Jambalaya Recipe: Authentic Creole and Cajun Variants for Everyday Meals

Creole jambalaya is a Louisiana rice dish cooked in one pan with tomatoes, stock, herbs, and cooked poultry. This recipe serves 3 and takes about 1 hour. It uses long-grain rice and canned tomatoes for a red colour. The method is simple, so it suits a regular main course meal.

Jambalaya is one of Louisiana’s best-known dishes. It is linked to Spanish and French cooking, and it is often described as a New World version of paella. Over time, local tastes shaped it into a rice dish that can include many meats or seafood.

The dish is said to have started in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Spaniards tried to make paella, but saffron was costly to import. Tomatoes were used instead, which helped form red jambalaya. Later, French influence grew, and spices from the Caribbean added more flavour.

Creole and Cajun types

Modern Louisiana cooking has two main types: Creole and Cajun jambalaya. Creole jambalaya is also called red jambalaya, and it uses tomatoes. Cajun jambalaya has no tomatoes and is linked to rural swamp areas. It gets a smoky brown colour from browning meat in a cast iron pot.

Recipe overview

This is a Creole jambalaya recipe with poultry and canned tomatoes. It uses dried herbs and cumin for flavour, plus celery softened in butter. The rice cooks in chicken stock and tomato juices, then absorbs the liquid as it simmers. You discard the bay leaf before serving.

Ingredients

Measure and prep everything before you start cooking. Keep the tomato juice, since it helps cook the rice. The mushrooms are optional, and you can leave them out. Use cooked and chopped turkey or chicken, so the dish finishes in about 20 minutes of simmering.

• Bay leaf: 1
• Dried savoury: 1/2 tsp (about 1 g)
• Salt: 1/2 tsp (about 3 g)
• Dried basil: 1 tsp (about 1 g)
• Dried thyme: 1 tsp (about 1 g)
• Ground cumin: 1 1/2 tsp (about 3 g)
• Celery, chopped: 1/3 cup (about 40 g)
• Butter: 1/2 tbsp (about 7 g)
• Canned tomatoes, diced or torn: 14.5 oz (411 g), with juice
• Long-grain rice (dry): 2/3 cup (about 130 g)
• Chicken stock or broth: 1 1/2 cups (360 ml)
• Cooked turkey or chicken, chopped: 2 cups (about 280 g)
• Sliced mushrooms, canned and drained (optional): 1 small can (about 115 g drained)

Equipment

Use a wide pan so the rice cooks evenly. A lid is important, since the rice needs covered simmering to absorb the liquid. A small grinder helps turn the mixed dried seasonings into a fine powder. Use a spoon for stirring and a measuring cup for accurate liquid ratios.

• Wide pan with a lid
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Knife and chopping board
• Small grinder or mortar and pestle
• Wooden spoon

Procedure

Follow the steps in order and keep the heat steady. Do not brown the celery, since the goal is to soften it. Once the pot boils, lower the heat and cover it. By the end, the rice should be tender and most liquid should be absorbed.

1. Mix salt, savoury, basil, thyme, and cumin. Grind them to a powder.
2. Prepare the canned tomatoes. Tear them up, remove stem ends, and remove seeds if you like. Keep the juice.
3. Heat a wide lidded pan. Lightly fry the celery in butter. Soften it but do not brown it.
4. Add tomatoes with juice, rice, chicken stock, bay leaf, ground seasoning mix, and cooked chopped poultry. Add mushrooms now, if using.
5. Bring the pan to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice absorbs the liquid.
6. Discard the bay leaf. Stir and serve hot.

Notes on timing and serving

The simmer time is about 20 minutes, but allow extra time for measuring, grinding spices, and prepping tomatoes. This recipe serves 3 as a main course. Since it is a Creole jambalaya, tomatoes are key to the colour and taste, so keep them in the pot with their juice.

Nutritional values (approximate)

Values vary by brand of stock, tomatoes, and the poultry used. The table lists an estimate per serving when the pot is divided into 3 portions. If you use salted stock or add more salt, the sodium value will rise.