouille sausage,cut into rounds
- 1tbsptomato paste
- 3/4cuplong-grain white rice
- 1 1/2cupschicken broth
- 1cupdiced tomatoesundrained
- 1tbspCajun seasoning
- 1bay leaf
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook
Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. When the oil is hot, add the bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add
Add the chicken, andouille, and tomato paste. Stir with the other ingredients and break up the tomato paste. Add the white rice and stir until lightly toasted.
Stir
Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, and bay leaf.
Simmer
Cover, and let it cook over LOW heat for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked through and the liquid has been completely absorbed. Stir every 10 minutes or so to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Serve Hot!
FAQs
is the rice cooked ahead of time or is it cooked after putting in the pot?
In the pot – just as the recipe says!
what’s the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?
Gumbo uses a roux as its base (a mixture of flour and fat). It also typically features okra or file powder (ground sassafras leaves) whereas jambalaya forgoes these ingredients for onion, bell pepper, and celery. Gumbo also more resembles a soup, which is poured over pre-cooked rice. Jambalaya has a thicker consistency because the rice is cooked with the rest of the dish, thereby absorbing their flavors.
my jambalaya is too thin. how do i thicken it?
Try cooking it on LOW heat longer, lid off, to let the excess water evaporate. You could also make a slurry by mixing cornstarch or all-purpose flour and water then adding it to the dish. Do NOT add too much or it will affect the taste. Instead of water, you could mix the flour with oil/butter to make a roux (usually reserved for gumbos but it can work here to thicken up proceedings).
How To Store Easy Jambalaya
Let the jambalaya cool completely, though don’t leave it out for longer than two hours to avoid letting bacteria grow. Put it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you don’t intend on eating it in that time, put it in the freezer, where it should keep for up to 3 months. When you would like to eat it again, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. The next day you can either warm it up in the microwave or on the stove at MEDIUM heat until it attains an internal temperature of 165°F.
Recipe
Easy Jambalaya (Gluten-Free)
4.67 from 6 votes
Rate
Serves: 2 -4
Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 30 minutes minutes
Total: 45 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable Oil I used olive
- 1 cup green bell pepper diced (about 1 )
- 1 cup small onion diced (about 1/2 )
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 oz andouille sausage cut into rounds
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken, andouille, and tomato paste. Stir the mix with the other ingredients and break up the tomato paste.
Add the white rice and stir until lightly toasted.
Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, and bay leaf.
Cover, and let it cook over low heat for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked through and the liquid has been completely absorbed.* Stir every 10 minutes or so to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Serve hot!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
Author: FoodFaithFitness
Course:Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine:American
Share your creationsTag @foodfaithfit and hashtag it #foodfaithfitness so I can see what you made!
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IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS! 
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PER SERVING: POINTS+: 10. OLD POINTS: 9.
(Based off of 4 servings)
Want more easy, weeknight dinners?
Vegan Coconut Curry with Sweet Potato Noodles
Paleo Orange Beef Stir Fry with Kale and Sweet Potato Noodles
Kale and Quinoa Skillet with Mushrooms and Herbs
Other recipes from Julie that I want to try:
Zucchini Noodle Cashew Stir Fry
