Smoky Chicken & Prawn Jambalaya

A tomato-based one-pot rice dish with chicken, prawns, peppers and celery, seasoned with paprika and thyme.
Prep: 15 min · Cook: 45 min · 4 servings
Equipment: Large heavy saucepan with lid

• 400g chicken breast, cut into 2cm pieces
• 300g raw peeled prawns, thawed if frozen
• 240g dry long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 400g canned chopped tomatoes
• 400ml chicken stock, plus extra water only if needed
• 200g green pepper, diced
• 150g celery, diced
• 150g onion, diced
• 9g garlic, minced
• 15g olive oil
• 4g smoked paprika (2 tsp)
• 1g dried thyme (1 tsp)
• 0.5g cayenne pepper (about 1/4 tsp)
• 1g salt, or to taste

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan with a lid. Add the chicken and brown for 4–5 minutes, turning; it will finish cooking with the rice. Add the onion, pepper and celery and cook for 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Stir in the garlic, paprika, thyme and cayenne for 30 seconds. Add the rinsed uncooked rice and stir to coat, then add the tomatoes and stock.

3. 3

   Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 18–22 minutes, stirring once halfway to prevent sticking. If the pan becomes dry before the rice is tender, add a little boiling water.

4. 4

   When the rice is nearly tender, fold in the raw prawns. Cover and cook for another 4–6 minutes until the prawns are opaque and reach 63°C and the chicken reaches 74°C. Larger prawns may need longer.

5. 5

   Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. Taste before adding the salt and divide into four equal portions. This is a jambalaya-inspired recipe without sausage.

Storage & reheating

Cool in shallow portions and refrigerate or freeze within 1 hour of cooking. Keep at 4°C or below and eat refrigerated portions within 24 hours. Freeze extra portions promptly for up to 1 month for best texture; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat once, stirring halfway, until every part reaches 74°C, then eat immediately.

Substitutions

Omit the cayenne for a milder dish. Use chicken alone instead of prawns if avoiding shellfish, increasing the chicken by 300g and cooking it to 74°C; nutrition changes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

513 kcal · 45g protein · 62.2g carbs · 7.9g fat · 5.1g fibre.

Calculated from measured ingredients using generic composition estimates. Brands and portion sizes change the result. Optional additions and substitutions are excluded.

Storage guidance: USDA leftover guidance · FSA rice guidance