Best Cajun Jambalaya Recipes

EASY CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent. Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• The most important thing is to use the right equipment and I would suggest the following: a 2-gallon cast iron Dutch oven, a high BTU gas stove, and a large stainless steel chef's spoon.
• Use high heat to preheat the Dutch oven and add the sausage. Using a chef's spoon or large spoon, constantly move the sausage from the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to burn the meat. (Normally I use Manda's sausage because it has little fat, however at this point you may want to drain off all of the excess grease to reduce the fat content from the dish.)
• Add the thigh meat and brown the chicken on all sides. Again use the spoon to scrape the meat from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. Browning the sausage and chicken meats should take 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the thigh meat to the point that it shreds.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic; saute for about 15 minutes or until the onions are very limp and "clear". Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the "graton". This is where the jambalaya gets its distinct brown color and taste.
• Add the tasso, thyme, basil and black and white pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. This will give the seasonings time to release their oils and flavors.
• At this point the jambalaya concentrate can be transferred to smaller containers, cooled to room temperature, covered and refrigerated for future use. (This is what we do commercially; it allows the seasonings to marry.)
• When you are ready to cook the jambalaya, add the stock to the concentrate and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and gently break up the rice. Using the stainless steel paddle, continue to insure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot; this is very important!
• After about 5 minutes, fold in the parsley. Continue to scrape the pot to insure that no rice sticks to the bottom. When the jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for at least 25 minutes. Do not remove the cover while the rice is steaming.
• If Manda's brand sausage is not available, any lean smoked sausage can be substituted. You may have to remove any excess grease from the pot after frying down an unknown sausage.
• For a richer jambalaya substitute turkey stock for the chicken stock called for above.
• If no stocks are available, then chicken soup base can be used. Be careful with your seasoning, as bases are usually full of salt.
• Alternate Method:
• The jambalaya is best when served directly out of the cast iron pot. While the rice is steaming, the sausage and meat will have a tendency to float to the surface of the jambalaya. Therefore, after the rice has steamed for 25 minutes, use the paddle to gently fold in the meat and seasonings into the cooked rice. This should only be done once or twice, the rice will loose a lot of heat and the rice will break apart.
• Also note, I do not add salt to my jambalaya. This is because I like to use herbs, tasso and seasonings to satisfy the need for salt. I would suggest having the table set with salt shakers and a selection of hot pepper sauces.
• Plate Presentation:

CAJUN JAMBALAYA - EMERIL LAGASSE

Steps:

• In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well.
• In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces.
• Stir in rice and slowly add broth.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage.
• Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large enameled cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally to brown chicken all over, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, leaving oil in skillet.
• Add sausage, cook turning once to brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove to plate with chicken, leaving oil in skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon oil, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan and stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add bay leaf, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and thyme and continue to cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Return meat and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in broth, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, 20 minutes. Serve.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. Set aside.
• In a large pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

SPICY CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a large pot melt butter over medium-high heat.
• Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and saute 5 minutes stirring often.
• Add shrimp, chicken bay leaves and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside and the shrimp is opaque.
• Stir in paprika until thoroughly mixed with other ingredients.
• Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until well mixed.
• Add sausage and ham stirring well. Add crawfish (if using) and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid returns to a boil.
• Stir in scallions, salt and rice. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and cook 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
• Serve with fresh crusty french bread.

EMILE STIEFFEL'S CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Add the thigh meat and brown the chicken on all sides. Again use the spoon to scrape the meat from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. Browning the sausage and chicken meats should take 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the thigh meat to the point that it shreds. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic; saute for about 15 minutes or until the onions are very limp and "clear". Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the "graton". This is where the jambalaya gets its distinct brown color and taste. Add the tasso, thyme, basil and black and white pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. This will give the seasonings time to release their oils and flavors. When you are ready to cook the jambalaya, add the stock to the concentrate and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and gently break up the rice. Using the stainless steel paddle, continue to insure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot; this is very important! After about 5 minutes, fold in the parsley. Continue to scrape the pot to insure that no rice sticks to the bottom. When the jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for at least 25 minutes. Do not remove the cover while the rice is steaming. Alternate Method: If Manda's brand sausage is not available, any lean smoked sausage can be substituted. You may have to remove any excess grease from the pot after frying down an unknown sausage. For a richer jambalaya substitute turkey stock for the chicken stock called for above. If no stocks are available, then chicken soup base can be used. Be careful with your seasoning, as bases are usually full of salt. The jambalaya is best when served directly out of the cast iron pot. While the rice is steaming, the sausage and meat will have a tendency to float to the surface of the jambalaya. After 25 min of steaming, fold vegetables into rice, but only 1-2 times.

CINDI'S JAMBALAYA CAJUN POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat canola oil in a large saucepan, and cook the kielbasa sausage and chicken meat over medium heat until the sausage has browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning and 1 tablespoon of blackened seasoning as it cooks. Remove the sausage and chicken from the pan, and set aside. Cook the onion, celery, and green bell pepper in the hot oil until the onion has turned translucent, about 5 minutes, sprinkling with 1 more tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and 1 tablespoon of blackened seasoning. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon, and set aside.
• Make a roux with the oil left in the pan by sprinkling it with the flour. Whisk the flour and oil together, and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is a pale brown color. This could take up to 15 minutes; watch carefully so the roux doesn't burn. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, to make a thin, smooth gravy. Bring the gravy to a simmer, mix in the cooked sausage, chicken, and vegetables, and cook until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix the rice into the gravy mixture, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes; mix in the shrimp and cook until they are opaque and pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Season the filling with black pepper and cayenne pepper; remove the filling from the heat.
• Fit a pie crust into 1 9-inch pie dish; brush crust with beaten egg, and poke holes all over the crust with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 3 minutes. Fill the parbaked crust with the jambalaya filling, top with the second crust, and pinch and crimp the edges of the crust together with a fork. Brush the crust with more beaten egg, and cut several steam slits into the top of the crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the crust edges begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Line the edges of the crust with foil, and bake until the whole crust is golden brown, about 5 more minutes.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA WITH CATFISH, SCALLOPS AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a bowl combine shrimp, scallops, catfish and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well.
• In a large, heavy, pot heat oil over high heat.
• Saute the onion, peppers and celery, 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato sauce, bay leaves, Worcestershire and chipotle sauces.
• Stir in rice and add broth.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes for white 30 minutes for brown rice.
• Brown rice:.
• Check after 20 minutes and add more broth if using brown rice if needed,.
• When rice is just tender add shrimp, scallops, catfish mixture and sausage. Cook until seafood is done, about 10 minutes more.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning BUT more then likely you won`t need to.

INSTANT POT® CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Rinse rice. Combine wet rice and chicken broth in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Close and lock the lid and set valve to sealing. Choose Rice function. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Transfer rice to a bowl and keep warm.
• Rinse out pot liner and choose Saute function. Add grapeseed oil, chicken, and sausage; saute until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add celery, bell pepper, and onion. Saute 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, Creole seasoning, and Cajun seasoning. Add shrimp and cook just until tails curl up, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve jambalaya on top of or mixed into the cooked rice.

RAGIN' CAJUN JAMBALAYA (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients except the shrimp into the crock pot; stir well to combine.
• Cover and cook on LOW heat for 4-5 hours, until rice is done and vegetables are tender. (If you have an older model crockpot as I do, cook on HIGH for same amount of time).
• Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
• Garnish with snipped parsley and serve with hot sauce at the table.

BROWN CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Prepare Spice Mix in small container; set aside.
• In large Dutch oven brown cooked chicken, smoked sausage and diced ham; drain grease.
• Add to browned meats the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are soft, lifting brown bits from bottom of pan.
• Add spice mix and stir.
• To the same pot stir in 4 cups chicken broth, parsley, green onions, Kitchen Bouquet and bay leaf; bring to a boil.
• Add 2 cups converted rice, stirring once.
• Cover and cook about 20 - 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

CHEESECAKE FACTORY CAJUN JAMBALAYA PASTA

Steps:

• Place the butter into a saute pan. Allow the butter to melt slightly.
• Add the seasoning into the pan, and stir together with the melted butter.
• Add the chicken into the pan, and continue to cook until the chicken is about half done.
• While the chicken is cooking, carefully place the pasta into boiling water, and cook until al dente.
• Pour the clam juice into the pan. Add the peppers and onions. Cook for another minute, making sure the vegetables are heated through and the chicken is almost done.
• Add the shrimp into the pan. Toss the ingredients together, and continue to cook until the shrimp are almost done.
• Add the tomatoes into then pan. Continue to cook mixture until both the shrimp and chicken are thoroughly cooked through.
• Place some pasta into each bowl. Spoon equal portions of the jambalaya mixture into each bowl over the pasta.

CAJUN SHRIMP AND CRAB JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Lightly coar a large geavy skilled with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add oil and flour and stir consistantly until roux turns deep mahogany brown, about 5 minutes. Add onions, green pepper, celery and bacon; saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes longer.
• Stir in tomatoes in puree, broth, rice and Old Bay seasoning; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is almost tender, about 20 minutes.
• Fold in shrimp and cook just until shrimp are pink and firm, about 5 minutes.
• Gently fold in crab; cover and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA STUFFING

Steps:

• Cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Remove sausage from skillet; set aside.
• Add oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, parsley and garlic in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in rice. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is golden brown.
• Stir in sausage, broth, water and Cajun seasoning. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Use to stuff one 10- to 12-pound turkey.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE AND TASSO

Steps:

• Combine the seasonings and set aside.
• In a heavy skillet, melt the margarine and brown the raw rice over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden-brown.
• Chop the Tasso and Andouille sausage.
• Melt the margarine in another heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) and cook the Tasso and sausage over high heat for 5 minutes or so.
• Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and seasoning mix, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until browned (about 10 minutes).
• Stir in the browned rice and add the stock.
• Stir well and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is tender but still crunchy (about 20 minutes).
• This must be stirred frequently to keep the rice from sticking and burning.
• Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately, or pour into a long flat open pan to cool so it will not continue to cook.
• To serve, heat the plates and press about 1/2 cup lightly into a teacup or Pyrex custard cup and turn onto each plate.
• Serve 2 molds for a main course or 1 for an appetizer.
• Serve with little green peas and whole kernel com.

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Use high heat to preheat the Dutch oven and add the sausage. Using a chef's spoon or large spoon, constantly move the sausage from the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to burn the meat. (Normally I use Manda's sausage because it has little fat, however at this point you may want to drain off all of the excess grease to reduce the fat content from the dish.).
• Add the thigh meat and brown the chicken on all sides. Again use the spoon to scrape the meat from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot. Browning the sausage and chicken meats should take 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the thigh meat to the point that it shreds.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic; saute for about 15 minutes or until the onions are very limp and "clear". Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the "graton". This is where the jambalaya gets its distinct brown color and taste.
• Add the tasso, thyme, basil and black and white pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. This will give the seasonings time to release their oils and flavors.
• At this point the jambalaya concentrate can be transferred to smaller containers, cooled to room temperature, covered and refrigerated for future use. (This is what we do commercially; it allows the seasonings to marry.).
• When you are ready to cook the jambalaya, add the stock to the concentrate and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and gently break up the rice. Using the stainless steel paddle, continue to insure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot; this is very important!
• After about 5 minutes, fold in the parsley. Continue to scrape the pot to insure that no rice sticks to the bottom. When the jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, for at least 25 minutes. Do not remove the cover while the rice is steaming.

CAJUN CRAWFISH JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• Saute in margarine the bell pepper, garlic, onion, and celery.
• Add
• some of the crawfish fat for flavor.
• Cook for about 30 minutes over a low fire. Add crawfish tails, green onions, 2 T.
• chopped parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper , and 4 cup of cooked rice. I sometimes add a small can of stem and pieces mushrooms.
• Let this steam for about 5-10 minutes.
• Add a little margarine or water if too dry.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast): Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup