If you miss Jambalaya on your low-carb diet, this flavorful Keto Jambalaya is perfect for you. It has all the delicious flavors without the extra carbs and is ready in just 30 minutes!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
This keto jambalaya recipe is a low carb version of the classic jambalaya recipe. It is super flavorful and so mouthwateringly delicious. I love that it is ready in no time and uses the same pot from start to finish. This comforting and hearty meal makes for an easy weeknight dinner. Even if they are not on the keto diet, your whole family will love this healthy jambalaya recipe!
What is jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a delicious rice dish cooked with various vegetables and proteins. It is a New Orleans staple with African, French, and Spanish influence.
Jambalaya is typically made by cooking rice, sausages, pork, chicken, and seafood like shrimps all in the same pot. It is a well-loved mouth-watering dish that is popular in the US and other countries.
🥘 Equipment Used
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To make this keto jambalaya recipe, you'll need a little pot, cutting board, knife, and measuring spoons. You can also make it in an Instant Pot or slow cooker!
🧾 Ingredients Used
- Cauliflower rice: You can either buy fresh or frozen riced cauliflower from the grocery store. It all depends on your personal choice. However, I prefer to make mine at home because it is so much cheaper. If you choose to make yours from scratch, find out how to rice your cauliflower using a food processor.
- Spicy andouille sausage: It is best to use andouille sausage for an authentic flavor in this sausage jambalaya recipe, but you can substitute it with regular sausage if that's what you have on hand.
- Raw shrimps: I use fresh, peeled, and deveined raw shrimp for this recipe for best results. You can get them from the grocery store. You can also use frozen shrimps.
- Vegetables: Diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, garlic cloves, celery, green onions, parsley/cilantro to garnish.
- Spices: Cajun seasoning blend (or creole seasoning), smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt.
- Olive oil: You may use any neutral-flavored oil you prefer to sautee the vegetables in this cauliflower rice jambalaya.
🔪 How To Make This Recipe
- Prepare your vegetables and sausages. Chop them all up and set them aside.
- Saute the chopped onions and minced garlic in olive oil in a large skillet till translucent.
- Add the chopped bell pepper, sausages, green onions, and celery to the pot.
- Then, add all the spices and mix them together for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes (with the liquid), add the raw shrimps, and then let it cook on medium-high heat until the shrimps are done.
- Pour in the cauliflower rice and stir everything together.
- Taste for salt and add more if desired.
- Simmer on medium heat till the cauliflower rice is done.
- Your keto jambalaya is ready. Enjoy!
🥫 Storing and Reheating
Store this delicious low carb jambalaya recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. To store it longer, put it in an airtight freezer bag. Remove all the air from the bag so the cauliflower rice doesn't get soggy when frozen and defrosted. Freeze it for not more than a month for best results. To reheat, first, defrost it in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet until hot.
💭 Tips and Variations
- You can substitute the red bell pepper with green bell pepper or even use both for a colorful medley.
- Add some chicken breasts, bacon, beef, or your choice of protein to make this dish even more filling.
- Use your favorite ingredients like black pepper or garlic powder to make this jambalaya your own.
- Serve with your favorite hot sauce to bring on the heat! You can also easily adjust the spice level by reducing or increasing the cayenne pepper used.
- Add half or a whole can of diced tomatoes, depending on how wet or dry you want your jambalaya to be. Also, keep in mind that frozen shrimps and frozen cauliflower rice will release some moisture as it defrosts.
- If you change the tomato quantity, make sure you taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- You can use fresh tomatoes instead. Just dice it up and add half to one cup of chicken stock (or chicken broth).
🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
Jambalaya is a complete meal on its own and does not need anything to go with it. It contains a variety of ingredients that are guaranteed to fill you up and keep your belly happy. If you need a side dish to enjoy this healthy jambalaya recipe with, try some broccoli or keto coleslaw.
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
Is Jambalaya keto-friendly?
The traditional jambalaya recipe is not keto-friendly. Even though the proteins and veggies align with a keto lifestyle, jambalaya is basically a rice dish.
Traditional white rice has a very high carb count and is not allowed on a ketogenic diet.
However, for a keto-friendly diet, one can replace rice easily with cauliflower rice which is very keto-compliant. Cauliflower rice tastes just as good as regular rice when cooked just right.
Can you eat andouille sausage on keto?
It's perfectly okay to have some andouille sausages while in ketosis or trying to get to a ketogenic state. The sausages are filled with proteins, healthy fats, and zero net carbs, making them keto-friendly. So go ahead and indulge guilt-free!
Should jambalaya be wet or dry?
Jambalaya can be either wet or dry, depending on how you like it. The use of tomatoes can make the jambalaya either wet or dry. Cajun jambalaya does not include tomatoes, and so it usually turns out a bit dry. Creole jambalaya, however, contains tomatoes. If you prefer your jambalaya wet, use more tomatoes with the liquid.
What kind of meat goes in jambalaya?
There's almost no limit to the types of meats that you can cook in jambalaya. Traditionally, chicken, beef, or pork are used.
📖 Recipe
Keto Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz cauliflower rice
- ½ onion chopped
- 4 links andouille sausage
- 1 lb shrimps peeled, deveined
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 bunch green onions
- 15 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
- 2 teaspoon cajun seasoning or creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- parsley garnish, optional
- red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients. Chop the red bell pepper, sausages, green onions, celery, onions and garlic.
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped red bell pepper, sausage, green onions, and celery.
- Add all the spices, mix together and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the diced tomatoes (with the liquid) and add the raw shrimps.
- Cook till the shrimps are done.
- Pour in the cauliflower rice and stir everything together.
- Taste for salt and add more if desired.
- Simmer on low heat till the cauliflower rice is done.
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Notes
- Use half to one can of diced tomatoes, depending on how wet or dry you want your jambalaya to be. Also, keep in mind that frozen shrimps and frozen cauliflower rice will release some moisture as it defrosts.
- If you change the tomato quantity, make sure you taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- You can use fresh tomatoes instead. Just dice it up and add half to one cup of chicken stock (or chicken broth).
- Adjust the quantity of cayenne pepper to your desired heat level. Skip the pepper altogether if you can't tolerate any heat at all.
Nutrition
Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.
Tayo - Another winner ! I love your recipes - Mushroom soup and Chicken Peanut Stew are also awesome. I am now a big lover of cayenne in recipes. Cant wait to try more - next up; Spicy Cabbage Soup
Thank you, Kelly! I hope you enjoy the spicy cabbage soup, too!
flavorful.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Shanté!
Nice recipe. Is the cauliflower rice already dry fried before you add it to this recipe?
No, you don't have to dry fry it first.