Low Sodium Jambalaya With Chicken and Shrimp Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium jambalaya recipe is a fantastic dinner, loaded with flavor from vegetables, spices, chicken, and low sodium shrimp. It’s a fantastic New Orleans-style jambalaya with a tasty roux.
It’s a little bit spicy, savory, and a tasty dinner idea!
Serve with a slice of low sodium cornbread and a low sodium chopped salad for a complete meal.
I have to start by thanking one of our readers Dirk for suggesting this recipe! He emailed me asking to make a low sodium jambalaya and I tested a few varieties before perfecting the version below.
This is a New Orleans-style jambalaya with a roux and no tomatoes. Some jambalayas are made with tomatoes, however I left them out of this version and preferred the version below. It’s so flavorful and delicious, and turns out great!
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s a great low sodium version of a classic dish!
- A hearty and satisfying dinner idea.
- This jambalaya can be customized and the spice/heat level can vary.
- It’s a crowd pleaser dinner.
- It goes great with many sides, from low sodium coleslaw to low sodium garlic bread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- No Salt Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning – I like using a spicy no-salt-added Cajun seasoning which has garlic, oregano, onion, cayenne pepper, paprika and bell peppers – with 0mg of sodium. Be sure to watch labels, normal Cajun seasoning can have added salt or preservatives, upping the sodium content.
- Chicken – you can use either chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. I tried the recipe with both, and preferred the chicken breasts, but up to you! Make sure you buy chicken that has a nutritional label on it, as chicken can contain added sodium before being packaged in the store.
- Low Sodium Shrimp – Shrimp can be one of the most difficult foods to find low in sodium. That’s because shrimp are often packed in salt before being processed. With any food, make sure to only buy shrimp that have a nutrition label! That way you know exactly what you are getting.
- The lowest sodium shrimp I have been able to find are the frozen medium shrimp at Trader Joe’s ( see our low sodium Trader Joe’s guide!) which have 160 mg of sodium per 85 grams or 20 of their shrimp which is what I used for this recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil to saute the vegetables in.
- Onions – I used large sweet vidalia onions for this recipe. I caramelized them for about 15 minutes and added a little Worcestershire sauce for added flavor.
- Bell peppers – I used 3 peppers total, a mix of green and yellow. You can use any colors you prefer.
- Unsalted butter and all purpose flour – mix together to make a roux and thicken the jambayala.
- White wine – not traditional in jambalayas, but I found added a little bit of sweetness and acidity to this dish! Adding it is optional.
- White Rice – I used a long grain white rice at the end of the dish. It’s great for soaking up the
- Lime Juice for a pop of flavor at the end.
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Additions and Variations
If you want to make a tomato based jambalaya, it’s easy to do with this recipe! Add in 2 large fresh diced tomatoes with the bell peppers if desired. Or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- You can substitute lemon juice for the lime juice in this recipe.
- Omit the white wine if desired (but I found it added a lot of great flavor).
- Use any variety of bell peppers you wish.
- If you can’t find low sodium shrimp in your area, you can omit it and double the chicken instead.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Brown your chicken! Chop up your chicken into bite-sized pieces, and add them to a large pot. Over medium-high heat, brown the chicken for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. One brown, remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
Step 2: To the pot, add the olive oil and the onions. Reduce the heat to medium, and let the onions simmer for 15 minutes until they begin to brown. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir well.
Step 3: To the onions, add in the chopped bell peppers and celery. Saute over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.
Step 4: Add in the unsalted butter and flour, and stir until the butter melts. The vegetables should be coated in this ‘roux.’
Step 5: Add the water or unsalted chicken stock, the no-salt creole seasoning, and the black pepper, and stir well. The jambalaya should be creamy and begin to thicken.
Step 6: Add the browned chicken back into the pot. Stir in the white wine, shrimp, and the rice. Bring the jambalaya to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, stir, and cover with a lid. Allow the jambalaya to simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and rice is cooked.
Step 7: Remove lid from the pot, and add the fresh lime juice. Stir well one final time.
Step 8: Serve jambalaya with any optional garnishes – fresh parsley, chopped green onions, or Louisiana hot sauce for an extra kick!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
Traditional jambalayas can be high in sodium from added salt and preservatives. This recipe has less than 200mg sodium per 1.5-cup serving, making it a good option for those looking to cut back their sodium intake.
I find the no-salt-added creole spice to have a little kick, but overall the dish is not too spicy (low/medium spice level). If you like your jambalaya with a kick, you can add in a jalapeno pepper with the bell peppers, or finish the dish with some low sodium hot sauce.
Absolutely! While salt is traditionally used in jambalaya, some creative swaps and substitutions work well in this dish. I use a no-salt creole spice as the base, use unsalted butter and chicken stock, add in low sodium shrimp and chicken, and finish off the dish with fresh lime juice for flavor.
Expert Tips
- Caramelizing the onions first adds a nice sweetness and depth of flavor to this dish. I caramelized mine for 15 minutes, but you can go up to 30 minutes for extra flavor.
- Adding the rice to the dish can get a little mushy. If you prefer, you can cut the water or chicken stock back to 2 cups, and leave the rice out of this recipe. Instead, cook the rice separately, and serve the jambalaya over the rice.
- Add your own spice! I kept this jambalaya low on spice, but it’s easy to add in peppers if you prefer more heat. Try jalapeno, habenero, or Scotch bonnet peppers for a spicier jambalaya.
More Tasty Low Sodium Dinner Ideas
- Low Sodium Chicken Paprikash
- Low Sodium Taco Salad
- The Best Low Sodium Chicken Fajitas
- Low Sodium Shrimp Scampi
- Low Sodium Goulash
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 2 large onions diced
- 1 teaspoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 3 bell peppers diced, I used yellow and green
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons No Salt Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup white wine optinoal
- ½ lb low sodium shrimp see note below for sodium content
- 1 cups white rice
- 3 limes juiced
- Garnishes fresh parsley, green onions, or low sodium hot sauce.
Instructions
- Chop up your chicken into bite-sized pieces, and add them to a large pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Over medium-high heat, brown the chicken for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. One brown, remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
- To the pot, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and the onions. Reduce the heat to medium, and let the onions simmer for 15 minutes until they begin to brown. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir well.
- To the onions, add in the chopped bell peppers and celery. Saute over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add in the unsalted butter and flour, and stir until the butter melts. The vegetables should be coated in this 'roux.'
- Add the unsalted chicken stock, the no-salt creole seasoning, and the black pepper, and stir well. The jambalaya should be creamy and begin to thicken.
- Add the browned chicken back into the pot. Stir in the white wine, the shrimp, and the rice. Bring the jambalaya to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, stir, and cover with a lid. Allow the jambalaya to simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and rice is cooked.
- Remove lid from the pot, and add the fresh lime juice. Stir well one final time.
- Serve jambalaya with any optional garnishes – fresh parsley, chopped green onions, or Louisiana hot sauce for an extra kick!
Notes
A Note on Shrimp
-
The lowest sodium shrimp I have been able to find are the frozen medium shrimp at Trader Joe’s ( see our low sodium Trader Joe’s guide!) which have 160 mg of sodium per 85 grams or 20 of their shrimp which is what I used for this recipe.
Recipe Variations
If you want to make a tomato based jambalaya, it’s easy to do with this recipe! Add in 2 large fresh diced tomatoes with the bell peppers if desired. Or 2 tabespoons of tomato paste.-
- You can substitute lemon juice for the lime juice in this recipe.
-
- Omit the white wine if desired (but I found it added a lot of great flavor).
-
- Use any variety of bell peppers you wish.
-
- If you can’t find low sodium shrimp in your area, you can omit it and double the chicken instead.
Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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Very tasty
I love this dish
A New Orleans treat fit for a king and Queen