Baked chicken jambalaya recipe

A delicious, slightly spicy one-pot meal that all the family will love. Jambalaya is a dish from the Deep South of America, influenced by Spanish and French cooking.

Usually, jambalaya contains some kind of sausage, but this baked chicken jambalaya uses chicken thighs and drumsticks, and bacon lardons. This provides all of the deep savoury taste without the fat content of sausages. That is why we've included this recipe in our low calorie meals collection. It's easy to cook - all baked in one pot so there's very little washing up. This recipe has really stood the test of time - it was originally published in Women's Weekly in 1984.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken drumsticks
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp paprika (smoked paprika, if possible)
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 175g (6oz) easy-cook, long-grain rice
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• Few sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 450ml (15fl oz) hot chicken stock
• 125g (4oz) bacon bits
• 2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped

Method

1. Set the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole, or paella pan, and fry the chicken pieces until brown all over. Take out of the pan. Add the onion and carrot and fry for 5 mins.
2. Stir in the paprika, red pepper, garlic and rice and cook for 2 mins, then add the rest of the ingredients. Nestle the chicken pieces on top, bring to the boil and cover with a lid or foil.
3. Cook in the oven for 45 mins until the chicken is tender and the rice fluffy.

Top tips for making baked chicken jambalaya

If you prefer, this can be cooked entirely on the hob - just keep it covered with foil or a lid and turn the heat down to low for the 45 minute cooking time.

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