Carolina Chicken Bog
Carolina Chicken Bog is a tasty one-pot meal consisting of chicken, rice and smoked sausage. It’s a classic South Carolina regional recipe, and it deserves a spot on the kitchen table!
If there’s one surefire way to make a recipe sound enticing, it’s naming it after a swamp. Carolina Chicken Bog. Sounds appetizing, right? Check that. This sounds like something Shrek would make for dinner. In actuality, this recipe is delicious! Carolina Chicken Bog is a classic South Carolina recipe, and it’s worth putting this recipe on your radar.
But first. The bog thing. What’s the deal there? According to Miriam-Webster, a bog is “a poorly drained usually acid area rich in accumulated plant material.” It’s a swamp. And to make matters worse, a bog in Britain is another name for a bathroom. Great.
What is Carolina Chicken Bog?
Carolina Chicken Bog is a one-pot recipe that is common in South Carolina. Like many regional recipes, there are a lot of variations to this one. A bog is similar to a pilaf (or perloo) and jambalaya, but it’s still different. It’s boggier.
While the origins of the name are a bit murky, the term “bog” probably comes from the fact that this recipe has more liquid than pilaf or jambalaya. Some folks argue that the term comes from the fact that many areas of South Carolina are boggy. Unfortunate names aside, the flavor in this recipe is fantastic. It’s an easy one-pot meal, and it features rice packed with shredded chicken and chopped smoked sausage. Yum!
As noted above, a bog typically contains more liquid (chicken stock) than a typical rice dish. Some versions of Carolina Chicken Bog may be a bit drier while others might be closer to a soup. This version falls somewhere in-between, and it’s exactly the way I prefer my bogs. (Man, I never thought I would write that sentence on the internet.)
A South Carolina bog recipe shares many similarities with a Cajun or Creole jambalaya. You could add bell peppers and celery to a bog, but then it would start to look a lot like jambalaya. (Don’t get me wrong – I love jambalaya! However, a proper bog is not the same as jambalaya.)
For the sausage portion of this recipe, I went with a classic andouille sausage – I love andouille. However, a good smoked sausage or even kielbasa could work here. The taste will be fantastic once all of the other flavors get layered in!
At its core, a good Carolina Chicken Bog starts with well-seasoned chicken broth. A traditional bog also calls for you to cook a whole chicken and then mix the shredded meat back into the rice. Lucky for us, cooking that whole chicken leads to a bunch of well-seasoned chicken broth. See where I’m going here?
Yup, this recipe is a one-pot meal. I used a large Dutch oven (6-quart) to cook the chicken, and then I used that same pot to cook the bog. (An 8-quart stockpot with a lid would be fine here, too.) You end up with a pot full of flavorful rice, shredded chicken and smoked sausage. I’m perfectly ok sitting down to that for dinner! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do around our house!
Oh, and if you end up loving chicken bog, then make travel plans to go to Loris, SC (it’s near Myrtle Beach). They host a Bog-Off every fall featuring dozens of variations of chicken bogs…and probably plenty of other delicious foods, too.
Did you make a batch of this Carolina Chicken Bog at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Carolina Chicken Bog
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 4-5 pound whole chicken, giblets and neck removed
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried thyme
For the Bog
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1½ tsp minced garlic
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 8 oz. smoked sausage sliced (I used andouille sausage)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 2 green onions sliced
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- hot sauce for serving
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Using a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add the chicken, onion, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, rosemary and thyme. Add enough water to cover the chicken.
- Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat for 60-70 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. (Note: Take care not to bring pot to a boil as this will lead to dry, tough chicken.)
- Once cooked, remove chicken from pot and let cool. (Note: I recommend using a strainer to save the leftover liquid in the pot – it can be used as the chicken stock for the bog!)
- Once cool, remove the chicken meat, chop into bite-size pieces and set aside; discard the skin and bones.
For the Bog
- Using a large pot (I used a 6-quart Dutch oven), add the butter and place over medium heat.
- Once butter has melted, add chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, rice and shredded chicken (from above); continue sautéing for 1-2 more minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, smoked sausage, salt, thyme, pepper and rosemary; stir until well combined.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
- Before serving, garnish with chopped parsley and sliced green onions.
- Serve with hot sauce.
Notes
Looking for more classic Southern rice recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use mushrooms / vegan butter / vegetable stock and vegan sausage i never had carolina chicken bog before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightena up my day everyday after work
Yes! I think you could certainly use vegan substitutions for this recipe, Ramya. It’s a flavorful dish, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do here!
First time hearing of this dish — and what an interesting name! So hearty and delish; love that it’s all made in one pot too 🙂
Haha – yes, the name is…interesting. I have to say that naming a dish after a swamp isn’t exactly the way to get folks excited. But this is a delicious one-pot meal!!
When I first saw the name I was like “what”? But now I see this Carolina chicken bog is an amazing one pot meal and those sort of meals are right up my street! Looks absolutely delicious David!
Haha – I wish I could’ve seen the look on your face, Neil! It is an unfortunate name, but the recipe is quite tasty. It’s almost a Lowcountry version of Cajun jambalaya. Give it a try!
Weird name, but it does sound delicious.
Weird name indeed, Jeff.
I just don’t eat much rice, but if I did this would be on rotation!
I totally get ya, Mimi! I bet you could use these same flavors to create a rice-less dish. Of course, then it wouldn’t be “boggy” but it would still be tasty!
I like to make my baked rice a bit boggy too. So i use one cup rice to 4 cups stock – works a treat. this sounds tasty david, and the name is fabulous.
So you’re already in the bog world, Sherry! Give this recipe a try sometime – it’s quite delicious!
This looks like such a tasty dish, and with only one pot used its a winner. the name of it is fantastic too and what a great backstory.
The name doesn’t exactly scream, “eat me” but I promise this recipe is delicious! 🙂 Thanks, Pauline!
I made this today for dinner and it was delicious. The only thing I did different is I slow poached chicken breasts in the broth with the veggies and seasonings just because I didn’t have a whole chicken other than that I followed the recipe exactly. I was skeptical about using the smoked paprika just because I don’t love it but I’m glad I used it I think it was the secret flavor note that made this really flavorful. We loved it, simple, easy and delicious.
Hey Dawn – I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I always look forward to making it here in our house. That was a great idea to poach the chicken breasts, too. This recipe does have a lot of seasonings, but I agree with you that the smoked paprika brings it all together. So glad you found a new recipe! 🙂
I’ve never had a Carolina Chicken Bog before, but your photos and description make me want to give it a try.
The name is a bit unfortunate, but I promise the flavors are spot-on. This is a tasty meal!
Sounds delicious, David! Well, not the name… but the recipe yes. I love chicken and rice dishes of all kinds, and I bet adding smoked sausage and all those aromatics to the mix really takes it up a notch.
Haha – the name is rather, well, unappealing. But the actual recipe? Pretty darned delicious! Smoked sausage makes (almost) everything better in my opinion! Thanks, Frank!