Chicken Jambalaya

Celebrate Mardi Gras season with this Louisiana favorite. Crispy seared chicken thighs with sautéed vegetables in a cajun-seasoned tomato broth with just a kick of spice, simmered to perfection.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 35-40 min

This dish is Gluten-Free

Calories: 654 Fat: 12g Carbs: 45g Protein: 16g

Celebrate Mardi Gras season without leaving town! This is a weeknight-friendly version of jambalaya, a classic New Orleans dish with just the right amount of Cajun zip.

Ingredients

Onion

Celery

Red Bell Pepper

Minnesota Nice Spice Big Easy Louisi Cajun seasoning

Fire roasted diced tomatoes

Vegetable Broth Base

Jasmine rice

Green Onions

Chicken thighs

Garnish To add decorative or savory touches to food.

Toast To lightly heat grains in a sauté pan or pot until they are lightly toasted and aromatic.

Simmer To stew gently below or just at boiling point.

Large deep sauté pan with lid

Step 1: MISE EN PLACE

Read through entire recipe before getting started. Wash and dry all produce. Peel and dice onion. Remove bottom 2” of celery; slice in half lengthwise, then dice. Remove stem and seeds from red bell pepper and dice. Remove root from green onions, discard, then thinly slice. Dissolve vegetable broth base in 1½ cups warm water. Remove chicken thighs from package; rinse and pat dry.

Step 2: SEAR THE CHICKEN

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add to hot pan and sear on each side for 3-4 min (be careful of oil splatter). Reduce heat to medium. Remove chicken from pan; chop into ½” pieces and set aside. Note: Chicken won’t be fully cooked at this point.

Step 3: SAUTE VEGETABLES

Using the same pan, add 1 ½-2 cups onion and all celery over medium heat; sauté for 2-3 min. Add in red pepper and sauté 1 min longer.

Step 4: TOAST RICE

Add rice to vegetables and toast for 1-2 min over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: FINISH JAMBALAYA

Add chicken, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and Big Easy Louisi Cajun seasoning to vegetables. Bring to a low simmer (you may need to reduce heat); cover and cook 20-25 min until rice has absorbed three-quarters of the liquid and is soft. The USDA recommends cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Step 6: PLATE YOUR DISH

Divide jambalaya between two bowls. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!