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My Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya recipe is made with onions, bell peppers, celery, Cajun seasoning, and rice in a flavorful stock and cooked to perfection in 30 minutes. This one pot mouth-watering dish is excellent for feeding a crowd at family dinners, potlucks, and parties!
Here are some great recipes to serve with jambalaya: Southern Cornbread, Hush Puppies, Garlic Chive Cheddar Biscuits, Southern Green Beans, Southern Fried Fish, and Butter Rum Cake.
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As a proud New Orleans native, I have jambalaya running through my veins. It shouldn't come as a shock that I have some pretty high standards when it comes to jambalaya recipes. So naturally, it only makes sense that I share my favorite chicken sausage jambalaya with you. It's seasoned with love and flavorful and cooks in 30 minutes.
Whether you're looking for flavorful jambalaya recipes or quick one-pot chicken recipes, this Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a surefire hit every time. Not only is it incredibly delicious, but jambalaya is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day.
You can make a huge batch for dinner and enjoy the leftovers all week long, and it'll be just as good night after night. It's basically love in a pot that keeps giving.
I grew up enjoying New Orleans classics like jambalaya weekly, so it's safe to say I know my way around a pot. This jambalaya recipe took 5 years to perfect and is packed with an insane amount of flavor, and is a fan favorite in my household. Serve it alongside some crusty French bread, biscuits, or cornbread to soak up all those glorious flavors and enjoy!
What is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya roots can be traced back to West Africa via its cousin, jollof rice. It's a classic Cajun-Creole rice-based dish that hails from Louisiana. It's typically made with Cajun seasonings and flavorful meats like smoked sausage, chicken, shrimp, onions, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, brown rice, and chicken stock.
Andouille sausage is the most popular sausage used in it but is not always used in most homemade jambalaya. Everyone uses their favorite smoked sausage.
Key Ingredients
Before you can make this irresistible Louisiana chicken and sausage jambalaya recipe, let's talk about some of the key ingredients you're going to need.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
This is my go-to because it's budget-friendly, and dark meat is more flavorful than white meat. That being said, feel free to use boneless chicken breasts instead if you prefer.
Beef Sausage
Any smoked sausage will work great, but I personally love a good smoked beef sausage. You could also use turkey sausage or even a vegan sausage. Browning the sausage will ensure the jambalaya has the right color.
Chicken Broth
Make sure to use low-sodium stock since we'll be adding enough salt already. You can use shrimp, beef, or vegetable stock if you don't have chicken broth/stock.
Converted Rice
Also known as parboiled rice, using this kind of rice helps to speed up the dish and guarantees that you don't overcook (or undercook) the rice.
Worcestershire Sauce
This provides an incredible umami flavor to create an extra layer of flavor in the dish that pairs well with the smoked sausage and chicken.
Tomato Paste
This helps gives our jambalaya its signature color and adds a layer of umami flavor. It has more flavor than canned diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or fire-roasted tomatoes.
Holy Trinity
The combination of onion, green bell pepper, and celery is the backbone of all classic Cajun-Creole dishes.
Cajun Seasoning
I always use Savory Low-Sodium Cajun Seasoning, my own personal blend of Cajun-Creole seasoning that packs tons of flavor without all the added sodium found in most Cajun seasoning blends like Tony's or Slap Ya Mama seasoning.
How to Make Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Wondering how to make chicken and sausage jambalaya at home? You've come to the right place. All you have to do is follow the steps below.
Heat a 5 qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add oil, add sausage and cook for 3-5 minutes until deep brown and crispy, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook until tender. Scrape the bottom of the pot to pick up the fond from the sausage.
Stir in garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and half the Cajun seasoning; cook for 30 seconds. Add rice, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and remaining Cajun seasoning. Make sure tomato paste coats the rice.
Add chicken thighs, sausage, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low for 25-30 minutes until rice is tender.
Stir in half the sliced green onions, and (this is when you add your shrimp) cover for 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaves before serving hot, and garnish with green onions.
How To Store Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
After the jambalaya cools, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for 7 days. If you add shrimp or any other seafood. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool completely. This will prevent it from spoiling (tasting sour) due to bacteria development from the seafood being hot for too long.
Keep in the freezer in an airtight container or a freezer storage bag for 3 months. Thaw 24 hours before using.
To reheat, bring a small amount of chicken, vegetable, or beef broth or water to a boil and stir in rice; cook until hot. A ¼ cup of liquid will be enough for 1 cup of rice.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are my top recipe tips and substitution ideas to help you make the best jambalaya recipe:
- You can add 2 pounds of cleaned shrimp. Stir them in with the green onions, then cover and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp.
- If needed, you can swap out the chicken stock for vegetable or shrimp stock. Just make sure to use an unsalted or low-sodium variation.
- Any smoked sausage will work. Andouille, beef, turkey, and plant-based sausage are good options, so choose your favorite.
- Not a fan of chicken thighs? Use chicken breasts instead.
- Browning the chicken pieces in advance can dry them out, especially chicken breasts. Add them after the rice, steams them, keeping them moist and tender.
- Add a generous pinch of cayenne pepper if you prefer your jambalaya with a kick. Alternatively, you could garnish with a few shakes of Louisiana hot pepper sauce before serving. Red pepper flakes won't provide that flavor.
- Here's a link to my Homemade Creole Seasoning blend.
- My favorite converted rice is Uncle Ben's.
- I know it may seem like a lot of seasoning but remember rice is absorbent, so you have to add a generous amount to make sure your jambalaya is seasoned through and through.
- I recommend buying the tomato paste that comes in a tube because it'll last longer.
- Do not use olive oil. Use an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado or canola. Olive oil will burn while browning your sausage and may leave a rancid flavor.
FAQs
Below you can find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this tasty jambalaya recipe:
Gumbo is a soup base dish made with chicken, smoked sausage, crab, shrimp, stock, and a dark brown roux to give it a unique color, texture, and flavor. Sometimes it includes okra and filé powder and is served with rice.
Jambalaya does not include a roux and is made with chicken, smoked sausage and shrimp, stock, and uncooked rice. The rice absorbs the flavors of the rich broth. Creoles make a red version from a heavy tomato base, and Cajuns make a dark brown version from browning smoked sausage.
While gumbo and jambalaya are two great one-pot recipes using similar ingredients and Cajun spices, they are two totally different dishes.
Both dishes contain rice, but the way rice is included is different. In jambalaya, rice is cooked along with other ingredients. On the other hand, gumbo is a soup or stew that is served separately with cooked rice.
You do not make a roux to make an authentic jambalaya recipe. Some people do this only because they do not know how to get the signature brown color in the rice.
Jambalaya is dairy-free and gluten-free. It can also be made low-carb if you swap out the rice for cauliflower rice. If you do that, use ⅓ of the required stock to make a great sauce and stir the cauliflower rice into the jambalaya mixture to prevent it from being mushy.
Andouille sausage is the most popular smokey spicy sausage. That's porked-based and heavily seasoned. However, any smoked sausage you use should be based on personal preference and dietary restrictions.
Both versions use the same cooking technique and ingredients like rice, chicken, smoked sausage, onions, bell pepper, celery, and Creole seasoning.
However, a Cajun jambalaya recipe does not include canned tomatoes and has a brown hue from browning the sausage. A Creole jambalaya recipe will lightly brown the sausage for flavor but uses tomatoes to give it a red hue, which is why it's known as "red jambalaya."
Add tomatoes to make Creole jambalaya, as you'll find in New Orleans. If you want to make a Cajun version, don't include them.
Jambalaya is neither soupy, gooey, or dry. It should have a slightly more moist consistency than any cooked rice. If this happens, your rice will be pasty because the rice is overcooked from too much liquid.
Louisiana is most famous for jambalaya.
Jambalaya roots are from West Africa and are similar to jollof rice. In the United States, it has African, French, Spanish, and German (andouille sausage) influence.
Instead of using the French mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrots) in Louisiana, we use onion, celery, and bell peppers, and the pope is garlic. The holy trinity is the aromatic foundation of Cajun-Creole cooking. It can be found in dishes like red beans and rice, gumbo, and chicken and sausage jambalaya, to name a few.
Mushy chicken and sausage jambalaya can happen because of two things. 1) Using too much stock will cause the rice to overcook. 2) Over-stirring the rice once the stock is added will release starch, resulting in mushy rice.
You do not have to wash the rice when making jambalaya. The additional starch in the rice will make the dish better. Long-grain rice maintains its shape and has a lighter texture. Avoid using any medium or short-grain white rice.
Absolutely not! Unless you want mushy jambalaya. After the stock/broth is added to the rice, you do not stir it again until the rice is cooked.
Paella and jambalaya are not the same, but they share similarities as rice-based dishes. Paella originates from Spain and is seafood-based and less spicy. It often uses short-grain white rice with saffron to give its yellowish hue.
While jambalaya comes from Louisiana, using Cajun spices, smoked sausage, chicken, shrimp, and sometimes tomatoes (depending on the region), and only uses long-grain rice.
Jollof rice and jambalaya are both one-pot dishes, but they are different. West African jollof rice is jambalaya's big cousin. Jambalaya has influences from African, German, Spanish, and French cuisines.
You can use essentially any meat you like in jambalaya. The most common recipe is chicken and sausage jambalaya. You can add turkey, duck, venison, pork, crab, rabbit, crawfish, or gator if that's what you desire. However, shrimp is not a requirement for jambalaya.
You can omit shrimp from your jambalaya completely. However, if you're looking for a seafood swap, use peeled crawfish or crab claw meat.
Chicken and sausage jambalaya will taste better the next day after it's made because the flavors will marry together. However, if you plan on making it in advance and want to add shrimp. Wait until you reheat it to add the shrimp to prevent it from spoiling.
Use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice when cooking jambalaya. This will guarantee your rice cooks without being mushy or undercooked.
We (in Louisiana) will use our favorite Cajun-Creole seasoning. Most blends include kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, and thyme.
More Delicious New Orleans Recipe
Has this chicken sausage jambalaya got you craving some more of New Orleans? Check out these recipes next:
- Instant Pot New Orleans Red Beans
- New Orleans Seafood File Gumbo
- New Orleans Blackened Chicken Po'boys
- Corn Maque Choux
- New Orleans Baked Mac and Cheese
- Dirty Rice
- Crawfish Etouffee
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized before I start anything.
Step 1: Set all ingredients for the jambalaya on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything out.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best chicken and sausage jambalaya you've ever had.
Creating this easy jambalaya recipe is an exciting journey into the heart of Louisiana's culinary traditions. The simple steps and readily available ingredients make it accessible to all, regardless of their cooking experience. This dish's rich flavors and comforting warmth offer a satisfying meal that can be enjoyed year-round.
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📖 Recipe
Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 12 oz. smoked beef sausage sliced
- 1 medium onion chopped medium
- 1 bell pepper chopped medium
- 3 stalks celery chopped medium
- 4 tablespoons Savory Cajun Seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups converted brown rice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped medium
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 bunch chopped green onions
Instructions
- Heat a 5 qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, add sausage and cook for 3-5 minutes until slightly brown and crispy; set aside. The bottom of your pot should be covered with fond from the sausage.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, add 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, and cook for 3 minutes until tender. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to help the vegetables pick up the fond from the sausage.
- Stir in garlic, thyme, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning cook for 30 seconds. Add rice, worcestershire, tomato paste and remaining Cajun seasoning. Make sure tomato paste coats rice. Add chicken, sausage and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for 25-30 minutes until rice is tender.
- Stir in half the green onions and remove bay leaf. Serve hot and garnish with green onions.
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Notes
- You can add 2 pounds of cleaned shrimp. Stir them in with the green onions, then cover and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp.
- If needed, you can swap out the chicken stock for vegetable or shrimp stock. Just make sure to use an unsalted or low-sodium variation.
- Any smoked sausage will work. Andouille, beef, turkey, and plant-based sausage are good options, so choose your favorite.
- Not a fan of chicken thighs? Use chicken breasts instead.
- Browning the chicken pieces in advance can dry them out, especially chicken breasts. Add them after the rice, steams them, keeping them moist and tender.
- Add a generous pinch of cayenne pepper if you prefer your jambalaya with a kick. Alternatively, you could garnish with a few shakes of Louisiana hot pepper sauce before serving. Red pepper flakes won't provide that flavor.
- Here's a link to my Homemade Creole Seasoning blend.
- My favorite converted rice is Uncle Ben's.
- I know it may seem like a lot of seasoning but remember rice is absorbent, so you have to add a generous amount to make sure your jambalaya is seasoned through and through.
- I recommend buying the tomato paste that comes in a tube because it'll last longer.
- Do not use olive oil. Use an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado or canola. Olive oil will burn while browning your sausage and may leave a rancid flavor.