Jambalaya’s origins are in New Orleans where it is popularly served during Mardi Gras. I think it’s irresistible enough to serve anytime! But what is jambalaya anyway? Jambalaya is a one pot dish with rice, meats, and seasonings. It’s not exactly a soup or a stew—it really is its own thing. This Creole classic takes influence from both French Provençal and Spanish recipes. The word “jambalya” seems to have evolved from French, which might refer to a sort of mish-mash of ingredients. You may notice that the cooking process is similar to Spanish paella! The rich history of jambalaya is clear in its flavor profile.

Jambalaya is one of those versatile recipes with many variations. You can really make it your own by adding or substituting different proteins. I love adding some nice big shrimp and, if I can find it, authentic Andouille sausage. If you can’t find Andouille sausage, feel free to swap it out for Polish sausage. You can even make a vegetarian version by just adding extra veggies or your favorite plant based sausage!

If you want to add shrimp to your jambalaya, add them raw about 6 minutes before the rice is done. Just take off the lid, place the shrimp on top of the rice, and cover. The steam from the rice will cook the shrimp. Make sure the shrimp are peeled and de-veined. I do remove the tail in this recipe, but sometimes I like to leave the tail on for a more eye-catching presentation. Both ways are great and my family loves seafood so we don’t mind getting our hands a little bit dirty when it comes to flavorful dishes like this jambalaya! If you want to make things even easier, sometimes you can get pre-cleaned shrimp from your local butcher shop. Never hurt to ask, anyway!