A delicious combination of chicken, chorizo, rice, tomatoes and Cajun spice, this Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya is quick and easy to make, and tastes amazing! Plus, it’s all made in one pot, so less washing up. Perfect for busy midweek evenings!
A super easy one pot midweek dinner!
I love an easy one pot midweek dinner – and they don’t come much easier that this Easy One Pot Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya!
The great thing about this recipe is it’s basically just chucking a load of stuff into the pot and then leaving it to do its thing for 15 minutes… but the result tastes like you’ve made A LOT more effort!
And, of course, because it’s a one pan recipe, there’s only one pan to wash up after – result 😀
How to make Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya
This Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya recipe really is SO easy!
All you need to do is fry up some chicken breast pieces, then remove to a plate. Next, fry the onions, celery, peppers and chorizo. Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning, and fry for 1 more minute. Then add the cooked chicken back to the pan, along with the rice, tomatoes and stock.
Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. Stir through some fresh parsley (optional) and serve. Easy Peasy!
The whole thing takes just 30 minutes, and delivers incredible results every time 😀
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What is Jambalaya?
In case you were wondering, Jambalaya is a mixed rice, meat and vegetable dish that comes from the U.S. state of Louisiana, but has strong African, Spanish, and French influences.
It typically contains rice, chicken, sausage, onions, celery, green bell peppers, stock and Cajun spices. It sometimes also includes prawns (AKA shrimp), tomatoes, chilli and garlic.
I certainly don’t claim this Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya is in any way ‘authentic’ (whatever that means!). But as with so many of my dishes, I’ve tried to maintain the ‘essence’ of the dish and all the key flavours/ingredients, while making it quick and easy to make – even on a busy weeknight. And I’ve tried to ensure that the ingredients list is kept as short as possible, and only contains ingredients that are easy to get hold of in a normal British supermarket.
So, while this may not be ‘authentic’, it’s quick, easy and delicious – which to me is much more important!
What to serve with jambalaya
This dish really is a whole meal in its own right.
But if you want to add in some sides, you could serve it with some crusty French bread and green beans on the side.
Other good side dish options for jambalaya include:
- Cornbread
- Corn on the cob
- Sauteed chard or greens
- Garlic bread
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Tenderstem Broccoli
What to drink with jambalaya
I recommend going for a gutsy red that will stand up to the strong flavours in Jambalaya. Something like a California Zinfandel, an Italian Primitivo (which is the same grape variety, by another name!) or an oaky Rioja (look out for Reserva or Gran Reserva on the label).
If you prefer white, go for a zingy Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like NZ, Chile or South Africa. Sauvignon Blanc goes well with tomatoey dishes and stands up to spice quite well too.
Make it your own
This recipe is very flexible, so feel free to adapt it to suit your tastes! Here are a few ideas:
- Use diced pork instead of the chicken
- Use spicy or smoked chorizo instead of the regular kind
- Use lardons or diced bacon instead of the chorizo
- Use diced courgette, aubergine or carrots instead of (or as well as) the peppers
- Throw in some okra or baby corn 5 minutes before the end of the simmering time
- Throw in some prawns (AKA shrimp) 3 minutes before the end of the simmering time
- Add in some dried chilli flakes or fresh chilli to add some extra heat
(Did you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Let us know in the comment section below.)
Can you reheat leftover jambalaya?
Yes, but you have to be extra careful with rice, so make sure you follow the food safety rules for cooling and reheating rice.
Can you freeze jambalaya?
Again, yes – but you have to be extra careful with rice, so make sure you follow the food safety rules for cooling and reheating rice.
If you like this recipe…
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Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500 g chicken breast cut into bitesize pieces
- 1 onion diced
- 1 stick of celery sliced
- 1 red pepper cut into bitesize pieces
- 1 green pepper cut into bitesize pieces
- 130 g diced chorizo
- 2 cloves garlic grated or crushed
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I use Schwartz - see Note 1)
- 200 g long grain white rice (I use Tesco 'easy cook' - see Note 2)
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml chicken stock (from a cube is fine, I used 1 x Kallo Organic Chicken)
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped - plus extra for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a very large frying pan (or wok), heat the oil over a high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces and fry until light golden brown on all sides, stirring regularly. (Approximately 3 minutes – do not overcook!) Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Put the pan back on the heat and add the onions, celery, peppers and chorizo. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Turn the heat right down, then add the garlic and Cajun seasoning. Fry for 1 more minute.
- Add the cooked chicken back to the pan, along with the rice, tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine, then turn the heat up and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down low again. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. (See Note 2.) Stir occasionally.
- When the rice is fully cooked, stir through the parsley (optional) and serve immediately, garnished with more parsley.
Notes
- How much Cajun seasoning you need to use will depend on the brand you choose and your own taste preferences. I recommend you start with 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning – you can always add more if you want to!
- Long grain rice is usually sold as ‘easy cook’ in UK supermarkets. I use Tesco Easy Cook Long Grain Rice. This states that it takes 15 minutes to cook in boiling water, but I find it usually takes a little longer in a Jambalaya, so I allow around 20 minutes. Depending on the brand of rice you use, you may need to cook your rice a little longer than this – check the packet instructions. Add extra water if the jambalaya starts to get too dry.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Sam says
Great recipe, Eb!
I’ve make a few tweaks, it’s chicken and king prawn for Mister and Quorn pieces for me but this is a lovely tasty midweek meal.
I add a few frozen peas and fresh chives snips at the end for a bit of green too. Keep up the amazing recipes x
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay, that is so wonderful to hear! And I love the sound of your adaptations. Thank you for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀