Ingredients
Makes 4 main-dish or 8 appetizer servings
Seasoning mix:
Step 1
Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in small bowl and set aside.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat. Add the tasso and cook until meat starts to brown, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken and continue cooking until chicken is brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping pan bottom well. Stir in the seasoning mix and1/2 cup eachof the onions, celery, and bell peppers and the garlic. Cook until vegetables start to get tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring fairly constantly and scraping pan bottom as needed. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook about 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup each of the onions, celery, and bell peppers and the tomatoes. Remove from heat. Stir in the stock and rice, mixing well. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 8x8-inch baking pan. Bake uncovered in a 350° oven until rice is tender but still a bit crunchy, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Stir well and remove bay leaves Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Step 3
To serve, mold rice in an 8-ounce cup and place 2 cups on each serving plate for a main course or 1 cup for an appetizer.
Leave a Review
Reviews (37)
Back to TopDo NOT add the white and black pepper, nor the cayenne... until you give it a taste. The tasso itself usually contains enough spice to give this dish plenty of heat.
bigjer73
Bushkill, PA
12/13/2016
This recipe is the real deal for a Cajun jambalaya--with a tomato base rather than broth, as in a creole jambalaya. However, the Tasso ham can make a HUGE difference in the spice level depending on how it's made. We did this for a gourmet gathering split between two houses some years ago using a Tasso that was swimming in a spice mix. I scraped some of the spices off, and most of our guests could eat it though several still said it was way too hot. The other house used the Tasso at full strength and no one could tolerate it. I've see Tasso from other sources that wasn't nearly as potent, so my advice is to proceed with caution and use a in of Tasso and regular so,Ed ham when in doubt.
SteveD63
Cincinnati
3/4/2014
I've made this for years - usually substitute sausage for the tasso - 2 tsp of cayenne will kill most of your guests/family; be prepared to cut this WAY down for most folks. But everyone LOVES this dish - it never fails to be fancy awesome!!!
Jonathantin
New Orleans, LA
11/1/2011
I made this last night and while the flavor was fantastic, the "heat index" was too high for even a person that enjoys spice. I recommend cutting the cayenne way back for a more balanced flavor. Also, I substituted olive oil for the butter.
kerrytrivers
Atlanta
10/4/2011
As a Tulane Alum, I've eaten my share of Jambalaya - good and not so good. This was one of the easiest and tastiest I've ever made. It'll be a staple in my Mardi Gras file!!
CherylMT
Denver, CO
3/8/2011
This dish was very good, with a couple of changes, which is why I only gave it two forks. After reading the reviews, I cut the red pepper to a fourth of what was called for and it was perfect- there was heat but not too much. We like spicy food, but the full quantity would have made the dish inedible. The second change I would make is to cover the rice while cooking-- I left it uncovered, as per the recipe and at the one hour mark, it was still very raw. I added more water and then covered with foil- after another 30 minutes, it was fine. The flavor was very good though and my family says they want it again so overall, it was a success.
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
11/29/2010
I love this dish. I've made it many, many times with some changes that some might consider significant. A few of the changes make this taste more to my liking, others just make it faster and easier: I substitute Andouille sausage for the tasso; instead of mixing my own herbs and spices I use 2 tablespoons of Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute; I make sure to use only chicken thigh meat and I use a whole pound; instead of peeling and chopping tomatoes, I strain them from pre- chopped canned tomatoes; finally, I use brown jasmine rice. It's delicious!
libbybowles1
sacramento, ca
11/15/2010
Quick and easy to make - even better the next day!
rbeadie
falls church, va
3/15/2009
This is the best recipe I have come across short of just going to Lafayette, LA and going to my "cajun source". I substituted the tasso with some Parker House Sausages, cooked the rice and then added it to the mixture to be baked. You don't have to cook as long and I don't like crunchy rice. Never had leftovers when I cook it.
Anonymous
Evanston, IL
1/5/2009
I thought this jambalaya was good, however, I had to add cumin, garlic powder, and tony chachere's creole seasoning after taking out of the oven. Maybe it was mostly to get rid of the overwhelming tomato flavor. Being from Louisiana I am very familiar with what the flavor should be like and this was a tad bit off.
skygirl771
Austin, TX
2/27/2008
What else would you make for Fat Tuesday, why Jambalaya of course! This recipe was the BOMB! I did cheat a little and used Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning in place of the ground red pepper, salt, white pepper and black pepper. I used some left-over ham I had in the freezer for the Tasso (but I think I'll try and find that next time). I also used about 2 cups of smoked sausage with the chicken. It's winter in Cincinnati and hard to find flavorful tomatoes, so I subbed a can of Red Gold diced tomatoes with Chipotle seasoning and next time I'll use the whole can instead of just 1 cup. Awesome flavor, my teenage son couldn't get enough.
rocketmom2
Cincinnati
2/20/2007
Paul Prudhomme is the man! I have yet to make a recipe of his that I didn't absolutely love. His Louisiana Kitchen cookbook is the only one on my counter and this is my favorite Jambalaya recipe. I will admit that it will light you up if you follow his recipe verbatim, but I'm a chilehead so I either follow it or add to it. I did decrease the cayenne pepper for my Mom the last time she was up and it was bearable for her. I liked the ham (used the Cure 81, as I couldn't find tasso), but it gave a bit of sweetness to the dish. I prefer using Andouille or some other spicy sausage in place of the ham, but either way is delicious. I may try both next time. I highly recommend that you try this recipe out, crank up the heat, and enjoy!
Dave Rettberg
Evansville, Indiana
10/9/2006
Fantastic. We must have delicate tastebuds here in the midwest - I cut the spice down to 3/4 and it was perfect for us (very spicy for some guests). Didn't have tasso and used ham. I'd like to know what the difference would be?
rmtarino
st. paul,mn
2/27/2006
I couldn't find tasso so I used country ham. Maybe it is saltier than tasso, because the recipe seemed too salty to me, even though I left out about half the spice mixture. Next time I will add salt to taste.
shannonstoney
Houston, TX
2/22/2006
这是我的新jambalya recipe-yum。我读这个afternoon and made it with what I had on hand: chicken breasts and fresh chorizo. I cut down on the cayenne and the white pepper and cooked the rice separately, added a little liquid to the pan while it simmered separately. It made a rather large potful, so I can freeze some. This would make a great buffet dish. Thanks for the tips everybody.
arlenewes
Bloomingdale, NJ
2/20/2006
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