Grilled Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated August 30, 2018
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Joshua Bousel

Jambalaya may seems like an odd dish to make on the grill, but slightly smoky and charred grilled sausage, chicken, and tomatoes add great flavor.

Recipe Details

Grilled Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe

Active 90 mins
Total 2 hrs
Serves 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
  • 3/4 pounds mild smoked pork sausage (such as Kielbasa or smoked linguiça)
  • 3/4 pounds andouille
  • 2 roma tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium stalk celery, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 pound tasso ham, diced
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
  • 3/4 cup white rice
  • 3 cups homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
  • Type of fire: Direct
  • Grill heat: medium-high

Directions

  1. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Lightly season chicken thighs with Creole seasoning. Place chicken, sausages, and tomatoes (cut side down) on the grill. Cover and cook, turning chicken and sausage occasionally, until chicken until meat registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer when inserted into thickest part of thigh, about 20 minutes. Cook sausages until nder browned all over, about 10 minutes. Cook tomatoes until they have grill marks and start to blacken, about 5 minutes.

  2. Transfer chicken, sausage, and tomatoes to a cutting board as they are done. When cool enough to handle, pull chicken into large chunks. Halve sausages and slice into 1/2-inch chunks. Finely chop tomatoes.

  3. Place large stockpot or dutch oven on grill or over medium heat on a stovetop burner. Add in olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add onions, pepper, and celery and cook until vegetables have softened, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in ham, garlic, salt, white pepper, black pepper, and hot sauce and cook for 2 minutes.

  4. Add rice and stir to thoroughly coat grains with vegetable mixture. Stir in chicken stock, bay leaf, and chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until rice is fully cooked, 20-30 minutes.

  5. Stir in chicken and sausage and heat cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in green onions. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

Special equipment

Grill

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