For 2020, Mardi Gras is February 25th. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to New Orleans in order to celebrate though. This Cajun-inspired Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe brings the party to you.
Five years ago, I went with a group of friends to a jambalaya cooking demo. There, we learned how to make a jambalaya recipe with the “holy trinity” of Cajun cooking – bell pepper, celery, and onion. The recipe that was shared had too many steps so I did some research in order to simplify it.
My brother had given me a dutch oven for my birthday last May. I didn’t start using it on a regular basis until the last couple of months though – after one of my kids reminded me that I had asked for the pot in order to make jambalaya. (My guys just wanted some jambalaya!)
I appreciated the prompt though. My family was getting tired of some of the meals in our weekly dinner rotation. Jambalaya has become a welcome addition and now Reggie and the kids ask for it almost every week. That is fine with me because I’m a fan of one-pot meals that include meat, veggies, and a carb.
My family loves my easy chicken and sausage jambalaya recipe so I’m sharing it with you. I hope that your family enjoys this meal as much as mine does.
In a cast-iron pot or dutch oven:
-Season the chicken with 2 tablespoons of Creole seasoning. (Louisiana Cajun Seasoning, Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning or Slap Ya Mama are all great seasoning choices.) I like to season the chicken the night before or 2 to 3 hours before cooking. I refrigerate the seasoned chicken in a covered container until I’m ready to use it.
-Brown cubed chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add sausage and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
-Remove the meat from the pot. Add all of the vegetables to the pot, mix together and saute for 10 minutes.
-Return the meat to the pot. Mix the vegetables and meat together. Add one additional tablespoon of Creole seasoning to the pot. (If you like your food spicy, add two additional tablespoons of Creole seasoning instead of one.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
-Add the water and rice. Mix everything together. (Follow the instructions on your rice box regarding how much water to add and how long to cook the rice. White rice is traditional but my family prefers yellow rice.)
-Cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is cooked to your desired consistency.
Easy Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken, cubed
- 1 lb smoked andouille sausage, sliced
- 3-4 tbsp Creole seasoning
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups of rice
- 4 cups of water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Season the chicken with 2 tablespoons of Creole seasoning.
- Brown cubed chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add sausage and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the pot. Add all of the vegetables to the pot, mix together and saute for 10 minutes.
- Return the meat to the pot. Mix the vegetables and meat together. Add one additional tablespoon of Creole seasoning to the pot. (If you like your food spicy, add two additional tablespoons of Creole seasoning instead of one.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the water and rice. Mix everything together.
- Cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is cooked to your desired consistency.