Jambalaya

If you don’t try this recipe, I am angered with you. And your brain doesn’t work. Straight up. This recipe seriously rocked my world. My tastebud world, that is. I put off making it for a while. It was honestly probably one of the first recipes I wanted to try to make when I first began eating paleo, but was too intimidated. I’m not sure why. I’m not intimidated easily. Maybe because it’s a lot of meat in one recipe. But more meat is better. I’ve come to terms with this fact.

I think I have found out what I’m extremely good at. I can’t call it ‘my calling’ but more of ‘my talent’. I’m really talented. You wanna know why? Because 98% of the time, I wake up LITERALLY 2 minutes before my alarm. Almost every day. Unless I’ve slept 3 hours because I can’t tear myself away from Chopped. Damn them for having the dessert round last. But no joke, I rarely ever have to hear my alarm because of this mysterious talent. It’s heaven. Alarms are hell. Like little torture appliances. If I were to invent anything in my lifetime, it would be to get rid of time. That makes sense. Definitely.

Fact: Our Christmas tree is still up. Don’t worry, it’s fake. Fact:  Our Halloween candy corn lights are still up. This is what happens when you have roommates. I don’t give a horses crap about the holidays, but my roommates looooove them. So they get all excited, want to decorate everything (Laura specifically), then the decorations never leave. I legit keep finding spider glow in the dark rings on the floor from our Halloween party. Valentine’s Day may get a little out of control. Specifically because Laura and I will probably have to celebrate it together. Soooooo I’m guessing she’ll do the red and pink streamers and I’ll bake the heart paleo cookies. And then we’ll order in food and watch movies together. I love our domestic partnership. We’re actually going on a date this weekend for 5280 week. God we’re adorable.

Yep, my face is stillllll peeling.

Print

Jambalaya

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3-4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 andouille sausage, sliced
  • 2 chicken breasts, cubed
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 head cauliflower, riced
  • 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
  • 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. First get everything ready. It’ll make your life simpler. Dice all your veggies then throw your cauliflower in the food processor with the shredding attachment to rice the cauliflower.
  2. Now heat a large pot over medium-high heat with your olive oil. Add your garlic until it becomes fragrant then add your onion and green bell pepper to begin to cook down.
  3. Once the onion in translucent, add your cauliflower, broth, chicken and sausage. Mix together. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.
  4. Then add your tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices. Stir to incorporate.
  5. Cover and let cook for another 5-8 minutes or until cauliflower is tender and meats are cooked through.
  6. Let sit for around 5 minutes to cool.
  7. Consume!

Notes

You are more than welcome to add shrimp to this recipe, I just didn’t have any on hand!

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Oh, Hi! I’m Juli.

I’m a food hoarder. And a really bad dancer. If you don’t know me well, you will probably not understand my humor. Therefore, I apologize ahead of time. Thanks for listening to my ramblings of my ever-changing life and trusting my kitchen mishaps. Your trust in me is appreciated.

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150 thoughts on “Jambalaya”

  1. I really don’t want to be the one to burst your bubble, but restaurant week isn’t until the end of February 🙁 at which time, we will definitely get down on some Fogo de Chão! Ps. this smelt delicious as you ate it on my bed, so I’m thinking everyone should make it..as soon as possible.

  2. You should have told me you were making Jambalaya. I still have two pounds of Louisiana Gulf Shrimp in the freezer. That would have made this perfect!

  3. What broth do you use that doesn’t have the extra junk? Or do you make your own? I can’t seem to find any broth without sugar or other added stuff. Thanks!!

  4. I have several of your recipes on my menu for this week. This one was amazing and I had seconds… can’t wait to indulge in the others 🙂 In fact, they are much better than the ones in the Paleo for Athletes book! A lot more flavorful!! And, your blog posts crack me up.. I love reading them 🙂

  5. Hoooollllllyyyyy Cooooow was this good!!! We made it last night. Delish. We couldn’t find andouille sausage at our grocery store (wth, right?!?) so we substituted kielbasa. Still amazing. Can’t wait for dinner. Thanks Juli!

  6. Made this last night!! Big hit- my 11 yr old son devoured it with second helpings!!!! Sooo good. I added extra bell pepper, garlic and shrimp- LOVED it!!!! Thanks for the recipe!!! I shared it with everyone at my crossfit gym too.

  7. HOLY BALLS this is good stuff. Just starting the paleo journey and what a delicious way to start. I’ve been crossfitting for 2 years and just now giving paleo a try…a little late, I know. Thanks for sharing your recipes and humor…you are hilarious!

  8. Juli – I love love love your blog. (is this a blog???) I recently started paleo also, semi back in September and really getting into it currently, so all of the information and recipes you provide are great! Thanks again! BTW – My daughter’s name is Julie also – I like the way you spell yours! I just saw a recipe for Scotch Eggs on another paleo site. They look amazing and I’m going to give them a try this weekend! I’ll let you know how they come out. See you later girl!

  9. Made this yesterday, and I thougt it was great, but more importantly, so did my husband…..who doesn’t like cauliflower.

  10. I made this tonight! It was awesome, added some shrimp and some chipotle in adobo sauce. Added some Franks hot sauce too. It was delicious!!! Thanks so much for posting all these fantastic recipes! Btw, love Chopped! It keeps me up too late too 🙂

          1. Matthew Yurkovich

            The Indian chicken and rice sounds tempting. I’m on a bit of a budget having been laid off recently, anything you recommend?

          2. really anything. go with a meat that’s on sale and find a recipe from there! i have no money so i’m right there with you.

  11. I’m making this today while I have a little free time. I’m sure it will be amazing, your blog rocks and so do your recipes! I made the sausage spaghetti squash bake last week and it was DELICIOUS!!

  12. I made this last night for dinner and it was awesome! I had never riced cauliflower before, and it turned out great!

  13. Hey Juli
    Colorado Rocks!
    CrossFit Arsenal in Lone tree is where I’m at.

    Ever try using broccoli as “rice” instead of cauliflower? I’m not a huge cauliflower fan
    Jeff

    1. I’ve never been to that gym, I’ll need to head over that way sometime! I’ve never tried broccoli but it might work! Everything is worth trying

  14. made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good! I added shrimp and a little hot sauce. Thanks for an awesome recipe! love your website, and the article you wrote for again faster about having thighs that touch…who cares!

  15. I made this last night, this was really good!! I wished I had made more! My BF who doesn’t like cauliflower devoured the whole bowl and said he couldn’t even taste the cauliflower at all! This recipe is definitely a keeper!

  16. Greetings from Cajun Country! This isn’t the first Paleo jambalaya recipe I’ve tried. It is a miracle I tried again because the last recipe was uh…gross! I ran across this a few weeks back and finally got around to trying it today. Hubby is a little hard to please since he is a die hard rice man. This really hit the spot though…I am completley stoked! I added a jalapeno for extra heat. Hubby came home with some grilled deer sausage so we cut that up and added it as well. I’m totally on board with the idea of a cookbook. Go for it girl!!! 🙂

    1. Chandra Posted on Love it! Glad I had a chance to run with you the other day! Helped me to get back on track while I was up there! Know that you keep me inesirpd!

  17. So, I had friends from Mississippi and Alabama coming over for dinner tonight. I wasn’t sure how wise it would be to try a new jambalaya recipe for friends from jambalaya country, but I decided to give it a shot and everyone loved it. My friend even asked for the recipe! Thanks so much…my dinner was a great success!

  18. WOW!!!!! Sooo good Juli! Did not even miss the rice one little teeny bit with this recipe! YUMMMOOOOOOO!!

  19. my husband’s favorite dish now!
    i always make it whenever we have guests coming over.
    thank you for this!

  20. This was awesome! I got to your site from the foodie project and have now bookmarked it since your recipes look great and you’re writing is funny!

    I made this as is (except for a few shakes of Frank’s hot sauce) and was skeptical since neither my boyfriend or I like cauliflower but this was fantastic. Thanks for a great recipe and blog!

  21. Absolutely delicious. Actually had to make the cauliflower on the side, since my family won’t eat it.

    Keep it going. Your side is awesome.

  22. My husband and my kids ( two girls aged 9 and 6), BEG for this dish almost weekly. Seriously, I have to double it sometimes so the hubs can take leftovers to work. It’s not unusual for me to have this for breakfast the following day. It’s awesome the next day, cold. Straight out of the fridge, onto a bowl (if the kids are watching. I have to set a good example after all), but sometimes straight out of the container. There’s no shame in that, people. No shame.

    Sometimes I add crawfish or shrimp, and during Lent use turkey sausage. It all works, because this dish (and everything else on this site!) is amazingly good.

  23. Holy crap this is good! We just finished dinner and I ate so much my stomach hurts. This was really easy to make too. Thanks so much for this one.

  24. Just need to add my kudos also – I am fairly new to paleo (7 weeks maybe?) and this might be the BEST recipe I have tried so far. Chowhound gives me a lot of duds but it sure hit the jackpot on this one! Thanks!

  25. I made this tonight, and my boyfriend and I loved it! Delicious recipe! Looking forward to trying more 🙂

  26. I’m new to the Paleo world (just started this week) and this recipe was awesome! I wasn’t sure what to think about “riced cauliflower” at first but this was really delicious. Thanks a lot! Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Lovin Paleo so far 🙂

  27. I am going to throw this together tonight with some of the leftover beer butt chicken I grilled last night and the broth I simmered in the crock pot overnight from that chicken. Yes, I’m rating this before I make it but what can possibly go wrong.

  28. Made this Friday night, and finished it off last night! It was absolutely delicious!!! I added about 3/4 lb. shrimp (ate some of the 1-lb bag once it was thawed – I love shrimp!!), and it was perfect! Your recipes are simply awesome Juli!! Thanks so much!

  29. Made this last night and it turned out pretty well. Doesn’t look all that appetizing though. At one point I thought there wasn’t going to be enough liquid in the recipe, but by the time it was done, there was plenty.
    I also made the enchilada chicken stew – let it cook overnight. Haven’t tried it yet but it smells great!

  30. very good; thanks for sharing the recipe. made this tonight for dinner, but with shrimp & sausage instead of chicken. it sure does stay hot for a long time! We will definitely make it again.

  31. Ok, so I made this and it was a total hit! When my father in law said, “you made this?” I didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or insult, but I went with it.

    I just started Paleo with my husband and your website has been a life saver.

  32. Made this tonight – sooooo delicious!! This was the first recipe I’ve made of yours & I can’t wait to make another. They all look fantastic. I’m on day 9 of the Whole30 & your recipes are going to make it easy. Thanks for sharing your awesome talent!

  33. New to the blog. This was my first recipe and now a favorite. Absolutely delicious! Tomorrow, Chicken Enchilada Stew. Can’t wait!

  34. I am new to paleo eating (on day 6 of a 30 day challenge) and someone posted this recipe- it looks freaking awesome and I can’t wait to make it. I was motivated to leave this comment because I too am hooked on Chopped and sometimes stay up too late watching… I hate how they run the end of one episode into the next to hook you…

  35. Of course I googled Paleo Jambalaya and of course your site came up first. Of course. Seriously, Google’s kinda creeping me out with how much it wants me to love you. Good thing you’re easy to love!

    I made regular jambalaya, corn bread and rice pudding for a friend today, didn’t have a bite myself but got to wondering if there was a recipe out there.

    Oh and I have the time magic thing too. I think it’s because I hate the sound of alarms so much, SO MUCH, that my brain just keeps time on its own to spare me.

  36. Thanks for this recipe! It is now serving as my 3rd meal in as many days – meaning it stores well! Kind of sad that it’s all gone 🙁

  37. Hiya Juli, LOVE your website. It’s so beautiful to look at and the recipes are AMAZING. 🙂

    Quick question, I’m in Australia and will struggle to find andouille sausages. What is a good substitute? If youxan describe them too me I can probably get my butcher to reccomend something we can get easily in Australia.

    Cheers!
    Jo

    1. you want a sausage that has a kick to it. google it to find the spices that are added to it, but just ask your butcher for sausage that has some heat to it.

  38. Stupid question… is the chicken already cooked before you add it to the recipe or does it cook up once added to the pot. I’m new to Paleo AND cooking, really… so I’m in for a crazy lifestyle change! But I LOVE cooking and so far your recipes have been DELICIOUS!

  39. I made this Saturday night. Boyfriend had 2 bowls, roommate had one. I had 3! Made another batch 2 nites later, and having it every day for lunch! This is phenomenal! Thank you for the best recipes! Delish!

  40. Amazing!!! So good! The spices were perfect, river cauliflower was a great substitute for rice. To any readers who haven’t made this yet, do it! It is so good! Thanks for the recipe!

  41. Hello!

    Looks like a great recipe. Don’t have my food processor here in Sydney though – any tips on how I could make the cauliflower work without it?

    Thanks

  42. Rich Quackenbush

    Holy shit snacks that was good! Love the recipie and love your blog. You’re funny as hell and are a great resource to the paleo community.

  43. Sunnye Morgan

    I am going to make this recipe tonight. I’m from Louisiana & we love our jambalaya so I’m very excited. I have prob a DB question but do I use raw chicken or cook it first.

  44. I made this tonight for my husband and I and LOVED the flavor, however my cauliflower was too fine and it looked a little mushy at the end. It tasted great despite the appearance. Next time I’ll be doing the cauliflower a little more coarse. Thank you for the wonderful recipes!

  45. I made this tonight from your cookbook and it was delicious! I can’t wait to make more of your recipes =)

  46. I made this last week since I bought some andouille on sale and it was freakin’ amazing! Used quinoa instead of cauliflower since don’t like cauliflower, have never liked, probably won’t start liking it anytime soon. Anyway…the BF, not paleo, totally loved it, said would pay money for that! Even the grown kid liked it! Gotta get more andouille!

  47. I have made this recipe several times since finding your amazing website and it is freakin’ awesome!! I made a double batch for a family function (none of whom are Paleo eaters) and they all loved it, too. It definitely has become a staple in our home. Thanks so much, Juli, for helping make my Paleo transition a little easier with all your fab recipes. Your cookbook as found a home on my counter and so will any others you decide to publish. 🙂

  48. I live in Australia and havent heard of Jambalaya before.. so after I bought the PaleOMG book i skipped past this recipe a few times but hooooly! it’s amazing. it’s still on the stove cooking and i cant wait to eat it up! Yum.

  49. Thanks for the great recipe, Juli. I had to sub with things that were in my pantry, but the family absolutely loved it! (Even my picky-eater.)
    I used:
    -bacon, kielbasa, and shrimp for the meat
    -2 1/2 cups of my homemade marinara instead of diced tomatoes & paste

    I am making a family cookbook of my children’s favorite recipes and this one will definitely be going in. Thanks again!

  50. Do you (or anyone else) know if this freezes well? I am making this tonight for just me and decided not to cut the recipe in half.

    1. Ah hell, who am I kidding? After eating this for a few days there won’t be enough left to freeze. It was great last night but even better on the second day.

  51. My non-paleo, onion-hating husband went back for thirds! Delicious!!! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

  52. Delish! My 2 year old ate it, my 4 year old ate it, and my 33 year old, hubby ate it. That’s what I call a “three-fer”. Thanks!

  53. I made this tonight and oh man! Broke da mouth!. Great recipe, not too hard to make. I added shrimp and a bit more seasonings and then Crystal Hot Sauce..I am definitely keeping this one. Thanks Julie!!!!!!!

  54. This was delicious! I added celery to complete the “trifecta” and also added some yellow bell because my green bell wasn’t quite up to size. (wasn’t sure about the yellow bell, but it worked) I also *might* have also sprinkled a bit of Tony’s on the chicken as it waited to be thrown into the veggies. As a newbie to the paleo world and a lover of Jambalaya, I will definitely be making this again! THANK YOU!!

  55. This was delicious…I tripled the chicken broth, doubled the garlic, used ghee instead of olive oil, and threw in some shrimp…boy was it fantastic!! I’d post a picture if I could! Thank you!

  56. This was super yummy. A little work intensive, but worth it. My dad who lives on white rice said he didn’t “even feel deprived” eating this. Which is the biggest compliment ever. Thanks for the recipe.

  57. I made this a while ago, and even people from Louisiana liked it! I’m going to make it again tonight with a few substitutions (it’s one of those the-fridge-is-almost-empty-except-for-onions-and-frozen-meat nights). Looking forward to it!

  58. I love this recipe! I have made in many times and it is one of my favorite to go meals! Thanks for your effort in sharing all of these awesome recipes! I made it last night for a yearly party my family and I attend and it was a hit! You rock!

  59. I was looking for a Jambalaya recipe I could enjoy without all the guilt when I went back for seconds…this is a keeper. I added shrimp, doubled the garlic and a bay leaf — so easy and delicious! Thank you!

  60. WOW – That rocked my world too!!! I have never tried any version of Jambalaya before and now I can’t fathom why. Luckily I tried the best recipe on my first sampling.

  61. Hi Juli! I love this recipe and want to try it in the InstantPot but don’t want to f it up. You tried it like that? Love your recipes.

  62. Very tasty! I used a red bell pepper instead of green and omitted the broth. Otherwise I followed the recipe.

  63. I know this is super old, but it’s STILL – 10 years later – my go-to Jambalaya recipe! It’s just so good and so flavourful!! I’m actually a little sad this recipe is probably rolled up into the archives now, but it’s worth digging up and bringing back. Plus with an opening line like “If you don’t try this recipe… I am angered with you.” how can one not try it?! #Rude.
    Congrats to you on your amazing little family! Cheers from Toronto!

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