This is a colorful, delicious and easy Chicken Jambalaya recipe – all in one pot! It’s great to serve at parties and it reheats well. It’s a bold and zesty dish packed with Cajun jambalaya flavors!
A Chicken Jambalaya recipe is Cajun comfort food, packed with flavor. The holy trinity of Cajun/Creole cooking – onion, celery, and bell peppers – is married up with chicken andouille sausage, seasoned with garlic, herbs and Cajun spices!
How To Make This Chicken Jambalaya Recipe – Step By Step
Season the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add in the sausage, cooking until browned. Transfer the sausage to the plate with the chicken.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add in the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, oregano, chicken broth, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice has cooked and the liquid has absorbed.
Give the jambalaya a good stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
What Is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a popular Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish, French, and West African influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice.
Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked meat such as andouille, along with pork or chicken and seafood, such as crawfish or shrimp.
It’s hearty, tasty and easy!
How Spicy Is This Chicken Jambalaya Recipe?
This is not a super hot dish, it’s got a nice heat but won’t burn off you buds! For a spicier jambalaya, you can add one or two jalapeños. And then you can always add cayenne at the end if you’d like.
Substitutes For Andouille Sausage
If you can’t find andouille sausage, you can go for….
- Mexican chorizo sausage (comes close to andouille in flavour, but not in texture)
- Kielbasa
- Any Polish smoked sausage
Top Tips For This Chicken Jambalaya Recipe
- Some dishes like soup, stew, and chili just get better with time. Jambalaya is not one of those things. Mainly because if you let it cook it for too long, you’ll cook all the moisture out of it; you want it nice and wet. So wait until the end of your cooking time to put the rice in so it doesn’t overcook.
- Before serving, make sure to check your seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- You can substitute Andouille sausage for another smoked sausage.
The perfect bite
Make sure to cut your chicken into bite size pieces, for even cooking and making things easier to bite!
Check Out These Other Delicious Chicken And Rice Dishes
Have you tried this Chicken Jambalaya recipe? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Best Chicken Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound Andouille sausage sliced into rounds
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cups white rice
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add in the sausage, cooking until browned. Transfer the sausage to the plate with the chicken.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add in the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, oregano, chicken broth, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice has cooked and the liquid has absorbed. Stir in the chicken and sausage and cook until everything is heated through.
- Give the jambalaya a good stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Krystal Brooks says
This was so good!!!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing!!
B Schmidt says
Great recipe! The whole family loved it!
Becky Hardin says
That’s awesome!
Laquysha Morris says
I Loved the recipe but I tweaked it to my liking I hate 9nions Yuck lol. But great recipe.
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing!
Elisha Beliard says
Aw, this was a really nice post. Taking the time and actual effort to make a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t manage to get anything done.
Jennifer H says
This is a great recipe. Easy! My husband tries jambalaya at all the area restaurants. Said this rivals, if not better, than those he’s tried. I only did 1 thing different. I used a can of fired roasted diced tomatoes rather than just a can of crushed.
Becky Hardin says
That’s wonderful to hear, Jennifer! Fire roasted sounds like a great addition!
Leona says
Followed the recipe! Turned out great! Everyone loved it!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Leona!
Sharon Grant says
Just made this tonight! Wouldn’t change a thing! Excellent!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sharon!