Creole Shrimp Jambalaya with Hen and Sausage

With daring, zesty cajun flavors, this shrimp jambalaya is a basic for good purpose! It’s the excellent heat, hearty one-pot meal to make for a crowd.

This shrimp jambalaya is a reader-favorite recipe from the Fed + Match guide! We’ve determined to re-publish it right here as a result of it’s excellent for the vacation season. This dish is just a bit bit spicy and stuffed with quite a lot of veggies and protein. It’s preferrred for a chilly night time and could be served over white rice or cauliflower rice. Jambalaya originates from Louisiana, the place you’ll discover tons of variations on the dish. This model contains chorizo, shrimp, and hen for protein, celery, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes for veggies, and quite a lot of Cajun spices like cayenne and oregano for taste.

What’s the distinction between jambalaya and gumbo?

Gumbo is one other basic Cajun dish common in Louisiana, and we even have a implausible hen and sausage gumbo recipe! Jambalaya and gumbo have many similarities. They each begin with the ‘Cajun holy trinity’ of onions, celery, and bell pepper, usually include a mix of seafood, hen, and sausage, and are seasoned with plentiful Cajun spices.

In contrast to jambalaya, nonetheless, gumbo begins with a roux, a combination of butter and flour, that’s cooked down till it’s browned. The roux provides the gumbo thickness and gives a definite taste to the recipe. Jambalaya, then again, is extra brothy as a result of it doesn’t include a roux, and the Creole model of gumbo is tomato-based, whereas gumbo doesn’t include tomatoes.

Creole vs. Cajun Jambalaya

When creating this recipe, I used to be shocked to be taught that the Jambalaya I’d grown up consuming was truly Creole, not Cajun. What’s the distinction? Merely defined, Cajun meals is described as “nation meals” whereas Creole meals is described as “metropolis meals.” Creole meals usually comes from New Orleans and has a mix of cultural influences together with Italian, Spanish, African, and Caribbean meals (for a extra in-depth clarification, see this article). The largest distinction between the 2 cuisines, nonetheless, is that Cajun meals doesn’t include tomatoes.

So, the most important distinction between creole and cajun jambalaya is that the cajun jambalaya doesn’t include tomatoes. The opposite distinction is that in Cajun jambalaya, proteins are seared earlier than cooking. On this recipe, we’ve chosen to sear the proteins so as to add taste, so it’s a little bit of a mixture between each Creole and Cajun!

Shrimp Jambalaya Substances

Now that we’ve talked just a little bit in regards to the historical past of shrimp jambalaya, let’s discuss what you’ll must make a pot of this unimaginable stuff!

• Onions, Celery, and Bell Pepper – Also referred to as the “Cajun Holy Trinity” it is a cajun twist on basic French mirepoix (which makes use of carrots as a substitute of bell pepper) and gives an unimaginable base of taste to the dish. You need to use both inexperienced or pink bell pepper right here!
• Chorizo – being from Texas, we LOVE a great chorizo and thought it could add a pleasant, spicy twist right here. If chorizo isn’t your factor although, andouille sausage is one other nice alternative!
• Hen – our subsequent protein of alternative was hen. You need to use both hen breast or thighs right here relying on desire.
• Shrimp – it in fact wouldn’t be shrimp jambalaya with out the shrimp!
• Canned Diced Tomatoes – we used plain canned diced tomatoes on this recipe to get that brothy, tomato taste.
• Coconut Aminos – although it isn’t a standard ingredient in jambalaya, we love the flavour of coconut aminos right here so as to add only a little bit of salty umami.
• Cayenne Pepper Sauce – we personally love Frank’s RedHot for this jambalaya, although you should use any kind of sizzling pepper sauce you take pleasure in! If you happen to desire much less spicy meals or have kiddos to feed, begin with just some tablespoons and work your means as much as your required spice degree.

Methods to Make Shrimp Jambalaya

Now that you simply’ve obtained your elements, it’s time to get cooking!

1. Cook dinner the chorizo, shrimp, and hen. To begin, you’ll prepare dinner the chorizo till crisp, then prepare dinner the sausage, and the hen till browned and totally cooked by. As soon as that’s completed, take away the proteins from the pot and put aside.
2. Saute the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Subsequent, you’ll add the celery, onion, and bell pepper to the pot and saute for about 10 minutes, till the onion is browned and the bell peppers have softened.
3. Add within the broth, tomatoes, and seasonings. As soon as the onion and celery have cooked, you’ll stir within the broth, tomatoes, coconut aminos, sizzling pepper sauce, and seasonings.
4. Add the proteins again to the pot. Lastly, you’ll add the chorizo, hen, and shrimp again to the pot and prepare dinner till simmering, then you definitely’re able to serve over rice or cauliflower rice.

Are you able to freeze jambalaya?

YES! Jambalaya freezes superbly. This recipe makes a BIG pot of jambalaya (about 10-12 servings) so we undoubtedly advocate freezing any leftovers. To freeze, merely let it cool, then portion into Ziplock baggage or glass storage containers, label it, then freeze for as much as 3 months.  To reheat, you may both microwave it for 4-5 minutes from frozen or add it to a pot over medium warmth on the range and prepare dinner for about quarter-hour, till totally heated by.

We hope you’re keen on this shrimp jambalaya recipe!