Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I’ve partnered with SocialStars and Johnsonville to create this Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya.  This classic Cajun dish is perfect for a weeknight meal! #SausageFamily

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Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish...and it's perfect for a weeknight meal!It’s festival season again in Louisiana!  Oh, who am I kidding?  It’s always festival season in Louisiana.  A while back, I mentioned the Rayne Frog Festival and the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Fest…and it’s worth revisiting the topic of Louisiana festivals.  I mean September alone has dozens of festivals…and that doesn’t even count the return of college football!  (During LSU home games, Tiger Stadium technically becomes the 5th-largest city in Louisiana…4th if you count all of the folks tailgating outside who never actually go into the game.)

But back to September festivals…and there are some great ones!  For starters, there’s the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival over Labor Day weekend.  Because I always think of petroleum when I think of shrimp.  (Just kidding…the festival in Morgan City, LA honors local fishermen as well as petroleum workers.  Seafood and petroleum both rank at the top of the list for local revenue.  So the festival makes sense…well, sorta.)

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish...and it's perfect for a weeknight meal!If seafood and oil aren’t your thing, then you can always hit the New Orleans Seafood Festival or the Louisiana Soul Food Festival.  And then there’s the Louisiana Sugarcane Festival over in New Iberia.  (My grandfather worked in the oil fields near New Iberia for several years…so the area has always held a bit of family history for me.)  In addition to the judging of the sugar cane and plenty of delicious Louisiana food, the Sugarcane Festival features the Sugar Parade complete with Queen Sugar and King Sucrose.  (Louisiana is one of only 4 states in the US where sugarcane is grown commercially.)

The Jesse James Outlaw Roundup Festival is another September fixture, and it celebrates the days when Jesse James reportedly lived in northeastern Louisiana.  In fact, local legend holds that much of James’ treasure is buried near the town of Epps, LA.  A couple of years ago, my Dad convinced me that my great-grandmother had dated Jesse James before he became an infamous outlaw.  It was all a lie.  But I still like to think that there could be a tiny shred of truth to that story!  Plus, the Jesse James Outlaw Roundup Festival includes mock old Western style shoot-outs between outlaws and lawmen.  Sounds like a great festival to me!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish...and it's perfect for a weeknight meal!I can’t talk about Louisiana without jumping over to delicious Cajun food at some point.  This is a food blog after all!  Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish with both Spanish and French roots.  At its core, jambalaya is essentially meat, veggies and rice.  There are plenty of different styles of jambalaya out there, but this Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya version is a classic.  I got this recipe from a coworker back when I lived in Louisiana, and it’s one of our favorite meals to make!

Like many Cajun favorites, jambalaya starts out with the holy trinity of Cajun cooking: onions, celery and green bell peppers.  Add in some diced chicken and smoked sausage, and you’ve got the beginning of one delicious meal!  As I’ve mentioned before, we always keep our freezer stocked with andouille sausage.  Andouille is a style of smoked sausage that is common in many Louisiana recipes, and it’s definitely one of the stars of the show in this Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish...and it's perfect for a weeknight meal!Fortunately, Johnsonville makes a great andouille that is readily available in our local grocery stores up here in New York.  There are no fillers in the sausage, and it’s got a great hardwood-smoked flavor…just like I like it!  Johnsonville’s andouille also comes as 2 individually-wrapped links.  I find this super convenient for storing the sausage in the freezer and just using however many links I need in the recipe.  (If you can’t find andouille in your store, then just substitute in Johnsonville’s smoked sausage instead.  It’s equally as tasty!)

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish...and it's perfect for a weeknight meal!Bonus: this Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is cooked in a single skillet…making it perfect for a weeknight dinner!  I actually prepped all of the ingredients early and then cooked it after picking Robbie up from daycare.  The rice was almost done cooking as Laura walked in the door…perfect timing!  In theory, we could have had a hot dinner right then…but a certain someone wanted his mashed peas and oats.  I’m not naming any names on who that was.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish...and it's perfect for a weeknight meal!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish...and it's perfect for a weeknight meal!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 605kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Using large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven, add oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken and sausage. Cook for 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chicken and sausage are lightly browned.
  • Add onion, bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, garlic, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Continue cooking for 8-10 more minutes, or until onions are tender. Drain any excess liquid from the skillet.
  • Add rice and chicken stock; stir and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until stock has evaporated and rice is fully cooked. (Tip: Stir occasionally to prevent rice on bottom of skillet from burning.)
  • Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.
  • {Optional} Garnish with chopped green onions before serving.

 

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22 Comments

    1. Chicken + andouille is a classic jambalaya combo, and it just so happens to be favorite, too. You can go with a seafood jambalaya, but I think I just prefer the non-seafood version. Either way, definitely put Louisiana on the list to visit again…it’s such an incredible state!! Thanks, Dawn!

  1. Interestingly, to me at least, is that there are two types of Andouille. The Cajun (by way of Acadia) kind, and the classic French version. Needless to say, the Cajun variety is far more appealing. Lovely looking jambalaya, especially needing only one pan, just needs some corn bread or fried okra on the side!

    1. You know, that’s a really good point, Matt. We typically only find the Cajun/Acadian style of Andouille here in the States. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever tried the classic French style. But so much of Cajun cooking is adapted from France…so it’s not surprising! And you are totally right about the corn bread….we actually made a batch of corn bread for the leftovers of this jambalaya the other night! 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting!

  2. Hi David! Jambalaya is something I could eat every week! Mine is similar to this, but I usually add shrimp too. I always add andouille to my red beans and rice and I even put it in shrimp boils. Guess you could say I’m a little obsessed with Cajun/Creole food! I would love to eat my way through New Orleans one day!

    1. Ah, shrimp is an excellent addition to jambalaya! I typically leave out the seafood, but that’s really just oysters. I should add some shrimp next time I make this one! Oh, and don’t even get me started on red beans and rice! I think I could eat red beans for days…and days…and days. 🙂 You absolutely need to hit New Orleans soon. Stop waiting. Go today! And send pictures!

  3. David, I heard about the damage in Louisiane being worse than before and the area affected, larger than before… a friend’s husband (who is a water/enviro engineer) is on his way there to assess the situation and he was saying the places to stay and drive back and forth from are so much more limited this time… definitely sending thoughts and prayers.

    Now – about this jambalaya, I did not know that Cajun cooking involved a “holy trinity” much like Indian/Srilankan cuisine does. We adore Johnsonville Andouille sausage and usually have a couple hanging out in the back of the fridge so as soon as we work our way through the coconut curry stir fry I have, I’m trying this out! Thanks, my friend!

    1. Yeah, all of the news and videos from Louisiana lately have been making me sad. But oddly enough, they make me really miss living down there. Strange how that happens. They’re in the midst of a terrible natural disaster, and I just want to move back there!

      But back to the food…yes, Cajun cooking has a holy trinity, too! Nearly every Cajun meal starts off with some combination of celery, onions and bell peppers. Such a great combo! Jambalaya is a great meal, and it’s one of my favorites! Plus, it’s fun to mix it up and add different meats depending on your preferences. Shrimp is a common add-in, too. Enjoy, my friend!

  4. I’ve been known Jambalaya for about 7 years now, I guess. Once Andrey made this comfort delicious dish (He had heard this name in a movie and googled the recipe), and since that I make it once in a while (Well, my last “Once in a while” happened at least a year ago. That’s a long “Once in a while”). I’ve been planning on making it this year, but now I’m afraid of doing that cause you know EVERYTHING about the authentic Cajun food. What if I screw it, eh? Instead, you should ship me some freshly made Jambalaya – I think this will work the way better:) P.S. For the record, I like a shrimp version.

    1. Wait…Andrey cooked? I thought you did all of the cooking around your place, Ben! Oh please, don’t be afraid of cooking. I am FAR from an expert in Cajun cooking. I just have a recipe box full of delicious recipes that I picked up from friends and coworkers when I lived down there. And I love Cajun flavors, so I like to experiment with different things, too. I challenge you to make jambalaya again, Ben! As long as you start with the ‘holy trinity of Cajun cooking’ (onions, bell peppers and celery) then you’ll be perfectly fine! But I wouldn’t recommend adding any lavender here…haha! (And yes, shrimp would be a great addition here!)

    1. Yup, Louisiana is totally a party/festival state! Everyone knows Mardi Gras (and it’s certainly the biggest), but there are so many other festivals down there. I wish I had made my way to more when I lived there! Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish…and it’s one of my faves. Thanks, Manali!

    1. Definitely add Louisiana to your list, Kushi! It’s an incredible place with tons of history and culture…and that doesn’t even include all of the amazing food! 🙂 Jambalaya is a classic Cajun dish. Give is a shot sometime!

  5. Easy recipes for weekday dinners are great – prepared all in one single skillet, this is right up my alley! I always love reading your blog entries full of stories about your family and where you live! Can’t believe your dad made you believe your great-grandmother dated Jesse James but as you said, who knows, there might be some truth to the story 🙂

    1. Hey, I’d like to think there is some truth to that Jesse James story…it’s just close enough in timing/location to be (almost) believable! But that’s my Dad for ya. Anyways, yes, I love including stories and tidbits in these posts…it makes the posts a lot of fun to write! Thanks so much for being a loyal reader, Miriam! It really does mean the world to me. 🙂

    1. Well there’s one of these…or about 300 other festivals to pick from! And I’ll be right there with ya, Rachelle! Festival + delicious Cajun food? Don’t have to ask me twice! Also, glad to see ya back! 🙂

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