How to Make Cajun Jambalaya

Cajun Jambalaya with chicken and sausage by Beryl Caillouet Stokes at Cajun Cooking TV. A great Cajun jambalaya recipe does not have to come from a box, a bag or a frozen dinner.

REVISED January 21, 2018

Smaller Cajun Jambalaya in Cast Iron Skillet

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 boneless chicken thighs

1 pound of smoked or fresh sausage, sliced

2 cups long grain white rice

4 cups chicken broth (obtained from boiling the chicken)

1 cup seasoning blend (chopped onion, bell pepper, & celery)

1-2 teaspoons Tony’s Creole Seasoning

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 cup chopped green onions

drizzle of oil

In a 3-quart cast iron pot or skillet, add 6 cups water and bring to a boil.

Place the chicken and boil on medium heat for at least 30 minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon each salt & black pepper.

(This will be your chicken broth, or stock).

Remove the chicken to a plate to cool.

Remove the chicken broth to a glass bowl to cool.

Once the chicken is cooled enough to handle, shred or chop into bite size pieces.

In the same pot, add a tablespoon of canola oil or olive oil and heat to medium.

Add sausage and brown on both sides.

Add the 1 cup onion, bell pepper, celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken to brown it as well.

Add the chicken broth.

Toss in the Tony’s Creole Seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley, green onions, and then rice.

Stir well.

Cover and turn the heat down to low (number 2 or 3 on the dial).

Set timer for 15 minutes and do not remove the lid.

After 15 minutes, uncover and lightly move the mixture around lifting from the bottom.

(You’re just making sure nothing sticking to the bottom.)

Add the cover and cook another 15 minutes.

We turned ours down to low at this point because the cast iron pot holds heat well.

Uncover and lightly move around again.

Ready to eat!

 

This essential Acadian (Cajun) dish is an unfussy and wholesome meal that is considered by some as the comfort food of the South. Jambalaya, a dish mostly associated with the Deep South of Louisiana, is one of the most popular Cajun dishes there is.

There is even a Jambalaya Festival held in Gonzales, Louisiana every Memorial Day weekend since 1967. The Jambalaya Festival celebrates the Cajun traditional cooking, plus the joie de vie (joy of life). What would a festival be without a cooking championship?

Traditional Cajun Jambalaya contains the main ingredient – rice. Then add seasoning vegetables and a variety of other meats like: chicken, pork, ham, sausage, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, etc.

One key difference in Jambalaya and Gumbo is that the rice is cooked in with the meat rather than a sauce poured over rice. Think of the Spanish version of Paella.

Got a party or tailgating to do? It’s quite common to see a giant cast iron pot of Cajun Jambalaya at social events and gatherings. I’ve been to so many wedding receptions where the main dish served was Jambalaya. Often we see organizations trying to raise funds by selling Jambalaya plates.

Cajun Jambalaya is a great and economical way to feed a crowd or large group of people. It’s a complete meal all in one pot. There’s even a chain of restaurants in the area called The Jambalaya Shoppe. Guess what their main dish is? Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya.

How to make Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya from the Cajun Recipes at Cajun Cooking TV is easy and simple cooking.

Prep: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8-10 people

Cajun Jambalaya Ingredients

1 whole fresh chicken cut up (boiled for 1 hour and then the meat pulled from the bones)
1 pound smoked sausage (1/4 inch slices)
4 cups long grain white rice
7 cups chicken stock
1 (10 ounce) package Seasoning Blend (or 2 cups of Cajun Trinity)
Salt
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch chopped green onions
1/8 cup canola oil

Cajun Jambalaya Essentials

8-10 quart cast iron or non-stick pot

Begin by heating oil in a cast iron pot on medium heat.

Brown sausage until brown on both sides.

Add in the chicken and Seasoning Blend.

Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Pour in 7 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Season with salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning – 1 teaspoon each. A little more if you like it spicy. Just be careful in case the sausage is already spicy.

Add the green onions and parsley.

Let boil 10-15 minutes to develop flavor.

Add in 4 cups rice. Stir well to blend all ingredients.

Cover tightly and reduce heat to low – #2 or #3 on my stove.

Cook for 15 minutes exactly. It is critical to not remove the lid until time.

At the 15 minute mark, remove the lid and use a flat spatula to lift the rice off the bottom in a few spots. Be careful not to actually stir.

Put the lid back on and cook another 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and remove pot from burner to prevent it from continuing to cook.

Cajun Jambalaya Serving Suggestions

Serve in a bowl garnished with chopped green onions and parsley. Often served with white beans and/or a mixed greens salad and hot rolls.

“O Jambalaya, a crawfish pie, and file’ Gumbo. Tonight I’m gonna see ma’Cher ami o…. We gonna have fun on the bayou.”

How to Make Chicken Stock for Jambalaya

Beryl

 

 

 

 

 

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Cajun Cooking TV features Beryl Caillouet Stokes and her grand-daughter Addison cooking up some good eating Cajun recipes from their kitchen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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The Cajun Cooking TV show airs on local Baton Rouge, Louisiana channel WLFT MeTV channel 30.1 and on Cox cable channel 117 on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.

You Can Write Beryl At:
Cajun Cooking TV
7516 Bluebonnet Blvd # 179
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

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