Universal Studios Florida brings the spirit of New Orleans to life every spring with its annual Mardi Gras celebration. The festival features Cajun and Creole cuisine, international dishes inspired by Carnaval celebrations worldwide, colorful parade floats, a whole lot of beads, and entertainment with festive performers and music featuring jazz and zydeco tunes you’d hear in NOLA.
Whether you can make it to the park or want to recreate the experience at home, this classic Universal Studios Mardi Gras jambalaya recipe is one of our favorite dishes from the festival. Packed with bold Cajun flavors, this hearty dish captures the spirit of New Orleans and is the perfect way to celebrate Mardi Gras any time of year.
Your Shopping List:
Jambalaya from Universal’s Mardi Gras
Jambalaya from Universal’s Mardi Gras – one of the park’s classic recipes, jambalaya. This dish is jam-packed with flavor (just look at that ingredients list below!) and happens to be one of my favorite things to eat in the parks. And now, you and I don’t have to wait for Fat Tuesday to roll around every year to indulge in a bowl.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- 1 Large Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups andouille sausage
- 1/4 cup tasso ham
- 1 cup chicken
- 1/2 cup bay shrimp
- 1/4 cup white onion
- 1/4 cup celery
- 1/8 cup green peppers
- 1 tbs garlic
- 1 cup tomato
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs tomato puree
- 1 tsp tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup black-eyed peas
- 3/4 cup white rice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Recommend prepping all of your ingredients beforehand so you can easily throw them in as the dish cooks. This includes chopping all the veggies, mincing garlic (unless you buy the pre-chopped garlic in a jar), chopping the meat into bite-sized pieces, getting your measuring cups and spoons laid out, etc. But hey, you do you.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cooking pot or skillet over medium heat. Chop and add the andouille sausage and tasso ham and sauté until crisp. About 5-8 minutes
- Once the sausage and ham are crisp, mix in the chopped onions, celery, green peppers, and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in your chicken and cook for another 7 minutes.
- The next part is where it really starts to smell good. Add in the tomato, tomato puree, salt to taste, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, tabasco sauce, chicken stock, and black-eyed peas. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Once it’s boiling, toss in the bay shrimp and white rice and stir well. Cover with the lid and bring the temp down to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy! (Kudos to you if you also have some crawfish to boil and top your plate.)
Notes
Remember, if you have a food allergy (like shellfish) or a diet preference (like no pork), you can exclude that ingredient and adjust the cooking directions as needed.
