Last updated on May 12th, 2023

Tiana’s Low-Carb Jambalaya

Remember the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog? Well, imagine the fictional character Tiana, the intelligent, talented cook who adds a new recipe to her cookbook. To meet high demand, she replaces the rice in Jambalaya with riced cauliflower and calls the dish Tiana’s Low-Carb Jambalaya. This recipe, my friends, is that dish!

homemade Southern Spice…

This Jambalaya is flavourful and aromatic from a homemade Southern spice blend that carries a bit of smokiness! Like Tiana’s strong personality, this recipe doesn’t need much help! The ingredients do most of the work in bringing a one-pan meal from stove to table in no time.

Mardi Gras-themed dinner…

The Holy Trinity of Cajun and Creole cooking, i.e. celery, bell peppers and onions, adds a little bite to the spicy chorizo and shrimp in this dish, and the bed of cauliflower rice makes this the perfect Keto-friendly Mardi Gras-themed dinner. You won’t get turned into a frog making this meal, promise!

Why you’ll love Tiana’s Low-Carb Jambalaya

• This Low-carb Jambalaya recipe is as simple as Tiana’s cookbook and requires only one skillet to make a delicious meal from stove to table.
• Eat as much as you want because it is made with cauliflower rice instead of whole grain rice, which typically amps up the carbs in a traditional Jambalaya recipe.
• If you are not a huge cauliflower fan, don’t worry because you won’t taste it in this recipe.
• This recipe is full of flavour that uses simple ingredients to make a weekday meal worth looking forward to.
• This recipe is the perfect low-carb dinner with a good amount of protein and veggies.
• Make it in 30 minutes for a weeknight meal.
• The perfect meal to add to a Mardi Gras-themed menu and finish off with low-carb Ricotta Crepes

What is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a popular savoury rice dish from the US state of Louisiana and typically consists of meat like pork, chicken, sausage, and/or seafood such as shrimp, crawfish or crab. The proteins are cooked in a bit of liquid with rice and spices in various ways and reflect the French and Spanish cultures in and around Louisiana.

Holy Trinity staple…

In Creole cuisine, tomatoes are added to the Jambalaya, whereas in Cajun cooking, the tomatoes are left out, while both cuisines use the Holy Trinity staple of onions, bell peppers and celery in making Jambalaya.

How is Tiana’s Jambalaya Low-Carb?

4g net carbs / per serving

Serving homemade traditional Jambalaya with rice could range from 32 to 40 grams, but the only carbs you need to worry about in this recipe are the handful of veggies, which are quite minimal in carbs. Replacing the rice with cauliflower rice removes a good chunk of carbs in this recipe.

Ingredients to make Tiana’s Low-Carb Jambalaya

Olive Oil

Chorizo is sauteed in olive oil which carries the spicy flavour from the chorizo into the veggies.

Chorizo

Spicy chorizo can be found in the deli section in most supermarkets, but you can use spicy sausage or andouille (if available) for a more authentic Jambalaya. Substitute or add chicken thighs with the fat trimmed and marinate them in spices before cooking.

Raw shrimp

Raw, thawed, peeled, and deveined shrimp take on much flavour while cooking. Marinate frozen or cooked shrimp in the spices before adding them to the Jambalaya.

Holy Trinity of Creole / Cajun Cuisine

Diced onions, bell peppers, and celery are the special trio in Creole cooking. Saute them in the skillet juice to form a flavourful base. Add any colour of bell peppers you like.

Garlic

Crushed or minced garlic cloves make this Jambalaya dish more flavourful; add as much as you can handle. Tiana won’t mind 🙂

Cauliflower Rice

For easy preparation, chop cauliflower florets into pieces and blitz them in a mini food processor, but store-bought riced cauliflower works well too.

Canned diced tomatoes with juice

Adding diced tomatoes from the can with some liquid adds moisture and helps make the cauliflower rice fluffy.

Homemade Southern Spice Blend

Find the recipe in the recipe card below, but you can replace this with Cajun or Creole seasoning. I use this blend for many dishes, and it’s the main ingredient for my Lazy Chicken Tortilla Soup which I will post soon.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper adds heat to the recipe, so add it in moderation and to your desired preference level for spiciness.

Salt and pepper

Add extra salt and pepper to taste only if needed

Chopped Cilantro

Garnish the Jambalaya with cilantro for a finishing touch.

Let’s make Tiana’s Low-Carb Jambalaya

Cook the Chorizo: Heat olive oil in a skillet or shallow pan (with a lid) on medium heat. Add the chorizo and brown it until it is golden and fully cooked for about 12-15 minutes. Transfer the chorizo from the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate for soaking up grease and cover it with foil to keep the chorizo warm. 

Saute the vegetables: Stir in garlic, onions, peppers and celery to the skillet juices and saute them until fork tender.

Stir in the cauliflower rice: Mix in the riced cauliflower to the ‘Holy Trinity’ (veggies) and cook until it becomes slightly translucent about 3 mins.

Add the spice blend and tomatoes: Stir in the spices and tomatoes (with juice) to the skillet, cook for about 2 minutes and let the tomato juices soak into the veggies. Turn up the heat a little so that everything becomes even in temperature.

Cook the Shrimp: Bury the shrimp into the mixture, cover the skillet with a lid and let the Jambalaya cook for about 5 minutes until the shrimp have turned pink and cooked through. Try not to overcook the shrimp as it will become too dry.

Slice and add the Chorizo: While the shrimp is cooking, slice the chorizo into small ½-inch pieces at a diagonal, then add them to the cooked shrimp and give everything a big stir to mix it all up.

Garnish the Jambalaya: Switch off the stove, transfer the skillet to the table, and garnish the Jambalaya with chopped cilantro and an extra sprinkling of homemade Southern spice blend.

Tips for making Low-Carb Jambalaya

• Using an excellent smokey protein like andouille or chorizo sausage brings flavour to the Jambalaya.
• Avoid adding too much liquid from the canned tomatoes to keep the Jambalaya dry; otherwise, the cauliflower rice may become mushy.
• If you want to use chicken thighs instead of chorizo, marinate the chicken in spices before pan-frying it.
• Add the riced cauliflower to the pot only after sauteing the vegetables because it will cook fast.
• Make the Jambalaya tasty by sauteing the vegetables in the pan juices for a more flavorful and tasty dish.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating Tips

Storage:

Allow the Jambalaya to cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Freezing:

If you use raw shrimp thawed correctly from frozen, then it is safe to freeze leftovers or portions of Jambalaya in a freeze-proof container for up to 3 months. If you want to use fully-cooked frozen shrimp for meal prep, then I suggest making the Jambalaya without shrimp entirely, freezing it and adding the shrimp after on the day you want to eat it.

Reheat:

Leftovers can be reheated in a bowl, in the microwave or in the saucepan on low heat until heated. Add a little broth or canned tomato juice if the Jambalaya becomes dry.

Did you make this recipe?

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