Transport your family to New Orleans with just a half hour, minimal prep, and one skillet! This homemade Smoked Sausage Jambalaya recipe is easy to make on a busy day and delivers a hearty, comforting flavor fest the entire family will love.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose smoked sausage jambalaya
- 📞 The last word
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- This quick meal is cost-effective, easy to make in one pot, and on the dinner table in about a half hour.
- Easy sausage jambalaya hits the spot after a long day when you're craving some good food—and leftovers are just as tasty, too.
- Use a bag of frozen peppers and onions to make prep even simpler!
Made with simple ingredients, this great dinner has so much flavor that you'll be surprised at how effortless it is to whip up.
When you're craving a little taste of New Orleans, reach for this easy jambalaya recipe—your family (and your tastebuds!) will thank you for it.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Use your favorite type of smoked sausage—we really like spicy Andouille sausage to give this one-pot meal an extra kick of heat.
- You could also use chicken, turkey, or pork sausage if you prefer it.
- Frozen shrimp is a great option in place of the sausage altogether!
- Green pepper is ⅓ of the "holy trinity" in Cajun cooking, but you can use red bell pepper, instead—no worries.
- Use fire-roasted Rotel tomatoes to amp up the spicy creole flavors!
- Add a few pinches of cayenne pepper if your family likes it spicy. Otherwise, just serve hot sauce on the side.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Cook peppers, onion, minced garlic cloves, and sliced sausage in a large skillet.
Add the seasoning blend, salt, black pepper, and a bay leaf.
Pour in the tomatoes, chicken stock, and long-grain white rice.
Let simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until the rice is done.
🤫 Marye's secrets for zhuzhing it up -
Hint: Use a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid so that the rice cooks properly. If you don't have one, use a large Dutch oven with a lid instead.
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- large skillet with lid
- measuring cups and spoons
- chef's knife
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
I just love an easy recipe that makes great leftovers—don't you? It's like a gift to future-me, from past-me.
Let smoked sausage jambalaya cool a bit, then spoon it into an airtight container. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.
You can microwave frozen leftovers in a pinch, but I recommend letting them thaw overnight in the fridge. If you're going to freeze, I recommend doing so in individually portioned storage containers.
Then, heat jambalaya over the stove or in the microwave until hot. Add a splash more chicken broth or just a little bit of water to loosen it up again.
Marye's Tip o' the day
I love a good one-dish meal, but the key to perfection? Fresh herbs on top! Green onions and fresh parsley add crisp flavor that makes this Creole-style jambalaya look and taste 100% authentic.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- You don't have to thaw the green bell pepper/onion mix. Just add it in frozen and it'll thaw and cook according to the recipe card directions.
- If you already have lots of spices in your pantry, you can make your own creole seasoning. This Cajun seasoning blend is my favorite!
- Depending on how hot your stove runs, the amount of time it takes to cook the rice can vary. Watch your heat closely so the rice doesn't burn.
- If you've got little ones at home, you'll want to slice the sausages lengthwise into quarters, first, then dice 'em up into pieces. Round, coin-shaped slices are a choking hazard for toddlers and young kids.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
I really recommend using uncooked rice. Here's why: as rice cooks, it soaks up liquid. If you try to substitute it with Minute rice that's already cooked, the jambalaya will be too soupy.
Just like it sounds, long grain rice has a slightly longer shape than other types. If you're at the grocery store, look for basmati or jasmine rice—these are long grain rice varieties that'll do perfectly.
Brown rice has a longer cooking time than white rice, so I wouldn't use it in this recipe.
Creole jambalaya originates in Louisiana. Though there are many types of jambalaya, it usually has rice, protein, peppers, onion, and creole seasoning. It's one of those recipes that everyone and their mama has put their own spin on—try mine and see what you think!
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- Louisiana-style Southern Red Beans and Rice is a classic comfort food that's easy on the pocket—if you like beans, you'll love this one.
- Authentic Cajun Shrimp and Grits is done in just twenty minutes and delivers true, New Orleans flavor. The creamy sauce is key!
- Made in under a half hour with a peppery, spicy tomato sauce, Creole Chicken and Rice is another one-pan dish the family will love.
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
With just the right amount of sweetness and a perfectly buttery texture, Copycat Cracker Barrel Corn Muffins are a great pairing for any Cajun dinner!
With a hearty, spicy main meal, you just need a little something refreshing on the side. Southern Cucumber Salad is easy, fresh, and crisp!
Southern Fried Hand Pies are sweet and easy to eat—but even easier to make! They're pan-fried and done in just eleven minutes. Yum.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose smoked sausage jambalaya
Does your family sigh as they approach the dinner table if they spot the same thing you ate last night? Transform the sighs into exclamations of joy by repurposing leftovers into Cajun stuffed bell peppers.
Here's what to do:
- Mix leftover jambalaya with sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, and around a cup more broth or tomato sauce until it's not too dry.
- Spoon the filling into sliced bell pepper halves. Top with more cheese.
- Bake in a covered baking dish for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees F.
- Let cool slightly, and enjoy!
Reference my creamy salsa chicken stuffed peppers recipe for more info. It's the inspiration for this repurposing idea!
📞 The last word
When I'm looking for an easy, hearty meal with lots of flavor this is the recipe I pull out. It's all that and budget-friendly, too - which I appreciate more and more as prices continue to go up at the grocery store.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Smoked Sausage Jambalaya
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14 ounces beef smoked sausage, or andouille or your favorite - sliced
- 12 ounces frozen mirepoix blend, or bell peppers & onion mix
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon creole seasoning, or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 10 ounces Rotel, canned tomatoes and chiles
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups long-grain rice
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil, mirepoix mix, and smoked sausage to the heated skillet. Cook just until the veggies thaw out and begin to soften.
- Stir in the creole seasoning, salt & pepper, and bay leaf.
- Stir and blend in the spices for a minute or two.
- Pour in the tomatoes, chicken stock, and rice.
- Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and tender.
- Stir and fluff with a fork.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Notes
- You don't have to thaw the green bell pepper/onion mix. Just add it in frozen and it'll thaw and cook according to the recipe card directions.
- If you already have lots of spices in your pantry, you can make your own creole seasoning. This Cajun seasoning blend is my favorite!
- If you've got little ones at home, you'll want to slice the sausages lengthwise into quarters, first, then dice 'em up into pieces. Round, coin-shaped slices are a choking hazard for toddlers and young kids.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Frank Carden says
We use your recipe as kind of a guideline, rather than a rule. We add different spices and change a couple ingredients for a much spicier pot, but for the most part, following this recipe is a great place to start. We've used this recipe dozens of times and found it to be an excellent starting point. We appreciate the work that went into it. Thank you!
Shannon says
Can I make it in crockpot
Marye says
I don't think so. I've never tried.