Being from Louisiana there is nothing more comforting than a delicious Chicken Jambalaya recipe. Many people think for something to taste like South Louisiana that it has to be spicy but for me, it’s about the right balance of spice and seasonings.
You know I love cajun dishes, and if that’s you too, you might also like this Crawfish Pie, Crawfish Étouffée, or this yummy gumbo recipe.
I prefer something a little milder and that means my kids are more likely to eat it. Cajun food is more about feeling at home when you eat it instead of being hot and spicy. If you like it spicy, add cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to the recipe.
This is a great recipe and one of my favorite one-pot meals. It’s creole cooking at its finest with a New Orleans twist. If you’ve never enjoyed a chicken and sausage jambalaya recipe before, you’re definitely in for a treat.
If you read this blog, you know I love creole foods and cajun recipes.
This easy jambalaya recipe is the perfect dish for colder months, game days, or big family get-togethers.
There are many types of Jambalaya that you can make but my favorite is chicken jambalaya with sausage and it’s something that most everyone can eat. Although it is a great winter meal there is never a bad time to enjoy some good Jambalaya. It can warm you up on a cold night but enjoying it after a hard workday is a good idea year-round.
What is the Holy Trinity?
Not only that but the base is made with the holy trinity. If you’re from the south, you already know what that is! If not, let me explain it to you. The holy trinity refers to the start of a recipe by using the vegetable mixture of celery, onion, and bell pepper. A lot of southern dishes like jambalaya start off with a base of the holy trinity.
Keep reading for everything you need to make this easy chicken jambalaya recipe.
Ingredients Needed:
- Unsalted butter
- Sausage
- Boneless Skinless chicken breasts (you can also use skinless chicken thighs)
- Onions (yellow onion or white onion is fine)
- Celery
- Green Peppers
- Tomato Sauce
- Diced tomatoes
- Chicken broth
- Uncooked rice (white rice, brown rice, or long grain rice)
Cajun Seasoning Mix Ingredients
- Whole Bay leaves
- Ground black pepper
- Kosher Salt
- White Pepper
- Dried thyme leaves
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Sage
If you don’t have all of the spices and you want to make life easy, grab a box of jambalaya mix so you don’t have to purchase all of the extra spices.
If you haven’t done so already, break out the cutting board or food processor to dice up the celery, onion, and bell pepper. You’ll also want to slice and cut the chicken and the andouille sausage into bite-sized pieces.
How to make Chicken Jambalaya with Sausage
- Combine the creole seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken and continue to cook until brown, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Turn the stovetop down to medium heat.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir in the seasoning mix of cajun spices and 1/2 of the chopped onion, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until vegetables get tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pot frequently.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for about one minute.
- Add in the remaining onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and the diced tomatoes then remove from heat.
- Stir in the rice and chicken stock, mix the ingredients well.
- Bake uncovered in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour or until the rice is tender but still has a little crunch.
- Remove from the oven, add the bay leaves and stir well.
- Allow the dish to cool for five minutes before serving. OPTIONAL: Top with green onions before serving.
Pro Tips and FAQs
What kind of rice should I use for Jambalaya?
I find that long-grain rice works the best and doesn’t become mushy while cooking.
Can I add shrimp to Jambalaya?
Yes, you can! There are so many cajun jambalaya flavors and it’s hard to mess up this dish.
What if I don’t have all of the seasonings? Can I use a packaged spice mix?
If you don’t cook creole dishes often you may not have all of the seasonings or want to purchase the seasonings. Many grocery stores will have the cajun mix packages in the baking aisle next to the seasonings.
What can I serve with Chicken Jambalaya?
This chicken and sausage Jambalaya is great on its own but if you are having a party or just want to have something to go with it here are some great ideas: Corn on the Cob, Cornbread, Okra, Salad, Biscuits, Cucumber Tomato salad.
What is the difference between Gumbo and Jambalaya?
Both are known as Cajun dishes and they are very similar but there is one key difference. Gumbo is served with hot rice but you put the rice in your Jambalaya because it is one of the main ingredients.
Can I reheat Jambalaya?
Put the leftovers in a frying pan and add a little bit of broth or water to prevent it from drying out. Cook until heated, usually about five minutes.
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Chicken Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lb sliced sausage
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups rice uncooked and rinsed
Seasoning Mix
- 2 bay leaves whole
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp sage
Instructions
- Combine the creole seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken and continue to cook until brown, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Turn the stove top down to medium heat.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir in the seasoning mix of cajun spices and 1/2 of the chopped onion, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until vegetables get tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pot frequently.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for about one minute.
- Stir in the remaining onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and the diced tomatoes then remove from heat.
- Stir in the rice and chicken stock, mix the ingredients well.
- Bake uncovered in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour or until the rice is tender but still has a little crunch.
- Remove from the oven, add the bay leaves and stir well.
- Allow the dish to cool for five minutes before serving. OPTIONAL: Top with green onions before serving.
Notes
- I find that long-grain rice works the best and doesn’t become mushy while cooking.
- If you don’t cook creole dishes often you may not have all of the seasonings or want to purchase the seasonings. Many grocery stores will have the cajun mix packages in the baking aisle next to the seasonings.
- This chicken and sausage Jambalaya is great on its own but if you are having a party or just want to have something to go with it here are some great ideas: Corn on the Cob, Cornbread, Okra, Salad, Biscuits, Cucumber Tomato salad.
- To reheat, put the leftovers in a frying pan and add a little bit of broth or water to prevent it from drying out. Cook until heated, usually about five minutes.
Hey there, I just wanted to commend you on your Jambalaya! I grew up in Gonzales, LA. THE Jambalaya Capital of the World! Ok, we hold a Jambalaya Festival every year, and it’s a huge deal down in Cajun Country, but maybe not the world. lol. Anyway, I get all teeth clenchy when I see people passing off something that is clearly not Jambalaya but the soup, or some such, and the rest of the world doesn’t know the difference.Yours is almost perfect! Only thing I do differently is I use a whole chicken, cut up & boiled; and then I sub the chicken stock for the water. I find using just chicken breasts, the meat can get dry and stringy. I’ve been making this about once a week for, ummmm, 50 years now. My family never gets tired of it.
Hi Janice! I love that you like it! I will be making this again soon and I am going to try your substitutions, I think they will make this even better. Thank you for taking the time to visit and comment. Have a wonderful day! 🙂
Wow! This jambalaya is delicious!! I love the chicken and I will take a previous commenter’s advice and use stock and a whole chicken. Thanks for sharing.
I have a recipe that uses rice and ham that my family also enjoys.http://doubletherecipe.com/2016/03/16/spicy-sausage-ham-jambalaya/
There are two different red peppers, one noted as cayenne and the other as red pepper. What’s the difference? Going to make for friends coming over for Jazz Fest.