Large batch jambalaya combines three cups dry rice with chicken, smoked sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables. It is designed for an approximately eight-quart heavy pot with a lid. The generous quantity makes about twelve portions rather than a small skillet meal.
Use long-grain white rice and thawed proteins for the stated schedule. Chicken and sausage enter before the covered rice simmer, while shrimp are added near the end. This order helps avoid cooking the shrimp for the full time needed to soften the rice.
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Why This Recipe Works
Browning chicken and sausage begins the savory base before the vegetables and liquid are added. Large batch jambalaya then relies on a gentle covered simmer so the rice can absorb broth. A hard boil or loose lid can evaporate liquid faster than the grains soften.
Shrimp cook much more quickly than the rice and chicken stage. Adding them when the rice is nearly tender protects their texture while still allowing a full doneness check. A short covered rest at the end settles moisture through the grains.
Ingredients for Large Batch Jambalaya
Use a pound boneless chicken thighs cut into three-quarter-inch pieces, a pound fully cooked smoked sausage sliced into rounds, and a pound peeled deveined raw shrimp. Medium-large shrimp around twenty-one to twenty-five per pound suit the stated late cooking window. All should be thawed before starting.
For large batch jambalaya, measure three cups dry long-grain white rice, six cups chicken broth, and a fourteen-and-a-half-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices. Onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic are chopped before heating. Two tablespoons oil cover the searing stage, and two tablespoons Cajun seasoning should be checked for salt strength.
Proteins and Vegetables
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (thawed, cut into ¾-inch pieces)
- 1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage (sliced into rounds)
- 1 lb raw peeled deveined shrimp (thawed, approximately 21–25 count per pound)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 medium bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Rice and Seasoning
- 3 cups dry long-grain white rice
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (check salt strength)
- to taste salt and pepper
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
- 0–1 cup hot water (only if grains remain firm and pot is dry; add ¼ cup at a time)
How to Make Large Batch Jambalaya
Heat oil in the large pot over medium-high heat. Brown chicken and sausage for about six to eight minutes, stirring; the chicken finishes cooking during the rice stage. Add onion, pepper, and celery for five to seven minutes until beginning to soften, then garlic briefly.
Stir in dry rice, Cajun seasoning, broth, and undrained tomatoes. Bring large batch jambalaya to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and cover. Simmer about twenty to twenty-five minutes until rice is nearly tender, keeping heat low enough to avoid scorching the base.
Fold shrimp into the hot rice mixture and cover for about five to seven minutes, or until they reach 145°F and become firm and opaque. Check larger chicken pieces for 165°F and rice for tenderness. If grains remain firm and the pot is dry, add hot water a quarter cup at a time, up to one cup, and continue gently. Rest covered off heat five minutes, fluff carefully, and add green onions.
How to Serve
Serve large batch jambalaya in twelve portions, distributing shrimp, sausage, chicken, and rice throughout the pot. Use a broad spoon rather than aggressively stirring the cooked grains into a paste. The rice should be moist without being a broth-filled soup.
For a gathering, keep the pot safely hot or portion and refrigerate promptly instead of leaving it warm for a long buffet. A simple salad can accompany the dish. It already contains rice, three proteins, and vegetables, so extra sides are optional.
Storage
Refrigerate large batch jambalaya within two hours in several shallow containers at 40°F or colder. Use within three days. A large rice-and-seafood pot must not be left on the counter to cool overnight; splitting the quantity is especially important here.
Reheat portions to 165°F with a little water if needed, stirring gently for even heat. Freeze cooled portions for up to two months for quality and thaw in the refrigerator. Shrimp can become firmer after reheating and freezing.
The FDA safe food handling guidance explains prompt refrigeration and temperature checks for perishable foods.
Tips and Variations
For large batch jambalaya, measure rice dry and avoid substituting brown or instant rice without a different liquid and cooking plan. Keep the lid on between necessary checks. Frequent uncovering releases steam needed by the grains.
The fully cooked sausage is a specified ingredient; raw sausage would require its own cooking attention. Use a seasoning blend whose heat suits the group, and taste before adding extra salt. Broth and smoked sausage may already provide plenty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How large a pot does large batch jambalaya need?
An approximately 8-quart heavy lidded pot gives the full quantity stirring room.
Is the rice measured after cooking?
No. Use 3 cups dry long-grain white rice.
When are shrimp added?
When rice is nearly tender, for the final roughly 5–7 minutes, checking shrimp for 145°F.
What if the rice is firm and dry?
Add hot water ¼ cup at a time, up to 1 cup, and continue gently covered.
Can the large pot cool overnight on the stove?
No. Portion into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours.
More Recipes to Try
- Jambalaya Recipe
- Slow Cooker Jambalaya
- Easy Jambalaya
- Sweet Soy Chicken Rice Noodles with Eggs and Vegetables
Large Batch Jambalaya with Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp
Ingredients
Proteins and Vegetables
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs thawed, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage sliced into rounds
- 1 lb raw peeled deveined shrimp thawed, approximately 21–25 count per pound
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Rice and Seasoning
- 3 cups dry long-grain white rice
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning check salt strength
- to taste salt and pepper
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 0–1 cup hot water only if grains remain firm and pot is dry; add ¼ cup at a time
Instructions
- Heat oil in an approximately 8-quart heavy pot. Brown thawed chicken thigh pieces and fully cooked sausage rounds for 6–8 minutes. Add onion, pepper, and celery for 5–7 minutes, then garlic for 30 seconds.
- Pour broth and undrained tomatoes into the pot, then incorporate the dry white rice and Cajun blend. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and lower heat for roughly 20–25 minutes until grains are nearly tender.
- Fold in thawed shrimp and cover about 5–7 minutes or longer until they reach 145°F and are opaque. Confirm chicken reaches 165°F and rice is tender. If the pot is dry with firm grains, add hot water in quarter-cup portions, keeping the extra total at 1 cup or less, and continue gently.
- Turn off heat, rest covered 5 minutes, fluff carefully, taste seasoning, and add sliced green onions. Divide into 12 portions.
