Chicken Dishes
Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya
A one-pot Louisiana-style rice dish: chicken and smoky chorizo browned with the Creole “holy trinity” of onion, pepper and celery, Cajun spice and garlic, then simmered with tomatoes, stock and long-grain rice until every grain is plump and full of flavour.
- Serves 4
- Ready in 50 min
- One pot
- Freezes well
- Creole (Louisiana)
Method
Heat the oil (1 tbsp) in a large, deep frying pan or casserole with a lid over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken (500 g) and brown it for 5 minutes, then lift it out with a slotted spoon.
Add the chorizo (100 g) and fry for 2 minutes until it releases its red oil. Add the onion (1 onion), pepper (1) and celery (2) and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft.
Stir in the garlic (3 cloves), Cajun seasoning (1 tbsp) and thyme (1 tsp) for 1 minute, then add the rice (250 g) and stir until every grain is coated and glossy.
Return the chicken to the pan with the tomatoes (400 g) and stock (400 ml). Bring to the boil, stir once, then cover tightly, turn the heat right down and simmer for 20–25 minutes without stirring, until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Add a splash of water if it dries out before the rice is cooked.
If using prawns (150 g), push them into the rice for the last 5 minutes, cover again and cook until pink.
Take off the heat and leave, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, scatter with the spring onions (3 spring onions) and parsley (a little) and serve with hot sauce (to serve) at the table.
Tip: tap a step to tick it off as you cook.
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See also
Chef’s notes
- Cajun seasonings vary in salt and heat: taste the stock and add salt only at the end.
- Like for like, three chicken breasts can replace the thighs; add them back for the last 10 minutes so they stay juicy.
- Andouille sausage is the traditional choice in the US; Spanish chorizo gives a similar smoky depth.
- Leftovers reheat well in the microwave with a splash of water; make sure the rice is piping hot.
How this recipe was developed
We compared BBC Good Food’s chicken and chorizo jambalaya, from its most popular recipes collection, with Jamie Oliver’s chicken, sausage and prawn jambalaya, America’s Test Kitchen’s and the most-rated version on Allrecipes.
- Chicken and chorizo. BBC Good Food (4.75/5 from 3,089 ratings) uses chicken, chorizo, Cajun seasoning, long-grain rice, tomatoes and stock; that is our base.
- The holy trinity. Allrecipes’ Best Jambalaya (4.8/5 from 1,256 ratings), America’s Test Kitchen and Jamie Oliver all add celery and green or red pepper with the onion; we do too.
- Thighs for juiciness. Jamie Oliver uses chicken thighs and drumsticks; we use boneless thighs, which stay moist in the long simmer.
- Prawns optional. Jamie Oliver adds king prawns at the end; we made them optional.
Sources we compared (ratings as shown on each site on 1 November 2026):
- BBC Good Food (Good Food team): Chicken & chorizo jambalaya (4.75/5, 3089 ratings)
- Jamie Oliver: Chicken, sausage & prawn jambalaya (5/5, 1 ratings)
- America's Test Kitchen: Jambalaya (4.3/5, 149 ratings)
- Allrecipes (Terri): Best Jambalaya (4.8/5, 1256 ratings)
This is an original Cookeryonline recipe written in our own words. Ingredient choices and techniques are credited above; no source text has been copied.