• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

Julia and Roger’s Jambalaya

March 2, 2021 by Joy the Baker 13 Comments

Jump to Recipe

A finished pot of rice jambalaya with shrimp and sausage.

There is no one cookbook you can buy to learn how to cook heartfelt New Orleans food. To learn to cook food from the south, I think you first have to learn how to EAT food from the south. More specifically, learning to discern what to eat from whom. Everyone has their specialties – the dish that comes from their bones though their heart and hands and subsequently into my grateful belly. I want the good stuff, please and thank you. Today let’s play with one very fine jambalaya recipe.

I’m forever learning how to eat in New Orleans which means I’ll be forever learning how to cook the truly glorious food in this place I get to call home.  Here are my notes after seven good years here.  This isn’t science, but it’s what I know to be true.

•  I love chicken and andouille gumbo from anyone’s mother over the age of 60 or so – someone patient enough to get to a dark dark roux.

•  I want seafood gumbo from my handyman Brodery because his gumbo is filled the literal brim with local seafood.

•  I crave crawfish pie from my dear friend Jessica in the Garden District. (Jessica was generous enough to let me share her recipe with you in Joy the Baker Magazine.)

•  I want jambalaya from anyone’s dad (or really, any Southern man over the ago of 55). I don’t know how to explain it but dads – especially rotary club dads – make the best jambalaya. Probably because their wives let them.

•  I need fried catfish and sides during Lent especially from the catholic church in Gentilly. I don’t know who is in charge there but let’s just say that a lot of things are going right.

•  I want Melissa’s crab claws and oyster gumbo and ok actually anything she cooks at all.



But wait – back to the jambalaya recipe! Today’s recipe is an invitation from Julia Turshen’s latest book Simply, Julia.

Julia is the friend who comes over with treats and toys for your pet. If that’s not a sure sign of a good person, I don’t know what is.

Julia writes unfussy, deeply comforting recipes for home cooks like us and her latest book feels so specific to Julia yet universal to all of our kitchens. I’ve already made two recipes from the book with heart warming success.

She shares this recipe from her friend Roger, a musician who studies Creole music and volunteers with Julia in the Hudson Valley.  Just proof that home is anywhere there’s a pot of jambalaya.

I’ve gushed on about Julia’s recipes before.  She did, after all, give us permission to fry our pistachios:  Julia’s Fried Pistachios.

In related news, I also have a cheeky recipe for Breakfast Jambalaya here and listen… it’s the kind of breakfast that can get you through the entire weekend, amen.

Food photography: ingredients for jambalaya in small bowls, chicken, shrimp, shopped celery, green peppers, and onions.

There is always intention behind a pot of jambalaya. Jambalaya is meant to stretch protein either to feed an army or to feed a few for several days.  It uses rice, spice, tomato, and broth to stretch stretch streeeetch the delicious of chicken, andouille, and shrimp so every bowl get at least a few good bites.

It’s the kind of dish always on the stove during Mardi Gras, because you never know who the spirits will bring to your door.

My last bowl of unexpected jambalaya came on voting day last year. A bunch of Jambalaya Dads (as I’ll lovingly refer to them) stood behind a folding table stacked high with individual containers of jambalaya. After voting they waved me over to the table for free lunch and insisted I take not just one, but two containers.  I greedily ate one container on the walk back home and it was just the most unexpected blessing.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Julia and Roger’s Jambalaya recipe:

• the trinity (yes, it’s holy): chopped onions, chopped green bell pepper, chopped celery.

• garlic, too. Also sacred.

•  chicken, andouille sausage, and peeled shrimp.  You can make this jambalaya as spendy or as frugal as you need. Leave the shrimp out if you prefer.

•  chili powder, salt and pepper to season the chicken and the entire pot.

•  tomato paste and canned crushed tomatoes. Tomato can be pretty controversial in jambalaya. Creole’s love a tomato while the Cajuns think it has no place in a jambalaya.  Me? I love the tomato thankyouverymuch.  I’ve chosen my side.

•  long grain white rice and chicken stock for the meal stretch.  (Ok… don’t tell a soul but I’ve also made jambalaya with quinoa successfully and it wasn’t half bad so if, dietarily, you need to do that you have my blessing.)

Chicken pieces in a small bowl topped with chili powder and black pepper.
Cooked chicken and sausage for jambalaya in a small bowl set aside.


Let’s make jambalaya.

Cut chicken pieces (boneless skinless breasts or thighs are really good here) into bite-size pieces.

Toss is chili powder, salt, and pepper and brown in a heavy bottom Dutch oven along with andouille sausage pieces.  Remove the cooked meat and allow to rest in a bowl, leaving the fat and flavor in the pan to layer in more ingredients.

Cooking a pot of jambalaya. Sauteing the trinity in fat from the chicken and sausage.

In goes the trinity to soften and absorb all the flavors from our chicken and andouille saute.

Cooking a pot of jambalaya. Onions pepper and celery sauteed in a pot with spices.

Cook the vegetables down until tender and just beginning to brown – 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and tomato pasta and stir round the pan for a minute or so.

Cooking a pot of jambalaya, rice added to sausage and tomato mixture.
A cooking pot of jambalaya, raw shrimp added.


Stir in the crushed tomatoes, the cooked chicken and sausage and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Stir in the rice. Reduce the stovetop to low. Cover and allow to rice to absorb all those delicious flavors as it cooks through.

Once the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid has been absorbed, stir in the shrimp, cover and allow to residual heat to cook the shrimp though.

A finished pot of jambalaya with large shrimp pieces. Sprinkled with parsley and scallions.

Sneak a few bites of from the pot with a spoon – you do, after all, have to make sure the rice is tender and the seasoning is on point.

Serve with chopped parsley and scallions. Hot sauce and, very untraditionally, a lemon wedge to compliment the shrimp.

It’ll fill your belly with the warmth of the south. Gah! It’s simply the best.  Please please, let this happen (and please welcome Simply, Julia) into your kitchens too. xo

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Julia and Roger’s Jambalaya

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Julia Turshen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
  • Total Time: 57 minute
  • Yield: serves 4 generously 1x
Pin Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

A comforting one-pot rice dinner from New Orleans. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 pound (227 grams) smoked andouille sausage, cut into thin coins
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 green bell peppers, seemed seeded and finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in their juice
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
  • A large handful thinly sliced green onions and parsley, for serving

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt, black pepper, chili powder and cayenne. Mix everything together and let the chicken sit at room temperature while you cook the sausage.
  2. Place the olive oil in a large heavy pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the sausage is crisped in spots, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
  3. Add the chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until it’s browned in spots and just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to the bowl with the sausage.
  4. Add the onion, celery, and bell peppers to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re fragrant and softened, about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring until very fragrant, just a minute or so. Add the diced tomatoes and their juice along with the chicken stock. Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil before turning to low. Taste the mixture and season with salt to your taste.
  6. Stir in the reserved sausage and chicken along with the rice. Cover and cook just until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
  7. Uncover the pot and stir in the shrimp if you’re using them. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the jambalaya sit so the shrimp cooks through with the residual heat and the rice has time to really soak everything in.
  8. Serve the jambalaya hot with a good sprinkle of green onions and parsley.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Photos with my friend Jon Melendez!

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten-Free, New Orleans, Recipes, Savory

Previous Post: « Let It Be Sunday, 311!
Next Post: Dede’s Strawberry Pistachio Doberge Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rachael

    December 15, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    Made for dinner this evening, twas awesome.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Beck & Bulow

    November 25, 2021 at 7:50 am

    Desperately wanting to re-create some of the culinary delights while the memories are fresh and it never occurred to me to ask for recipes while we were there. I’ll give these a try! Thank you for sharing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Katt

    April 5, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    I recently bought a bag of frozen, cooked shrimp on accident. Do you think I could use them in this recipe rather than raw? Add them right at the end after the rice is definitely cooked through and then just heat them through?
    Also, that breakfast jambalaya looks SO GOOD.

    Reply
    • Katt

      May 9, 2021 at 12:43 am

      Update:

      Made it with the frozen, cooked shrimp. A+, it was super delicious. I’m excited to use this recipe for the rest of the bag too!

      Reply
  4. Laine

    March 21, 2021 at 10:06 pm

    I made this after you posted it on instagram and promptly inhaled it so quickly I didn’t have a chance to take a picture. It was delicious!

    Reply
  5. samantha campanini

    March 16, 2021 at 2:40 am

    For a seafood lover this plate is Heaven!

    Reply
  6. Holly

    March 14, 2021 at 7:41 pm

    Made this tonight. Took 2 hours prep to plate. Made exactly as written. Excellent.

    Reply
  7. Suzanna

    March 7, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    I’ve made a lot of other jambalaya recipes and this one is the best I’ve had in a long, long time. It did take me closer to 2 hours to put this together, but maybe I’m just a little slow :-)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Anne Muller

    March 3, 2021 at 8:16 am

    i cannot get andouille where i live in Wyoming – what is a good substitute?

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      March 3, 2021 at 11:57 am

      Any kind of sausage you like will be a good substitute!

      Reply
    • Susan

      March 16, 2021 at 7:59 pm

      Andouille is highly smoked and spicy, so something that is also smoked would be a good substitute. Chef Paul Prudhomme always recommends Kielbasa as a sub with some affed cayenne pepper to add a little more heat that the andouille would add.
      I’ve also seen chorizo recommended in a pinch by people.
      But Joy is right. If there is a sausage you like, that would be a good sub too.

      Reply
  9. Jamie

    March 3, 2021 at 7:47 am

    sounds delicious!

    Reply
  10. Rachel

    March 2, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    I am so insanely excited for this book. Julia’s recipes are magical.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Dinner

assembling chicken burger on wooden board
Bacon Jalapeno Smashed Chicken Burgers

Allow me to sneak in at the start of your holiday weekend, here at the unofficial beginning of summer (and my favorite weekend of the year) with a humble but high-key FANTASTIC chicken burger. This is one of those smash burger recipes that once you know, you cannot unknow.  This will color your burgers for…

Read More

Sliced tomato pie recipe on plate with salad 
Easy Tomato Tarte Tatin

Hot girl summer? Check. Done. We’re hot.  You know what I’ve got my eye on for the coming months? BLT SUMMER. Sourdough bread, extra mayonnaise, seasoned fresh perfect sun-ripened tomatoes, bibb lettuce, and thick crisp bacon cooked with a tiny bit of brown sugar.  An absolute dream but that day isn’t here yet.  In these…

Read More

Bowl of easy risotto recipe in a small bowl.
Oven-Baked Pea, Pancetta and Lemon Risotto

Rice is my preferred starch. Wait… does banana bread count as a starch?  If not I choose rice – it’s more versatile when it comes to dinner anyhow.  Today we’re taking the most elegant of Italian rice dishes and making it more of a one-pot-wonder than a labor of love.  There’s surely still love (read:…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Berry crostata topped with whipped cream with coffee.

A Single Serve Berry Crostata Recipe

fresh baked blueberry cobbler on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.

The Secrets To My Favorite Blueberry Cobbler

POPULAR CAKES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolu My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolute favorite. Get into a box of white cake mix and fresh 🍓🍓 purée! Topped with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting - this cake is a little pink dream! ⁣
⁣
The Easiest Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe linked in the bio for you! 💋
Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite list of the summer on Joy the Baker this year: The Best Books for Summer 2022!  As a person who reads Beach Reads all year long, this is IT! With titles by @ashleymcoleman_ @anarasong @annleary @bonnie_garmus_author @heyashposton @annabelmonaghan @greerhendricks @sarahpekkanen @shelbyvanpeltwrites @marilynsimonrothstein @@misterosman and @kirstin.chen. The guide to your bookworm summer linked in the bio!
Over here testing the limits of “you are what yo Over here testing the limits of “you are what you eat” and will soon be taking my final form as a summer tomato. ⁣🫠🍅
⁣
This Mediterranean Feta and Fresh Tomato Tart is an absolute show stopper with a buttery crisp, press-in crust, whipped feta, and layers of fresh tomato, cucumber, onions, and olives. I’ll leave the recipe linked in the bio - it’s really very special. Join me. We are 🍅🍅.
Here are my two best kept secrets for getting thro Here are my two best kept secrets for getting through this summer.  I’ve never been much for secrets so I’m letting you right in! ⁣
1.	I’m committed to folding crumbled chewy brownies into the easiest homemade no-churn ice cream.⁣
2.	I’m shopping for all of my baking and summer entertaining essentials, wine and cheese at the new @aldiusa stores opening across the Gulf Coast! Wait… you’re as obsessed with ALDI as I am, right? The shopping is always easy and affordable and I always come home with a fun treat among my essentials. Hit up my stories to see my grocery haul (and the chips I ate in the car on the way home) and head to your nearest ALDI for your summer essentials!  #ad⁣
⁣
I’ll leave the recipe and your #ALDILove grocery list linked in the bio!
Let’s just make one! ⁣ ⁣ One Single Berry Cr Let’s just make one! ⁣
⁣
One Single Berry Crostata just you for. Double the recipe (🔗 in the bio) only if you want to share. ⁣
⁣
#joythebaker #berry #crostata #smallbatch #dessert #foodblogfeed
The freezer is packed with ice cream treats from h The freezer is packed with ice cream treats from here on out, and that’s a promise. ⁣
⁣
Find this Milk and Cereal Ice Cream Bar and loads of other semi-homemade ice cream treats linked in the bio! 💓🍦🫠
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up