Easy Jambalaya With Ham Recipe – An Easy To Follow Jambalaya Recipe

Jambalaya is a traditional Creole dish from New Orleans, Louisiana. This easy-to-follow jambalaya with ham recipe is a perfect start if you want to prepare this dish.

Jambalaya with Ham is the perfect leftover ham recipe after the holidays. This quick and easy jambalaya rice recipe is a one pan version that comes together in 30 minutes. This is a jambalaya recipe without shrimp.

Jambalaya with Ham Recipe

I don’t know about you but I’m always looking for leftover ham recipes. So much so, that I’ve created a whole blog post dedicated to leftover ham recipes. 

That’s how I found this quick jambalaya recipe in my 100 Years of Good Cooking: Minnesota Centennial Cook Book. This easy jambalaya calls for cubed ham which is always in abundance after a holiday. I made Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham in the Crock Pot for Easter, and now I have extra ham to use up.

The recipe jumped out at me because it had just a handful of easy ingredients – canned diced tomatoes, white rice, green pepper, onion, garlic and cubed ham. In addition, it only uses one pan (easy cleanup), and it only cooks for 30 minutes.

What is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a popular Louisiana dish that consists of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Usually, it has some sort of sausage and a smoked meat with pork or chicken and seafood, like shrimp. It is one of those dishes that you think of when you think about New Orleans.

The good news is that jambalaya is easy to make with just a handful of ingredients that you might already have at home. Our jambalaya without shrimp instead uses cubed ham making it the perfect recipe to use up leftover ham sitting in your refrigerator.

Check out Recipes that Crock’s Crock Pot Seafood Gumbo if you want even more New Orleans’ style dishes.

Easy Jambalaya Rice Ingredients

• Butter
• Ham, cubed
• Green bell pepper, diced
• Onion, diced
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Canned, Diced tomatoes (with juices)
• White Rice (long-grain not instant)
• Water (or chicken broth)
• Tabasco sauce (optional)

How to Make Quick Ham Jambalaya

Step By Step Instructions

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add ham and brown lightly.
2. To the skillet, add chopped onions and green peppers and cook for 5 minutes; add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Stir in un-drained tomatoes, water, rice and Tabasco (optional).  Cover tightly with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is tender. Gently stir occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

For the full recipe for Quick Jambalaya with Ham, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• This version of jambalaya is special because it’s a jambalaya without shrimp. Instead we use ham.
• Cook this in a skillet that has a tight fitting lid like this one.
• Use canned diced tomatoes; do not drain. Undrained stewed tomatoes work too.
• A 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes can be substituted for (2) 14.5 ounce cans.
• Jarred minced garlic can be used. Be sure not to let the garlic burn.
• Use regular white rice, not the instant variety, in this jambalaya with ham recipe.
• Check out our Amazon Store to see some of our favorite pantry essentials and kitchen tools.
• Tabasco is 100% optional. My family does not like heat; so I omit.  If your family likes it really spicy, add more than the 1/8 teaspoon that the recipe calls for. Or, add Cajun seasonings or paprika.
• I love how this is a one pan jambalaya recipe.  This makes for easy cleanup.
• My favorite recipe for a spiral ham is this 3 Ingredient version featuring orange cream soda in the crock pot.

Our Favorite Leftover Ham Recipes

This is a great leftover ham recipe. I make a ham for the holidays, and I use the leftovers for a variety of meals in the days following. Here are some of our favorite recipes using ham.

Mom’s Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

Ham and Cheese Quiche

Leftover Ham and Noodle Casserole

Ham Salad

Cheddar Chowder with Ham

Instant Pot Ham and Beans