Protein-packed keto jambalaya is the perfect one-pot low carb meal to spice up your family dinner. Shrimp, andouille sausage, and chicken with veggies, Creole spices, and gluten-free cauliflower rice. Mmmmm!
Do you sometimes just crave something different? Maybe one child wants sausage, the other chicken, and you want shrimp? Well, have I got the perfect recipe for you!
Keto jambalaya is one of those recipes I just love because anyone will like it, keto or not. It’s packed with 36 grams of protein per serving and is a one-pot meal of meat and veggies. You can even add more chicken bone broth to make it into a hearty stew if you like.
Admittedly, there can be some discussion on the appropriate spiciness, especially with kids around. However, the flavors will take you back to that glorious trip to New Orleans and leave you wanting a pecan praline for dessert. Jambalaya is a traditional rice dish of New Orleans, and it’s getting a makeover with gluten-free cauliflower rice!
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Life was just a tire swing. ‘Jambalaya’ was the only song I could sing. Blackberry pickin’, eatin’ fried chicken, And I never knew a thing about pain. Life was just a tire swing.
Traditional New Orleans Foods
Gumbo, crawfish étoufée, jambalaya, red beans and rice, barbeque shrimp, beignets, po-boys, bananas foster, pralines. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine definitely is.
Even more than the historic homes, the swamp tours, and the infamous Bourbon Street, my favorite thing about New Orleans is the food. In my opinion, any visit to the historic city should focus on eating well and good music.
The problem comes in when you are trying to be good and eat a keto diet. What can you do? So many of these amazing dishes are not exactly keto-friendly. Never fear! My little test kitchen is all about cajun fixins lately, and I’m all about making these traditional flavors into amazing keto dishes. Then you can make your own low carb versions at home when you’re dreaming of your next trip to The Big Easy.
Shall we start with keto jambalaya?
To make keto jambalaya you’ll need :
- a skillet or dutch oven
- a spatula
- knife and cutting board
- extra plate or bowl
- serving spoon
How to make keto jambalaya
How spicy should jambalaya be?
I am the first one to admit I am a complete wimp when it comes to spice. The andouille sausage and cayenne pepper add plenty of spice for me. However, if you love the traditional southern spice and want to kick it up a notch, throw in a chopped jalapeño or two.
Now, return the chicken and sausage to the pan with the vegetables and other ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add in the riced cauliflower and the shrimp. I usually use deveined, peeled, tail-off shrimp because it’s easier to eat. On the other hand, you could leave the tail on to make it more impressive visually.
So then, cook it until the shrimp is pink, about 5-10 more minutes. Next, turn down the heat and simmer it to combine the flavors another 5-10 minutes. If needed, add more salt and pepper to your liking, sprinkle on some chopped Italian parsley and serve!
Variation: Keto jambalaya stew
Traditional jambalaya does not have a lot of liquid because the rice soaks it all up. However, I like a good soup or stew in winter and sometimes like to add more liquid. To make a stew, add 2 more cups of bone broth and simmer it to mix up all those delicious flavors.
If you want even more shrimp options for summer, try these amazing keto and low carb grilled lime cilantro shrimp skewers.
My life a jambalaya, —and the truth a changing stew
Louisiana food and travel
Have you been to Louisiana? If so, what are your favorite things to do in New Orleans? My son tells me he wants to feed alligators and go to a New Orleans Saint’s game. My daughter wants to see the Spanish moss and southern mansions. I’ll do all of the above and eat well! Give me your tips for things to do in New Orleans with kids below!
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Tag me in your recipe pics on Instagram @explorermomma.
If you LOVE this recipe please consider giving it a five-star rating in the review area below!
Want some more keto dinner options?
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Bake
- Keto Taco Soup
- Creamy Keto Italian Sausage Soup
- Keto Cheddar Focaccia
- Antipasto Salad
Or for more shrimp try Low Carb Bang Bang Shrimp from Dr. Davinah’s Eats.
Printable Recipe
Keto Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 lb chicken breast, chopped into small chunks
- 1 lb andouille sausage, thinly sliced in rounds
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken bone broth (2 if you prefer it more like soup)
- 1 14 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 12 oz pkg riced cauliflower (or make your own)
- 1 lb deveined and peeled shrimp
- 1-2 chopped jalapeños (for extra spice) optional
Instructions
- Melt the three tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or dutch oven. Cook the chicken and the sausage then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Put the celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper to the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until tender.
- Add in the chicken bone broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and jalapeño if using.
- Return the chicken and sausage to the pan and simmer about 10 minutes. Then add in the riced cauliflower and shrimp, and cook until the shrimp is cooked and pink, about 5-10 more minutes. Simmer to combine flavors another 5-10 minutes.
- If needed, add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
| Servings 8.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 336 | |
| Total Fat 21 g | |
| Saturated Fat 8 g | |
| Monounsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 161 mg | |
| Sodium 2092 mg | |
| Potassium 164 mg | |
| Total Carbohydrate 6 g | |
| Dietary Fiber 1 g | |
| Sugars 2 g | |
| Protein 36 g | |
Nutrition Disclaimer
This was great! Used my own Cajun spice mix which is salt free. I would suggest draining the tomatos or only using half the liquid. Mine came out a little soupy but still tasted great. We will be making the again.
Overall great recipe. I will definitely not add extra salt as it was super salty and omit jalapeños as my husband’s mouth was on fire lol I too felt it was a tad soupy so may cut back in broth which will also help salt
Loved this! We did not add any salt since our Cajun spice mix contained it. I am so glad that we did not! It had plenty of flavor and we did not miss the additional salt at all. We used 1 cup of chicken stock. Ours had a little liquid but was not too soupy. If we weren’t doing low carb, I sure would have loved some garlic bread or cornbread with this!
Just made it and YAY! Came out perfect!
This recipe has a very robust flavor, but is way too salty. Could the recipe possibly have a misprint – maybe 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons of cajun spice? I will make it again but will definitely cut out the extra salt and perhaps reduce the cajun seasoning.
Hi Carol – It definitely depends on the ingredients used. The bone broth and cajun spice I use does not have salt added so adjust for the ingredients you have. If possible I like to make my own cajun spice and bone broth, but that’s not always possible so just search for those without added salt (or sugar).
This was good! The amount of liquid didn’t bother me nor did the salt content. However, I found it super spicy! (I used Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning.)There is no way a kid would eat this, I had to power through it my own self. I will have to do some altering of seasoning. This was a very flavorful recipe and helps to mix things up. I think if I get the seasoning right this will be a winner for a hearty keto friendly family meal!! 🙂
Different seasoning brands can definitely vary hugely so I agree, it’s important to watch the spice and how much you (and the kids!) enjoy!
Loved this recipe! All the spicyness and good tasting ingredients. I added 2 jalapeños for added kick. Hubby does not love riced cauliflower, but with the tomato juice and chicken broth, he couldn’t even taste it!i did add 1 1/2 cups of chicken bone broth to make it a bit more saucy. When I make again, I will do 2 cups for a nice soupy version. And it makes a big batch so enough for 2 of us for dinner, lunches and some to freeze!
Thank you for being Jambalaya to keto… we have missed it!
Excellent. So tired of eating chicken, eggs and cheese. I feel alive again.
This worked out really well for us overall. I didn’t have all of the spices and may have gone a bit over on the cajun spice, but it was good enough for my wife to enjoy it. I overcooked the riced cauliflower a bit so it turned a bit mushy, but the rest was good. I’ll definitely add that to the rotation after toning down the cajun seasoning a bit. Thank you for the idea and the easy recipe.