Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Name: Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: One (3- to 4- pound) chicken; 1 green bell pepper; 1 red bell pepper; 2 small Jalapeno peppers; 1 bunch scallions (white and green parts); 3 celery stalks; 4 garlic cloves; 2 medium onions; 10 cups cold water; 1 tablespoon Mild vegetable oil; 1 pound smoked sausage; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon Donnie’s Spice Mix; 2 teaspoons salt; 5 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste; 2 cups long-grain rice

User Reviews

4.9

45 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs
Servings
6 to 8 servings
Calories
579 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Iris Warren

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This chicken and sausage jambalaya is, honestly, the best version of this Cajun classic we've ever had. It's made with a whole roasted chicken, smoked sausage, peppers, celery, onions, rice, and spice mix and feeds a crowd.

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Ingredients

Servings

One (3- to 4- pound) chicken roasted
1 green bell pepper cored, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper cored, seeded, and diced
2 small Jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
1 bunch scallions (white and green parts) thinly sliced
3 celery stalks diced
4 garlic cloves minced
2 medium onions 1 quartered and 1 diced small
10 cups cold water
1 tablespoon Mild vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Donnie’s Spice Mix
2 teaspoons salt
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste
2 cups long-grain rice rinsed

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Instructions

Remove all the meat from the chicken and discard the skin. Shred or chop the chicken. Save all the juice and fat from the roasting pan (or store container, if you're relying on a rotisserie chicken) in a separate container. Refrigerate both until needed.  
Trim and dice or mince the bell peppers, jalapeno, scallions, celery, and garlic, reserving the trimmings. Place the chicken carcass, quartered onion, and vegetable trimmings in a large pot. Add the cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 1 hour, skimming any foam from the surface as necessary. Strain the broth and discard the solids. You should have about 6 cups of stock. 
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and sear until it starts to color, turning as necessary. Parts of the sausage will begin to stick to the pan. When there is a goodly sausage-y coating stuck to the pan, pour in 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and cook, stirring and scraping the skillet, until it comes loose. Let this simmer gently until all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the sausage to a plate.  
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the butter, and heat until it melts. Add the diced onion and cook until it starts to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and let this reduce until the skillet is dry (or au sec, as they say in French kitchens). Continue to cook until the onion turns a nice, deep, brown color, about 5 more minutes.
At this point the onion will start to stick to the pan again. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and simmer. When the stock has almost completely evaporated, add the bell peppers, jalapeños, scallions, celery, garlic, the 1 tablespoon of the spice mix, salt, bay leaves, oregano, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, for 10 more minutes, until things start to stick to the darn skillet again. Deglaze with another 1/4 cup stock and reduce again until the skillet runs dry.
Add the shredded chicken, 1 cup stock, and the defatted juices from the chicken and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.  
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and add the sausage, rice, and the remaining 4 cups stock to the pot and stir well. You want the mixture to have plenty of room so the rice will cook evenly. Heat, covered, over low heat for 40 minutes.  
Remove the pot from the stovetop and keep covered for 10 minutes while it rests. If the rice seems a little unevenly cooked, leave the lid on a little longer and it will even out. When the jambalaya is done, transfer it to a casserole dish and serve. (If you leave it in the pot it cooked in, the jambalaya will continue to cook and become dry.)

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1portion Calories 579kcal (29%) Carbohydrates 60g (20%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Monounsaturated Fat 12g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 69mg (23%) Sodium 1692mg (71%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 3g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6to 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 579 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1portion
Calories	579kcal	29%
Carbohydrates	60g	20%
Protein	18g	36%
Fat	29g	45%
Saturated Fat	10g	50%
Monounsaturated Fat	12g	60%
Trans Fat	0.2g	10%
Cholesterol	69mg	23%
Sodium	1692mg	71%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	3g	6%