This year, my Fat Tuesday recipe is Jambalaya. Jambalaya is the Cajun version of chicken and rice - a dish that exists all over the world, wherever rice is grown. Jambalaya, Paella, Arroz con Pollo - it's all chicken and rice, the rest is just detail. As with all chicken and rice dishes, the goal is great rice. The other ingredients are just supporting players, there to add flavor to the rice.
Jambalaya goes together like a stew. Brown the meat, saute the aromatics, add the rice and liquid, and cook until the rice is tender, with a thin layer of browned rice on the bottom. The rice comes out carrying the flavors from the other ingredients - Cajun spices, meaty sausage and chicken, sweet aromatics, and of course, a big hit of garlic. When serving, make sure to scrape some of the browned rice from the bottom of the pot into every serving; the crunch of the browned rice adds a delicious counterpoint to the rest of ingredients.
I was almost able to slip this one past my kids. Almost. Their love of rice got them to try it. Natalie enjoyed it, and came back for seconds. Tim ate a bowlful of the rice by carefully fishing the rice out with his spoon, avoiding the "yucky stuff" like peppers, and onions. Ben had his mandatory taste, then asked if he could ask the question of the day.
*Oh, well, one and a half out of three is a pretty good batting average for me.
Forget about the kids, though. I couldn't stop eating it. I love how the rice is packed with flavor. Want some spicy rice for Mardi Gras? Here's the recipe for you.
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📖 Recipe Card
Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
One-pot Cajun jambalaya: browned chicken and smoked sausage over rice cooked with browned onions, peppers, celery, garlic and Cajun seasoning.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks (dark meat, skin on if you can find it)
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (store bought is fine)
- 1 pound smoked sausage (andouille is traditional), cut into ½ inch slices
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ¼ cup white wine
- 3 cups medium-grain rice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, plus more for serving
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 ½ cups water
- 1 green onion, sliced thin
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Toss the chicken with the 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning.
- Brown the sausage: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sausage, and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Move it to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Brown the chicken: Add the chicken (skin side down, if it has skin), and cook for 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip, and brown the second side, about 4 minutes more. Move the chicken to the bowl with the sausage.
- Saute the vegetables: Add the onions, bell pepper and celery, and sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits, until the onions are well browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and seasoning: Make a hole in the center, add the garlic and the 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir into the vegetables. Add the wine, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the rice: Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt, Tabasco and bay leaf, and stir until the rice is coated. Stir in the water.
- Cook the jambalaya: Spread the chicken and sausage over the rice, and pour in any juices from the bowl. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Rest: Turn off the heat, and let the jambalaya sit, covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
- Serve: Discard the bay leaf. Move the jambalaya to a platter, sprinkle with the green onion, and serve with more Tabasco on the side.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Equipment: A 6 quart or larger heavy Dutch oven with a lid.
In a hurry? Skip browning the sausage (and even the chicken), skip the white wine, dump the rice, salt, Tabasco and bay leaf in with the water, and serve as soon as the rice is done instead of resting it.
This is really Cajun paella. For the Spanish version, try my Grilled Paella with Shellfish, Chorizo and Chicken.
See also my Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice.
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Grilled Paella with Shellfish, Chorizo and Chicken
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
Adapted from:
Emeril Lagasse, Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya
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Diana Solymossy says
How long would you recommend pressure cooking if using brown rice? I'm thinking 20 mins.? (Love all your recipes, Mike -- thanks so much.)
Mike Vrobel says
20 minutes sounds right to me; let me know how it goes if you try it. https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-brown-jasmine-rice/
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Thanks for the details - I'm thinking about Pressure Cooker Jambalaya as my Mardi Gras recipe this year, so I like hearing your experiences.
Lee says
I was really pleased with the pressure cooker results, but nervous that I might end up with "blown out" rice. I pressure cooked the chicken thighs first, pulled the meat from the bone and used the broth as part of my liquid. Six minutes with everything combined did the trick. Rice was cooked perfectly and the other ingredients as well. I made your spice blend and stirred a tablespoon in when it was all done. Delicious! I live close to Barberton, but didn't have any of Al's great sausage to use, but made do. Again, great recipe!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Great! Glad you enjoyed it - and, good call on the pressure cooker.
Lee says
I made this last night and it was delicious. The only change I made was to add 2T of tomato paste with the veg and used my pressure cooker. Thanks for the great recipe!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Yes, it is. Good eye for rice!
Aaron says
Is that Calrose rice? I'm just curious.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
You're welcome! I've got a kid like that, too - they like hot food, even if it makes them suffer....
Aaron says
I made this last Sunday. It's a fantastic recipe. I think that I ate it four meals in a row. I doubled the Cayenne by accident. It was fine for my wife and I but my three year old wouldn't touch. it. However, my 16 month old daughter started crying several times while eating it but each time she drank some milk and continued until her bowl was finished. She must have really loved it. I can't wait to make it again, with half the Cayenne. Thank you.
Declan says
Just made this tonight. Only difference was omitting the sausage due to a friend who eats only poultry when it comes to meat. Came out really, really well. The green onions add a nice sharp flavor tomeverything, along with a few shots of Tabasco. Big thumbs up.
Thanks, Mike!
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Declan:
Thank you, glad you liked it!
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@brettb734
Give it a try - you'll love it.
brettb734 says
That looks really good, may have to try making it sometime.