Saucy Brown Rice Jambalaya
A hearty and flavorful one-pot meal, Saucy Brown Rice Jambalaya combines tender chicken, smoky sausage, and optional shrimp with vegetables, brown rice, and rich tomatoes simmered in savory spices. It’s a satisfying, saucy twist on a Louisiana classic—perfect for a cozy family dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded, and chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ lb smoked sausage cut into ½-inch rounds
- ½ lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined (optional)
- 1¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 28 oz San Marzano or San Marzano-style tomatoes with juice crushed by hand in a large bowl
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste — note that some brands are hotter than others
- salt to taste, depending on the saltiness of ingredients such as stock, sausage, tomatoes and sausage
- 3 pinches ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup uncooked brown rice not instant or quick-cook
- 2 scallions chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the meats.Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep 5-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sausage and cook for 5–8 minutes, until browned and caramelized bits (fond) form on the bottom of the pan. Remove the meats to a plate, but do not drain the pan.
- Sauté the vegetables.Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the same pan. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom as the vegetables cook.
- Add the garlic.Push the vegetables aside and add the chopped garlic to the open spot in the pan with a small drizzle of olive oil. Sauté for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Do not burn the garlic — it cooks quickly.
- Deglaze and build flavor.Pour in the stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any remaining fond from the bottom of the pan. After about 30 seconds, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.
- Add the rice and simmer.Stir in the brown rice and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how tender you prefer the rice.After about 30 minutes, taste and adjust for salt if needed — keep in mind that the sausage, stock, and tomatoes may already contain salt.
- Add shrimp (optional).If using shrimp, stir them in during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking. They cook quickly — avoid overcooking to prevent them from becoming rubbery.
- Serve.Remove the bay leaves, spoon into bowls, and garnish each serving with chopped scallions. Serve hot with garlic bread.
Notes
Nutritional values are approximate and may vary depending on specific ingredients, brands, and portion sizes.