Are you craving some comfort food from Louisiana? Try making our chicken and sausage jambalaya for supper. It's easy to do, and everyone will love it!
If you love food from Louisiana, check out our red beans and rice and our olive salad. These two recipes are real winners.
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History
Jambalaya was created in New Orleans, Louisiana. Legend has it that the Spanish settlers from 1762 to 1800 wanted to make paella but couldn't find saffron, so they substituted with tomatoes.
In the 19th century, the French contribution to jambalaya was Caribbean spices, and in the 1840s and 1850s, sausage was added from the German settlers. The interesting mixing of cultures in southern Louisiana made this dish what it is today a hearty, spicy, savory dish.
Why this Recipe Works
- The liquid to rice ratio is 2:1. This ensures that the jambalaya won't be too dry or soupy.
- Homemade Cajun seasoning mix. This eliminates the need to have another spice cluttering up your spice rack by teaching you how to mix up your own seasoning.
- Great for entertaining. The spicy savory flavors are popular with this filling rice dish. It makes a lot so it can feed the gang, and it tastes wonderful the next day.
Ingredients
All the ingredients for this chicken and sausage jambalaya are easy to find at your local grocery store, except possibly the andouille sausage. You'll have to go to a more upscale grocery store or order it online. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.
- Poultry: Both chicken breasts or chicken thighs would work, seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Sausage: This is best with andouille sausage, but it can be harder to find, so any spicy sausage could be substituted. Some suggestions are smoked pork sausage, Mexican chorizo or chaurice, a spiced Creole pork sausage.
- Rice: Long grain rice is what we used, because it holds its shape better and doesn't get mushy. It also has a less dense texture compared to short grain rice. Don't use instant rice as it will get mushy, or brown rice as it needs more liquid and a longer cooking time.
- Tomatoes: We used plain crushed tomatoes, but you could also use whole tomatoes packed in tomato juice and crush them with your hands.
How To Make
- In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat up two tablespoons of olive oil and brown the chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot.
2. Heat up the rest of the olive oil and brown the sausage for 3-5 minutes, then remove the sausage from the pot.
3. Add the trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) to the pan.
4. Cook over medium high heat until the onions are soft, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden turner to get the brown bits off from browning the meat, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
5. Over medium high heat, toast the rice by stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the spices and mix well.
7. Add the tomatoes with their juice and pour in the chicken broth.
8. Dump in the browned meat (chicken and sausage). Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes so the rice can cook. Stir every 5 minutes so the bottom doesn't burn.
9. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat then taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes so the rice can absorb more liquid. Remove the bay leaves.
10. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve while still hot.
The next time you are craving a food from southern Louisiana, make this recipe to serve your family and friends. It will quickly become a family favorite.
Recipe FAQs
There is no need to wash your rice when making jambalaya. The extra starch will help thicken the dish. Long grain rice is used because it holds its shape better and has a less dense texture.
Make sure you use a 2:1 ratio of liquid (stock and juice from the tomatoes) to dry rice. Also, don't stir your jambalaya too much once the rice is in the Dutch oven. One technique for combating mushy jambalaya is making it in a Dutch oven, then placing it in the oven for 40 minutes at 350°F and letting it rest for 15 minutes.
The main difference is the color. Creole, or red, jambalaya has tomatoes in it, so it will be red or orange in color. Historically, tomatoes were easier to get in New Orleans because it was a port city. Cajun, or brown, jambalaya doesn't include tomatoes, because it was harder for the Cajun people who lived in southern rural Louisiana bayous to have access to them year round.
Whether you choose to add tomatoes or not, chicken and sausage jambalaya should be moist, not dry, and it definitely shouldn't be wet or soupy.
Serve
Chicken and sausage jambalaya is a meal in itself, so you don't have to serve it with anything else, but if you want to serve smaller portions you can round out the meal with a fresh green salad or a slice of buttered French bread.
Store
- Make Ahead: This chicken and sausage jambalaya can be made ahead in a Dutch oven and stored in the fridge.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat: Reheat the jambalaya in a heavy bottomed pot or skillet slowly over medium low heat with a touch of chicken broth or water. You can also put leftovers in a zip top bag and drop it in boiling water to heat it up.
- Freeze: Jambalaya can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- Want this mild? Reduce the cayenne pepper to ¼ teaspoon.
- Want this spicier? Increase the cayenne pepper to 1 teaspoon, add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, or add 1 or 2 chopped jalapeno peppers with the seeds.
- Need more meat? Adding tasso is traditional for chicken and sausage jambalaya, but is difficult to find, so substitute with smoked ham.
- Want seafood? Add 1 pound of shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Want to bake it in the oven? Put the Dutch oven in a 350°F oven for 40 minutes then take it out and let it rest for 15 minutest before serving.
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Recipe
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 11 oz andouille sausages, sliced in ¼ inch coins
- 2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock or seafood stock
- ¼ cup green onion, finely chopped (garnish)
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the cubed chicken breast and lightly season with salt and pepper. Stir frequently as it browns for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and place in a medium bowl. Repeat with the sausage, using the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Over medium high heat, cook the trinity until the onions are soft and are a light golden color, roughly 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. The water released from the vegetables should be enough liquid to deglaze the pan. (Scrape off the fond with a wooden turner.) Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Stir in the rice until well mixed, then stir frequently for another 3 to 5 minutes or until it's toasted. Add all the spices including the bay leaves and let the spices bloom for 30 seconds to a minute while stirring.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken, and sausage. Stir until well combined. Cover and bring to a boil; then turn down the heat to medium-low and let the rice cook for 20 minutes. Gently stir every 5 minutes to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Let it rest on the stovetop covered for 15 to 20 minutes so the rice can absorb the liquid. Discard the two bay leaves.
- Sprinkle the chicken and sausage jambalaya with chopped green onion for added color and flavor. Serve warm with a fresh green salad or a French baguette.
Notes
- Want this mild? Reduce the cayenne pepper to ¼ teaspoon.
- Want this spicier? Increase the cayenne pepper to 1 teaspoon, add hot sauce, or add 1 or 2 chopped jalapeno peppers with the seeds.
- Need more meat? Adding tasso to chicken and sausage jambalaya is traditional, but is difficult to find, so if you want to add it , substitute with smoked ham.
- Want seafood? Add 1 pound of shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Want to bake it in the oven? Put the Dutch oven in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes then take it out and let it rest for 15 minutest before serving.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
This chicken and sausage jambalaya recipe was originally published in June 2018 and was republished on February 22, 2020 and on February 11, 2022 with new photos and updated content.
Michelle Hammonds
This recipe is OUTSTANDING! I always try to make a recipe as it's written, the first time preparing it and testing it. I can't Express enough how delicious this is. I used Ben's Original Long Grain White (the "orange" box), Hillshire Farms Cajun Andouille sausage (options are limited in Indiana), had to substitute the thyme leaves for ground (half the amount) and opted for a good middle for the cayenne (1/4t plus 1/8t) ended up being the amount used. Man-O-Man...it was love at first bite. Thank you, so much!
Michelle
Emma
Michelle, We are thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for leaving a 5 star review.
Alex
The rice is soft, and the spices are nice. The chicken is chewy, and the red peppers add a nice hue to the dish. The sausage in this is good, too!
Emma
So glad you enjoyed it, Alex!
Beth
I love Creole cooking and this one is one of my favorites. This flavorful blend of chicken, sausage, and rice is scrumptious and hearty. I can't get enough of it! The sausage is my favorite part.
Emma
Jambalaya is definitely one of the best Creole dishes! Glad to hear that you liked this recipe, Beth.
Bryon
This is the second time I'm making this Jambalaya! it is SO delicious!!! I kicked up the heat level a bit this second time around with adding a full tsp of Cheyenne pepper. thanks so much for this recipe!!!
Emma
You're welcome, Bryon! We're happy to hear that you're enjoying it so much!
patricia
Just wanted to ask when do you add the chicken and sausage back in ? Do you add it in with the broths? Any help with this would be appreciated i really want to try this recipe. Thank you.
Brooke
Yep, you're correct. Return the browned meats with the broth. Thanks for pointing that out. It's been added to the recipe instructions. Let me know how it goes.
Brooke