Having a Whole30 jambalaya recipe in your recipe box means never missing out on these amazing traditional Louisiana flavors. Make a few small changes and enjoy this southern comfort food guilt-free.
Jambalaya’s combination of meat and shrimp cooked with vegetables is a delicious way to eat this comfort food. Southern jambalaya can be made in under 30 minutes if you follow my recipe. Plus, it’s Whole30 friendly and keto and low-carb approved. You cook everything in just one pot, so clean up is a breeze.
How to turn traditional jambalaya into a Whole30 jambalaya recipe
With just a few simple changes, you can turn a traditional jambalaya recipe into something that is delicious and fits into your Whole30 lifestyle. Traditional jambalaya starts with either chicken or smoked sausage with celery, peppers, and onions. This combination of vegetables is known in culinary terms as a holy trinity. Next, seafood is added.
Creole jambalaya has tomatoes, while Cajun style does not. I use tomatoes in mine. The only major difference is that you don’t use rice on Whole30. But cauliflower rice is an easy and delicious substitute.
What sausage can you eat on Whole30?
You need to watch the ingredients when choosing a sausage that is Whole30 compliant. Check the ingredient label for additives, being sure to avoid anything with sugar, nitrates, MSG, or other additives. A compliant sausage can be difficult to find, but using clean sausage makes your jambalaya taste amazing. Got extra sausages? Try my Sausage Asparagus Quinoa Pasta!
How do you rice cauliflower?
The easiest way to make this Whole30 jambalaya recipe is with frozen riced cauliflower. It’s easy to find in any grocery store thanks to the demand for low-carb food options. In fact, frozen works best in this recipe!
However, if you want to make your own, you can run a head of cauliflower through a food processor. This is an easy ingredient to prepare in advance and freeze because it keeps well for long periods of time.
One of the reasons this dish is so quick to make is that you don’t have to wait for the rice to cook. Cauliflower rice just needs to be heated, while regular rice needs to absorb all the liquid to make it fluffy.
What is Cajun seasoning?
Cajun seasoning is easy to find in the store. But if you decide you love the flavor and want to use it on more than jambalaya, you can always make your own. It’s the combination of:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Seasoning salt
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Chili flakes
- Black pepper
- Cayenne
- Paprika
Got extra Cajun seasoning? Try my Cajun Grilled Chicken with Black Bean Mango Salad, Cajun Salmon with Strawberry Salsa, and Cajun Shrimp Skewers with Corn Salad. They’re so easy to make and are a great way to use up any extra Cajun seasoning you’ve got.
What’s good with this Whole30 jambalaya recipe?
This dish is pretty filling by itself with its combination of meat and veggies. If you want a side dish that is also Whole30 compliant, try some of these:
- Chard
- Okra
- Collard greens
- Cole slaw
Whole30 Jambalaya Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 + 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb raw shrimp peeled, deveined and tail On
- 14 oz Andouille sausage (this kind of sausage is already cooked)
- 1 cup white or yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 cups cauliflower rice frozen
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon green onion
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive over medium heat and add shrimp until is cooked. It’s about 4-5 minutes. Be careful to not overcook otherwise they will have a rubbery texture. Set aside.
- Add sliced sausage to the pot and cook until browned on both sides, stirring occasionally. Set aside as well.
- Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion, green and red bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until softened.
- Add Cajun seasoning, tomatoes, chicken broth and bring the sausage back. Stir well and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium low heat.
- Bring back to the pot shimp and add cauliflower rice. Cook on low, stirring regularly until rice is heated.
- Garnish with green onions and fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the sausage you buy is Whole30 compliant without any sugar, nitrates, MSG or other additives.
- For extra heat, add extra cayenne pepper and chili flakes to the jambalaya.
- I find frozen cauliflower rice to be the most convenient option as it takes less time to prepare.
- To store: Store leftover jambalaya in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat the jambalaya in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- To freeze: Jambalaya can be frozen for around 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave some space for the liquid to expand.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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why do you leave the tails on the shrimp? Think it would make it harder to eat
You can remove the tails on the shrimp if you prefer!
This was amazing, I added chicken breast, and didn’t add the cauliflower rice in the pan. I added that to each bowl and poured the jambalaya over it. Only because cauliflower rice can ger soggy. This was amazing!! Thank you
Happy you liked it! Thanks for stopping by 😉
Pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out…I made my own Cajun seasoning, as I am really trying to be careful of what are put in so many seasonings out there! This recipe is a keeper – thank you!!!!
Right? This recipe is so flavourful and much healthier than the traditional recipe.
Parsley as….. can’t find it mentioned in instructions
You use it for topping. Just fixed it on the recipe box. Thanks for pointing it out.
Have you made this in a crockpot? Any suggestions?
No, sorry. I’ve never made this recipe in a slow cooker. If you did please let me know who it turned out.
Was pleasantly surprised that something this quick was so delicious!
Awesome!
Meh, not great. A little bland. Needs a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to thicken it up- or something- as the Cauliflower rice doesn’t thicken it like rice normally does.
This recipe is awesome my family loves it.
That’s great. So happy to know that your family enjoyed this recipe 😉
Can you tell me if this recipe is freezable? Thanks
Yes it is 😉
Do you use fresh raw shrimp or frozen?
Frozen. I defrost it before cooking.
What brand of andouille do you recommend for whole 30 compliant.
Dificult to say becuase it wil depend where you live.
This was delicious! I made my own cajun seasoning and used andouille sausage and that did not contain any sugar, preservatives, GMO, or gluten and chicken bc my husband is allergic to shrimp. I also served it on a bed of spinach. I will definitely make again.
So happy you liked it!
Would love to know what sausage recipe you used. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe several times, and it’s always a satisfying meal. It’s nice to use up extra veggies. Thanks for sharing the Cajun recipe too, my husband likes it spicy and this lets me adjust to how hot we want the flavors to be.
So happy to hear it’s a go-to meal for you! 😊 It’s such a great way to use up extra veggies, and I’m glad the Cajun option lets you customize the spice level for your husband. Thanks for the kind words! 🌶️🥦🍽️