Authentic Cajun Jambalaya Recipe: Chicken and Smoked Sausage (No Tomatoes!)
My Maw-Maw, a spirited 4'11" Cajun lady from Cameron via New Iberia, started every morning with coffee and rice pots simmering—regardless of the day's menu. Rice was a staple, just like in our family favorite: Cajun jambalaya!
Two key rules for Cajun jambalaya:
Rule 1: Pronounce it [jum-buh-LIE-yuh], not [JAM-buh-lie-yuh]. It has nothing to do with breakfast spread.
Rule 2: No tomatoes! Tomatoes belong in Creole jambalaya (which is great), but authentic Cajun skips them entirely.
Jambalaya variations feature sausage, shrimp, chicken, pork, or crawfish. Here's my trusted recipe using chicken thighs and smoked sausage for rich flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 lb sliced smoked sausage
- 1 lb trimmed and diced chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- ½ cup water
- 3½ cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
- 2 Tbsp parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce to taste
Heat a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid and cooking oil over medium-high. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning; brown for 5 minutes.
Use breasts if preferred, but thighs offer superior flavor, moisture, and value in Cajun cooking.
Add sausage; brown for another 5 minutes.
Add the Cajun holy trinity—onions, bell peppers, celery—plus garlic. Sauté 5-10 minutes to soften and absorb meat flavors.
Your kitchen will aroma heaven!
Stir in parsley, flour, water, and broth, scraping browned bits for depth.
Bring to a boil, then add rice, Worcestershire, bay leaves, hot sauce, and Kitchen Bouquet. Taste and adjust seasonings—the rice will balance as it cooks.
Cover, reduce to low, simmer 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes:
After 20 minutes:
After 30 minutes:
Serve solo or with smothered green beans and cornbread. Bon appétit!
