Looking for another comfort food? Try jambalaya. It is so easy to make, hot and spicy, packed with lots of flavor, everything you’re looking for in comfort food. Plus it takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish. Today I’m sharing my Andouille and Shrimp Jambalaya, a dish we make about once a month, because it is so good and a meal we just never get tired of eating.
As with gumbos and etouffées, you use the holy trinity (onion, celery and bell pepper) for jambalaya, but you skip the roux. The remaining ingredients are added quickly after the trinity is sauteed, and in the amount of time it takes to cook white rice, your meal is done. Ready in less than 45 minutes!
The cuisine of this shrimp jambalaya is cajun rather than creole because it doesn’t have tomatoes. Creole jambalaya would have tomatoes, which I do add when I’m making chicken jambalaya. But with shrimp jambalaya I leave out the tomatoes to better enjoy the shrimp and andouille coming together to create one memorable and spicy flavor.
To learn more about creole and cajun cuisine, check out this article. It’s a great read. Cajun vs. Creole Food – What’s the Difference?
Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!
Andouille and Shrimp Jambalaya
You don't have to live in the southern U.S. to make a jambalaya. It is so easy to make and no matter where you live, you'll find it true comfort food.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 1 pound medium, uncooked shrimp*, shelled, deveined (Reserve the shells for the shrimp stock)
- 1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning*
- Shells from shrimp
- ½ tsp. Creole seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups water
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper*, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, whites and greens, chopped
- 2 Andouille sausages*, sliced
- 2 ¼ cup shrimp stock*
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ½ tsp. thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup white rice*
- 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- A couple of dashes of Tabasco on each serving
In a small bowl, add the shelled shrimp and ½ tsp. Creole seasoning. Toss to coat and set aside.
- Shrimp Stock – In a sauce pan, add 3 cups water, the shrimp shells, ½ tsp creole seasoning, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and pour through a fine sieve. Set aside until needed.
In a heavy skillet (large enough for all ingredients), heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Sauté’, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add 2 ¼ cups of the seafood stock, scallions, oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, spread the shrimp out on top of the rice. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add the parsley.
- Serve into bowls. If desired, top each serving with a few dashes of Tabasco or another Louisiana hot sauce.
Shrimp – Our favorite shrimp is wild Gulf shrimp and recently we’ve been able to find it locally, quite often. Small or medium size shrimp can be left whole, but large or jumbo, should be cut into 2 to 3 pieces so that you can get a little piece of shrimp in every bite.
Creole Seasoning – A friend sends us a care package once a year from New Orleans with a variety of Louisiana seasonings; therefore, I always have creole seasoning on hand. Because there are so may different brands of creole seasoning, you could probably find one at your store. However, if you can’t or want to make your own, Emerill’s creole seasoning recipe is great!
Shrimp Stock – As you can see in the recipe, the shrimp stock is very easy to make; therefore, I highly recommend making it. However, chicken stock can be substituted.
White Rice – There is no substitute in jambalaya for white rice. It cooks fast, so you can cook it with the other ingredients which gives it lots of flavors. Brown rice would have to be cooked separately and just doesn’t work IMO. I highly recommend Jasmine white rice.
Green Bell Pepper – The Holy Trinity of Louisiana cuisine is onion, celery and green bell pepper, but sometimes I don’t have green bell pepper when I get a craving for jambalaya. Therefore, I use a red, yellow, or orange bell instead. They are a little sweeter than green, but work just fine.
Andouille Sausage – There is no substitute for andouille in a jambalaya, so if you can’t find it locally, then order it online. It has become so popular that, if you have a butcher shop, you might be able to find it, so call around. If you love a spicy, smoked sausage, then you’ll love andouille. NOTE: One of my readers said she has successful substituted Kielbasa for the andouille, so it’s worth a try if you don’t have andouille.
Feb 2018
If you like Shrimp Jambalaya and other Louisiana cuisine, here are a few more dishes you’ll enjoy.
Love it. Easy to follow directions and was so good.
Keith, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it and found it easy to follow the recipe. Thanks so much for the feedback! Cheers, MJ
One more dish that makes me travel far far away… especially precious these days…. Sounds delicious and even though I cook rice several times a week, I’ve never ever cooked it this way! I must test shrimp with sausage…. I like for example chorizo combined with squid, so I imagine these two must taste great too (especially if the andouille is smokey, if I understood well!).
Thanks Darlin! It’s amazing how chorizo and seafood complement each other. Just look at paella. Great stuff. This is a very simple form of paella, one might say and so much easier to make. And yes andouille is a smoked spicy pork sausage. So good! Not as salty, fatty nor as “hard” as a Spanish chorizo, but the chorizo would be a good substitute.
Whoa, this is comfort food at its finest! Wonder if I can procure the shrimp and sausage as I have everything else!
thanks Liz! I must admit, that it is a comfort food for this girl raised in the south. 🙂
looks tasty MJ. And what a fabulous name for it – jambalaya. so musical on the tongue. cheers sherry
Thanks Sherry! It is a fun name. There is actually a south Louisiana song named after it. 🙂
Ya que les andouilles qui virent
SO delicious! I no longer eat non vegetarian food but this one is tempting me 😛
Thanks Taruna! Well, I might just have to come up with a vegetarian version. 🙂
Perfectly lovely and delicious and spicy!
Thanks Debra!
Oh my!I’m so going to make this one!Jambalaya is one of my all time favorites and I’ve been wanting to make it since a long time!Love all the flavors in yours MJ!
Hey Soni! I so hope you do make it. Let me know if you do. Thanks!
Definitely craving comfort food this week – it so cold outside and I love easy & quick dishes that are delicious too!
Miriam x
Thanks Mariam! This is a great dish for when it’s cold. I hear y’all are getting some unusually cold weather this winter. Stay warm!
This needs to get on our menu plan this week. so much flavor and texture…can’t wait! Just pinned!
Thanks Bobbi! Hope you enjoy it. It’s a dish that the whole family should love.
This one is calling my name MJ! As you know, I have a love affair with our local Gulf shrimp… I do make gumbo about once a year, but the roux causes guilt feelings. This is a great alternative!
Thanks Tamara! I know…there really isn’t any shrimp better than that from the Gulf. Sprouts here in ABQ has started carrying it, so we get it when they have it. OH…one should never feel guilty about eating gumbo. 🙂
I could eat this every week too! Love this simple version and love hearing the difference between cajun and creole!
Thanks Abbe! I’ve met people who use creole and cajun interchangeable and it definitely isn’t in more than just the cuisine. 🙂
Such a nice all in one dish, I used to have jambalaya but with chicken, prawns or shrimp would be a really nice idea
Thanks Raymund! You should try it with shrimp. I like it better than with chicken.
MJ, I have never had jambalaya due to my shellfish allergy, but I have heard that it can be prepared with chicken. Is this true? Would your recipe change? I would love to try this classic recipe!
Roz, So sorry that you’re allergic to shellfish, and yes, you can make this with chicken. When I make it with chicken, I’ll substitute the shrimp with 1 pound of raw chicken breast, cut into small pieces. Add them at the same time you add the andouille. Being a small size, they’ll cook fast. When I use chicken, I also use 1 – 24.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained. This is added with a reduced amount of stock (reduced by 1/4 cup). Other than that, everything else is the same. Enjoy! Thanks so much for asking and commenting!
I would love to eat this! I have heard of Jambalaya many times, but never had it. Somehow the name of the dish always makes me think of the film Interview with a Vampire… 🙂 🙂
Yes, and I do understand that reference. 🙂 It’s a great word! Thanks Adina!
Why yes, I think this will do rather well for comfort. Two ingredients I always associate with MJ’s Kitchen are chile (a course) and andouille! So many wonderful flavors going on here (but is it wrong of me to want to add garlic to the holy trinity — would that make it a quaternity/quintinity? lol). Thank you for the great kitchen notes (sure like the sounds of that care package; lucky you!).
Of course you can add garlic!!!! I’m sure you find it rather surprising that I don’t. 🙂 The reason I don’t is because, I find that the creole seasoning and the andouille both provide enough flavor that I don’t miss the garlic. They probably both have garlic in them anyway. Yes, it is a nice care package and I look forward to it every year even though I’ve been receiving it for many, many years. Somethings just don’t get old. Ha ha. Oh, and I forgot to mention, the package always includes a dozen Louisiana pralines which just can’t be replicated. They are so rich and yummy that Bobby and I have to split them.
We love the special smoky-spice of andouille — it’s good in so many dishes, but jambalaya is in a class all its own. Comfort food for sure!
You’ve got that right Judy! 🙂
Looks great! The pictures looks so good! I must try this today!
Thanks Rachel! Hope you enjoy!
Love Cajun and Créole food so much, one eats so well in Louisianna. And I have enjoyed jambalaya there. This one is delicious, wish I had a bowl for dinner MJ!
Thanks Evelyne!
You make a mean jambalaya, MJ! Looks so delicious as I sit by the fire today. It’s bitter cold outside and this would be a great comfort meal to warm up with!
Thanks so much Jan! This is definitely a great dish for when it’s cold and any other time too. 🙂
Who doesn’t need comfort food during these cold gloomy days??? The word jambalaya already brings a smile to my face…I’ve heard about it many times (never tasted) and always thought: what a funny name! And what a beautiful dish! And I love the presence of andouille. You’ve reminded me I don’t combine meat and seafood often enough.
Somehow I’ve assumed jambalaya would be time-consuming and call for many “exotic” ingredients, but apart from Cajun seasoning (which I can buy online and maybe even in some international groceries here) I don’t see anything… I’ve put half a kilo shrimps in an Indian marinade today… If there was anything left, I’d try jambalaya of course!
Thanks so much my friend! If you love the word “jambalaya” (I do too), you’re going to love this song. Check this out: Jambalaya. Growing up in the south, combining seafood with sausage was pretty common and so delicious!
You’re not alone in thinking jambalaya is hard and exotic. A lot of people do. But the opposite is the case. It is so very easy and, other than the andouille, most of the ingredients are found anywhere and every where. Shrimp in Indian marinade sounds awesome. Hope you do try to jambalaya.
Thank you so much, MJ! I actually know this song, but have completely forgotten there are words jambalaya (and I had no idea it was the title!).
Anything shrimp always gets my attention! Your Jambalaya recipe is a fabulous weekend recipe, so much flavor! (And yes to more comfort food, it’s still winter.)
Thanks so much Deb!
I have successfully used kielbasa sausage in place of andouille all my life. Two good brands deliver the smokey flavor of andouille; Farmer John and Johnsonville both make excellent kielbasas and are available in most supermarkets. Johnsonville also makes an andouille! Look for it at your local supermarket.
Good to know! I do like Kielbasa but I guess I’m just spoiled to andouille in a jambalaya. 🙂 I’ll add that to my kitchen notes because, I’m sure that Kielbasa is easier for some people to find than andouille. Thanks for the tip!
My son adores shrimps so I will definitely make Jambalaya and let you know how wide was his smile once he tastes this beauty ! Thank you for the idea !
Oh please do!!!! I’ve never met anyone that didn’t love jambalaya! Thanks!
Was careful with the spices but I hit the home run ! Thank you so much !
Oh YAY!!!! Thanks for letting me know how it went. So glad you enjoyed it!
Have never had jambalaya…but anything with shrimp must have tasted wonderful!
Thanks Angie! Since you’ve never tried it, you should give this a try. I think you’ll like it.
Wow! I love jambalaya, MJ, but have shied away from preparing it for myself. Your recipe, however, is definitely accessible — even for a Cajun cookin’ neophyte like myself. Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
Thanks John! Oh it’s SO easy. You really need to give it a try. And of course it’s delicious.
Love jambalaya! I think of it as Cajun paella. 🙂 Shrimp and andouille is the best, although I like chicken jambalaya, too. Yours looks terrific — thanks.
Thanks John! Cajun paella is a good description. Like it!