Skillet Jambalaya Recipe

I hope I never get to a point in life where I want to stop learning.  I’m fully aware that as life moves along, it’s all too easy to get comfortable with the familiar and the temptation creeps in to just rest with what you know now.  Why bother to try anything new?  I got my routine down.  I’m good.

Yes, it can be tempting to just stick with the familiar.

But when I do bust out of my comfort zone and try something new, I’m almost always glad I did.  It’s good to keep nurturing your curiosity.  It’s good to keep learning.  It’s good to make Jambalaya even though in 50+ years of living you somehow managed to never to do that before. 🙂

And that’s the truth!  I had never made Jambalaya even though it’s quite simple to do.  I’m glad though that I finally took the time to play around with these flavors and learn the method because now I have another tasty recipe that the family enjoys that’s been added to my recipe collection.  I’m so glad I took the time to keep learning.

Skillet Jambalaya with homemade cajun seasoning

 

What gives this recipe its flavor is the Cajun seasoning.  I’ve been using my homemade Cajun seasoning spice blend and have decided that using two teaspoons of this blend in the Jambalaya recipe is about right.  Of course you can use a little less or a little more to suit your taste.   I usually recommend that if you are in doubt to add the seasoning gradually and do a taste test because you can always put more seasoning in, but you can’t take it back out.

Homemade Cajun seasoning spice blend

 I’ve also used brown rice in this recipe with good results.  When I use brown rice, I skip cooking it in the broth, and instead use this boiling method to cook the brown rice which has been working great for me. 

Sometimes I make this recipe with just the sausage, sometimes with just the chicken, and sometimes with both! You can definitely be flexible with this recipe depending on what you may have on hand.

Here’s how to do it:

Skillet Jambalaya

This skillet jambalaya makes a tasty weeknight supper - you can make your own cajun seasoning too!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Main Dish
Yield: 4 servings
Author: TheMakeYourOwnZone.com

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup Long Grain White Rice
  • 1-1/2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth (low sodium)
  • 2 Tbl Oil
  • 1/2 cup Diced Onion
  • 1/2 cup Diced Green Pepper
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1-1/2 cups Sliced Sausage (I use 1/2 a 13 oz pkg of Hillshire Farm)
  • 1-1/2 cups Diced Cooked Chicken
  • 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes (with their juice)
  • 2 tsp Cajun Seasoning

Instructions:

  • Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan on the stove.  Add the rice, stir, turn the heat to low, and cover.  Simmer for 20 minutes to let the rice absorb the liquid. 
  • While the rice is simmering, begin cooking the other ingredients. Place the oil in a large skillet and heat on the stove. Then add the diced onion, diced green pepper, minced garlic, and the sliced sausage to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes.
  • Next, add the can of diced tomatoes and the cooked diced chicken.
  • When the rice is done cooking, add the rice to the skillet.
  • Finally add the Cajun seasoning. Let everything simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors meld.

Notes:

Note:  Brown rice can also be used in this recipe. If using brown rice, I boil the 3/4 cup of rice in 6 cups of water for 20 minutes, then drain the excess water, and add the cooked brown rice to the skillet.
This recipe can also be made with just the sausage, or just the chicken, instead of using both.
You can also make your own cajun seasoning using this homemade cajun seasoning spice blend.

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