Keto Jambalaya

Spice up your dinner routine with a big pot of keto jambalaya. This hearty recipe is filled with shrimp, chicken, and sausage as well as flavorful veggies and spices.

It's super flavorful and fun to make, and you can have it on the dinner table in less than an hour.

When you're in the mood for a bowl of comforting soup, you may also like Low Carb Chili.

Jump to:

• Keto Jambalaya
• Is Jambalaya Cajun or Creole?
• Spices in Jambalaya
• How to Make Jambalaya
• Should I use white meat or dark meat chicken?
• Can I use frozen shrimp?
• Garnish for Jambalaya
• 📖 Recipe

Keto Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a classic southern American dish that originated in Louisiana. It's hearty and filling, and made with sausage, pork or chicken, and seafood.

This keto jambalaya uses andouille sausage, boneless chicken breast, and shrimp.

A low carb soup filled with meats and veggies is a great dinner or lunch idea if you're doing keto.

Jambalaya is traditionally made with rice, so to make this recipe keto it includes cauliflower rice instead.

Is Jambalaya Cajun or Creole?

There are two categories of culture and culinary influence in the state of Louisiana and surrounding areas - Cajun and Creole.

Both groups have similar, yet distinct ways of cooking, and there are both Cajun and Creole jambalaya recipes.

You can tell if a dish is Cajun or Creole by checking one simple factor: does it include tomatoes?

Typically, Creole dishes include some kind of tomatoes or a red tomato-derived sauce or broth. Cajun dishes are made with brown sauce and broth bases.

Since this low carb jambalaya recipe is made with a base of chicken broth and crushed tomatoes, it's considered Creole inspired.

Spices in Jambalaya

Although this dish is considered Creole jambalaya, both Creole and Cajun seasoning blends are very similar.

Both contain cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.

You'll usually find crushed red pepper flakes in Cajun seasoning to add a little extra heat.

You can use either Cajun or Creole seasoning in this soup depending on the amount of spice and heat you prefer. I also like to add some crushed dried thyme and a bay leaf for even more flavor.

How to Make Jambalaya

1. Heat oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes, to release the flavors.
2. Remove the onions and peppers to a plate; set aside.
3. Add in the remaining ingredients, except the cauliflower rice, and stir to combine.
4. Bring the jambalaya to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Add in the frozen cauliflower rice and the cooked peppers and onions, and stir to combine.
6. Turn off the heat and let the jambalaya cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This steps for how to make keto jambalaya match the photos below, giving you a visual of how to make jambalaya.

Should I use white meat or dark meat chicken?

I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat chopped into 1-inch pieces if you prefer.

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, you can use pre-cooked frozen shrimp for this keto jambalaya recipe. I suggest adding it to the pot when you add the frozen cauliflower rice, as it won't need to cook as long as fresh, uncooked shrimp.

For another great recipe that also uses frozen shrimp, try our easy keto shrimp scampi.

Garnish for Jambalaya

I like to serve my low carb jambalaya with a simple garnish of sliced green onions.

You could also add some chopped cilantro and a few shakes of hot sauce for an authentic Louisiana feel.

Most people will argue that Jambalaya is dryer, and it is. We added a little more broth to our Jambalaya. You can make it as broth-y or dry as you like.

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Did you try this keto jambalaya recipe? I'd love to know how it worked for you in a comment below.

📖 Recipe