Make this Creole-style Cheesy Jambalaya with Sausage and Chicken in only 30 minutesโan easy, spicy, and delicious one-pot weeknight dinner recipe.
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This easy jambalaya recipe requires only minimal skill and mostly pantry ingredients. You will be amazed at how quickly this simple recipe comes together.
I started with chicken and added sausage with some veggies. Add Minute Rice until done. Mix in some sour cream and a little Monterey Jack cheese, then top with more cheese. Brown under a broiler for several minutes; you're done in 30 minutes total.
Serve with a side salad or Cornbread, Cornbread Biscuits, Corn on the Cob, and Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Check out other 30-minute casserole recipes, like Chili Mac and Cheese, Spicy Smoked Sausage Pasta, Mexican Chicken and Rice.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast or thighs
- Smoked sausageโAndouille, Chorizo, or smoked sausage
- Shrimp
- Aromaticsโonion and garlic
- Vegetablesโgreen pepper
- DairyโSour cream and Cheese
- Pantry ingredientsโchicken broth, RoTel or diced tomatoes, Creole or Cajan spice, Minute Riceยฎ๏ธ, salt, and black pepper.
๐จโ๐ณHow to Make Cheese Jambalaya
- Trim and chop the chicken, sausage, and vegetables.
- In a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat, brown the chicken for 5 minutes, then add the sausage and vegetables to cook.
- Cook until chicken is 165ยฐ and vegetables are tender.
- Add spices and liquids, bring to a boil, add the Minute Rice, cover, and remove from heat.
- After 5 minutes and the rice is tender, mix in cheese and optional shrimp. Top with more cheese.
- Brown under the broiler.
Ingredient Options
Meat Options
Andouille sausage is the classic recommendation. It is made with chunkier cut meat instead of ground, and since it is frequently made with cajun or Creole season. Mexican Chorizo has similar spices but is ground meat. Smoked sausage or Kielbasa is also excellent to use.
Use precooked sausage. If you choose sausage that needs to be cooked, it should be cooked along with the chicken to 165ยฐ.
You can use precooked chicken, like shredded rotisserie chicken. 2 cups of precooked chicken just right. Skip the cooking of the chicken and add it with the sausage and vegetables.
Shrimp is optional. If added, use precooked shrimp and add it after the rice is cooked when you are adding cheese.
I don't suggest raw shrimp. It will not fit in the flow of the recipe and requires separate cooking, which complicates the recipe.
Rice and Vegetable Options
Use instant rice like Minute Riceยฎ๏ธ. It is pre-cooked, and "cooking" is controlled rehydration that produces consistent results. The method of this recipe does not accommodate thoroughly cooking other types of rice.
Just a red or green bell pepper and some chopped onion are enough. Other vegetables, like a rib of chopped celery, may be added. Those three vegetables make up the "holy trinity" of cajun cooking.
Spice Options
Use a premixed cajun seasoning or creole seasoning mixture. I usually don't suggest mixes, but it is the best solution with the small amount needed for this recipe. There are 8 to 10 spices in the Cajun spice mix, and it is not worth the time to mix your own unless you have moderate ongoing needs.
The amount of the spice mix can be adjusted up or down for your taste.
Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes if you want more heat. If you want less heat, replace the Rotel with a can of drained diced tomatoes.
Dairy Options
I suggest both cheese and sour cream, but they are optional. The dish's sour cream and cheese mixture adds creaminess and other flavors. The browned cheese topping adds a lot of flavor and texture.
This recipe works best with Monterey Jack. Other cheeses like cheddar, gruyere, Munster, or Havarti could be used.
For a more traditional dish, eliminate both the cheese and the sour cream.
What is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a traditional Louisiana dish generally consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. It has roots in West African, Spanish, and French cultures and is somewhat related to paella.
The meat should include sausage, often smoked meat, and may have pork, chicken, and seafood.
Jambalaya can be either Cajun or Creole style. The distinction is tomato products in Creole but generally not in Cajun cooking. The spicing can be a bit different, but there is a lot of overlap. This recipe, with tomatoes, is Creole, but use either spice mix you have.
Some people seem to get confused between jambalaya and gumbo. While the ingredients and spices are similar, gumbo is a simmered stew, and rice is served on the side. But rice is within the recipe, and jambalaya is not simmered.
โFAQs
A 12-inch skillet works well. It needs to be oven-safe to go from the stovetop to the oven. In addition, it should be relatively deep and have a good lid.
A large Dutch oven will work well, also. But cast iron is not a good choice because the tomato products interact with the material.
No. Rotel is diced tomatoes with green chilies and cilantro. It brings some nice flavor to the dish. There are spiced versions of Rotel, which I don't suggest for this recipe.
Using a can of diced tomatoes to substitute, drain the liquid.
โ๏ธStorage of leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for 3-4 days. Freezing can change the texture of rice, and the dish may be mushy. I generally would not freeze this jambalaya.
Reheat in a microwave or oven.
If you decide to freeze, seal airtight and freeze for only 1 to 2 monthsโthaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
Trim and cut one medium-sized skinless boneless chicken breast into about 1-inch pieces.
Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
While the chicken is cooking, chop one small onion and one green pepper. Cut 8 oz. of sausage into ยผ inch medallions.
After the chicken has cooked for 5 minutes, add the onion, green pepper, and sausage. Cook until veggies are tender and the chicken is 165ยฐ internal tempโabout another 7 minutes for a total of about 12 minutes. Then add two crushed or minced garlic cloves and cook another minute until fragrant.
Add 1 - 14 oz can of chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Add one 10 ยฝ oz can RoTel, 2 teaspoons Cajun spice, and ยฝ cup sour cream, and mix well. You can add a bit of salt and black pepper here if you want.
Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Add 2 cups of Minute Riceยฎ๏ธ. Mix in well. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Turn on the oven broiler.
After 5 minutes, add ยฝ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and mix in well. Add 8 oz of cooked shrimp here if you want.
Top with 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
Place under broiler until nicely browned โ about 3 minutes.
๐ Recipe
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Cheesy Jambalaya with Sausage and Chicken in 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- ยพ pound Skinless boneless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 green pepper
- 1 onion - small
- 8 oz smoked sausage - Andouilla, Chorizo, or smoked sausage
- 2 gloves garlic
- 14 oz chicken broth
- 10.5 oz RoTel - or drained diced tomatoes
- ยฝ cup sour cream - lower fat is ok
- 2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun spice
- 2 cups Minute Rice
- 1 ยฝ cup Monterey Jack cheese - shredded
- 8 oz cooked shrimp - Optional
- salt and pepper to taste - Only add if needed
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Trim and cut one pound of skinless boneless chicken breast or thighs into about 1-inch pieces.
- Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- While the chicken is cooking, chop 1 small onion and 1 green pepper. Cut 8 oz. of sausage into ยผ inch medallions.
- After the chicken has cooked for 5 minutes, add the onion, green pepper, and sausage. Cook until veggies are tender and the chicken is 165ยฐ internal tempโabout another 7 minutes for a total of about 12 minutes. Then add two crushed or minced garlic cloves and cook another minute until fragrant.
- Add 1 - 14 oz can of chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Add one 10 ยฝ oz can RoTel, 2 teaspoons Cajun spice, and ยฝ cup sour cream, and mix well. You can add a bit of salt and black pepper here if you want.
- Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Add 2 cups of Minute Riceยฎ๏ธ. Mix in well. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Turn on the oven broiler.
- After 5 minutes,ย add ยฝ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and mix in well. Add 8 oz of cooked shrimp here if you want.
- Top with 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
- Place under broiler until nicely browned โ about 3 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The sausage needs to be precooked for this method. If you want to use raw sausage, cook it with the chicken to 165ยฐ.
- The RoTel adds some spiciness. If you don't want that, use a can of diced tomatoes drained.
- Some Cajun and Creole spice mixes will have more salt, so taste test before adding any salt.
- You can vary the meat if you want but be sure it is precooked.
- The cheese can be the cheese of your choice, or you can skip it.
- The sour cream adds a lot of creaminess but can be skipped.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. I do not suggest freezing jambalaya since it affects the texture, but if you do, limit it to 1-2 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published October 12, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Terrie says
Can I use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice, trying to eat less carbs
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Terrie,
Welcome to the blog.
I have never used cauliflower rice but part of the recipe timing is the cooking of the rice. The other components need to be cooked, so I would proceed to cook as instructed without the rice and add cooked cauliflower rice with the cheese near the end of cooking. That "should" work.Please comeback and report for others if you try it.
Dan
Tom says
If you leave out the sour cream and cheese, you have a pretty good traditional jambalaya. Those two ingredients make more of a jambalaya casserole. I decided to go with the sour cream and cheese topping plus a few changesโฆ. Didnโt have any chicken, but did have some shrimp which I precooked in Cajun spices and added at the very end. I added some cooked smoked ham with the sausage. No minute rice in the house so I precooked some basmati rice in broth and added it with the tomatoes. Enjoyed along with hot cornbread.
LisaD says
Hi DrDan: made your Crispy garlic chicken last night (so GOOD-YUM!) so I'm hooked...
On this Jambalaya recipe; if quinoa or brown rice were used instead of white rice can you suggest how to make the adjustment? I would like to make this with shrimp tonight.
DrDan says
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the blog.
The chicken broth is there for hydration of the minute rice. So I believe (but don't know since I have not done it).
First, precook the brown rice or quinoa.
Second, at step 6 skip the chicken broth and skip the minute rice in step 7. Then add the cooked rice or quinoa and simmer for a few minutes. No need to boil and no need to cover and wait. Then proceed with the cheese, etc.
Again, just an educated guess but it should work. Report back if you try it.
Dan
CrazyNana says
This recipe had me hooked when I zeroed in on "Cheesy..."!!!
Jon Eric says
Just cooked this one up a few hours ago. Very quick as described and definitely delicious! I'll definitely be doing this one again. Thanks, Doc!
DrDan says
Thanks so much for the note and rating. I do really like this one.
DrDan
Chris says
I haven't had a cheesy jambalaya but wow, that looks really good with the cheese darkly browned for that rich flavor.