Skinny Sausage Shrimp Jambalaya
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A lighter take on Cajun jambalaya swapping white rice for brown with turkey sausage in place of pork. Layers of onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic sautéed till fragrant and translucent. Tomatoes and spices meld then brown rice simmers absorbing all those spicy-sweet notes. Shrimp and sausage gently warmed through at the end. Bay leaves and thyme pulled before serving so herbs don’t overwhelm. Slightly saucy but never soupy. Reliant on visual and sensory cues for timing not strict clocks. Offers options to swap proteins and tweak textures to suit what’s on hand or prefer.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
50 min
Servings:
5 servings
#Cajun
#Seafood
#Turkey sausage
#Brown rice
#Weeknight dinner
#Low fat
Brown rice jambalaya, not your grandma’s starch lovers’ indulgence. Dense, nutty, slower to cook but worth patience. Sausage and shrimp star here but turkey content makes it lean. Colors jiving: red tomatoes, green bell pepper, golden onions. Smells hit the nostrils early—garlic, paprika, heat from cayenne. Not soupy stew; rice delivers toothsome texture embracing brothy undertones. You’ll hear the sizzle, smell the thickening aromas, watch rice swell absorbing. Time “guides” fluid—more about appearances and smells than timers. Bay leaves and thyme transient guests, removed so they don’t dominate. Tried this many ways—swapped proteins, fiddled with spices; always learn something new on timing and texture. A dish working for weeknight dinners or slow-simmer chill weekends. Hands-on enough but not demanding. Like a good story: layered, vibrant, a bit rough around edges but satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup brown rice rinsed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup no-salt added diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 small sprigs thyme
- 10 ounces turkey sausage sliced into 1/2-inch rounds substitute andouille or chorizo if preferred
- 12 ounces raw shrimp peeled deveined tail-off
- Salt and black pepper to taste
About the ingredients
Olive oil’s flavor matters. Don’t cheap out—good quality boosts aroma during saute. Yellow onion gives subtle sweetness, but if you only have white, it’s fine; just be ready for sharper notes. Celery and bell pepper are the holy trinity’s backbone; swap bell pepper colors or use poblano for smokier heat. Garlic—don’t burn it, adjust cloves to taste. Brown rice needs rinsing to remove surface starch and cook evenly—skip this, risk gummy mess. Spices can be tweaked—go heavier on paprika for smokiness or add a dash of thyme to the pot. Chicken broth is less salty than broth alternatives, keeping control over seasoning. Tomatoes must be fire-roasted diced for that subtle char flavor. Bay leaves and thyme sprigs remove bitterness before serving. Turkey sausage less fatty than pork, helping the dish stay lighter; chorizo or andouille can add intensity but will change fat content markedly. Shrimp should be raw peeled and deveined—frozen is acceptable but thaw fully. Salt and pepper ultimate seasoning tweaks after cooking; brown rice may need more salt to bring out flavor since it doesn’t absorb as readily as white rice.
Method
- Heat a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high. Swirl in olive oil. Onion goes first. Saute 4–5 minutes, till onions turn translucent and tiny brown edges appear. Smell that sweetness building.
- Add diced celery, green bell pepper, minced garlic. Keep stirring, saute about 6 minutes. Veggies soften but still have bite. Garlic releases aroma but don’t burn it or gets bitter.
- Stir in brown rice, spices paprika, oregano, cumin, cayenne. Toast grains lightly for 2 minutes, fragrant nutty scent signals readiness.
- Pour in chicken broth, tomatoes, tuck bay leaves and thyme sprigs into the mix. Bring to a boil stirring once then cover with tight lid. Reduce heat to lowest simmer. Let it bubble softly for 12–15 minutes. Rice should absorb most liquid but remain tender-chewy. No mush.
- Fluff rice gently with a fork, look for individual grains separating, slightly glossy. Add shrimp and turkey sausage slices on top, cover and let residual heat cook them 7 minutes. Shrimp will turn pink and firm but not rubbery, sausage warmed through releasing fats blending with rice.
- Pull out bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving. Sauce clings to rice, not soupy but moist. Taste test for seasoning – brown rice sometimes needs a pinch more salt or pepper to pop.
- Let it sit uncovered 5 minutes. Helps flavors settle and rice loosen up. Serve with hot sauce if you dare.
Cooking tips
Start with a hot pan to properly sweat the onions—translucent with slight browning is sweet spot, not burnt or raw. Celery and bell pepper take a bit longer; hear the soft sizzling and smell a vegetal sweetness emerging. Garlic after these so it doesn’t scorch, which would turn bitter and spoil taste. Toast rice briefly before adding liquids to wake grains up, helping texture. Bring the whole pot to a rolling boil before reducing heat to a gentle simmer with lid on tight—trap steam to cook tough brown rice evenly. Avoid knocking off lid; every disturbance can extend cooking time. Check rice softness visually and with a gentle bite after about 12–15 minutes; liquid should be mostly absorbed but still moist. Fluffing with fork breaks clumps without mashing grains. Add shrimp and sausage on top, cover and rely on steam and residual heat—shrimp will become pink, firmer, and sausages release just enough fat without frying. Timing shrimp too long turns rubbery, so gentle warmth is key. Remove herbs before serving or else bite into bitter leaves which kill the dish’s balance. Resting uncovered for a few minutes lets flavors marry and liquids redistribute—less wet, more creamy mouthfeel. Trust your eyes, nose, and texture more than the clock; every stovetop is different. If sauce looks thin, a few minutes uncovered thickens it. Hot sauce or fresh parsley on top optional but a good finishing kick.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Heat pan aggressively before olive oil; temp drop when added. Onions first. Cook 4 to 5 minutes till translucent edges brown. Smell sweet. Watch closely, browning too fast means lower heat. Use good olive oil cause cheap oils burn and smell off.
- 💡 Celery and bell pepper next, stir constant, six minutes roughly; want softened but not mush. Garlic last addition here; release aroma but don’t scorch or gives bitterness. Timing garlic with veggies is one thing learned after too many burnt batches.
- 💡 Toast brown rice with spices dry 2 minutes; light nutty smell, grains warm. Paprika, oregano, cumin, cayenne all at once. Toasting wakes flavors, also helps grain texture stay slightly chewy, no glue. Skip rinsing brown rice? Gum trap waiting to happen.
- 💡 Add broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, tuck bay leaves and thyme sprigs right into pot. Bring quick boil, one stir, cover tight and simmer low 12 to 15 mins. Rice texture clues here—soft but firm, grains separate. Lid stays unless you want to extend cook time with steam lost.
- 💡 Fluff rice gentle, no smashing. Put raw shrimp and sausage slices on top. Cover again, residual heat 7 mins cooks shrimp pink and firm, sausage releases fat without frying. Overcooked shrimp rubbery, so watch timing carefully here.
- 💡 Pull bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving—bitter if left in. Taste test rice; brown rice often needs extra salt or pepper to pop flavor even after simmer. Sauce texture thin? Let sit uncovered 5 mins to thicken and mellow aromas.
- 💡 Rest jambalaya uncovered 5 mins after cooking; flavors settle, rice loosens up, sauce clings. Adding hot sauce optional but brings kick. Herbs fresh on top work if you want brightness. Like all stuff involving brown rice, timing varies stove to stove.
Common questions
Can I swap turkey sausage?
Use andouille or chorizo but expect more fat and different texture. Turkey lighter but those add spice punch and richness. Fat content changes cooking slightly. Watch fat in pan if switch.
What if shrimp overcook?
Overcooked shrimp get rubbery quick — best to add at last moment, rely on residual heat. If reheating, toss in at end gently, low heat only. Fresh shrimp varies in texture. Frozen thaw fully before use.
Brown rice too firm after 15 minutes?
Add splash broth or water, cover and cook few more minutes. Brown rice slower than white so don’t expect fast soften. Patience and watching liquid level key. Stir gently to avoid clumps.
How long store leftovers?
Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight container. Reheat gently with splash broth or water to loosen. Can freeze but texture changes—shrimp may toughen. Best consumed within couple days for texture close to fresh.
