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This healthy jambalaya recipe is a Whole30 and low carb version of an authentic Cajun dish. With sausage and shrimp, this paleo Creole recipe is even keto friendly, thanks to cauliflower rice! Surprisingly easy, too, and it comes together in a little less than an hour.
Ah, New Orleans. The atmosphere, the music, the FOOD. Truly, is there anything better than seriously authentic Cajun food around every corner? Well, only perhaps the fact that you can chase it all down with plenty of local beer and a couple of powdery beignets.
Or maybe that you can make it all home except way healthier, Whole30 compliant, and low carb (even keto!). The secret? An authentic jambalaya recipe with a quick substitution of cauliflower rice for white rice.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- The combination of Cajun ingredients, like sausage, shrimp, and Cajun “holy trinity” (onions, bell peppers, celery), make this healthy jambalaya taste super authentic.
- Cauliflower rice means this recipe is Whole30, paleo, low carb, and keto.
- It’s actually quite easy to make and comes together in less than an hour!
Recipe Variations
- Try crawfish instead of or in addition to the shrimp! SO GOOD!
- Use broccoli rice instead of cauliflower rice in this healthy jambalaya if you feel like it.
- Stir in a couple of (drained) cans of crab for some extra seafood jambalaya magic.
- Replace the shrimp or sausage with cooked chicken, preferably dark meat.
Chef’s Tips
- Make sure you simmer the mixture. If you don’t and the liquid doesn’t properly reduce, you’ll end up with a soupier dish than what a jambalaya should be.
- If you’re on a Whole30 round, stick to sausages like Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage or other Whole30 compliant varieties you find. Costco usually has a great selection!
- Use pre-riced cauliflower. I buy large frozen bags at Costco, which makes this recipe so easy.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Paleo Buffalo Chicken Casserole with Ranch (Whole30)
- Healthy Shrimp and Grits Recipe (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
- Blackened Salmon
- Healthy Spanish Chicken and Rice Stew (Whole30, Low Carb, Keto)
- Blackened Shrimp with Remoulade Sauce
- Healthy Authentic Seafood Gumbo (Gluten Free, Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
- Keto Gumbo
- Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
- Creamy Shrimp Risotto with Parmesan
Healthy Jambalaya (Whole30, Low Carb, Paleo)
This healthy jambalaya recipe is a Whole30 and low carb version of an authentic Cajun dish. With sausage and shrimp, this paleo Creole recipe is even keto friendly, thanks to cauliflower rice! Surprisingly easy, too, and it comes together in a little less than an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage like Aidell’s chicken-apple sausage for Whole30, sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 green bell pepper deseeded and chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 stick celery thinly sliced
- ½ of one onion chopped
- 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ – 1 ½ teaspoons salt use ½ teaspoon if your Cajun seasoning contains salt, up to 1 ½ teaspoons if it doesn't
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes 29 ounces total
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 5 cups frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp peeled
- green onions sliced, for garnish
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- Louisiana hot sauce to serve, optional
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat ½ tablespoon olive or avocado oil over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned on both sides, stirring occasionally. Transfer sausage to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, and celery; sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
- Add Cajun seasoning, starting with 1 ½ tablespoons, black pepper, salt, and optional cayenne pepper to pot; stir. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and sausage to pot, and stir to mix.
- Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low; simmer for 25-35 minutes or until thickened and liquid is reduced.
- Stir in shrimp and cauliflower rice. Cook on low, stirring regularly until rice is heated through and shrimp turn pink and no longer translucent. Don't overcook the shrimp.
- Ladle into bowls and top with sliced green onions and parsley. Serve with Louisiana hot sauce.
Video
Recipe yields approximately 8 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving out of 8. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 8. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 310calProtein: 25gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 1512mgPotassium: 511mgTotal Carbs: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gNet Carbs: 4gVitamin A: 2071IUVitamin C: 70mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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This is my favorite new meal! I’ve made it twice in a week. It’s so filling and I don’t miss the rice one bit.
The only suggestion I would make would be to check the ingredients of your Cajun seasoning and if salt is the first ingredient omit adding more all together.
This is a really helpful suggestion. Thank you so much for bringing this up!!
This sounds super delicious!! Can’t wait to try it! Do you think this would freeze ok or should I just half the recipe? Thanks!!
I think it will freeze well. My only concern is that when you heat it back up the shrimp might be rubbery. Even so, it’s worth a shot!
what is the serving size for this?
1-2 cups!
Can this all be thrown into a crockpot and cook on low all day?
Yes!
This was BOMB!!! Holy moly! I used creole seasoning and instead of Louisiana hot sauce added Franks Red hot to the pot. Thank you sooooo much for this recipe!! I will definitely make this again! My husband is super pumped I found a keto version!
Yahoo!!! I’m so glad you liked it
Another incredible recipe! Yours is the only food blog that I cant wait until another recipe comes out! Thank you thank you!
Delicious, but no chicken broth needed. Yummy!
Yummy Cajun flavors! I will say, it reminded me more of a gumbo than a traditional dirty rice style jambalaya you’d find in Louisiana. Still a great dish, just may be slightly different than what you’re anticipating.
Excellent! Only took 30 minutes to prepare, 45 to cook. It was delicious, filling, and I will serve this at our next family gathering.
So glad you liked it!!
This Jambalaya recipe was fantastic…thanks for sharing it! I used chicken andouille sausage, red & orange bell peppers & 1 Tbl. cajun seasoning (that was plenty of heat for me, though my family could have taken more!). All 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed the meal and there were zero leftovers (darn!!)! Will definitely keep this on hand to make again!
I wish I had read this first because I love spice, but 1 1/2 tbsp was a little much, and on top of that I used a Cajun turkey sausage, so next time I’ll use less spice and a regular turkey sausage. Using the old apple cider vinegar trick to cool it down for tomorrow. Otherwise, it was more than fantastic!
This was fantastic! I made it tonight my husband and I and we both loved it. I did not use pre riced cauliflower but I agree that would make it so much easier. I was concerned that using chicken apple sausage would give it an odd sweetness but not so! I wish I had found this recipe before my holiday potluck. Maybe next year… until then, any idea how well this would freeze? It seems like it would be a freezer friendly meal.
As a side note, I also recently tried your bearnaise sauce and it knocked my socks off! Thanks!