Jambalaya Recipe — Two Pots, One Crowd Night, Zero Leftovers

The One-Pot Meal That Feeds a Crowd and Makes the Whole House Smell Amazing

This jambalaya recipe is one of my all-time personal favorites, and on crowd nights when I need to feed a lot of people, it is what I keep coming back to. I made two pots side by side — one shrimp and sausage, one chicken and sausage — and between the two of them, they fed everyone and then some. Jambalaya goes a long way, it comes together in one pot, and the flavors just get better as it simmers. I have been making versions of this for years, and every single time the bowl is clean before anyone asks for seconds.

(Stephanie’s video is embedded in the recipe card and her story continues after the recipe.)

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Jambalaya Recipe

A crowd-pleasing one-pot jambalaya made two ways — shrimp and sausage or chicken and sausage. Same method, same pot, big flavor. This is the recipe Stephanie reaches for on crowd nights when she needs to feed a lot of people and leave nobody hungry.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cajun / Creole

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2-3 tablespoons butter and/or oil
• 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined OR 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (or use rotisserie chicken)
• 1 lb smoked sausage sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• Green and/or red bell peppers chopped (about 1-2 peppers total)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Cajun or Creole seasoning to taste
• Worcestershire sauce optional, for seasoning shrimp

Method

 

1. Season shrimp (or chicken) with Cajun seasoning and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Cook in butter and/or oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
2. Add more butter or oil to the pot if needed. Sauté celery, onion, and bell peppers until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned.
5. Season everything with salt, pepper, and Cajun or Creole seasoning.
6. Add rice and let it toast in the pot for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Pour in chicken broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 4-5 minutes, until rice is cooked through and liquid is absorbed.
9. Taste and adjust seasonings — the rice absorbs a lot, so add more salt or Cajun seasoning as needed.
10. Add shrimp or chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Let warm for 1-2 minutes.
11. Serve hot with warm black beans and crusty bread.

Video

Notes

If making two pots (one shrimp, one chicken), run both pots through the same method simultaneously. Use rotisserie chicken as a great time-saving shortcut for the chicken version.

Don’t skip re-seasoning at the end — the rice absorbs a lot of the flavor as it simmers and the dish can taste underseasoned before that final adjustment. Jambalaya reheats beautifully with a small splash of chicken broth to loosen it back up.

Two Pots at Once — Here Is How I Do It

The beauty of this jambalaya recipe is that the method is the same whether you are making shrimp and sausage or chicken and sausage. Both pots run the same process side by side. I started by cooking my shrimp in butter and oil — just a couple of minutes — hit them with Kinder’s The Blend (Shop on Amazon) and a little Worcestershire sauce (Shop on Amazon), then pulled them out and set them aside. For the chicken pot, I used rotisserie chicken cut into bite-sized pieces — that is a great shortcut — but you can also cook chicken breast or thighs right alongside the shrimp at the start.

Once the protein is out of the pot, add a little more butter or oil if needed and sauté your holy trinity: celery, onion, and bell peppers. I used half a green pepper, half an orange pepper, a whole red pepper, and three or four stalks of celery. Let everything soften, then add your garlic and cook a minute. Slide in your sliced smoked sausage and get it browned. Season everything at this stage — salt, pepper, and Cajun or Creole seasoning. Do not be shy. Add your rice and let it toast for a minute or two, then pour in the chicken broth. Stir it all together, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every four or five minutes.

The Final Step Matters

Once the rice is cooked through and has absorbed the broth, taste your jambalaya recipe and adjust the seasonings. This is important — the rice can absorb a lot of flavor, so you may need another hit of salt or Cajun seasoning to bring it back. Then add your shrimp or chicken back in, stir to combine, and let everything warm together for a minute or two. Serve it hot with warm black beans on the side and a chunk of crusty bread. That combination is unbeatable.

Jambalaya is one of those dishes with deep Louisiana roots — it is considered a New Orleans classic, built from West African, French, and Spanish influences that came together in Louisiana over centuries. The holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper is at its heart, and you can feel that history in every pot. Making it for a crowd is exactly what this dish was made for.

Tips for Feeding a Crowd

Running two pots of this jambalaya recipe at the same time is the way to go when you are feeding a large group and want to offer options. The shrimp and sausage version and the chicken and sausage version can cook side by side with the same method — just keep an eye on both and stir regularly. If you have a Cajun chicken pasta lover in your house, they are going to go crazy for this too. The flavor profiles are cousins. You can also make this ahead — jambalaya reheats beautifully with a splash of chicken broth to loosen it up.

Find the Dutch oven and all the tools I use in my kitchen on my Shop My Kitchen page!

More Crowd-Pleasing One-Pot Dinners

If this jambalaya recipe hit the spot, here are a few more one-pot and crowd-friendly dinners that belong in your rotation.

• Cajun Chicken Pasta — The Easiest 30-Minute Dinner for a Crowd — Bold Cajun flavor, one pan, done in 30 minutes. This one disappears fast.
• Quick & Easy Chicken Noodle Soup — Comforting, simple, and ready in 20 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight when everyone is hungry.
• Daddy’s Famous Crockpot Chili — Let the slow cooker do the work. This chili has been feeding crowds at our house for years.

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Jambalaya Recipe — About Stephanie’s Recipes

Stephanie’s recipes are a little bit of everything — treasured old family recipes passed down through generations, dishes she has developed and made her own over the years, great finds from church ladies (because if you want a good recipe, ask a church lady!), and inspiration from food bloggers and corners of the internet. Sometimes she flexes her culinary muscles and creates something spectacular. But most of the time? Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. Because at the end of the day, Stephanie cooks for her family and her people — and the best recipe is the one that brings everyone to the table, keeps them there a little longer, and leaves them happy and full.