This keto jambalaya is a healthy low carb take on the classic Creole dish. Made sheet pan style, it’s so easy to make and clean up is a snap!
Keto jambalaya – did you ever think you would hear those two words spoken in the same sentence? Because the classic jambalaya is anything but low carb.
But this easy sheet pan jambalaya is definitely a perfect keto dinner. Made with cauliflower rice, it’s a full meal in one go, with all your veggies and a delicious array of proteins.
And a lovely kick from some homemade Cajun seasoning! And the best part is that this easy keto jambalaya recipe met with approval from the whole family. You know it’s a winner when that happens.
The allure of the sheet pan dinner
Sheet pan dinners are exceptionally popular and with good reason. They’re simple to prepare and dirty fewer dishes. And the concept is great for almost any protein, from chicken to fish to steak.
My Keto Chicken and Veggies is perhaps one of my most popular sheet pan meals. And this Garlic Butter Sheet Pan Salmon is a delectable healthy meal for fish lovers.
And the magic of sheet pan meals is that they aren’t confined to dinners. I’ve made Sheet Pan Pancakes, and even a full Keto Sheet Pan Breakfast with eggs, sausage, and bacon!
When I spotted this sheet pan jambalaya from Le Creme de La Crumb, I decided I had to take a shot at keto-fying it!
Creating a keto jambalaya recipe
Classic jambalaya is cooked in a big pot, with plenty of chicken, andouille sausage, and shrimp or crawfish. Some veggies and a few cups of rice make it the ultimate one pot meal.
But all that rice makes authentic jambalaya a carb heavy meal and that’s simply no longer an option for many of us.
It was quite easy to swap in cauliflower rice in this sheet pan jambalaya recipe. I also cut back on the peppers and the tomatoes, and left out the onion altogether.
These changes saved a significant number of carbs and this keto jambalaya comes in at only 5.7g net carbs!
Tips for Sheet Pan Keto Jambalaya
Making jambalaya on a sheet pan makes it extra easy. Honestly the most time consuming part is cutting up the veggies and chicken!
Use boneless chicken thighs: They’re higher in fat than chicken breasts, so they are less likely to dry out in the oven. They’re also more satiating.
Cut the ingredients into even bite size pieces: The allure of a one-pot meal like jambalaya is that everything is cut up ahead of time, so it’s easy to simply dig in! Cutting them up evenly means they will cook more evenly.
Cook the chicken, sausage, and peppers first: These ingredients take a bit longer to cook through, so they need to be roasted for about 12 minutes before adding the cauliflower rice and shrimp.
Use plenty of butter: Yum!
Frozen or raw cauliflower rice? Both will work here but the frozen rice cooks through faster and more easily. If you are using raw cauliflower, add it in after the first 5 minutes of cooking.
Make your own Cajun seasoning: Store bought Cajun seasoning can contain a number of additives and sugars, but it’s easy to make your own with some basic spices and herbs. If you do want to purchase it, I recommend Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning, which has great flavor and no questionable ingredients.
Broil lightly at the end: This gives the shrimp that lovely browned look that’s so deliciously appealing!
Storage Tips for Keto Jambalaya
This recipe actually makes great leftovers that reheat quite nicely. I ate the last serving the following day for lunch.
The jambalaya can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
More Cajun Inspired Keto Recipes
- Spicy Shrimp and Sausage Skewers
- Keto Crab Cakes with Cajun Mayo
- Keto Shrimp and Bacon Chowder
- Cajun Salmon Burgers with Avocado Crema
- Cajun Chicken Alfredo
- Cajun Sausage and Peppers
Easy Keto Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into ½ inch pieces
- 12 ounce andouille cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 red pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 green pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 1 jalapeno minced
- ¼ cup melted butter divided
- 3 tablespoon Cajun seasoning divided
- 12 ounces cauliflower rice frozen, thawed
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 1 lb shrimp
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
- 1 ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the chicken thighs, sausage, peppers, celery, and jalapeno on a large (11×17 inches or larger) rimmed sheet pan. Toss to combine.
- Drizzle with half of the melted butter and sprinkle with half of the Cajun seasoning. Toss again to combine well. Bake 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with the cauliflower rice, tomatoes, and shrimp. Drizzle with the remaining butter and Cajun seasoning – no need to toss together at this point.
- Bake another 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss to combine all of ingredients, and serve hot.
Barbara says
My oh my was this awesome! I omitted the jalapeño as I’m not a super spicy person, and substituted Bavarian white sausage as I didn’t have access to andouille. I also used big frozen shrimp, barely unfrozen so next time if I use frozen I’ll thaw more in advance and sop op any moisture as it was a little wet… but it tastes amazing! Thanks for another great recipe!
Aimee says
I don’t usually cook shrimp as I’m not a fan. So, fresh or frozen? And what size do you use? I’m hoping to make this soon:D
Carolyn says
You can use frozen but you want to thaw them and drain them completely first. Large shrimp is best.
Gail says
This is a winner! I will be making it again.
Mindy says
I think this would be great on the Blackstone! Excited to give it a try. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Chris says
We loved this! Delicious! Only thing I added was 6 ounces red onion and 2 extra tablespoons butter. Oh and I had Not Ya Momma’s Cajun seasoning that I used. (Zero everything). This will be my go to.
Love what I’ve tried on this site!
Thank you!
Michael A says
This was truly amazing! Perfect spice level, perfect everything. I have yet to have one bad recipe from Carolyn! I am always amazed!
Kelly Parent says
We loved this so much!!! Absolutely delicious. Thanks for another great recipe.
Suze M says
So I made this for dinner today! Because hubby cannot stand cauliflower in any form (and isn’t doing keto), I made rice for him and did my “rice” separately. I also messed up a little in the jalapeño lol. I had bought some freeze dried and couldn’t find on the bottle how much to measure for one. Let’s just say, it was quite spicy, lol!
But it was delicious, even though it required a lot of beverage to put the fire out! 🤣 And I will definitely make it again! Thank you so much!!
Carolyn says
Oh dear, glad you enjoyed it anyway!
Fonda Carver says
I love your recipes! You have helped me stay on track with my weight loss. I’ve lost 29 pounds since Oct. Sheet pan meals are so easy and I can’t wait to try this one! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Carolyn says
Congrats on your weight loss!
Kelli Waldo says
This is fantastic! It tastes like it’s a lot more difficult to make than it is. Just right enough spice. Thank you!
Julie says
Beyond fabulous. In these days of Covid, DH and I are doing one date night a week where we choose a recipe to cook together. This was tonight’s date. So much better than going out to a restaurant and tap dancing around their menu. I think your next venture should be a chain of restaurants that cater to low carbers. How tough would this dish be to do with rice or cauli-rice? One caveat, we did add 1/2 yellow onion chopped. Can’t do Cajun without onion IMO. The phytonutrients are worth the carbs.
Carolyn says
I love that! We do a date night once a week too, at home. Steak is usually on the menu. Much less expensive than a steak house!
Ann says
Wow! This really exceeded my expectations!
Betty Turner says
Is the chicken and sausage cooked beforehand?
Carolyn says
No, it’s cooked all together on the pan.
Terry Marks says
Really good and really spicy! I’ll definitely make this again, but will cut back on the cayenne pepper when making the seasoning. I love your sheet pan meals.