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 ready to eat

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.

Process shots: adding instant rice to a bowl with chicken stock, prepping veggies and sausage, and adding that all in a bowl with tomatoes, tomato paste, and olive oil

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.
Process shots: combing the remaining ingredients and sealing in foil

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.
Overhead image of the Tin Foil Jambalaya Packets

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

  1. Tear off four strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each one about 2 feet long.
  2. Divide the jambalaya mixture equally into the center of each foil piece.
  3. 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.
  4. The foil packs are ready to cook!


More Easy Grilling Recipes

5 from 6 votes

Tin Foil Jambalaya

Tin Foil Jambalaya packs Cajun andouille sausage, veggies, rice, and bold spices into an easy, flavorful meal. Just mix, wrap in foil, and grill or bake!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Instant Minute Rice
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth; water works in a pinch
Seasonings
  • 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
Veggies and Meat
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery 2 stalks
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion 1/2 large onion
  • 1 1 cup small green pepper
  • 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

Note 1: These foil packs are spicy! To make them milder: reduce the cayenne pepper (try 1/4 teaspoon or omit entirely), don’t add a jalapeño, and reduce the Cajun seasoning (to 1/2 teaspoon). To make these tin foil jambalaya packets spicier: add the optional jalapeño pepper and increase the Cajun seasoning to taste.
Note 2: Do not double wrap the foil. Use only one sheet of foil per pack, or the cooking time will be off. However, If you don’t have heavy-duty foil, you will need 2 sheets of regular foil. Add a few minutes to cooking time, and check for doneness.
Storage: Store leftovers wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 749kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1007mg | Potassium: 583mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 666IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 6 votes

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19 Comments

  1. Marsha says:

    what size can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

    1. Wendy Wilson says:

      14.5 ounce

  2. Bobbi says:

    We will be sailing next week! This looks like a wonderful recipe to try. How many servings to your recipe?

    1. Wendy Wilson says:

      4 (four) servings

  3. Woody Shearin says:

    5 stars
    Sorry but I have to say that the point of your delish dish is quick & easy. your readers Can recycle โ™ป the foil LOVE your recipes

  4. Demetria says:

    5 stars
    This was DELICIOUS! Great Recipe, My husband and I loved it. Great work!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Ahh i’m so glad to hear! Thanks!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Haley Charlton says:

    5 stars
    We made this last night and LOVED IT. Both my husband and I were scraping our plates. We did the full on spicy version ๐Ÿ˜‰ 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.

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      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! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. debbie says:

    5 stars
    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.

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thanks for the feedback Debbie!

    2. Wendy Wilson says:

      You can recycle โ™ป๏ธ the foil if rinse off. If not ๐Ÿšซ, try composting it…

      1. Chelsea says:

        Thanks Wendy!

  7. Raquel says:

    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!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Yep just keep putting the mixture on foil pieces until you’ve used it all up ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Francesca says:

    Looks so delicious and so easy! I’m not good with spicy food so thanks for putting the milder option ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you so much Francesca! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. London says:

    5 stars
    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. ๐Ÿ™‚ Best of luck with that first day!!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thanks so much London! ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope you love this!