Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ cups uncooked brown rice
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces frozen cut okra, or about 15 pods fresh okra pods, chopped (optional) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with the salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides, for about 7 minutes until it is fully cooked, reaching 165°. Work in batches if necessary. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the onion, pepper, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are soft, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir to coat vegetables and add the tomatoes. Cook for two minutes.
- Stir in the rice. Add the chicken back to the pot, along with the broth.
- Bring to a boil. Next, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. After 10 minutes, add the black-eyed peas and okra just over top the rice and cover. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, and the rice is tender, about 20-30 more minutes.
- Stir and fluff the rice with a fork. Top with your favorite hot sauce if desired and garnish with parsley.
Variations & Tips
- You can use chicken breast instead of thighs.
- You can substitute shrimp in place of chicken, would just need less cook time.
- For a vegetarian meal, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and remove chicken from recipe.
- You can use other types of peppers and onions, whatever you have on hand.
- You can use regular canned diced tomatoes in place of the fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Okra is recommended in this recipe however it is not required.
Nutrition Facts
505 calories, 12.2 g fat (2.3 g saturated fat), 35.8 g protein, 63 g carbohydrates, 9.4 g fiber, 370 mg sodium YIELD: 6 servings
Source: Adapted from Foodnetwork.com and Tasteloveandnourish.com
Presented: Monthly Cooking Demo December 2022
Watch the Chicken Jambalaya cooking demo below and download the recipe to make it yourself.