Spicy One Pot Jambalaya (Backpacking Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How much jambalaya to feed 20 people? ›

P.S. just remember for every 5 lbs of meat you feed 20 people jambalaya. So for 100 people you should use 20 lbs of meat and half that (10lbs) of rice. You can use the proportion of pork to sausage as 75/25. So for 100 people you would use 15 lbs of pork and 5 lbs of sausage, 10 lbs of rice.

Zatarain's makes a mild variety of our Jambalaya Mix, but it's easy to reduce the spice level of any Jambalaya mix by replacing half (or more or less) of the mix with white rice before preparing.

If it's too dry, put the lid back on to keep the steam trapped and give the rice time to absorb more liquid. If it's too wet, take the lid off to let the steam out so more liquid can evaporate. This takes practice, so don't be discouraged if it takes a few tries to get it right.

One of the biggest complaints when making jambalaya is that the rice ends up mushy. And there's two main culprits of this – choosing the wrong type of rice and over-stirring. For this recipe, you want long-grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine. Don't use short-grain rice.

Yields 50 Servings. This recipe yields 4 gallons of chicken and sausage gumbo and 3 gallons and 2 cups rice to make 50–2¼ cup bowls (1¼ cups gumbo, 1 cup rice, and 2 teaspoons green onions).

Black pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and hot sauce are the backbone of a great jambalaya. You can also add in some tomato paste or tomato powder, which creates a little sweetness.

Can I decrease the spiciness level in jambalaya after I have already cook it? You can attenuate it with some other liquid, water or milk or even a little bourbon. You can also add some honey, e.g., as “sweet cuts heat”.

Sweet Defeats Heat

Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.

Add in the uncooked rice, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, Cajun/Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne and bay leaf. Give everything a good stir. Cover and cook. Then cook for 25-30 minutes, being sure to stir the mixture every 5 minutes or so (to prevent burning) until the rice is nearly tender.

Problem: Complicated to make, jambalaya is usually overcooked and underseasoned. The dish is an unappealing mixture of rubbery shrimp, dry chicken, and gummy rice bound in a thin, watery tomato base. Goal: We wanted fluffy rice with perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken, shrimp, and sausage.

Do you stir jambalaya when boiling? ›

Bring to a boil (med-fire), and stir using a spatula to scrape the bottom. You want to maintain a slight boiling bubble. Every time you stir it smooth the top out to keep all the rice kernels in continuous contact with each other. Don't stir more than once a minute or so.

This jambalaya serves about 50 portions. We make it in a 5 gallon cast iron pot. Go big or go home, right? This dish serves a big crowd and is great for parties.

How much jambalaya should you make per person? How much jambalaya to make per person totally depends on what else you might be serving. If it's just jambalaya for dinner, then count on a large bowl of jambalaya, about 2 cups per person. This recipe makes about 8-10 large servings.

SERVINGS:1 – 25 lb. Box makes 240 – 8oz servings and fills a 20-gallon pot.