AI-generated photo.
Cajun & Creole · Iconic, Louisiana · United States
Rice jambalaya
Also called jambalaya
Rice jambalaya (jambalaya), a Louisiana plate from the United States.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Rice jambalaya is cooked in Louisiana as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Brown the chicken, stir in rice and tomato, and fold the shrimp in at the end so they just cook through. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
73
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 29%
- Carbs 53%
- Fat 18%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 33.1 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 887 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry jasmine rice237 kcal
- Chicken thigh109 kcal
- Shrimp, peeled34 kcal
- Olive oil31 kcal
- Canned crushed tomato16 kcal
- Cooked ham15 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 44. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 463 kcal.
Allergens. Shellfish
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 463 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 463 kcal | 23% |
| Protein | 33.1 g | 66% |
| Carbohydrate | 60.7 g | 22% |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 10% |
| Total sugars | 4.6 g | 9% |
| Fat | 8.9 g | 11% |
| Saturated fat | 1.9 g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 151 mg | 50% |
| Sodium | 887 mg | 39% |
| Potassium | 626 mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 84 mg | 6% |
| Iron | 4.9 mg | 27% |
| Magnesium | 63 mg | 15% |
| Zinc | 3 mg | 27% |
| Vitamin A | 80 mcg | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 43.1 mg | 48% |
| Vitamin D · estimate | 0.9 mcg | 5% |
| Vitamin E | 1.8 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin K | 8 mcg | 7% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.6 mg | 52% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.3 mg | 23% |
| Niacin (B3) · estimate | 11.4 mg | 71% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.8 mg | 49% |
| Folate | 175 mcg | 44% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 mcg | 46% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium is on the higher side. The swaps below pull it down.
- Much of the energy comes from a fast starch such as white rice, white flour, or sugar.
- Shellfish should be fully cooked. This is an allergen for many people.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
- Chicken thigh3 thighs360 g
Shrimp, peeled12 shrimp180 g
Dry jasmine rice1.3 cups260 g
Canned crushed tomato1 cup240 g- Cooked ham2 slices50 g
Red bell pepper1 pepper100 g
Yellow onion1 onion110 g
Smoked paprika1 tsp3 g
Cayenne0.5 tsp2 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Olive oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Rice jambalaya. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh chicken thigh, shrimp, peeled, dry jasmine rice, canned crushed tomato, cooked ham, red bell pepper, yellow onion, smoked paprika, cayenne, kosher salt, olive oil. Rice jambalaya is cooked in Louisiana as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Brown the chicken, stir in rice and tomato, and fold the shrimp in at the end so they just cook through. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Rice jambalaya is cooked in united states. Also called jambalaya. Skim the foam once, then stop stirring so the broth stays clear.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Rice jambalaya, until the edges take a little color. Add the herb at the end so it stays green and fragrant.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Rice jambalaya at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 27 minutes. Rice jambalaya is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Simmer 27 min
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americaicon-united-states-rice-jambalaya-step-4
Rice jambalaya, step 5
Step 5 · Rice jambalaya
5Check the center of Rice jambalaya, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americaicon-united-states-rice-jambalaya-step-5
Rice jambalaya, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Rice jambalaya for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in united states, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Rice jambalaya in this shot order and no other: a quiet simmer with small bubbles; steam rising off the finished plate; tongs turning one piece; beans or grains tender at the edge of a bite. Slate words for the editor: skillet, sear, luster, flint, willow, peel, opaque, ivory, cedar, thistle.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Rice jambalaya is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Rice jambalaya looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Rice jambalaya turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Rice jambalaya, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Rice jambalaya is one of the plates people ask for by name from Louisiana.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Brown the chicken, stir in rice and tomato, and fold the shrimp in at the end so they just cook through.
Allergens in the required list: Shellfish.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.