One‑Pot Cajun Jambalaya

Name: One‑Pot Cajun Jambalaya
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients: 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 cup yellow onion; 1 cup celery; 1 cup green bell pepper; 3 clove garlic; 12 oz smoked sausage; 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1.5 cup long-grain white rice; 3 cup chicken stock; 14 oz diced tomatoes; 1 piece bay leaf; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp hot sauce; 2 tbsp fresh parsley; 2 piece green onions

A classic, skillet-to-table Cajun jambalaya that builds flavor with a quick roux and cooks rice, chicken and smoked sausage in one pot — minimal cleanup and big, comforting flavor.

AI image

1 hr 5 min

start to finish

15 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

6 servings

Ingredients

Contains gluten. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

540 kcal24g protein46g carbs20g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Heat a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat and add the vegetable oil.
Whisk the flour into the oil to begin a roux.
Cook the roux, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it reaches a peanut-butter to light‑brown color and smells nutty, about 7–9 minutes.
Lower the heat if it looks like it will burn; patience here builds the base flavor.
Add the chopped onion, celery and bell pepper directly into the roux and stir to coat.
Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Push the vegetables to the side and add the sliced smoked sausage; brown the sausage 3–4 minutes.
Add the chicken pieces to the pot and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the rinsed rice to the pot and stir to coat the grains with the roux-vegetable mixture, toasting the rice about 1–2 minutes.
Toasting the rice helps it hold shape and develop a nutty flavor.
Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices) and the chicken stock, then add the bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper and kosher salt; stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer undisturbed until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 20–25 minutes.
Do not lift the lid during this time or the rice can cook unevenly.
Remove from heat, stir in the hot sauce (if using), chopped parsley and half the green onions, then cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
Fluff the jambalaya with a fork, taste and adjust salt or cayenne if needed, then serve topped with remaining green onions.

Worth knowing

Use bone-in chicken for extra flavor if you have more time; brown first then remove bones before the simmer step or cook longer to render flavor.
If the rice isn't fully cooked after the covered simmer, add up to 1/2 cup more stock, cover and cook another 5–10 minutes.
Leftovers store well and reheat on the stovetop with a splash of stock to loosen.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Dairy-freeOne panMeal prep

More Cajun cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Cajun cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be dairy-free as listed.