Chicken and chorizo jambalaya with a touch of cajun seasoning, a hearty midweek meal that can be on the table in about half an hour or so, and it's all cooked in one pot. Quick and easy to make, and big on flavours, this is the kind of meal that would be fit for king.
Jump to:
What is jambalaya?
Jambalaya might sound like a complicated recipe, but it's actually so simple to make at home. It's a rice dish cooked in a rich tomato sauce, and can be cooked to cater for all tastes and lifestyles. Vegan or vegetarian are tasty too, but add some meat or seafood, and you take this dish to the very next level.
Chorizo is always my first choice when it comes to sausages. It's got that deep colour and richness that adds flavour to even the most boring dish.
And the combination chicken and chorizo is always a winner, no matter how you cook it, although with rice or pasta is absolutely delicious.
The cajun seasoning adds the wow factor, and brings out the best flavours, so I highly recommend it. I used one tablespoon, and that adds quite a bit of spice, but it's up to you if you like it mild or quite a spicy jambalaya, so add more or less seasoning. My Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta is absolutely wonderful if you like cajun seasoning.
Ingredients needed
- chicken breasts - medium size
- chorizo ring - you can use either regular chorizo or spicy one
- onion - any colour, or even shallots
- cloves of garlic
- red pepper
- cajun seasoning
- salt &Â black pepper
- vegetable oil
- chopped tomatoes - or plum tomatoes
- basmati rice
- chicken stock/broth
- chopped fresh parsley - to garnish
Step-by-step photos and instructions
A part from the chorizo, which can be a tad expensive, depending where you get it from, this dish won't break that bank, and can be quite cheap to cook. Rice, chopped tomatoes, chicken, onion, garlic, red pepper and spices, and that's pretty much all you need.
- season the chicken well, and fry in in a large pan with a tablespoon of oil until cooked through
- remove from the pan and set aside
- sautee the onion, add the garlic, chopped peppers and sliced chorizo, and fry for a further 2-3 minutes
- add the chicken back to the pan together with the cajun seasoning and chopped tomatoes, and leave to cook for about 3-4 minutes, until some of the liquid from the chopped tomatoes is evaporated and the tomatoes look mushy
- add the rice and chicken stock, cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked
- remove the pan from the heat, but still leave the lid on for at least 5 minutes, then use a fork to fluff it up
- garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy
A delicious one-pot rice dish
What is great about jambalaya is that you don't need to worry about having to wash tons of dishes after - and I don't know about you, but I do make a lot of mess when I cook, so that's a bonus point.
It's also a healthy dish, despite it being rich. Swap chorizo for any other sausages of your choice, or seafood, there are endless possibilities here. Or, for a vegetarian version, add any veggies - fresh or frozen, after the onion is sauteed. If you use carrots, make sure they are chopped finely, there won't be much liquid left once the rice starts cooking.
I used basmati rice, which cooks fairly quickly, but if you use long grain rice, it might take a bit longer to cook, and more stock/broth will be needed. Start with 2 cups of broth, then add more if needed.
Other chorizo recipes
A big fan of chorizo? Check out these yummy dishes too: Prawn and Chorizo Pasta or Red Lentil and Chorizo Soup.
If you’ve tried this CHICKEN AND CHORIZO JAMBALAYA or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 chorizo ring
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400 g, 13 oz)
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock/broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat up one tablespoon of oil in a pan, cut the chicken into small chunks, season with salt and pepper, and fry until cooked through.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the other tablespoon of oil, and gently fry the onions until transluscent.
- Peel and chop the garlic, and chop the red pepper.
- Add them to the pan together with the chorizo and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, then add the seasoning and chopped tomatoes.
- Leave to cook for about 5 minutes until some of the liquid from the tomatoes is evaporated and they look mushy.
- Add the rice and chicken stock/broth and leave to cook on a medium heat with a lid on until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Remove from the heat, but still leave the lid on for at least 5 minutes, then fluffy the rice up with a fork.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Swap chorizo for any other sausages of your choice, or seafood, there are endless possibilities here.
- Or, for a vegetarian version, add any veggies - fresh or frozen, after the onion is sauteed. If you use carrots, make sure they are chopped finely, there won't be much liquid left once the rice starts cooking.
- I used basmati rice, but if you use long grain rice, more chicken stock/broth will have to be used. Start with 2 cups, then add more if needed.
Nutrition
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Natalie
Hi I'm planning to make this,but noticed in the recipe method you have omitted the chorizo.
Daniela Apostol
Hi! Thank you for letting me know, I have edited the recipe card.