An easy one pot meal of spicy sausage, tomatoes, rice, and spices make this the best and easiest jambalaya recipe you’ve ever tried.
I had never tried jambalaya until one night a few years ago when I was helping a friend of a friend with her Christmas soiree. Believe me when I say it couldn’t possibly qualify as just a party. It was indeed a soiree. But my job at said fancy pants party was to basically be the head caterer…without having to make all the food. Now that you’re kinda confused by this picture in your head the really important part that you need to know is that I got paid in food.
There was so much good food at this party that I can still remember it several years later. Homemade meatballs and a spicy bean dip and jambalaya. Oh good heavens the jambalaya. It was packed full of shrimp and chicken and sausage and she made so much that I got to eat jambalaya leftovers for dayssss. And I was not sad about it. It was just the right amount of spicy and tomato-y and perfect. It was so freakin’ perfect.
I thereafter became obsessed with jambalaya but wasn’t nearly brave enough to make my own. So I made it from a box. That little red and white box. Y’all know what I’m talkin’ about. And I wasn’t proud of myself but I wasn’t exactly super comfy in the kitchen at that point either. At least not outside of my usual staple favorites.
Then I made this. Then I put this in my mouth. Then I literally said out loud “omg”. Because what in the heck had I been waiting for for so long?! Plus I made it in one pot cause lets be real. One pot meals are what I do, y’all. I used only sausage in this go ’round but I’m pumped to try shrimp and chicken or all three together!
Do you have a dish you’ve never tried that quickly became a favorite after your first bite?
- 1 lb sausage sliced
- 2 ½ cups long grain rice
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbs onion powder
- 1 Tbs garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- Add olive oil and sliced sausage to a pan over medium heat and cook through.
- Add tomatoes, rice, water, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir in onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, and salt.
- Simmer over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
We eat rice like there’s going to be a shortage haha. Adding this to the menu soon!
The last time we bought rice it was a gigantic 25 pound bag and it’s glorious having this much rice at my disposal!
~Meaghan
I love rice, but unfortunately, it does not like me. 🙂 It makes me bloat, but I eat it anyway. LOL. This dish looks great, M… I’m just concerned with using vegetarian sausage; it would be missing the natural grease found in pork-based sausage. Would that make a difference to this dish?
I don’t think so. I’ve used turkey sausage before which has a lower fat/grease content and it came out great!
~Meaghan
Jambalaya is such a Southern thing! Well, I guess deep south thing. I grew up on this stuff!
I LOVE it! I’m constantly tinkering with this one to get it as close as humanly possible to the best Jambalaya I’ve ever had!
~Meaghan
I’ve never made jambalaya and it is something I have had kicking around in my head for a while, gotta give this a try!
This is a great base recipe, especially if you want to add a little more spice!
~Meaghan
I LOVE LOVE LOVE jambalaya – it’s one of my very favorite creole foods 🙂 Can’t wait to give this version a try!
I hope you love it! Or maybe can give me some pointers 😉
~Meaghan
I’ve never made jambalaya before, but you’ve got me wanting to try it!! It looks amazing, and I love any Cajun dish!
This dish is one of my favorites! I play around with the protein in it each time and so far sausage is my favorite with shrimp a close second 🙂
~Meaghan
I don´t think I´ve ever tasted jambalaya but now I am definitely going to try it!!
This one is the perfect starter recipe!
~Meaghan
Too easy to be true! Can’t wait to give this a try, Meaghan!
I hope you love it!
~Meaghan