Brown Rice Jambalaya is a flavorful one-pot dish with shrimp, sausage, and chicken. Jambalaya is a popular southern dish that’s loaded with spices and flavor.
If you love spicy foods, you should also try my Chakhokhbili – a spicy chicken dish from the country of Georgia. Or these Chicken Riggies (Spicy Chicken Rigatoni).
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
This Brown Rice Jambalaya is a popular dish in Louisiana and I just love making it. It’s so satisfying and deliciously flavorful. You’re going to love serving this filling stew that only requires one pot for cooking.
- TASTE: This jambalaya is so savory with salty bacon fat, sausage, juicy shrimp, and chicken. It’s perfectly seasoned to give it a spicy heat you’ll adore.
- TEXTURE: This dish is thick and chock full of meat, rice, and veggies. It’s the kind of stew that will stick to your ribs.
- TIME: It will take an hour and 45 minutes.
- EASE: This one-pot meal is nice and easy. Follow this recipe to make the perfect jambalaya to serve to your family.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon– Thick cut is best because it will render down more.
- Chicken thighs– We’ll use boneless skinless thighs.
- Italian sausage– We used mild, but if you like it spicier, you can use hot sausage.
- Vegetables- We’ll boost the flavors of this jambalaya with fresh garlic, onion, green bell pepper, and tomatoes. You can use any varieties you like.
- Shrimp- Use deveined, tail off, peeled shrimp.
- Spices- Cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper will add a spicy, pungent, and savory flavor with lots of wonderful aroma.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute andouille sausage- If you want a more authentic flavor, try this recipe with andouille sausage in place of the Italian sausage.
- Add cannellini beans- Make this recipe with the addition of cannellini beans for a creamy texture and added protein.
- Substitute rotisserie chicken- You can use a shredded rotisserie chicken in place of the chicken thighs.
- Add tomato sauce- For a thinner sauce, add tomato sauce to the Brown Rice Jambalaya.
How to Make Brown Rice Jambalaya
- Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon in a dutch oven pot, then transfer it to a plate to snack on for later. Or you can just discard the cooked bacon.
- Brown the chicken. Slice the chicken thighs and brown them in the same pot over medium high heat until about 70 percent cooked. Remove from the pot.
- Brown the sausage. In the same pot, brown the sausage. Do not cook through completely. Remove from the pot and slice into 1/2 inch slices.
- Saute the onion and garlic. Sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the pepper. Add the chopped green bell pepper and saute for about 1-2 minutes.
- Simmer with other ingredients. Add the diced tomatoes, brown rice, spices, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and let it simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes (with the lid on).
- Add the meat back in. Stir in all the meat and let it all cook covered over medium low heat until the rice is fully cooked. About 35 minutes.
- Add the shrimp. Add the shrimp last and cook for about 8 minutes until fully cooked.
Pro Tip: Keep the shrimp until last to avoid overcooking them. They can cook quickly.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t fully cook the chicken- Leave the chicken only about 70% cooked because it will cook the rest of the way when it simmers in the jambalaya.
- Brown the sausage whole- If you cut them first, the discs will cook too quickly. Brown them whole so they don’t overcook when simmering with the rest of the ingredients.
- Leave the lid on when simmering the rice- You want steam to gather to help heat and cook the rice to fluffy tenderness.
- Add the shrimp last- Shrimp cook very quickly, so add them last to avoid overcooking them and giving them a rubbery consistency.
FAQs
Brown rice jambalaya is a popular dish in Louisiana; though known for its southern flavors, its influenced by from Spanish and French cuisines. According to Spoon University, there is a slight difference between Creole and Cajun jambalaya. Cajun jambalaya is brown in color and doesn’t have tomatoes. The Creole version has tomatoes and looks redder. Cajun jambalaya is found in most rural areas of Louisiana, whereas Creole jambalaya is more popular in New Orleans and the surrounding areas where Creole culture is more prevalent.
A really easy way to tell the difference is that gumbo is a stew and jambalaya is a sausage, meat, and rice dish. This brown rice jambalaya isn’t authentic because it has a lot more broth than traditional jambalaya. But the main differences are that gumbo is made with a French roux of fat and flour and can be served along with or on top of rice. Jambalaya involves adding raw rice to a stock of meat and vegetables.
To make this Brown Rice Jambalaya in an instant pot, cook the meat first, then add the rice, broth, and spices, and pressure cooking for 5 minutes. Then let steam release for 5 minutes, stir, add the sausage, and let it rest for another 5 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This Brown Rice Jambalaya is the perfect meal to serve to family and friends. It’s so versatile, you can enjoy it with bread, salads, veggies, and more.
- Breads: Serve this dish with some Buttermilk Cornbread, Rustic Bread (overnight), Super Soft Brioche Dinner Rolls, or Focaccia Bread.
- Salads: Enjoy this Brown Rice Jambalaya with a Bacon Green Bean Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Cheese, or Spinach Salad.
- Vegetables: Serve it with some Air Fryer Green Beans, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Roasted Air Fryer Vegetables.
- Potatoes: Pair this tasty jambalaya with some Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes, or Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can brown the meat ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare the jambalaya.
Storing: Store this Brown Rice Jambalaya for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze: If any of the meat was previously frozen, then you cannot freeze this jambalaya safely. Otherwise, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight before warming and serving.
More Delicious Southern Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions
Brown Rice Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 3-4 strips of bacon
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lb. mild Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 large tomatoes
- 2 cups brown rice
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb. shrimp peeled and deveined
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once it’s crispy, remove from the pot.
- Then slice the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces. Brown them in the same pot over medium high heat until about 70 percent cooked. Remove from the pot.
- In the same pot, brown the sausage. Do not cook through completely. Remove from the pot and slice into 1/2 inch slices. You will add the sliced sausage back into the pot later.
- Sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the chopped green bell pepper and saute for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes. Sauté for about 3 minutes.
- At this point, add 2 cups brown rice, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste), 1/4 tsp black pepper, 4 cups chicken broth, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes (with the lid on).
- Stir the sliced sausage and browned chicken back to the pot and cook covered over medium low heat until rice is fully cooked. About 35 minutes.
- Then stir the shrimp into the pot and cook them for about 8 minutes. Or until they are fully cooked.
Notes
- Don’t fully cook the chicken- Leave the chicken only about 70% cooked because it will cook the rest of the way when it simmers in the jambalaya.
- Brown the sausage whole- If you cut them first, the discs will cook too quickly. Brown them whole so they don’t overcook when simmering with the rest of the ingredients.
- Leave the lid on when simmering the rice- You want steam to gather to help heat and cook the rice to fluffy tenderness.
- Add the shrimp last- Shrimp cook very quickly, so add them last to avoid overcooking them and giving them a rubbery consistency.
Nutrition
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Scott says
What, no celery? I’m putting celery in. Other than that, looks great. Making this PM, with a few modifications.
Dina says
Hi Scott 🙂 I hope you love this Jambalaya recipe. Modifications per preference are always welcome. Let me know how this recipe turns out. 🙂
Kathy S says
Great recipe – I have made this recipe several times and it’s a real favorite. It’s a wonderful combination of flavors and I really like using the brown rice and italian sausage. I have a low heat tolerance so I cut down the cayenne to a scant 1/4 tsp.
Dina says
Kathy, I am so glad that you enjoyed this jambalaya recipe! Thank you for the kind feedback!
Ruth Watson says
This dish turned out great, my husband is not a fan of brown rice but he liked the flavor very much. I used diced tomatoes and used the juice as part of the liquids. I also used smoked sausage diced up.
Dina says
Thank you for the great feedback Ruth. I am so glad that you and your husband both enjoyed the Jambalaya 🙂
INNA says
Never heard of this dish before but looking at the pictures and ingredients list I knew i had to give it a try. And we all loved it! (I added less spices though). Thank you for the recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
Inna, thats awesome! I am so happy to hear that! 🙂 Thank you so much for leaving our positive feedback 🙂
Irene says
Is cooking time the same for white rice?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Irene, brown rice cooks longer than white rice.
teddy says
Thanks so much Beth!
Katy | Her Cup of Joy says
This Jambalaya looks so good! I’ve never had it before but it looks so simple to make at home.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Katy!