Dutch Oven Jambalaya
Louisiana-style one-pot rice with andouille, chicken thighs, and shrimp — the holy trinity, dark roux flavor, and every grain of rice cooked in one pot in 45 minutes.
dutch-oven Timer
Set for 45 mins @ Medium-high sear, 350°F oven braise
Ingredients
Base recipe calibrated for 8 adults.
Get to the Point
Brown 12 oz sliced andouille + 1 lb chicken thighs 6 min in Dutch oven.
Sauté trinity + garlic + Cajun spice; add 2 cups rice, toast 60 seconds.
Add 4 cups broth + tomato paste + bay + thyme; cover, bake 350°F 20 min.
Stir in 1 lb shrimp, cover off-heat 8 min until shrimp curl and rice absorbs.
Step-by-Step Guided Instructions
Slice 12 oz andouille sausage into 1/2-inch rounds. Cut 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch chunks. In a 6-qt Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the andouille 4 minutes; add the chicken and brown 2 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Andouille adds smoke; chicken adds substance. Both browned in the same pot means one layer of fond and one wash of dishes.
Add 1 diced yellow onion, 3 sliced celery ribs, and 1 diced green bell pepper (the Cajun holy trinity) to the pot with the rendered fat. Cook 6 minutes until softened. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute more.
The trinity is 100% non-negotiable for Cajun cooking. Substituting yellow bell for green is a New Orleans style; both work but green is traditional Cajun.
Add 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or blend: 1 tsp each smoked paprika, dried thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne). Stir 45 seconds until fragrant.
If you're making your own blend, use half the cayenne if serving kids. Prepackaged Cajun seasoning tends to be hot AND salty — taste before adding extra salt to the pot.
Add 2 cups long-grain white rice and stir 60 seconds to toast in the fat. Pour in 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Add 2 bay leaves and 2 sprigs fresh thyme. Return the browned meats to the pot.
Long-grain rice is the only kind that works — jasmine turns to porridge, brown rice needs different timing. Do not substitute here.
Bring the pot to a boil on the stovetop. Cover, transfer to a 350°F oven, and bake 20 minutes without opening the lid.
Oven braising versus stovetop simmer is the secret to no scorched bottom. Rice on the stovetop needs constant attention; the oven surrounds it in even heat.
Pull from the oven. Stir in 1 lb peeled and deveined 21/25 shrimp. Cover and let sit off heat for 8 minutes — residual heat cooks the shrimp perfectly without turning them rubbery. Fluff with a fork; discard bay and thyme stems. Top with sliced scallions and hot sauce.
Shrimp cook in 8 minutes of residual heat — direct heat overcooks them to rubber. This is the classic New Orleans jambalaya move.
Jambalaya vs gumbo: jambalaya has rice IN it (one-pot); gumbo has rice served UNDER it (a stew ladled over). Jambalaya is a rice dish with protein; gumbo is a stew with rice on the side.
Reserve a small portion of the rice-chicken-andouille mixture before adding shrimp, and cut the andouille pieces in half. Skip the Cajun seasoning shake at the table — hot sauce on the side only.
- Crusty French bread or garlic bread
- Simple green salad with red wine vinaigrette
- Beignets or bread pudding for dessert
Warm covered in a saucepan over medium-low for 8 minutes, stirring in 2 tbsp broth per portion to refluff the rice. Shrimp will slightly toughen on reheat — this is unavoidable.