The best recipes, like many things in life, are often pretty simple. They are the ones you are able to customize to your tastes, your mood, or just what you have on hand. They are usually full of easy-to-find ingredients, that when blended together, produce exceptional flavors. This Cajun Jambalaya is no exception. It was easy to make and soooo delicious, my mouth waters at the thought of it. (Ok, I just finished the leftovers, so maybe that has something to do with it… Mmmm…) Strangely enough, although I love Cajun food, I had never even made Jambalaya before this. It’s true, Teresa and I have made various Gumbo recipes, and my favorite Cajun Shrimp and Grits, but never Jambalaya.
Cajun Jambalaya with Andouille and Chicken
When we decided that Jambalaya would be Sunday Dinner, we looked up recipes of John Besh, a chef who specializes in Cajun and Louisiana cuisine, and is dedicated to cooking with local ingredients. Turns out, he has published many Jambalaya recipes and often demonstrates cooking of this dish as a guest on TV cooking and talk shows. We reviewed several of his recipes, then decided to adapt the one we liked best and create a sort of “hybrid” Jon Besh Jambalaya. We’ve both been cooking a lot of recipes with chicken thighs, so we decided to use these, in addition to traditional andouille (ahn-DOO-wee) sausage, and some bacon to serve as a great smoky flavor. We also added a bit of tomato sauce, and used the brown rice I had in my pantry instead of Converted Rice.
It’s just crazy how good this is, given that most of the ingredients are ones most of us have on hand in our fridge or pantry. And we all know that Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) is coming – a little more than a week away. What would be better than a steaming pot of Cajun Jambalaya for dinner? Spicy, chewy, savory, smoky, a meal in one pot – what more could you ask?
Enjoy!
Cajun Jambalaya with Andouille and Chicken (from Jon Besh)
This Cajun Jambalaya with Andouille Sausage and Chicken is adapted from and inspired by the recipes of Jon Besh, a chef dedicated to preserving culinary traditions of Louisiana. If you Google his name, or see him on TV, he almost always recommends a Jambalaya recipe, and, like all great chefs, he has many variations. We just...
- Serves: 8
- Category: Chicken, Good for crowd, Main Dish, Make ahead, Pork, Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Bacon (we used Peppered Bacon), diced
- 1 lb Andouille Sausage, diced
- 3 tbsp. Cooking Oil - Vegetable or Canola oil or Lard preferred
- 1 1/2 lb Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 Large yellow onion, diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 Red or Orange Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 Celery stalks, diced
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- 2 c White rice (you can substitute brown, but will need to add more liquid and longer cooking time)
- 1 tsp. Dried Thyme
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, more as desired
- 1 tbsp. Celery Salt
- 1 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
- 1 qt Chicken Stock
- 1 Bunch of Green Onions, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot until it is hot. Reduce heat to medium. Pour oil or lard into hot pan, along with the chopped bacon and andouille. Stir slowly to render fat from the meats. While fat is rendering, season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add to the pot, continuing to stir until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add onion to the pot. Cook 15 minutes until they begin to caramelize. The add the bell peppers, celery, and garlic, continuing to cook for another 5 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally so everything cooks evenly.
- Add the thyme, bay leaves, smoked paprika, celery salt, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and rice to the pot. Stir often for 3 minutes.
- Increase heat to high. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and 2 c chicken stock to the pot. Bring to boil, then reduce, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Check the pot halfway through the cooking time to see if rice is cooking. Especially if you are using brown rice, you may need an additional 2 c stock. It's ok to add as you see fit, as you can always simmer until excess evaporates if necessary.
- When the rice is just about cooked, (20 minutes for white rice, 40 for brown rice), remove the lid and add the green onions. If there is a lot of excess liquid, increase the heat a bit, cook until excess liquid is gone. Then turn off the heat, re-cover the pot, and let everything continue to cook in the pot for 10 minutes. Add extra stock if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Serve.
This looks so hearty and like a big bowl of delicious comfort. Andouille sausages are hard to come by in Australia, I have a few stored in the freezer for dishes like this! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Thanks so much! Hope you get a chance to try it! I love Andouille, too, and was surprised to find several choices at my local grocery, as I’m pretty far from New Orleans.
I just ate lunch, but there is this huuuuge part of me that wants to get all of these ingredients and get to work in the kitchen right this second. This stuff looks absolutely amazing! Definitely need to try it soon!
Thanks, Karly! It is one of the best dishes I’ve ever made with such simple ingredients!
john besh recipes are the best! i haven’t made many of them, but i’ve enjoyed the ones that i have. this sounds so flavorful and hearty (i’m of the bacon makes everything better camp), and perfect for these wintery days (:
Thanks, Heather! I enjoy his recipes as well as his stories! I agree, the bacon in this recipe is completely delish! We used peppered bacon, which I would recommend if you give it a try!