This Ina Garten jambalaya recipe packs chicken, sausage, and shrimp into one pot for a dinner you’ll actually want to make again. Get the easy steps here.
Confession: I’ve made this Ina Garten jambalaya recipe three weeks in a row, and my family still hasn’t staged an intervention. It’s one big pot of chicken, sausage, shrimp, and rice that smells so good the neighbors might casually knock. Fair warning, you’ll want seconds before you’ve even sat down.
Table of Contents
The Deal With This Ina Garten Jambalaya Recipe
Okay, here’s the deal. This is a Louisiana jambalaya with a Barefoot Contessa twist: juicy chicken thighs, smoky sausage, and plump shrimp all simmering with rice in a single Dutch oven.
It leans Creole, which means tomatoes, tomato paste, and a generous pile of veggies. The white wine and the squeeze of lemon at the end are pure Ina. Honestly, they’re why it tastes bright instead of heavy.
Why This Jambalaya Recipe Works
- Everything cooks in one pot, so cleanup is a breeze.
- Browning the sausage and chicken first builds deep, savory flavor.
- The shrimp go in late, so they stay tender instead of rubbery.
- You can stop halfway and finish later, which is a gift on busy nights.
Cajun vs. Creole: The Quick Version
Cajun jambalaya is the brown one. No tomatoes, and the color comes from deeply browned meat. Creole jambalaya is the red one, and that’s where this recipe lives.
Ina Garten Jambalaya Recipe
Equipment
- Large heavy Dutch oven or black iron pot
- Large bowl
- wooden spoon
- Food thermometer
Ingredients
The Meat Lineup
- 1 ½ pounds sausage sliced (kielbasa or Andouille); turkey kielbasa works
- 7-8 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 1 pound medium shrimp deveined (20-24 count); added near the end
Veggies and Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for browning the meat
- 2 tablespoons butter for the veggie base
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cups celery diced
- 2 red bell peppers cored and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced, or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled plum tomatoes drained and medium diced
Seasonings, Liquids, and Rice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme diced
- 3 bay leaves remove before serving
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided (1 1/2 teaspoons + 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne optional
- 6-8 dashes Tabasco optional
- 1 cup chicken stock plus 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar alcohol-free replacement for dry white wine; for deglazing
- 5 cups chicken stock low-sodium
- 3 cups extra long grain rice
The Fresh Finish
- ½ cup scallions chopped, green and white parts; divided
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped; divided
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Brown the Sausage and Chicken
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Transfer it to a bowl.
- Add the chicken thighs to the same pot and cook 5 minutes per side, until lightly browned. They don’t need to be cooked through. Transfer them to the bowl with the sausage.
Build the Flavor Base
- Add the butter, onion, celery, and bell peppers to the pot. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño or cayenne, oregano, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour in the 1 cup chicken stock and white wine vinegar and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. If you’re making it ahead, turn off the heat here and pick it back up about 40 minutes before serving.
Simmer the Rice
- Add the 5 cups stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, then add the sausage, chicken, bay leaves, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
- Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
Add the Shrimp and Steam
- Nestle in the shrimp, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of the scallions, 1/4 cup of the parsley, and the lemon juice.
- Cover the pot, take it off the heat, and let it steam for 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and the shrimp are tender.
Garnish and Serve
- Remove the bay leaves. Top with the remaining scallions and parsley, plus a dash of Tabasco if you like, and serve.
Notes
Ingredients for Your Ina Garten Jambalaya Recipe
Here’s everything you need, grouped so your grocery run doesn’t turn into a scavenger hunt.
The Meat Lineup
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1 1/2 pounds sausage, sliced (kielbasa or Andouille) | We used turkey kielbasa |
| 7-8 chicken thighs | We used boneless, skinless |
| 1 pound medium shrimp, deveined (20-24 count) | Added near the end |
Veggies and Aromatics
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | For browning the meat |
| 2 tablespoons butter | For the veggie base |
| 1 medium onion, diced | Cook until translucent |
| 2 cups celery, diced | Yes, two full cups |
| 2 red bell peppers, cored and diced | Adds sweetness |
| 3 garlic cloves, minced | Fresh is best |
| 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced, or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne | Pick your heat level |
| 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled plum tomatoes, drained and medium diced | I forgot to drain mine and it still worked |
Seasonings, Liquids, and Rice
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| 2 tablespoons tomato paste | Deepens the color |
| 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, diced | Fresh makes a difference |
| 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, diced | Earthy and cozy |
| 3 bay leaves | Fish them out before serving |
| 2 teaspoons kosher salt | Split between two steps |
| 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper | Fresh cracked, please |
| 1/2 teaspoon cayenne | Optional (we skipped it) |
| 6-8 dashes Tabasco | Optional |
| 1 cup dry white wine | Something you’d happily drink |
| 5 cups chicken stock | Low-sodium is easiest to control |
| 3 cups extra long grain rice | Keeps the grains separate |
The Fresh Finish
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1/2 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts | Half in the pot, half on top |
| 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided | Same split |
| 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice | Bottled just isn’t the same |
A Few Quick Ingredient Notes
For a true Andouille sausage jambalaya, swap in Andouille and expect a smokier, spicier pot. Turkey kielbasa is milder and lighter, and it still tastes great. Either way, the shrimp and sausage combo is the heart of this dish.
Thighs are the move for jambalaya chicken. They stay juicy through the long simmer, while breasts tend to dry out. And if you forget to drain the tomatoes like I did, don’t panic. It all works out.
How to Make Ina Garten’s Jambalaya Recipe Step by Step
Grab a big Dutch oven or black iron pot. Everything happens in it, so no extra dishes are needed.
Stage 1: Brown the Sausage and Chicken
Heat the olive oil in your pot over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned and sizzling. Move it to a bowl.
Now add the chicken thighs to the same pot. Cook them 5 minutes per side, until lightly browned. They won’t be cooked through yet, and that’s fine. Move them to the bowl with the sausage.
Stage 2: Build the Flavor Base
Toss the butter, onion, celery, and bell peppers into that glorious brown-bit-covered pot. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion turns translucent and the whole kitchen smells amazing.
Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno or cayenne, oregano, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the tomato paste. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often.
Pour in the white wine and scrape up all those brown bits from the bottom. Trust me, that’s where the flavor lives, so don’t skip this part.
Make-Ahead Pause Point
You can stop right here. Turn off the heat and walk away. Pick it back up about 40 minutes before you want to eat.
Stage 3: Simmer the Rice
Add the stock and bring everything to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, then add the sausage, chicken, and bay leaves. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper too.
Return to a boil, then drop the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Resist the urge to peek, because every lifted lid lets the steam escape.
Stage 4: Add the Shrimp and Steam
Nestle in the shrimp, cover, and let them cook for 5 minutes. Then stir in 1/4 cup of the scallions, 1/4 cup of the parsley, and the lemon juice. Give it a good, gentle stir.
Cover the pot, take it off the heat, and let it steam for 10 to 15 minutes. This rest is what makes the rice fluffy and the shrimp tender. Be patient. It’s worth it.
Stage 5: Garnish and Serve
Fish out the bay leaves. Top the pot with the remaining scallions and parsley, plus a dash of Tabasco if you like some kick. Bring the whole pot to the table and watch it disappear.
Pro Tips, Variations, and Troubleshooting for This Ina Garten Jambalaya Recipe
Pro Tips
Brown the meat in batches if your pot feels crowded. Crowding steams the meat instead of browning it, and you lose flavor.
Use a heavy, wide pot so the rice cooks evenly. A thin pot can scorch the bottom before the top is done.
Taste the broth before adding the rice. If it needs more salt, now’s the time, because the rice will soak it all up.
Fun Variations
Want more heat? Use the jalapeno and the cayenne, and splash in extra Tabasco. For a classic Cajun jambalaya feel, go heavier on the browned meat and lighter on the tomatoes.
No shrimp? Double the sausage and chicken. Craving a gumbo recipe instead? Keep the same sausage, peppers, onion, and celery, and build a darker, soupier pot to serve over rice.
Troubleshooting
Rice is crunchy: Add a splash of warm stock, cover, and steam for another 5 minutes. Rice is mushy: You likely stirred too much or peeked too often. Next time, keep the lid on.
Too thick: Stir in a little stock. Too bland: Add a pinch of salt and a squeeze more lemon. Shrimp tough: They were left on the heat too long. Pull the pot off right on time.
Storage, Reheating, and No-Waste Ideas
Cooked rice needs a little extra care, so cool leftovers quickly and get them into the fridge. The USDA leftovers and food safety guide has the full rundown.
| Method | How Long | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 hours max (1 hour if hot out) | Don’t let the pot sit on the stove all night |
| Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days | Use shallow, airtight containers |
| Freezer | Up to 3 months | Shrimp may soften a bit after thawing |
Reheating Tips
Add a splash of stock or water, then warm it on the stove over low heat or in the microwave. Cover it so the steam keeps the rice soft.
Heat it until it’s steaming hot all the way through, around 165 degrees F. Only reheat what you plan to eat, and don’t reheat the same portion twice.
Creative No-Waste Ideas
Turn leftovers into stuffed bell peppers, or roll them into a burrito with a little cheese. You can also crisp them in a skillet for a jambalaya fried rice breakfast with a fried egg on top.
Serving a crowd? A light side balances all that richness. Try this frozen lemon 4-ingredient pasta if you love the bright lemon here, or these spanakopita rice paper bites as a starter.
Another cozy pot to add to your rotation is this one-pot French onion pasta. Same easy cleanup, totally different flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ina Garten’s jambalaya Cajun or Creole?
It’s Creole. The tomatoes and tomato paste give it that classic red color. Cajun jambalaya skips the tomatoes and gets its color from browned meat.
Can I make this jambalaya recipe ahead of time?
Yes. Cook the recipe through the white wine step, then turn off the heat. Resume about 40 minutes before serving with the stock, rice, sausage, and chicken.
Can I use Andouille instead of kielbasa?
Absolutely. Andouille sausage jambalaya is smokier and spicier, so taste before adding extra cayenne or Tabasco. Turkey kielbasa keeps it milder and lighter.
Can I skip the shrimp?
You can. Just skip that step and stir in the scallions, parsley, and lemon juice, then let the pot steam. Add a bit more sausage or chicken if you want it heartier.
What’s the difference between jambalaya and gumbo?
Jambalaya cooks the rice right in the pot with the meat and veggies. A gumbo recipe makes a thicker, soupier stew that you serve over rice instead.
Final Thoughts: Go Make This Ina Garten Jambalaya Recipe
This Ina Garten jambalaya recipe is the kind of dinner that makes a Tuesday feel like a party. One pot, big flavor, and leftovers that taste even better the next day.
Give it a try, then save it to your Pinterest board so you can find it again. And tell me in the comments how it turned out. Did you go Andouille or kielbasa? I need to know.
