Whether you’re looking for a great recipe to serve a crowd or a wonderful make-ahead meal for a weekend on a boat with a small galley or for a special treat on an overnight passage, jambalaya is the answer.
And our friend Drew Daugherty’s jambalaya is wonderful! This is one of his favorite recipes when a crowd of hungry sailors gathers — and instead of making it ahead, he just passes out a bunch of cutting boards and knives and puts everyone to work chopping. A number of times, I’ve heard people talking about making jambalaya as the highlight of a regatta!
But the great thing about jambalaya is that it’s every bit as good reheated . . . making it perfect for times when you want to make your main meals ahead of time and heat them up later. Say if you have a small boat with a mini-galley that you use for weekends (freeze it and put it in the cooler) . . . or for a great hot meal in the middle of an overnight passage.
NOTE: It’s very hard to say how many this will serve — it depends on the appetites!
Drew’s Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon salt (optional)
- 1 bell pepper (seeded and finely chopped)
- 2 large onions (finely chopped)
- 5 stalks of celery (finely chopped)
- 1 bunch of green onions (green part only, finely sliced)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, DRAINED (or one fresh tomato diced)
- 1 package smoked sausage (andouille is best if you can get it), thinly sliced
- 2 pounds uncooked boneless chicken, diced (thighs are best)
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can cream of onion soup
- 1-1/2 tablespoons Drew’s Cajun seasoning
Drew’s Cajun seasoning mix — it’s spicy:
- 1 part red pepper (cayenne)
- 1 part black pepper
- 1 part white pepper
- 2 parts ground thyme
- 4 parts oregano
- 1 part garlic powder
- 1 part salt
Instructions
- In a big skillet brown the sausage on high until they have a brown crispness on them. Set aside.
- In a big pot, cook the onions, bell pepper and celery in the oil over medium heat until very soft – it takes a while.
- Add the spice mix, salt, chicken and sausage. Stir and cook about 5 minutes.
- Add broth and rice, bring to a boil for several minutes.
- Add the soup and cover pot. Turn to low and simmer until moisture is absorbed (but still a little wet) – about 20 minutes if using white rice (longer for brown).
- Turn off heat and add the drained tomatoes and sprinkle the green onions on top.
- Put cover back on the pot (still with stove off) and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- ENJOY!
Notes
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Simplify meal prep on board with proven strategies for provisioning, maximizing fridge space, and cooking delicious meals aboard your boat.
Jan Irons on Facebook says
I can vouch for this recipe – Drew makes the very best jambalaya I’ve tasted! 🙂
Lisa D says
I made this jambalaya with a few tweeks over the Memorial Holiday weekend while camping. This looked super simple and tasty. I wasn’t able to find the andouille sausage so replaced it with chorizo which is a spicy Mexican sausage that works really well in jambalaya. I also didn’t have all of the spices that were listed (white pepper). I also used Hot Shots (consists of Black and Red Pepper) in approximate measurements. Also, I used bone in chicken thighs and brown rice. I wouldn’t recommend using brown rice since it is hard to get it to cook all the way. But the recipe was easy and wonderful. It was especially tasty the next day.
Jill G says
Just FYI that I made this before I had read some of your other comments about your use of Lite-Salt. Therefore, using regular salt – with a tablespoon called for in addition to a portion in the spice mix – my first try of the recipe tasted (you guessed it) somewhat heavy on the salt! However, I will definitely try it again, I have had great success with your recipes in the BG cookbook !
Carolyn Shearlock says
Thanks for saying that — funny but I made jambalaya last night and decided that it was too salty with the salt that’s in the soup, broth and Cajun mix and just omitted it. I made a note to myself to add a comment back here on the recipe that people might not want to use the salt — Drew uses the extra salt and all I can think is that maybe the broth he uses isn’t as salty as mine?
Jill G says
Must be – I made it again last night without the tbsp of salt and the result was much better! I have been on a one-pot meal kick, and this one is going into the rotation! Will also try the jambalaya recipes in the BG cookbook! Thanks again!
Tony Gariepy says
This sounds lovely!!
Michael Poehlitz says
Ted Wittenberger – something for our next cruise? Bringing the taste of Leesville to the Blue Heron
Marcia Kress says
This is the first recipe I found when I first started reading this blog three years ago. I have made this several time since then. It is my “go to” recipe for Jambalaya. We LOVE this! Thanks to Drew for letting you share this with us.
S/V Lift
Cele Bird Bull says
I made this to put in the freezer for an offshore passage-my husband tasted it and we both think it’s delicious—I couldn’t find cream of onion soup, so I used cream of chicken—for the rice I used Zatarain’s Jamalaya rice mix and the Badia creole seasoning spice mix—tasty!!!
ABBY SMITH says
THIS SOUNDS REALLY GOOD,HOWEVER THE SODIUM CONTENT IS REALLY HIGH. IS THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE IT LESS SALTY.. WOULD SOAKING THE SAUSAGE HELP?
THANK ABBY
Carolyn Shearlock says
Don’t add the salt, or use salt substitute. Get low sodium broth and the soup. The sausage doesn’t have nearly as much sodium as those do!
Cathi Vessell says
For the seasoning mix, does part refer to teaspoon? I don’t want to over or under season.
Carolyn Shearlock says
You’re making a mix to use in other recipes (or you can sprinkle some on things like scrambled eggs). You can make any amount you want — “part” could be a teaspoon, tablespoon, quarter-cup, etc. Then use the resulting mix in other recipes in the amount called for in that recipe.