Pork and Sausage Jambalaya With Black-Eyed Peas

Jambalaya with Pork, Sausage, and Black-Eyed Peas

Diana Rattray / The Spruce Eats

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Conjuring images of Louisiana, jambalaya is a dish that proudly hails from the state known for Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, and so much more. Cajun and Creole flavors imbue the history of New Orleans, jambalaya is a confluence of these flavors in a seafood and sausage studded rice dish. While some may be super spicy, making the dish at home allows you to experiment with whatever heat profile you feel most comfortable with. Traditionally called red or Creole jambalaya, the dish has been made for centuries throughout the region, and now you can make it at home! What began as an off-shoot of paella sans saffron, jambalaya has now become its own entity entirely—although some still to conflate it with gumbo.

This satisfying dish would be perfect for a New Year's Day meal. Just add cabbage or slaw and some hot baked cornbread. 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces smoked sausage, or andouille, sliced 1/4-inch thick

  • 1 pound lean pork chunks, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

  • 1/4 cup oil

  • 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped

  • 1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped

  • 1/4 cup celery, chopped

  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, or stock

  • 1 cup water, or more low-sodium broth or stock

  • 1/4 cup butter

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (if using spicy sausage, add cayenne to taste)

  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

  • 1 (15- to 16-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained

  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

  • 1/4 cup sliced green onion

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a heavy 4-quart kettle or Dutch oven, brown sausage and pork in hot oil. Season with Cajun seasoning.

  3. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cover and cook over medium heat 20 to 30 minutes, or until pork is nearly done. Skim off excess fat.

  4. Add water, chicken broth, butter, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bring mixture to a boil.

  5. Add rice and black-eyed peas, stirring to blend.

  6. Cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender. If using brown rice, allow 10 to 15 minutes cooking time.

  7. Add parsley and green onion within the last 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
614 Calories
39g Fat
32g Carbs
33g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 614
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 111mg 37%
Sodium 1021mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 16mg 80%
Calcium 68mg 5%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 856mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)