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Authentic Jambalaya Recipe Alternate Text Louisiana, United States of America

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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

Jambalaya is a type of stew from Louisiana made by sautéing meat or fish with vegetables and then adding seasoning. Broth and rice are added last, and the stew is left to simmer until the rice is al dente. There are two types of jambalaya — brown, "cajun" jambalaya and red, "creole" jambalaya — the only difference between the two being that red jambalaya contains tomatoes. Another popular way of making this dish is to cook the rice separately, a method used by most restaurants to save time.

Cooking tips

  • rice

    Rice is always the only constant in jambalaya, and since it needs to soak up all the flavors, long-grain rice is the best choice. It's important to cook the rice entirely from start to finish, so don't stop boiling the dish until the rice is completely done. That way you will prevent the rice from becoming sticky.
  • ingredients

    Since jambalaya is the type of dish that can be made from anything available, there are almost boundless versions. Typically, jambalayas can be divided into two categories, red or brown, depending on whether tomatoes are used as an ingredient. Red jambalaya will, as the name state, contain tomatoes, while the brown jambalaya gets its name and color after the brown color it develops as a result of ... Read more
  • liquid

    Although jambalaya can be made only with water, if you want to add more depth and flavor to the dish, try adding either chicken or pork stock. If you're making seafood jambalaya, enhance it by adding fish or shrimp stock.

Recipe variations

Creole Jambalaya

PREP 30min

COOK 1h

READY IN 1h 30min

4.5

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This Creole jambalaya recipe adapted from Picayune’s Creole Cook Book interestingly states no tomatoes to be added, a divergence from today’s standards of what makes a Creole jambalaya. The meat is strictly pork, although it’s suggested veal brisket can also be used instead. There are no vegetables, except for the onions, and the dish is generously seasoned with a variety of spices and herbs. 

 

Ingredients

6 Servings

Creole Jambalaya

1 ½ cups rice

1 pound fresh pork, cut into ½ inch square pieces

1 slice of ham

1 dozen of fine chaurice, smaller

2 onions

1 tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves

1 spring of thyme

1 spring of parsley

2 bay leaves

2 cloves, finely ground

3 quarts of beef broth or water

½ tbsp chili pepper

salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

Preparation

1

Creole Jambalaya

Step 1/4

In a large pan slowly brown the onions and pork in butter, then add the ham and garlic cloves together with minced thyme, parsley, bay leaves and ground cloves. Let these brown for five minutes then add the chaurice sausages, and cook for another five minutes.

Step 2/4

Now, pour in water or beef broth and cook for 5 minutes. Once it boils, add the rice, chili pepper, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Step 3/4

Let everything boil together for 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Step 4/4

Make sure you often stir to ensure that the ingredients are well incorporated.

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