Quick & Easy Chicken Sausage Jambalaya

Quick & easy chicken sausage jambalaya – this is a one-pot, no-fuss, super easy meal, that practically cooks itself into a delicious, hearty chicken and sausage casserole that everyone will love.

How often do you happen to cook a meal that is quick, easy, delicious and kid-friendly at the same time? Not often in my household! Surprised? Well, I am blessed with very picky eaters, with various forms of pickiness, and when a recipe hits the spot for everyone, I almost cry with joy! This quick and easy chicken jambalaya is one of those.  But it’s really a star on so many other levels.

First of all, this one-pot dish is not fussy at all. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned ingredients, and it will work like a charm. But the best part is, it requires almost no prep, and it cooks itself. You just throw a bunch of ingredients (mostly canned), turn on the oven, and come back 40 minutes later to a cooked dinner.

Almost all ingredients are staples, that you probably already have in your pantry. To speed things up, I usually make this when I have left over cooked chicken. If not, you can chop your chicken meat in small bites, and give it a quick sear in the pan before you throw in everything else. I strongly suggest dark chicken meat here, as it has way more flavor, and doesn’t dry out.

The key ingredient, that gives it a ton of flavor, is the smoked sausage, and the one I like to use is smoked Polska kelbasa. Another flavor booster is the chicken broth – a rich home-made chicken stock would be ideal. And finally, don’t be stingy with the oil – a little extra drizzle of olive oil will give it that melt-in-your-mouth feel.

So let me just sum up why you should give this dish a go right now:

1. No fuss! I requires almost no prep.  All you do is chop one onion, and peel a few garlic cloves, then open up a bunch of cans. You gotta love that on a weekday night!
2. It’s very forgiving.  You really cannot go wrong whether you used canned or frozen ingredients, and most of them are probably already in your pantry.  Oh, and let’s say you’re out of peas – no biggie, skip them.
3. It cooks itself.  No need to babysit.  You just set it in the oven, and forget it for the next 30-40 minutes.
4. It is one of those meals, that easily scales up and can feed a crowd, should you need it.
5. Oh, and last but not least, it’s really yummy, and appeals to everyone!

Here are some more ideas for a quick weeknight dinner, since we are on the topic:

Spinach artichoke chicken casserole
Spiced ground turkey lettuce wraps
Eggs in garlicky yogurt
2-ingredient paprika chicken

If you happen to make this chicken jambalaya, please let me know how you liked it. Also, if you have a great quick, easy, delicious, kid-friendly, and picky-eater-approved recipe that you make over and over, I’d like to hear about it!

5 from 1 vote

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Quick & easy chicken sausage jambalaya

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Quick & easy chicken sausage jambalaya - this is a one-pot, no-fuss, super easy meal, that practically cooks itself into a delicious, hearty chicken and sausage casserole that everyone will love.

Course: Main Course

Servings: 6

Calories: 433 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 Tbs olive oil (divided)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 1/2 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
• 1/2 cup peas (fresh, frozen or canned)
• 3/4 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups chicken broth (more if needed)
• 8 oz smoked sausage (250 g) *
• 12 oz cooked chicken thigh meat (350 g) **
• 1 1/2 Tbs smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.

2. Heat 3 Tbs olive oil in a casserole pan, add the chopped onions, and saute for 6-7 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and garlic, and cook for 1 more minute.  ***
   

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients in - the can of tomatoes, corn and peas, the cooked chicken, the sliced sausage, rice and all spices.  Pour the chicken broth over, and mix well.  Adjust the salt if needed, and drizzle the remaining 3 Tbs of olive oil (or more).  

4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked, and there is not much liquid.  The dish should be slightly saucy.  If it feels dry, add more chicken broth.  If it's too watery, remove foil and let cook for a few more minutes.

5. Serve with chopped fresh chives, or parsley.

Recipe Notes

*  Smoked Polska kelbasa works the best.

**  If you don't have cooked chicken meat, you can use raw boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat.  Just chop it into small bites, and sear it for a few minutes in a pan with a little oil, before you put the rest of the ingredients in, and bake it.

*** If you are pressed for time, you can skip this step, and just add the raw chopped onions, garlic, and tomato paste (diluted in some of the broth) to the pot with the rest of the ingredients.