One-Pan Jambalaya

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One-Pan Jambalaya is an easy, nutritious, 30-minute meal of oven-roasted & seasoned sausage, shrimp, veggies, and rice. Everything gets cooked together on one sheet pan!

ONE PAN JAMBALAYA! Sausage, shrimp, seasoned veggies, AND rice all cooked together on ONE PAN! Easy 30-minute dinner via chelseasmessyapron.com

Overhead view of One-Pan Jambalaya

One-Pan Jambalaya

Let’s start with this disclaimer: we are making NO claims to jambalaya authenticity with this recipe (Try this for something more authentic.)! I mean, for starters it’s made all on one sheet pan, ha!

This isn’t meant to be an authentic, spend-all-day-on-it kind of dinner. So why call it jambalaya? It’s inspired by the flavors and typical ingredients you’ll find in an authentic jambalaya. Certain words carry emotional meanings, and jambalaya is one of them!

The whole concept behind this recipe is to create a super-simple meal, limit the cleanup (like a lot), and still have a tasty, hearty (and fairly nutritious) dinner with a kick of spice. And One-Pan Jambalaya delivers on all counts. You will not believe how easy this recipe is to make! When you don’t have the time (or energy) to make Jambalaya from scratch but are craving some of those incredible flavors and a hit of spice, this sheet pan recipe is here for you.

We’ll also tell you here, this dish does have a bit of a spicy kick. There are certainly ways to decrease the spice (more on this below), but like most jambalayas, you’ll get a good hit of spice from this recipe. 

Ingredient shot: elements that go into this One-Pan Jambalaya recipe

You Can Cook Rice On A Sheet Pan?!

Yes! With a store-bought shortcut, we can have beautifully cooked rice in a matter of minutes! 

In order for this One-Pan Jambalaya to work, we need Ready Rice/Microwaveable Packaged Rice. Ready rice is a type of rice that is already cooked and just needs to be heated to warm through. Instead of heating it in the microwave, we add it to the sheet pan with the veggies, shrimp, and sausage and roast it — easy, quick, and convenient!

This type of packaged rice is typically found among other packets of rice and grains in the grocery store. There are lots of different flavors of microwaveable packaged rice, so be sure to get the plain (not seasoned) rice. We like Jasmine Ready Rice best in this recipe.

The only prep required for this type of rice is kneading the rice in the packet before opening it. This helps break apart any clumps of rice so it comes out in individual grains. If preferred, you can use (cold) leftover cooked white rice in this recipe.

QUICK TIP

Love the concept of cooking a grain alongside everything else on one sheet pan? Add these recipes to your list to try next: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice, Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf, or Sheet-Pan Quinoa Pilaf.

Process shots: adding peppers, onions, seasonings and oil; toss and roast.

Scaling Down (Or Up) The Spice Levels

When scaling down the spice, note that there will be some loss of flavor. When removing or reducing spicy seasonings, you may want to increase other spices such as salt, pepper, paprika, and the Italian seasoning.

To make this recipe milder, reduce the Creole seasoning (you can always add more at the end!) and don’t add in any red pepper flakes. Use a plain or hardwood smoked turkey sausage instead of a Cajun-style andouille smoked sausage.

To make this recipe spicier, use a Cajun-style andouille smoked sausage, add in a diced jalapeño pepper when adding in the rice, add in the optional red pepper flakes, and increase the Creole seasoning to taste.

Process shots: add tomatoes to the pan; combine shrimp with olive oil and seasonings.

One-Pan Jambalaya Tips

  • Cut vegetables into roughly equal sizes. This ensures even roasting so there aren’t some under-cooked veggies and some over-cooked. Pay attention to the specific sizes outlined in the recipe card to ensure the veggies are large or small enough to roast properly in the indicated times.
  • Use fresh, not frozen shrimp to save time. If you have fresh shrimp, you can skip thawing time which makes One-Pan Jambalaya come together that much quicker! With fresh shrimp, make sure it’s been peeled and deveined, as well, to save some time in prep.
  • Shrimp cooking cues. Shrimp should curl up into a loose “C” shape when properly cooked. If they have curled up into a tight “O” shape, then they are most likely overcooked. (An undercooked shrimp will still have some grayish spots on them and form more of a flexible “U” shape.)
  • Add fresh herbs. To add brightness, freshness, and additional flavor to this meal, we add fresh green onions and parsley. Select flat-leaf Italian parsley, not curly parsley, for the best possible flavor.

QUICK TIP

What do those numbers mean for shrimp? They are indicators of the size and tell how many shrimp are in one pound. For instance, 21-25 means there are 21 to 25 shrimp in one pound, so they’re fairly small. 8-10 shrimp would be larger since it only takes 8 to 10 of them to make one pound. The smaller the number, the larger the individual shrimp. And if you see a letter U in the designation, that means under. So U/22 would mean there are under 22 shrimp per pound.

Process shots: mix shrimp with sauce; add to the sheet pan; add rice and more seasonings; finish roasting and add fresh herbs.

My Top Tip For This One-Pan Jambalaya

Use a LARGE sheet pan. The more space the vegetables, shrimp, and sausage have to cook (and the less crowded they are), the better they roast.

When vegetables overlap or crowd onto a sheet pan, they end up steaming instead of roasting, which greatly affects the end taste/texture; it also takes longer for everything to cook when there is less space.

I recommend this 15×21-inch sheet pan or using two pans to cook this One Pan Jambalaya.

View of the finished recipe for One-Pan Jambalaya

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One-Pan Jambalaya

4.91 from 10 votes
One-Pan Jambalaya is an easy, nutritious, 30-minute meal of oven-roasted & seasoned sausage, shrimp, veggies, and rice. Everything gets cooked together in one pan!
Print Recipe

One-Pan Jambalaya

4.91 from 10 votes
One-Pan Jambalaya is an easy, nutritious, 30-minute meal of oven-roasted & seasoned sausage, shrimp, veggies, and rice. Everything gets cooked together in one pan!
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Healthy
Keyword one pan jambalaya
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings
Chelsea Lords
Calories 396kcal
Cost $14.12

Equipment

  • 15×21 inch sheet pan
  • Olive oil cooking spray

Ingredients

  • 3 sweet bell peppers (we use a red, yellow, & green)
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 13 oz (368g) smoked sausage Note 1
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated use
  • 2 and 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, separated use
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 8 ounces (230g) medium shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (265g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Fine sea salt and pepper
  • 2/3 cup (68g) sliced green onions
  • 2 packages (8.5 oz.; 240g EACH) precooked jasmine rice Note 2
  • Optional: fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • PREP: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spritz a 15x21-inch sheet pan with cooking spray. (Everything will fit on a 15x21-inch sheet pan, but you'll need 2 smaller sheet pans if you don't have this size.) Remove the stem and seeds and chop the bell peppers into 1-inch pieces. Halve and then thinly slice the yellow onion. Slice the sausage into thin (1/2-inch) coins.
  • ROAST PEPPERS, ONION, AND SAUSAGE: Place the cut peppers, onion, and sausage on the prepared sheet pan. Toss with 2 tablespoons (27g) olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Toss to coat everything, space out evenly (See Note 3), and bake for 8 minutes.
  • SHRIMP: Meanwhile, prepare the shrimp. Make sure it is peeled and deveined, and fully thawed if using frozen. You can also remove the tails here if desired. Toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Cut the tomatoes in half.
  • ROAST SHRIMP AND TOMATOES: Take the sheet pan from the oven and toss everything then space things out again into one even layer. Add the seasoned shrimp and tomatoes. Cook for another 6-8 minutes. Remove and add the packaged rice (no need to microwave or prepare it at all; just knead it a bit before opening it up), remaining 1 (up to 1 and 1/2) teaspoons Creole seasoning (to taste), and salt & pepper to taste. (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.) Toss everything together, space out, and then return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
  • ENJOY: Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh green onions and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy immediately! Add red pepper flakes to individual plates if desired.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Sausage: Use Cajun-style andouille smoked sausage for more flavor or hardwood smoked turkey sausage (less spicy). Any smoked sausage works, but those are our two favorites to use! Be sure to used smoked sausage, since it is already cooked.
Note 2:Rice: Use pre-cooked rice such as Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (we use Jasmine Ready Rice). Alternatively, use leftover cooked rice.
Note 3: Veggies: The more space the vegetables have (aka the less crowded they are) the better they roast. When vegetables are overlapping or crowded onto a sheet pan, they end up steaming instead of roasting. This greatly affects the end taste/texture. Overlapping veggies that don't have enough room to roast will also take much longer to cook through to tender.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.9g | Protein: 18.6g | Fat: 26.9g | Cholesterol: 107.5mg | Sodium: 888.3mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 5.2g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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30 Comments

  1. I too am currently obsessed with turkey sausage and I have you to blame. I am making these one pan dishes on repeat. This is a please excuse my lack of cooking knowledge question but I’m assuming this shrimp is the kind you get from the seafood counter? Can you use frozen shrimp in place? I know it won’t be as fresh tasting but is it typically okay to sub fresh shrimp for frozen and does it just cook a bit longer? {I’m still very new to the cooking world!}

    1. Haha!! Well I’m glad you are liking these one pan dishes! 🙂 So you can definitely use either — I prefer the fresh shrimp from the seafood counter, but frozen will work fine with (as you said) just a slightly less “fresh” taste. For the frozen shrimp, follow the package directions to completely thaw it out and then dry the shrimp and it will be ready to use 🙂 The cooking time will be the same with thawed (frozen) shrimp. Enjoy!

    1. I’d use about 3-4 cups 🙂 And if you aren’t using the packaged rice, you don’t need to add it to the sheet pan. Just cook it on the stovetop and then stir in the seasonings when it’s all the way cooked through 🙂

    1. I haven’t tried chicken in this particular dish, but I’d cube it into pieces, add the seasoning + olive oil and cook it with the veggies at the beginning (so it gets about 20 minutes total cooking time and should register 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer).

  2. 5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was AMAZING! I didn’t have Creole seasoning and I made the rice vs. from a package. This was so good that I’m sad my stomach is too full to eat more! Thanks for this – it’s a keeper 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    Hi CHELSEA, I like to eat seafood especially shrimp. This dish looks very attractive and colorful, I’ve been attracted to it, it will definitely be delicious. I will do it for the whole family to enjoy, thank you for sharing

  4. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was a total hit! Not only was it delicious but it took close to no time at all! Working 8 hour days and coming home to a four month old and hungry partner this is legit a life saver! I will definitely be checking out more recipes from this site!

    1. I’m always trying to find time savers too! You’ll find lots of other ones on my page. So glad you guys enjoyed:)

  5. 5 stars
    Great recipe, loved how all the flavours are perfectly balanced. I googled creole seasoning and made my own as well as the rice. Much better than other Jambalaya that I have made in the past. This is going in my Make again binder.;)

  6. 5 stars
    I don’t usually rate or comment on recipes I find online, but I was compelled to do so for this one since it’s fantastic, It’s so easy to make and tastes like authentic jambalaya. My family loves it and is permanently on our dinner rotation.

    1. Oh I’m so thrilled to hear this has been enjoyed! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂

  7. 4 stars
    Yes, this was quick and easy with good flavour. I would have liked to have seen how the ingredients were prepared at the top, along with the note that the sausage was pre-cooked.

  8. 5 stars
    I wasn’t sure about the rice cooking, but it worked out fine. I’ve made this twice so far. This time around I tried it with Uncle Ben’s beans and rice instead of the Jasmine rice. The beans and rice was a little clumpy and needed an additional minute, but it was pretty good. The Jasmine rice worked without any problems. Might try some brown rice next time.

  9. 5 stars
    As I prep this recipe, I just wanted to comment and let you know how much I love it. I’ve made it so often since discovering it several years ago. It is warming, delicious, super easy to make. It also gets envious and admiring comments when I have brought it in to work for lunch. I don’t eat shellfish so add extra sausage, or chicken. Just great! Today is its first seasonal outing as the grey skies of autumn in Manchester, England seem to call for jambalaya warmth ❤️

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