Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (1)

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In This Post

  • What Is Jambalaya?
  • What Is Jambalaya Supposed To Taste Like?
  • Keto Jambalaya Ingredients
  • How To Make Keto Jambalaya
  • Can I Have Jambalaya On Keto?
  • Is Keto Jambalaya Supposed To Be Soupy?
  • Can You Make Low Carb Jambalaya More Saucy?
  • Is This Jambalaya Spicy?
  • How To Store Low Carb Jambalaya Leftovers
  • Can You Freeze Jambalaya With Cauliflower Rice?
  • What To Serve With Keto Jambalaya
  • More Cauliflower Rice Recipes
  • Tools To Make Cauliflower Rice Jambalaya
  • Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!)Recipe card
  • Recipe Reviews

Flavorful keto jambalaya with cauliflower rice, sausage, and shrimp is here for all of your Cajun food cravings! Betcha thought we couldn’t do cajun low carb, didn’t you? But you know there’s nothing I love more than turning classic foods into keto faves, and nothing is off limits.

I think this low carb jambalaya proves this little obsession of mine in a very delicious way! Not only is cauliflower rice jambalaya as good as the real deal, but it’s a healthy and lighter way to enjoy a classic Cajun dish. And it’s a 30-minute, one-pot keto meal. What’s better than that?!

What Is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a southern one-pot stir fry from Louisiana, traditionally including rice, vegetables, tomato-based sauce, spices, and meat and seafood, most commonly andouille sausage, shrimp, and chicken. The vegetables used in this dish includes peppers, onions and celery, often called the “holy trinity” of cajun cooking. Not surprisingly, the classic flavor of jambalaya comes from cajun seasoning blend.

Keto jambalaya takes all the same flavors and ingredients, but swaps in cauliflower rice for rice and uses a simplified ingredient list, with just 10 total ingredients.

What Is Jambalaya Supposed To Taste Like?

Jambalaya tastes like rice with meat and seafood in a spicy, cajun-flavored tomato sauce. And, low carb cauliflower rice jambalaya tastes very similar!

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (2)

Keto Jambalaya Ingredients

The ingredients for keto jambalaya without rice are very similar to “regular” jambalaya that has it. I just swapped in cauliflower rice instead and used a simplified ingredient list, with just 11 required ingredients, plus salt:

  • Olive oil
  • Andouille sausage
  • Bell peppers
  • Onions
  • Celery
  • Garlic
  • Shrimp
  • Cauliflower rice
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Chicken bone broth
  • Cajun seasoning
  • Sea salt

TIP: A common addition to keto jambalaya that I left out is chicken – feel free to add it if you like. I omitted it to keep the ingredient count down, but traditional jambalaya often includes chicken in addition to the sausage and shrimp. To do so, simply add 1-2 diced chicken breasts (or 2-3 chicken thighs) together with the sausage and let it cook through before proceeding to add the garlic.

You can scroll to the recipe card below to get all the ingredient amounts, or read below first to see how to make keto jambalaya with step-by-step pictures and tips.

(I know, I went over my limit of 10 on this blog, but make a few exceptions for traditional recipes that typically have even more than I’m using.)

How To Make Keto Jambalaya

Thisjambalaya recipe with cauliflower rice comes together in 20 minutes! Here’s how we make it:

  • Saute the holy trinity until soft. The holy trinity is the Cajun mirepoix combo of peppers, onions, and celery.

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (3)

  • Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

TIP: Before adding the garlic, make sure to get the heat high enough to evaporate any liquid after cooking the peppers and onions. Otherwise, everything will steam instead of caramelizing.

  • Add andouille sausage. Saute untilslightly puckered and starting to brown.

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (4)

  • Add cauliflower rice and sauce ingredients, including diced tomatoes, bone broth, and Cajun seasoning. Stir together.
  • Add shrimp last. Bring to a simmer, then continue to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is tender, shrimp is cooked through, and liquid is reduced.

TIP: When cooking the shrimp, move the uncooked pieces toward the bottom of the pot, to help them brown and cook through. If any start to turn opaque, stir them toward the top.

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (5)

TIP: It’s important to simmer over high heat at the end. Otherwise, you’ll end up with too much liquid. Cauliflower rice has a lot of water in it, and you need it to evaporate.

  • Adjust seasoning and garnish. Add more salt and/or Cajun seasoning to taste. Garnish with green onions and parsley.

Can I Have Jambalaya On Keto?

Most jambalaya recipes are made with white rice – not keto! But thisketo friendly jambalaya utilizes cauliflower rice for a lower carb and keto option.

The serving size is generous, a slightly heaped 1 1/2 cups, perfect for a whole meal. Thisketo jambalaya recipe has 9.9 grams net carbs– very reasonable for a large, dinner-size portion! All of the flavor, much fewer carbs.

Is Keto Jambalaya Supposed To Be Soupy?

No. Cauliflower rice jambalaya has a cajun flavored sauce, but is not supposed to be liquid like soup. That would be more similar to a gumbo.

Can You Make Low Carb Jambalaya More Saucy?

Yes, you can. If you want a more saucy, tomato-ey jambalaya, add a second can of diced tomatoes. This would increase carb count, though. It’s still plenty flavorful as is.

Is This Jambalaya Spicy?

Yes, the amount of Cajun seasoning in the recipe makes a spicy keto jambalaya. If you want it more mild, reduce Cajun seasoning to one tablespoon instead of two.

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (6)

How To Store Low Carb Jambalaya Leftovers

If you don’t finish it all, store thisketo sausage jambalaya in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a hot skillet, until hot.

Can You Freeze Jambalaya With Cauliflower Rice?

Yes, you can freeze jambalaya with cauliflower rice. Let it cool completely, store in an airtight container, or freezer bag with air flattened out, and freeze for 2-3 months.

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a hot skillet or the microwave, or until heated through.

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (7)

What To Serve With Keto Jambalaya

Keto jambalaya is already a one-pot meal, so you don’t have to add anything to it. But if you like, try a low carb bread such as keto cornbread or cheddar bay biscuits, and a neutral salad, such as cucumber tomato avocado salad.

More Cauliflower Rice Recipes

If you like thisjambalaya with cauliflower rice, you might also like some of these other keto side dishes featuring cauliflower rice:

  • How To Make Cauliflower Rice – The best basic guide to cauliflower rice! This will answer ALL of your questions and show you some tricks on getting it perfect every time.
  • Low Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice – Miss your favorite take-out? No need, this is a delicious alternative.
  • Keto Mushroom Risotto – Creamy mushroom risotto without the carbs!
  • Keto Grits And Shrimp – Another Southern classic with a fluffy, cheesy grits swap!
  • Low Carb Cauliflower Breadsticks – These healthy breadsticks will make you believe that cauliflower really can do anything.
  • Ground Beef Cauliflower Lasagna – Lasagna flavors so good, you won’t miss the pasta!

Tools To Make Cauliflower Rice Jambalaya

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

  • Dutch Oven – From stove too table, this dutch oven is amazing quality and nice to look at, too!
  • Chef’s Knife – My go-to chef’s knife! It’s one of my favorite tools in my kitchen, and makes choppinglow carb cajun jambalaya ingredients EASY.

RECIPE SAVED! The recipe was sent to your email. I also sent you your free login info. You can use that to access your saved recipes at My Favorites.

Recipe Card

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (9)

4.97 from 55 votes☝️ Click stars to rate or click here to leave a review!

Keto Jambalaya Recipe (30 Minutes!)

Low carb keto jambalaya with cauliflower rice is an easy, healthy one-pot meal in 30 minutes -- with just as much flavor as the original.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

  1. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, and celery. Saute for 5-8 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

  2. Add the sliced sausage. Saute for about 5 minutes, until browned.

  3. Make a well in the center and add the minced garlic. Let it sizzle for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir in with everything else.

  4. Add the cauliflower rice, diced tomatoes, bone broth, and Cajun seasoning. Stir together, then add the shrimp. Increase heat to high to bring to a simmer, then continue to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender, shrimp is cooked through, and liquid is reduced, about 5-7 minutes. It will release more liquid at first and then reduce in volume again as it simmers more.

  5. Season with salt to taste, and/or more Cajun seasoning if you like. If desired, garnish with green onions and parsley.

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Related Easy Recipes

  • Keto Cauliflower Hummus

  • Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

  • Cajun Seasoning Recipe

  • Fried Cabbage

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups (slightly heaped), or 1/6 entire recipe

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories449

Fat27.9g

Protein33.5g

Total Carbs14.9g

Net Carbs9.9g

Fiber5g

Sugar6.9g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American

Keywords:cauliflower rice jambalaya, jambalaya with cauliflower rice, keto jambalaya, low carb jambalaya

Calories: 449 kcal

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We'd LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂

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FAQs

Is jambalaya high in carbs? ›

Jambalaya With Meat And Rice, Chicken And Sausage Jambalaya (1 cup) contains 22.7g total carbs, 21.4g net carbs, 21.2g fat, 26.1g protein, and 393 calories.

How do you make Zatarain's jambalaya less spicy? ›

Zatarain's makes a mild variety of our Jambalaya Mix, but it's easy to reduce the spice level of any Jambalaya mix by replacing half (or more or less) of the mix with white rice before preparing.

Do you stir jambalaya when boiling? ›

Bring to a boil (med-fire), and stir using a spatula to scrape the bottom. You want to maintain a slight boiling bubble. Every time you stir it smooth the top out to keep all the rice kernels in continuous contact with each other. Don't stir more than once a minute or so.

Is rice higher in carbs than pasta? ›

Pasta has the most “carbs per 100 gram cooked serving” at 33 grams, with white rice following as a close second at 28 grams. Couscous is third at 23 grams, and quinoa has the fewest carbs at 21 grams.

What jelly is keto friendly? ›

Sugar-free jelly can be compatible with a keto diet, provided it's low in net carbs and doesn't contain hidden sugars or artificial sweeteners that could disrupt ketosis.

What is the best rice to use in jambalaya? ›

One of the biggest complaints when making jambalaya is that the rice ends up mushy. And there's two main culprits of this – choosing the wrong type of rice and over-stirring. For this recipe, you want long-grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine. Don't use short-grain rice.

Does boxed jambalaya go bad? ›

Unopened Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix packages are shelf stable and can be held for use for up to 720 days.

Why is the rice in my jambalaya hard? ›

If the heat is too high, the water evaporates before the rice has a chance to fully cook. If you don't add enough water, the rice ends up dry and crunchy.

What is the secret to a good jambalaya? ›

Use the Right Ingredients: Authentic jambalaya typically includes ingredients like andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp, bell peppers, onions, celery, and tomatoes. Use these traditional ingredients for the best flavor. Season Liberally: Cajun and Creole seasoning blends are essential for flavoring jambalaya.

What brand of sausage is best for jambalaya? ›

Smoked sausage is essential to start any good jambalaya. Use Manda smoked pork sausage as the pinnacle of rich flavor for the best-tasting jambalaya.

Do you put tomatoes in jambalaya? ›

Two main categories of jambalaya exist: Creole (or red) jambalaya, which is associated with the city of New Orleans and contains tomato, and Cajun (or brown) jambalaya, which contains no tomato and is more common in other parts of Louisiana. The recipe I'm focusing on here is the former, with tomato.

How many carbs are in Jambalaya? ›

The favorite choice for the term "Jambalaya" is 1 cup of Jambalaya with Meat and Rice which has about 23 grams of carbohydrate.

Is Jambalaya good for diabetics? ›

Let's take a look at the Jambalaya. For example, we've got fish, sausage, shrimp, and veggies, with rice as the main carbohydrate. The good news? The veggies are negligible in terms of their impact on blood sugar levels, and the veggies won't contribute any carbs to speak of.

Is Cajun seasoning high in carbs? ›

Stonemill Cajun Seasoning (1 serving) contains 43g total carbs, 33g net carbs, 5.6g fat, 6.8g protein, and 230 calories.

Is gumbo high in carbs? ›

Gumbo With Rice (New Orleans Type With Shellfish, Pork, And/or Poultry, Tomatoes, Okra, Rice) (1 cup) contains 17.1g total carbs, 15.4g net carbs, 7.5g fat, 13.6g protein, and 190 calories.

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