Tin Foil Jambalaya blends Cajun sausage, veggies, rice, and spices. Just mix, wrap in foil, and grill or bake. Simple prep, big flavor!
Try some other foil favorites like Baked Potato Foil Packs, Hobo Foil Packets, or tin foil Pesto and Sausage meal.
Tin Foil Jambalaya
Jambalaya is one of my favorites, but just a heads-up: this recipe isn’t authentic—it’s made in tin foil, after all!
This isn’t the kind of dish that takes all day. It’s inspired by the flavors and ingredients of classic jambalaya (like my One-Pan Jambalaya). The idea is a simple, tasty meal with less clean-up, and Tin Foil Jambalaya does just that. It’s really easy to make and full of flavor!
Just a heads-up: it’s spicy! You can adjust the heat, but it’s still a spicy dish.
Scaling Down (Or Up) Spice Levels
Less spice means less flavor. If you use less spicy seasonings, try adding more salt, pepper, or herbs.
To make it milder, use 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne (or leave it out), skip the jalapeño, and cut Cajun seasoning to 1/2 teaspoon.
For more heat, add the jalapeño and more Cajun seasoning if you like.
Using Uncooked Rice
The point of Tin Foil Jambalaya is easy prep and a quick dinner! The rice cooks tender (not mushy).
Use Minute® (instant) rice—regular rice won’t work. While prepping, soak the rice in chicken broth to soften it and add flavor. I recommend Swanson’s® chicken stock for its great flavor.
Other Tin Foil Jambalaya Ingredients
- Sausage: I use Cajun-style andouille smoked sausage, which complements the seasonings. It’s already cooked, so no need to worry about temperature.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: Charred before crushing, they add a smoky, sweet flavor with no extra effort.
- Zucchini: You can swap it for another veggie or extra diced green bell pepper.
Tin Foil Jambalaya Alternative Cooking Methods
Heat can vary on stovetops, ovens, grills, and campfires, but here’s the timing that works best.
- Stovetop (no foil): Cook in a large pot (or skillet) over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring often. Add olive oil if needed.
- Oven (foil packs): Divide into four foil sheets, seal, and bake for 30-40 minutes. For crisp-tender veggies, bake 30-35 minutes; for softer veggies, bake 38-40 minutes.
- Grill (foil packs): Place sealed foil packs on a preheated grill (medium-high, about 450°F) for 20-25 minutes, flipping once.
- Campfire (in foil packs): Cook sealed foil packs in hot coals for 20-40 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes. With hot coals, they cook in about 20 minutes.
Tin Foil Jambalaya Tips
- Fully seal the foil packets, but leave room for steam to circulate.
- Generously spray the foil with a nonstick coating to keep the rice from sticking.
- Season to taste; after pulling the jambalaya packets from the oven or grill, let them cool for a few minutes and then taste for seasoning — the packets might need a pinch more of salt and/or pepper to make the flavors come alive.
- Dice aromatics evenly. The more evenly (and small) the onion, pepper, and celery are cut, the more evenly they’ll cook and incorporate into the final dish.
Quick Tip
How To Seal Foil Packs
- Tear off four strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each one about 2 feet long.
- Divide the jambalaya mixture equally into the center of each foil piece.
- To seal the foil packet, bring the short sides together in the middle and gently fold down to completely seal (leaving a bit of space for steam). Then, roll up the ends.
- The foil packs are ready to cook!
More Easy Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Flank Steak with a simple herb sauce
- Our favorite Grilled Fajita Chicken with peppers and onions
- Grilled Pineapple with ice cream
- Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa and grilled corn
- Foil Pack Garlic Butter Sausage & Veggies with the best seasoning blend
Tin Foil Jambalaya
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Instant Minute Rice
- 1 cup chicken stock or broth; water works in a pinch
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper see note 1
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage optional
- 1 diced jalapeño optional
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery 2 stalks
- 1/2 cup yellow onion 1/2 large onion
- 1 cup green bell pepper 1 small
- 1-1/4 cup zucchini 1 small zucchini, optional
- 1 (13-ounce) package andouille sausage I use this cajun style andouille smoked sausage
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Fresh parsley optional, to garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together uncooked instant rice and chicken stock and let stand about 10 minutes. You do not need to pre-cook the rice. Don’t drain either.
- Preheat oven or grill to 400°F. Tear off four sheets of heavy-duty foil (about 2 feet long each) and generously spray with cooking spray.
- Very thinly slice the celery, finely chop onion, dice pepper, and coin zucchini into thick (3/4-inch) coins (if using). Slice sausage into 1/2-inch-thick coins. Drain diced tomatoes.
- Add celery, onion, pepper, zucchini, and sausage to a very large bowl. Add tomato paste and drained diced tomatoes. Add all seasonings (see note 1), as well as salt and pepper to taste (I add a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). If you’d like, add diced jalapeño for additional heat. Gently stir until all ingredients are well combined. Add in soaked rice along with any liquid. Gently stir until ingredients are incorporated.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the 4 prepared sheets of foil. (This comes out to a heaping 1 and 1/2 cups (330g) per packet.) Seal the foil packs tightly so no air escapes, but there is still room for steam to circulate (see note 2). To seal the foil packet, bring the short sides together in the middle and gently fold down to completely seal. Then, roll up the ends.
- Place in oven (right on the oven racks) and bake 30–40 minutes (I like them best at 35 minutes) or on the grill for 25–30 minutes, until rice is cooked through and veggies are tender. (Test only 1 packet at a time; every time the packets are opened, steam is released, so it will take longer to cook.) When grilling, flip packets halfway through cook time.
- Carefully open the foil pack, expecting steam to be released. If desired, top with fresh parsley. Let slightly cool, taste, and add additional seasoning as needed. Enjoy hot.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I must admit I was skeptical but this was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have the fire roasted tomatoes so i added some Chipotle powder. Also didn’t have the zucchini and minute rice. I cooked the rice until it was just about done then added to the foil pack. Turned out perfect!
Yay! I am so thrilled this was a hit! Thanks Leslie!
what size can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
14.5 ounce
We will be sailing next week! This looks like a wonderful recipe to try. How many servings to your recipe?
4 (four) servings
Sorry but I have to say that the point of your delish dish is quick & easy. your readers Can recycle ♻ the foil LOVE your recipes
This was DELICIOUS! Great Recipe, My husband and I loved it. Great work!
Ahh i’m so glad to hear! Thanks!! 🙂
We made this last night and LOVED IT. Both my husband and I were scraping our plates. We did the full on spicy version 😉 I also forgot to buy minute rice at the store so I just made some brown rice in a pot and added it into the foil packs in the last 10 min of oven time. I think it still worked well – just a little extra work! We will be making this again very soon.
I love the full on spice! I’m so glad to hear this, and i’m glad you were able to work it out with the brown rice! Hope you guys enjoy! 🙂
Quite liked this recipe, but was disappointed with how much waste there was with the tin foil. Seems like a huge waste in resources and rubbish going to landfill. For this reason would not make again.
Thanks for the feedback Debbie!
You can recycle ♻️ the foil if rinse off. If not 🚫, try composting it…
Thanks Wendy!
Step 9 says to put ~1.5 cups of the mixture onto the foil and seal. Do I put another ~1.5 cups of the mixture onto another piece of foil?? What do you do with the rest of the mixture?
Thanks!
Yep just keep putting the mixture on foil pieces until you’ve used it all up 🙂
Looks so delicious and so easy! I’m not good with spicy food so thanks for putting the milder option 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much Francesca! 🙂
Such a great idea, Chelsea!! I grew up eating a lot of Cajun food so this quick and easy dinner idea is a must. Can’t wait to try it. 🙂 Best of luck with that first day!!
Thanks so much London! 🙂 Hope you love this!