Baked Jambalaya
This oven-baked take on the Louisiana classic combines the “Holy Trinity” of onion, celery and bell pepper with chicken, smoky andouille sausage, shrimp, long-grain rice and bold Cajun spices. Baking at 350 °F lets the rice cook evenly and the flavors deepen—no constant stirring required—so you get a hearty, crowd-pleasing one-pan meal with minimum fuss.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil for sautéing
- 12 oz / 340 g andouille sausage sliced
- 1 lb / 450 g boneless chicken thighs 1-in cubes
- 1 — yellow onion diced
- 1 — green bell pepper diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups long-grain rice uncooked
- 1 14.5- oz can diced tomatoes with juices Creole style
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp Cajun or Creole seasoning adjust heat to taste
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 2 — bay leaves
- ½ lb / 225 g raw shrimp peeled & deveined optional
- — to taste salt & black pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F / 175 °C. Lightly grease the baking dish.
- Brown sausage in hot oil (3–4 min); transfer to dish. Sear chicken until lightly golden (5–6 min); add to dish.
- Sauté vegetables in the same skillet until softened (4–5 min). Stir in garlic, Cajun seasoning, paprika and thyme (1 min).
- Coat rice in the mixture, then pour in tomatoes, broth and add bay leaves. Bring just to a simmer.
- Bake covered for 40 min. Stir, fold in shrimp, re-cover and bake 10 min more, or until rice is tender and liquid absorbed.
- Rest 5 min. Discard bay leaves, adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Cajun version: Omit tomatoes for a darker, smokier rice.
- Seafood option: Swap chicken for crawfish or add lump crab with the shrimp.
- Vegetarian twist: Replace meats with smoked tofu, plant-based sausage or mushrooms and use vegetable broth.
- Best rice: Parboiled rice holds its shape during the long bake and resists gumminess.