Chicken and Sausage Cajun Jambalaya

Chicken and Sausage Cajun Jambalaya is a smoky and flavorful one pot meal. Whether you like it spicy or mild, this recipe is sure to be a favorite for family dinners and parties.

Yield : 6 servings

Prep Time : 20 mins

Cook Time : 50 mins

Total Time : 70 mins

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast,
cubed ½ lb sausage (Andouille or other smoked sausage), sliced
2 onions, diced 2 celery stalks, diced
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and diced
4 c chicken stock, low sodium or homemade
½-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on your heat preference)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp salt
2 c long grain white rice, dry

Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven over high heat.
Add cubed chicken and sliced sausage.
Sauté until the meat is deeply golden on all sides, 7-10 min.
(At this point, you should have some fat in the pan from the sausage.
If not, add 1 tsp oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan before the next step.)
Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the diced onions, green pepper and celery.
Sauté until the vegetables are golden brown, 10 min.
Add the chicken stock and scrape any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.
(This “graton” is what will give your “brown jambalaya” its distinctive color.)
Add the red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and salt.
(We like to start on the light side with the pepper flakes and cayenne.
You can always add more later, but you can’t take it away if it’s too hot!)
Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the dry rice. Stir the jambalaya often until the mixture returns to a boil.
Then, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a slight simmer.
Cover and cook the jambalaya for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is fluffy.
(Try to avoid lifting the lid during cooking, until the end when you need to check if the rice is done.)
When the rice is done and the liquid has been absorbed, remove the Jambalaya from the heat and let it finish steaming for 5 minutes.
Give the Jambalaya one good stir.
Taste it and adjust the salt and heat to your preference.
Serve immediately with a big slice of cornbread and some steamed greens.