Creole Jambalaya Recipe

Discover the melting pot of culture in a meal that is Creole Jambalaya! This Spanish-African-French dish combines aromatic meats, veggies, and spices into a moreish, flavour-packed rice bowl. Impress your guests with this vibrant Creole Jambalaya recipe.  

How to make Creole Jambalaya

Prep Time:  15 minutes        |        Cook Time:  30 minutes        |        Serves:  6-8

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Pure Vita canola oil
• 3 Specially Selected grass-fed angus beef sausages, sliced
• 4 Broad Oak Farms free range chicken thigh fillets
• 2 tsp Stonemill smoked paprika
• 2 tsp Stonemill onion powder
• 2 tsp Stonemill ground garlic  
• 1½ tsp Stonemill dried thyme  
• 1 tsp Stonemill dried oregano  
• ½ tsp Stonemill cayenne pepper  
• 1 medium brown onion, diced
• 1 medium green capsicum, diced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Stonemill dried bay leaves
• 2 tbsp Remano tomato paste
• 400g Remano diced tomatoes
• 3½ cups Chefs’ Cupboard chicken stock
• 2 cups Imperial Grain long grain rice, washed
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped or spring onion, sliced  
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning

Method

1. Combine ½ teaspoon each of paprika, onion powder and ground garlic. Season and toss the chicken pieces in the mixture until evenly coated.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  
3. Brown sausage slices, remove and set aside.
4. Brown chicken, remove and cut into small pieces. Set aside with sausages.
5. Add onion, capsicum, celery and garlic to the same pot. Sauté for 5 minutes. Scrape any brown bits at the bottom.  
6. Stir in the rest of the spices and dried herbs.
7. Add both tomatoes and tomato paste, cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add chicken stock and meat, then stir and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce to a low heat and keep simmering for a few minutes.  
10. Stir in rice, cover and simmer for about 15-25 minutes.
11. Fluff rice, season to taste and fold in fresh herbs.

Tip

Make your own jambalaya seasoning mix by combining a bigger batch of the spices and dried herbs together (except bay leaves).  

Frequently asked questions about Creole Jambalaya

What is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya (pronounced ‘juhm-buh-lay-uh’) is a Creole/Cajun-American savoury dish comprising of meat and/or seafood and vegetables cooked with rice and spices. There are two main types of Jambalaya – Creole Jambalaya which contains tomatoes and Cajun Jambalaya which omits tomatoes.  

Is Jambalaya spicy?

Yes, there is some spice to this Jambalaya recipe. The majority of heat comes from the ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder. If you’re adverse to spice, the cayenne can be omitted.  

Is Jambalaya Cajun or Creole?

There are two different kinds of Jambalaya – this recipe is Creole (also known as ‘red’) Jambalaya, as it contains tomato. Cajun (also known as ‘brown’) Jambalaya omits tomatoes from the dish.  

Is Gumbo and Jambalaya the same thing?

Whilst Gumbo and Jambalaya share a Creolean origin, the two dishes have distinct differences. Gumbo is a thick saucy stew that is poured atop rice, whereas Jambalaya is a thinner, saucy meal that is cooked with and absorbed into rice.