What To Serve With Jambalaya?

April 30, 2023

Jambalaya is so much more than your average rice dish. It has all the best vegetables – onions, bell peppers, and sweet tomatoes. It has three kinds of meat – chicken, shrimp, and Andouille sausage. All of these are cooked in delicious seasoning with rice to create a meal like no other.

It’s a complete meal on its own, but let’s face it, the world (or at least, dinner table) is better with side dishes!

I’ve included some classic southern sides like biscuits, as well as some dishes with Cajun inspired flavors such as Cajun Corn on the Cob.

But Jambalaya is such a wonderful dish you serve it at almost any time of year, and so I’ve also included some outside the box side ideas below.

Parmesan Garlic Bacon Patties

These rosti-style potatoes will take your jambalaya experience to the next level. I don’t think so. Fries on the side? These give you so much more! Potato plus garlic, bacon, cheese, and cajun seasoning aligns the flavors with a jambalaya.

Cornbread

Cornbread, of course! The most obvious side dish to jambalaya comes first on the list. This is the version from Smartypants Kitchen. This side dish is a traditional and super fluffy cornbread recipe. Dunk it in your jambalaya to soak up the delicious spices or have it on the side. The choice is yours.

Air Fryer Blooming Onion

Who needs onion rings when you can have an entire blooming onion? No need to talk about all those calories and fat that come loaded onto the onion. Here the recipe calls for an air fryer, which means you’re eating a super healthy onion. Nothing deep fried here!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Like cornbread, this is another classic jambalaya side dish. But why have ordinary biscuits when you could add garlic and cheddar? This takes it up a notch from even the Red Lobster!

Garlic, Bacon & Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

It says bread in the title, but it’s biscuits. You know how we said – why to have ordinary biscuits when you can add cheese and garlic? Well, how about adding bacon to the mix? That’s right because the shrimp chorizo and chicken in the actual jambalaya isn’t enough, we gotta get some bacon in there too! This recipe is a great choice if you’re having friends over for dinner or like to eat family-style because it’s perfect for a group.

Pull Apart Christmas Tree Cheesy Bread

The only side to consider is if you’re eating jambalaya over the festive season! Bread, cheese, and in the shape of a Christmas tree? It’s really quick to make too, because it calls for store-bought crescent rolls, stuffed with string cheese before baking.

Spicy Ranch Zucchini Fries

Zucchini fries always seem like so much effort to go through for the sake of a zucchini… but they always taste worth the time and effort! So crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside! They make the perfect side dish to lots of foods, including grilled meats and you guessed it, jambalaya! With all that meat and rice, adding some extra veggies can’t hurt.

Roasted Vegetables

With such a rice and meat-heavy meal, using veggies as your side dish is a good way to balance it out so everyone isn’t left completely over-stuffed. This recipe shows you the basics of roasted vegetables, suggesting olive oil and mixed herbs. Once you’ve mastered the art, you can try different flavors to make your main meal. For example, a Cajun seasoning.

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash

Is there anything butternut squash doesn’t go with it? A simple yet tasty side dish – this recipe calls for flavorings including cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It takes up to 35 minutes for the squash to roast, so allow plenty of time.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

For a much lighter side option, check out this cucumber salad recipe. The cool dressing, comprising yogurt, sour cream, and mayo will balance out any spiciness from the jambalaya. It’s also a very low-calorie option for a side dish!

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes

These little roasties can be served on the side of practically everything. No actually, everything. Much simpler than making roast potatoes, these little bite-size starches are like a grown-up tater tot. Chunks of potato, seasoned with garlic and flavored with parmesan, will hit the spot with everyone.

Maple Bacon Sweet Potato Bites

Complimenting the paprika and chorizo in the jambalaya, these maple bacon bites will be a sure hit. Sweet potato is also a winner, with a delicious texture, taste, and slow-release energy. They only take about 10 minutes to prep, but you’ll need them to bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Crossiant Bread

If you have any shredded chicken leftover from either another night’s dinner or from making the jambalaya, toss it with some parmesan and use it to make this delightful stuffed croissant bread. This recipe is so good to serve at a big dinner with friends or family. Because it makes a huge-sized ‘loaf’, so friends are needed to help eat it!

Pull Apart Pizza Bread

The tomatoey pull-apart bread is a great side dish that complements the flavors of the jambalaya perfectly. This lightening-up version uses string cheese and light shredded cheese, so you still get that pizza flavor and stretchy cheese quality when you pull it apart. The recipe calls for pepperoni, but feel free to use any extra chorizo you have lying around from the jambalaya!

Cajun Buttered Corn on the Cob

This recipe from Deliciously Seasoned is a perfect match for a jambalaya. The Cajun flavors are seriously on point, and the butter adds such a delicious flavor. But to make it slightly healthier, feel free to sub with some lower-fat butter options.

Cajun Corn Maque Choux

Another Cajun corn recipe, but this one is off the cob. We all have a side, which is yours…? This is such a delicious Southern side dish from Chili Pepper Madness, where it all starts with frying up bacon fat to create a wonderful flavor.