Skillet Jambalaya
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 11, 2011
Yield
Serve 4 to 6
Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat5 teaspoons vegetable oil ½ pound andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces1 medium onion, chopped medium1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 ½ tablespoons)1 ½ cups long grain white rice 1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 pound large shrimp (31 to 40 count), peeled, deveined, and rinsed2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Before You Begin
If you cannot find andouille sausage, either chorizo or linguiça can be sustituted. For a spicier jambalaya, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne along with the vegetables, and/or serve it with Tabasco.
Instructions
- Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down, and cook until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook until the second side is golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate. Using paper towels, remove and discard the browned chicken skin.
- Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the fat left in the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the andouille and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, transfer the sausage to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 3 teaspoons oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the edges turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, clam juice, and chicken broth; bring to a simmer. Gently nestle the chicken into the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Stir the shrimp and sausage into the rice and continue to cook, covered, over low heat for 2 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let stand, covered, until the shrimp are fully cooked and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, following the illustration below, shred the chicken using two forks. Stir the parsley and shredded chicken into the rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Yield
Serve 4 to 6Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ pound andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped medium
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound large shrimp (31 to 40 count), peeled, deveined, and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ pound andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped medium
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound large shrimp (31 to 40 count), peeled, deveined, and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 ½ pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ pound andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped medium
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound large shrimp (31 to 40 count), peeled, deveined, and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Jambalaya, a hearty mix of chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp, and rice, is typically made in a Dutch oven and can take at least an hour to prepare. We wanted a quicker, easier version without sacrificing any of the complex flavors of this Creole classic.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs rather than the typical whole cut-up chicken called for in many recipes saved us time and fuss. To mimic long-simmered flavor, we browned the sausage in the skillet, added the chicken, then cooked the vegetables in some of the rendered fat. We then stirred the rice in to coat it with the fat for deep flavor. For our cooking liquid, we relied on chicken broth and clam juice (to complement the shrimp). To prevent the shrimp from overcooking, we cooked it for only a few minutes, then allowed it to finish cooking through off the heat (the residual heat is hot enough to cook it through). Entirely made in a skillet, this jambalaya makes a fast and satisfying supper.
Before You Begin
If you cannot find andouille sausage, either chorizo or linguiça can be sustituted. For a spicier jambalaya, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne along with the vegetables, and/or serve it with Tabasco.
Instructions
- Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down, and cook until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook until the second side is golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate. Using paper towels, remove and discard the browned chicken skin.
- Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the fat left in the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the andouille and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, transfer the sausage to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 3 teaspoons oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the edges turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, clam juice, and chicken broth; bring to a simmer. Gently nestle the chicken into the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Stir the shrimp and sausage into the rice and continue to cook, covered, over low heat for 2 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let stand, covered, until the shrimp are fully cooked and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, following the illustration below, shred the chicken using two forks. Stir the parsley and shredded chicken into the rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
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