Creole Jambalaya – Lemon Blossoms

This hearty Creole Jambalaya recipe combines sausage, shrimp, veggies and rice with the bold flavors of Cajun spices and creole seasoning. Loaded with bold flavor, this classic New Orleans one-pot meal is a lot easier to make than you may think! 

What’s Jambalaya?

A staple of southern cooking, Jambalaya is a classic Louisiana rice dish packed with fresh vegetables, different types of meat and/or seafood. Influenced by French, African and Spanish cuisine, recipes for the Creole and the Cajun versions of Jambalaya have been hand down for generations and vary from family to family.

What’s in Creole Jambalaya?

This classic New Orleans dish has layers upon layers of flavor, built with creole style and cajun seasonings, onion, celery and green bell peppers (also called the holy trinity of vegetables of creole cooking) are the building blocks of this authentic jambalaya recipe.

Crushed tomatoes, smoked sausage and tender shrimp complete this savory, boldly flavored, smoky and mildly spicy hearty dish. This classic creole dish is truly pure comfort food in a bowl.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sausage: Andouille sausage is a spicy pork sausage used in creole and cajun recipes. If you cannot find andouille at your grocery store, a good substitute is Kielbasa sausage or any other smoky flavored sausage.
• Aromatics: I used fresh garlic cloves, minced. Garlic paste is your second best option. Avoid using garlic powder. Celery, green bell pepper and onion make up the “holy trinity” of creole and cajun cooking. Yellow onion as well as brown and white onions can be used. Onion powder can’t replace fresh onions in this recipe.
• Spices: Dried thyme, dried oregano, paprika and cayenne pepper. Add more cayenne or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce if you want a stronger spicy flavor.
• Rice: White rice (long grain rice) is typically the rice used for this dish. Using medium-grain or short-grain rice can end up in a mushier texture (personally, a flavorful mush doesn’t bother me one bit but, that’s just a personal preference.
• Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a crucial part of Creole jambalaya. Use canned whole tomatoes, drained and crushed. Already crushed tomatoes have more liquid than the whole tomatoes so you may need to reduce the liquid by 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Tomato paste is used for flavor and color.
• Chicken Stock: Use chicken broth instead of water which has zero flavor! I tested this recipe with regular chicken stock (not low sodium) and in my opinion the dish could have used a bit of extra salt.
• Shrimp: Raw medium shrimp or large can be used. Crawfish can be used as well.
• Butter: I really like the flavor that butter gives to this dish however, you can use olive oil or a combination of both.
• Garnishes: Sliced green onions aka scallions.

Details About Rice Substitutions

• Jasmine Rice: Jasmine rice is used in many countries in South East Asia, especially in Thailand. This subtly fragrant rice is softer than regular white rice which means it needs less liquid to be cooked to fluffy perfection. The amount of liquid used in this recipe will need to be adjusted to prevent gummy rice.
• Basmati Rice: In my opinion this deliciously fragrant rice is not the right rice for this dish mostly because of its distinct aroma. If you decide to use it, you will need the same liquid to rice ratio as when cooking regular white rice.
• Brown Rice: The more nutritious brown rice needs additional liquid and longer cooking time to become tender. Your best option is long-grain brown rice, instead of medium-grain or short-grain.

How to Make Creole Jambalaya

1. Preheat the oven. Over medium-high heat, in a large Dutch oven or pot, melt the butter and cook the sausage until golden brown.
2. Add the remaining butter, then stir in the onion, green pepper and celery. Cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. 
3. Lower the heat to medium heat, stir in salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

1. Stir in the in the rice and tomato paste and continue to cook until the rice becomes toasted. 
2. Add tomatoes and pour in the broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of the pot. Bring the entire mixture to a boil.

1. Add in the raw shrimp and a portion of the scallions.
2. Cover the pot and transfer the pot into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes
3. When done, garnishing with the remaining scallions and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions About Creole Jambalaya

What is the Difference Between Cajun and Creole Jambalaya?

Although both versions have a lot of flavor, there are very subtle differences between Cajun and Creole Jambalaya. The Cajun version is mostly found in rural areas of Louisiana. It’s usually made with different types of meat like chicken and pork and no tomatoes, which results in a dish brown in color. The Creole version is also called red jambalaya because it includes tomatoes. Creole Jambalaya is mostly associated with the city of New Orleans.

Is Creole the Same as Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a rice dish while Creole (and Cajun) are styles of cooking.

Does Jambalaya Have Okra?

Jambalaya does not contain okra. Gumbo, also a dish from Louisiana is a stew made with okra.

Is Jambalaya Just Gumbo with Rice?

No. although both dishes may seem similar, gumbo is a type of soup or stew served over prepared rice which is used as a side dish). Jambalaya is a rice dish, made by cooking sausage, seafood and meats with the rice all in one pot.

What’s the Difference Between Jambalaya and Paella?

Spanish paella is a savory one-pot rice dish cooked with meat, seafood and vegetables just like Jambalaya however, the spices and seasonings are completely different. Paella’s main spice is saffron. The combination of spices used in jambalaya includes ingredients like spicy cayenne pepper.

What to Serve with Jambalaya?

This one pot meal has everything you need for in a meal; protein, a grain and veggies. A simple salad or vegetable like green beans, some crusty bread or a nice piece of sweet potato cornbread.

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating

• Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. Because this recipe includes shrimp, I prefer limiting the storage to 2 days only.
• Freezing: After cooling completely, store in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Reheating: Reheat briefly in the microwave, covered until warm through. Place in an oven-safe dish, cover tightly and bake in a 325ºF oven until warm through. You can drizzle the rice with a bit of broth before reheating (in the microwave or in the oven), to create a bit of steam. This will keep the rice tender and fluffy. Shrimp can overcook quickly so warm up in small intervals.