Last week I posted my Crockpot Gumbo Recipe, this week I’m making Jambalaya! Similar but not the same.

Gumbo is a soupy stew often served with rice, while jambalaya is a rice-based dish where the rice is cooked in the same pot with other ingredients. Gumbo typically involves a roux (flour and fat) or other thickener like okra or filé powder to thicken the broth, and is often served with a small amount of rice. Jambalaya, on the other hand, generally doesn’t use a roux or thickener, and the rice is cooked until it’s moist but not mushy. 

Anyway, this was another fan favorite that I also didn’t eat but I decided to share, I made this with you on my Instagram story and everyone demanded the recipe so here it is!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 small bell peppers, cored and diced (I used a yellow and red bell pepper for color)
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3–4 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice (I used Zatarain’s Jambalaya Rice)
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup thinly-sliced okra*
• Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce

How To Make:

Dice up the vegetables and then the meats and have them ready!

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a stock pot (or a very large, deep sauté pan, I used my dutch oven) over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and sausage and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned.  Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the stock pot.  Add bell peppers, celery, onion and garlic. Sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes or so along the way so that the rice does not burn.

4. Add the shrimp, okra, and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink. Stir in the chicken and sausage, and remove and discard the bay leaf.

5. Taste season the jambalaya with salt, pepper, and additional Cajun seasoning if needed. 

Notes:

• If you like spice feel free to add two jalepenos
• You can use fresh or frozen okra, if you use frozen just make sure you allow thaw time for the okra.