This easy and healthy Keto Jambalaya with sausage, chicken, and shrimp is bursting with the most incredible layers of flavor and texture and it's ready in just 45 minutes!
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Keto Jambalaya Recipe
- Rich and bold tasting, just like the traditional version
- Complete hearty and filling one-pot meal
- Classic cajun flavor with just the right amount of heat
Jambalaya is one of the best heartwarming foods Southern Louisiana has to offer. Tender chunks of chicken, succulent shrimp and of course smoky andouille sausage is a mouth-watering Cajun comfort food that’s perfect any time of year.
This easy Keto Jambalaya recipe uses a homemade seasoning blend that ensures you aren’t adding hidden sugars (as found in some store-bought brands) to the dish. By switching out the rice for cauliflower rice, it's transformed into a healthier alternative that allows you to enjoy this popular Cajun meal guilt-free.
This recipe has the perfect amount of heat for those that like things a little spicy. But, if you're cooking this recipe for the entire family, the little ones may find it bit too spicy.
If you want a milder version, you can simply omit the jalapeno, hot sauce and dial back a little on the Cajun seasoning. You'll still have all those great Jambalaya flavors, but with a little less heat for the kiddos!
What’s in Keto Jambalaya
- Andouille sausage
- Shrimp
- Chicken breast (you can also use thighs)
- Cauliflower rice
- Red bell pepper
- Yellow onion
- Celery
- Jalapeño pepper
- Garlic
- Diced tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Chicken broth
- Cajun seasoning
- Smoked paprika
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Parsley
- Hot sauce
- Salt
- Optional: Red pepper flakes
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make Jambalaya with Cauliflower Rice
Heat a large stainless steel skillet to medium and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add in the sausage and sauté for a few minutes until they start to get some good color and are slightly browned.
Remove the sausage and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Add in the chicken with ⅓ of the salt and ⅓ of the smoked paprika, then sauté for a few minutes until almost cooked through, then remove and set aside.
Add in the shrimp and ⅓ the smoked paprika, sauté just until they are pink, then remove and set aside.
Add in the butter and remaining olive oil, along with the onion, red bell pepper, celery, jalapeño pepper and ⅓ of the salt.
Sauté for several minutes, then add in the garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds.
Add in the remaining smoked paprika and cajun seasoning, then allow the spices to toast in the pan for about 15 seconds.
Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, hot sauce, chicken broth, (optional) red pepper flakes and remaining salt and scrape up the brown bits of flavor on the bottom of the pan.
Add in the cauliflower rice and toss to combine. Add the sausage and chicken back in and cook, while stirring every few minutes, for 10 minutes, uncovered.
Stir in the shrimp and parsley and continue cooking, just until the shrimp is heated through, then serve.
If you aren't familiar with Cajun or Creole foods, you may be wondering what Jambalaya is. Jambalaya super flavorful, well-seasoned, one-pot spicy Cajun rice dish with deep South Louisiana roots dating back to the 1700s.
It can be made with any combination of shrimp, crawfish, chicken and sausage. It’s flavored with the classic base of vegetables, celery, onions, bell peppers and depending on the version tomatoes are added.
You certainly can and in most cases, it's even better the next day. If the dish thickens up after it sits, you may want to add a little more broth or even a little water to loosen it up a bit.
Shrimp are a very nutritious option for those on Keto or a low carb diet. For 6 ounces there are 34 grams of protein in shrimp, approximately 1 gram of carbs. This makes shrimp a perfect source of protein while keeping your carb intake to a minimum.
This question is probably the most asked question when it comes to Jambalaya. There are two versions of Jambalaya. One has a tomato-based sauce with tomatoes added and one with a brown roux, made with flour, with no tomatoes.
Because this is a Keto version, brown roux is out of the question, so using tomatoes gives this dish a wonderful flavor, with a lot less carbs.
Andouille is spicy pork sausage that is very popular in Cajun dishes like red beans and rice, gumbo and Jambalaya. Even though andouille sausage is commonly used, you can use any smoked sausage you like.
Not even a little! For a one cup serving of Zatarain's Spicy Jambalaya, there are 35 grams of carbs. Most of those carbs come from the rice and added sugar.
Though it may seem easier to just pop open a box, it really is worth it to take a little extra time to make it from scratch. For the same serving size, this Keto Jambalaya recipe only has 11 total grams of carbs with 4 grams of fiber.
Jambalaya should be loose but not be soupy. If you see where yours is a little too wet, try adding a little more cauliflower rice to thicken it up.
The primary difference is that gumbo is sometimes served over rice where jambalaya is cooked with rice in it. Another key difference is authentic gumbo does not include hot sauce, but with jambalaya it is usually included, and a bottle is served right alongside it.
More Keto Cajun Recipes
- Grilled Cajun Shrimp
- Cajun Salmon Alfredo
- Creamy Cajun Shrimp with Palmini
- Air Fryer Cajun Cauliflower with Dipping Sauce
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Keto Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, with the liquid
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat a large stainless steel skillet to medium and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add in the sausage and sauté for a few minutes until they start to get some good color and are slightly browned.
- Remove the sausage and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add in the chicken with ⅓ of the salt and ⅓ of the smoked paprika, then sauté for a few minutes until almost cooked through, then remove and set aside.
- Add in the shrimp and ⅓ the smoked paprika, sauté just until they are pink, then remove and set aside.
- Add in the butter and remaining olive oil, along with the onion, red bell pepper, celery, jalapeño pepper and ⅓ of the salt. Sauté for several minutes, then add in the garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds.
- Add in the remaining smoked paprika and cajun seasoning, then allow the spices to toast in the pan for about 15 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, hot sauce, chicken broth, (optional) red pepper flakes and remaining salt and scrape up the brown bits of flavor on the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the cauliflower rice and toss to combine. Add the sausage and chicken back in and cook, while stirring every few minutes, for 10 minutes, uncovered.
- Stir in the shrimp and parsley and continue cooking, just until the shrimp is heated through, then serve.
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
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Rate this Recipe
Jennifer
Just finished making your delicious Mexican rice recipe and went in search of jambalaya. Eureka! I can’t wait to make this!
Keto Cooking Christian
I hope you love it. It has so much flavor!
AKM
Yes, there are two kinds of jambalaya -- Creole and Cajun. With your addition of tomatoes, this is most definitely NOT a Cajun one, but Creole.
Keto Cooking Christian
That's correct. Regardless, the tomatoes add a lot of flavor to the dish along with the Cajun seasoning and that's why I add I them. You can certainly leave them out, if you prefer.
Juniper
Looking forward to making this…sounds awesome.
Keto Cooking Christian
It's bursting with flavor! I hope you enjoy.