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A simple recipe for one-pot ham jambalaya made with rice cooked in a savory tomato broth seasoned with the classic Cajun "holy trinity" (onions, bell peppers, and celery) and bold Creole spices.
Author: Mandy Rivers | Published: 10/14/26This is one of my go-to recipes for both weeknight meals AND entertaining. It's simple to make, super affordable, keeps well and the leftovers heat up like a dream! That checks a lot of boxes for me!
On those nights when everyone's coming home at different hours or when we're expecting out-of-town guests with some wiggle-room in their ETA, this is great because it stays warm on the stove for hours and is just as good as it is when it's first made.
I like it for entertaining for the same reasons but also because it's very inexpensive to make AND because, unlike with chicken or seafood, the ham stays lovely no matter how long it sits (no punky chicken or rubbery shrimp to worry about here)!
WHAT IS JAMBALAYA?
Jambalaya is a rice dish that originated in Louisiana. Meat (typically chicken, sausage or ham) and/or shellfish are cooked with the "Holy Trinity" (green bell peppers, celery and onion), herbs and spices to make a rich stock. Rice is then cooked in the stock.
Creole Jambalaya has tomatoes and is most common in New Orleans where it originated. Cajun Jambalaya does not have tomatoes and is more common outside of the city.
Jambalaya is not something served over rice. Along with the Holy Trinity, one must is that the rice is cooked in the stock (not cooked separately then stirred in).
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADD-INS
Though this recipe is for ham jambalaya (using a ham steak), it's a great base recipe and is easy to adjust to suit your fancy. You can easily add in or substitute the following:
- LEFTOVER HAM - Simply dice leftover ham (you'll need about 3.5-4 cups). If you have the ham bone, simmer it in water to cover for a few hours. Use the stock in place of the water in the recipe.
- SAUSAGE - Substitute 1-lb sliced smoked sausage, kielbasa or andouille for the diced ham.
- CHICKEN - Substitute bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken breasts or thighs OR bone-in legs or wings for the ham and follow the recipe. Season chicken with salt and pepper before browning.
- SHELLFISH - When rice is just tender, place up to 1-lb peeled shrimp, crab claws, lump crabmeat, scallops, or shucked oysters on top of cooked rice. Cover pot immediately then let rest 5 minutes. Gently stir shellfish into rice, cover again and rest an additional 5 minutes. The heat from the rice will cook the raw shellfish.
6 NOTES ON HAMBALAYA
- You can substitute 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning for salt and spices if you'd like. I can't confirm how other blends might do but I know Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning has a lot of these same spices.
- This amount of cayenne gives the jambalaya a tiny kick but nothing I'd consider overly spicy. I actually double the amount because we enjoy a little heat but wrote the recipe for all palates.
- 3 10-oz cans of Rotel tomatoes can be substituted for the diced tomatoes (omit cayenne if you're worried about it being too spicy).
- Red, yellow or orange bell peppers can be substituted for green but they don't pack quite as much flavor.
- Sometimes I add fresh minced garlic too but find that garlic powder does a better job flavoring this much broth.
- See section above for substitutions for ham or for adding shellfish.
RICE COOKING TIP!
If you struggle with cooking this much rice or are nervous it might not cook well, use jasmine rice! It is much more forgiving when cooking larger quantities (and in general).
Reduce water to 2.5 cups and cooking time by 5 minutes. If the rice looks "a little wet" after it's tender (should be tender at 15 minutes), just remove the lid, stir and let rest for a few minutes.
Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT have to rinse jasmine rice before cooking. I only rinse rice when I'm cooking a pot of plain jasmine to serve along with Asian recipes (and even then, not always).
MORE RICE RECIPES FROM THE BAYOU AND LOW COUNTRY
Easy Hoppin' John with Smoked Sausage - A one-pot rice dish cooked with black-eyed peas and smoked sausage, seasoned with peppers, onions and spices perfect for New Year's Day.
Easy Baked Jambalaya - An incredibly simple but delicious baked jambalaya with chicken and sausage based on Mal's Jambalaya recipe from the HGTV show Home Town.
Carolina Chicken Bog - A one-pot recipe of rice, chicken and smoked sausage cooked in a flavorful stock made from slow-cooked chicken.
Charleston Red Rice - A Lowcountry recipe made from rice cooked with bacon and a tomato broth seasoned with peppers and onions perfected by the Gullah and Geechee.
Recipe for Hambalaya
Hambalaya - Jambalaya with Ham
A simple recipe for one-pot ham jambalaya made with rice cooked in a savory tomato broth seasoned with the classic Cajun "holy trinity" (onions, bell peppers, and celery) and bold Creole spices.
Ingredients
- 1 ham steak
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1.5 cups diced celery
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1.5 teaspoons black pepper
- 1.5 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 28-oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups long-grain rice
Instructions
- Cut ham steak into 1/2-inch cubes then cook with oil in a large Dutch oven (or other wide heavy-bottom pot) over medium-high heat until nicely browned. 1 ham steak, 1/4 c. oil
- TIP: If ham puts off a lot of water and isn't browning, pour off pan drippings and continue cooking with more oil (save the drippings and add back to pot with when adding tomatoes).
- Once browned, remove ham from pot using a slotted spoon. Add onion, bell pepper and celery to pot then sauté 5 minutes. 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 1.5 c. celery
- Add salt, spices, tomatoes (with juice), cooked ham and water then bring to a boil over high heat. 2 tsp each salt & garlic, 1.5 tsp each black pepper & thyme, 1/2 tsp each oregano & white pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1 can tomatoes, 3 c. water
- Add rice then return to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low (or wherever your stove gets you a gentle simmer) then cook, covered 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir with a fork occasionally the first 15 minutes of cooking then let the rice cook undisturbed the last 5-10 minutes.
Notes
- One ham steak yields about 3-4 cups of 1/2-inch cubed pieces (feel free to use leftover ham!)
- Substitute 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning for salt and spices if you'd like.
- I prefer petite diced tomatoes but you can use regular.
- If using jasmine rice, reduce water to 2.5 cups and cooking time by 5 minutes.
- See article above for tips and answers to other questions you may have.
Author: Mandy Rivers
Your Crock Pot Pulled Pork is a great sub in this!
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