This Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya recipe is all about deep, bold flavor and a hearty, slightly sticky texture. Savory andouille sausage and chicken, tender vegetables, an unconventional type of rice and a flourish of bright lemon zest at the end have earned this version quite the sterling reputation.
Feel Good Vibes
Protein and staying power: Chicken and andouille bring plenty of protein to the pot, while the rice makes this the kind of meal that actually keeps you satisfied.
Vitamin C and antioxidants: Red bell pepper gives us vitamin C, while the onions, celery and peppers add a mix of antioxidants and plant nutrients.
Iron and B vitamins: Chicken and pork provide iron and several B vitamins that support energy metabolism and healthy red blood cells.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Butter: Ghee, avocado or grapeseed oil.
- Pork andouille sausages: chicken andouille, kielbasa or any preferred smoked sausage.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: chicken breasts (though they’ll have less flavor and dry out more easily!)
- Vidalia onion: yellow, white or red onion. You could also use the white part of scallions.
- Celery: bulk up on more onion and red bell pepper.
- Red bell pepper: any other color bell pepper, though I’m not a fan of green. Poblanos would be fun if you don’t mind their mild heat.
- Tomato paste: 3 tablespoons tomato sauce, or omit.
- Creole seasoning: make your own! I like Emeril’s Essence recipe.
- Chicken stock: vegetable stock.
- Arborio rice: Carolina Gold Rice. You might need to adjust amount of liquid and cooking time.
- Lemon for zest: lime zest or omit.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- Where to buy:
- Andouille sausage: I buy it locally in Atlanta from Spotted Trotter. I love Uli’s, which is available online. It’s the best I’ve ever had but the shipping is pretty expensive.
- Creole seasoning: when I’m not making Emeril’s recipe, I’ve been known to pick up a batch from the DeKalb Farmer’s Market.
- Arborio rice: Lundberg brand works well for this recipe.
- Is this recipe Cajun or Creole? This chicken and sausage jambalaya falls somewhere between the two classic styles. Tomato paste gives it a touch of Creole richness, while deeply browned chicken and andouille bring the savory character of Cajun jambalaya.
- Why do you use arborio rice in jambalaya? Long grain rice is the more traditional choice for jambalaya, but I use Arborio because it creates a tender, slightly sticky texture. I once switched to basmati, and my clients immediately asked me to go back. This may not be the most traditional version, but it is the one everyone at my table prefers.
Serving Suggestions
- Perfect Pairing: Serve with my Spinach and Arugula Salad with Roasted Tomato Dressing.
- Three Course Dinner Party: Goes great with my Fried Artichokes with Romesco Sauce as an appetizer and my Chocolate Chinchilla Cake for dessert.
- Add Some Crunch: Love it with a basket of Pimento Cheese Straws on the side.
Storage and Shelf Life
Make Ahead: Definitely ok to make this recipe ahead of time. Jambalaya tastes better the next day.
Refrigerate: Can be refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: I recommend freezing individual portions in an airtight container if you don’t have a vacuum sealer. I prefer to vacuum seal mine to prevent frost. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheat Instructions
Thaw if necessary. Add a splash of chicken stock to a nonstick pan and add the desired amount of jambalaya. Reheat thoroughly and serve.
Final Thoughts
I’ll admit, I’ve taken a few liberties with my Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya. I hope I haven’t offended anyone’s Meemaw here. Recipes can be deeply associated with a person’s roots and identity. And my French Canadian ancestors never left Acadia to make the trek down to Louisiana, so though I feel a sense of kinship with my Cajun cousins, I wasn’t raised there. My understanding of classic Louisiana dishes came from my time working with Louisiana chefs and visiting New Orleans.
My take on Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is an optimistic “best of both worlds” approach. I love the richness that the tomato paste brings to the Creole style of this dish, along with the depth of flavor from browning the meat and vegetables in the Cajun tradition.
And the arborio? Well, that was me trying to come up with a gluten free solution because the chef that taught me how to make jambalaya included a roux, which is flour and fat cooked together. I replaced it with Arborio rice, which gives the dish a tender, slightly sticky texture, no roux necessary.
Now the dish I was taught by that chef was actually a seafood jambalaya, but most recipes don’t include a roux. I didn’t know that at the time, and once I found out and tried to switch to the more traditional long grain rice, my clients rioted.
What can I say? Choices were made. I’m standing ten toes down on this version.
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Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pork andouille sausages, 6 ounces , cut in ½ inch thick coins
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, large diced
- 2 cups Vidalia onion large diced
- 1 cup celery large diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper large diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 3 ¼ cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- 1 lemon for zest
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook 2 andouille sausages, cut into ½ inch thick coins, on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pot and reserve. Leave the fat in the pot as well.
- Now add 1 pound of large diced boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the Dutch oven. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Remove from the pot. It will finish cooking later.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add 2 cups Vidalia onion, 1 cup celery, and 1 cup red bell pepper, all cut into a large dice. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 8 minutes or until tender, stirring every few minutes. Now add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Deglaze with 3 ¼ cups of chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any golden brown bits that stuck to it. Add 1 ½ cups of arborio rice. Return the sausage and the chicken thighs to the pot and stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium high, bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Cook undisturbed for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and sticky and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat.
- Allow the rice to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the zest of 1 lemon and check for seasoning. Serve hot.
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
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