Red Creole Jambalaya with Chicken on the Tasty Blog

      Recipe preparation:

       Source: https://www.vkusnyblog.com/recipe/krasnaya-kreolskaya-dzhambalajya-s-kuritsej/Notes on ingredients:

      Rice. Since the rice in jambalaya should not stick together and/or turn into mush, it is prepared with long-grain rice. Standard parboiled long-grain rice, which holds its shape well, is a good choice. Round-grain varieties, risotto rice, and paella rice are categorically excluded. Jasmine rice is also not the best choice in this case, as it is quite soft in texture.

      "The Holy Trinity." This is a combination of onion, celery, and green bell pepper, which is absolutely essential in this dish. However, you can play around with the types of onion and use white or shallot instead of yellow onion.

      Green bell pepper cannot be replaced with other colors, as it has a certain level of sweetness and a slightly different aroma compared to red sweet pepper.

      Sausages. The original jambalaya uses Andouille Louisiana sausages. Outside the USA, the closest substitutes would be our "Krakow" sausage or its analogs. Hunter sausages would also work, but since they are not spicy like Andouille sausages, it makes sense to add a bit more cayenne pepper to the jambalaya itself.

      Chicken. It is best to use boneless thigh or leg fillets, as they will remain juicy during relatively long stewing.

      Tomatoes. This is a mandatory ingredient for red Creole jambalaya. Canned tomatoes in their own juice are the optimal choice. This refers to tomatoes from tin cans that contain only tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, and possibly citric acid as a preservative. Pickled tomatoes with vinegar, sugar, and spices are not suitable.

      Broth. It is better to use broth – chicken or vegetable – as the liquid base rather than water. It adds a richer flavor to the dish.

      Spices. A standard Cajun seasoning mix is typically used for jambalaya. However, since it is hard to find outside the USA, I have broken it down into individual spices in the recipe – paprika, cayenne pepper, dried onion and garlic, thyme, and oregano.

      Now let's move on to the preparation.

      Slice the sausages crosswise into 3-4 mm thick pieces.

       Dice the onion, celery, and pepper into small cubes.

      Remove the bones from the drumsticks, cutting the meat into bite-sized pieces.

      In a deep skillet with a thick bottom, heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add the sausages.

      Fry until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

      In the same skillet, fry the chicken until golden brown as well.

      Transfer to the plate with the sausages.

      Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, celery, and pepper, and sauté for about 7-8 minutes, stirring and scraping the caramelized juices from the bottom of the skillet.

      Add the spices and finely chopped garlic and sauté, stirring, for half a minute. Then add the tomato paste and sauté, stirring, for another minute, until a characteristic sweet aroma appears.

      Add the crushed tomatoes along with the juice, and mix.

      Pour in the broth and salt to taste.

      Add the sausages.

      Add the chicken.

      Stir in the rice.

      Bring to a boil and cook covered on low heat until the rice is done, about 30-40 minutes (depending on the specific rice).

      Let the finished jambalaya sit for 15 minutes covered, then serve on plates, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and enjoy.

      Bon appétit!



       This recipe for red Creole jambalaya with chicken has been tested and prepared by chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of the Tasty Blog.

      Want to say thank you? It's easy!