There’s nothing quite like a Cajun Jambalaya recipe to honor the flavorful intricacies that make Louisianan and Cajun cuisine so beloved. This well-known dish is well-loved for a reason: it is the epitome of what makes Louisiana comfort food so desirable. Combine pork shoulder, chicken thighs, and andouille for a pairing that goes perfectly with rice and a medley of vegetables and herbs. This hearty and satisfying meal is as flavorful as they come and completely irresistible.
Cajun Jambalaya
Makes about 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut in ¾-inch cubes
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cubed
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 pounds andouille sausage, diced
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 Spanish onions, diced small
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 green bell peppers, diced small
- 3 stalks celery, diced small
- 2 bunches green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated, and divided
- 4 cups long-grain white rice
- 1½ quarts unsalted chicken stock, warmed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with butcher twine
- 5 dried bay leaves
- Cajun seasoning, to taste
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Crystal Hot Sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine pork and chicken, and season with salt and black pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven, add oil andouille, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly crispy. Set aside andouille, leaving browned bits and drippings in pan.
- In the same pan, melt butter and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a flat-bladed wooden spatula, until browned. Add pork and chicken thighs, in batches if necessary, and cook thoroughly over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Add Spanish onion and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, about 20 minutes.
- Add bell pepper, celery, and white parts of green onion to meat mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add reserved andouille, and stir to combine. Add rice, and stir to combine; cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant. Increase heat to high. Add stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Taste broth, and season aggressively with salt, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Cover tightly with foil, and cover with lid; cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Check rice, and if it’s not quite ready, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove foil, fluff rice, and gently fold in green parts of green onion, parsley, and hot sauce. Browned bits on the bottom of the pan are not just OK but highly prized, so be sure to scrape as much off as you can.
Watch this dish come together on our YouTube channel where a new episode of “Louisiana Cookin’ with Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois” is uploaded every Thursday!
How do I make this recipe into a crockpot recipe?
You don’t.
Searing of the protein is essential. Crockpots are for long and slow simmer.
Imagine slow cooking in crockpot for re-heating would be good.
There needs to be more direction of the “sugar roux”. He says to get it the color of his light tan cooking spoon. This is not dark enough and left my jambalaya way too sweet. The sugar should be CARAMELIZED darkly so cancel out the sweet and introduce the depth of flavors. Oh well.
Thanks – it sounds delicious, but can the amount of rice really be correct? Isn’t 4 cups for 12 servings very little, unless you serve it with bread or something else?
This recipe is awesome and should be rated higher.
Novice from Canada here, but why is there no Cajun or Creole seasoning going into this? Is the Andouille enough or something?
never mind, it’s in your recipe, but it doesn’t say how much. Funny observation: Chef uses a metal soup spoon to taste the broth, then puts it aside like a chef would. But later, he uses that wooden spoon/paddle, digs out some rice, eats some right off the spoon, then discards the remainder of the rice onto a plate and uses the same spoon that was just in his mouth and stirs his pot with it! I can’t imagine he’d do that as a chef in a restaurant, lol. Anyway, this looks sound, and I’m going to give it a try. I’ll just have to make up in my head how much seasoning is going in.