Jambalaya is a beloved Southern classic known for its bold flavors and hearty ingredients. This Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Jambalaya offers a fresh, lighter twist on the traditional dish, featuring smoky grilled chicken, plenty of veggies, and the perfect blend of spices. It’s a one-pan meal that’s as vibrant as it is satisfying, and the best part? It’s incredibly easy to prepare.
The star of this dish is the grilled chicken, which is marinated in a mix of Cajun spices, garlic, and lime juice, giving it a zesty and smoky flavor. Grilling the chicken adds an extra layer of char and depth that takes this jambalaya to the next level. Once grilled, the chicken is sliced and added to the rice mixture, adding protein and a savory kick to the dish.
The rice itself is cooked with a mix of bell peppers, onions, celery, and tomatoes, essential ingredients that create the foundation of this dish. A dash of Cajun seasoning, paprika, thyme, and a pinch of cayenne pepper bring all the bold flavors together, while the tomatoes and broth give the rice a rich, comforting base. You can also throw in other veggies like zucchini or corn to add even more color and texture.
Everything comes together in one pot or skillet, making it perfect for busy weeknights or meal prepping for the week ahead. The rice absorbs all the flavorful juices from the vegetables and chicken, creating a hearty, one-pot meal that’s bursting with flavor. For extra flair, top it off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of parsley for a refreshing contrast to the smoky spices.
Whether you’re craving something with a little heat or simply looking to enjoy a delicious, balanced meal, this Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Jambalaya offers the perfect combination of savory, smoky, and fresh. It’s a dish that’s guaranteed to warm you up and satisfy your hunger, all in one bite.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme dried
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- parsley chopped fresh for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika. Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into strips.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, rice, chicken broth, cayenne pepper, thyme, and oregano to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in the sliced grilled chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Nutrition
This jambalaya was fantastic! So flavorful and easy to make. My family loved it!
Can u make this with brown rice? I only have brown rice.
Yeah, you can totally use brown rice! Just remember it takes longer to cook than white rice. Maybe add a bit more broth too.
I dunno about that. Brown rice has a different texture and flavor. What if it doesn’t turn out right? 🤔
I’m not a cook, ended up burning the chicken. But even the burnt part was still kind of good. Lol.
Lol, I wouldn’t feel too bad about burning. It’s all about how it tastes, right? Just don’t let it happen again! 😅
Burnt chicken? That’s a new level of cooking. But hey, if it still tasted good, maybe that’s a hidden skill! 😂
It’s all good until you put cayenne! That stuff is fire. I like mild!
Honestly quite basic. I’ve had better jambalaya. Needs more spices or something to kick it up a notch.
I followed the recipe but it came out too spicy for me. Maybe cut down on the cayenne next time?
Wow!!! Best jambalaya ever, I swear it! Grill the chicken right! 🔥
I made this and honestly, it didn’t taste like jambalaya at all. More like chicken and rice. Disappointed!
I had a similar experience! I think you need more spices for it to truly feel like jambalaya. This was almost bland for me.
I loved it! I think it’s a different take on jambalaya but it was delish! Maybe you just overcooked it?
This looks complicated, but it’s really not. Just follow the steps and you’re golden! Thanks for sharing!
This jambalaya is amazing! So much flavor, my whole family loved it.
Who even puts tomatoes in jambalaya? That’s a no for me!
Grilled chicken? YES! This recipe is awesome, and the veggies add such great flavor! Will make again.
Yum! I just threw everything in a pot and let it cook. Super simple and came out good!
Sounds delish! I love a recipe that’s easy like that! Can’t wait to try it. 😋
Easy and delicious! But didn’t have long grain rice, used basmati instead, still turned out good!
Glad it turned out great! Basmati rice is such a nice twist, I’ll have to try that next time.
I don’t know about using basmati, wouldn’t that change the whole taste? Long grain is kinda the point of jambalaya!
Hmmm… grilled chicken? I thought it’s a stew? Confusing recipe. Just sayin. 🤷
I left out the bell peppers ’cause I’m not a fan, but still turned out good! 😋
Yummy! The chicken was perfectly grilled. I added some shrimp too. Definitely making it again!
I was skeptical about grilling the chicken first, but it turned out great! Definitely a keeper.
Just a suggestion to add shrimp next time. I think it would be better that way.
Grill chicken like a pro now! Thanks for the tips, my friends thought I was a chef! 😂
Haha, that’s awesome! Nothing like impressing friends with a delicious meal! 😄
Really? I don’t think grilling chicken is that impressive. Anyone can do it. 🙄
Jambalaya without sausage? Why would you do that? Just wrong!
I like chicken and rice, but jambalaya? Nah, not my thing. The flavors didn’t mix well for me.
My family loved it! The kids asked for seconds. A keeper for sure!
Grilled chicken? I just boiled mine. Still good tho.
Not spicy enough for me. I added extra cayenne and it still was kinda bland. 🥴
Extra cayenne? You’re brave! But some people just don’t like spicy stuff, so I get it. 🤷 Just add more spices next time!
I didn’t think it was bland at all! I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect for me. Maybe your taste buds are just different? 🤷♂️
Great recipe! 🙌 Delish and easy peasy! 👌
What’s up with the cayenne? That’s too spicy for me. I couldn’t even eat it!
This recipe made my grill taste so bad! I think chicken need more than just paprika.
I don’t think it’s the recipe, maybe the grill needed cleaning? Paprika is a classic, but you could try marinading the chicken longer. Just a thought!
Great for meal prep! I made a huge batch and froze some for later.
This recipe was a hit with my family! Super easy and packed with flavor. Will definitely make it again.
Did I miss something? The recipe says 2 cups chicken broth but I think it needs more! Rice dried up too fast.
Just okay. I’ve had better jambalaya. This one lacks some depth.
Kinda bland for my taste. Maybe I added too much rice? Not sure if I’ll try this again…
Absolutely delicious! The chicken was so juicy and the spices were perfect. Will make again!
This recipe is amazing! The chicken was so juicy and the flavors were spot on. Definitely making it again.
Yummy! But I substituted chicken with tofu coz I’m a vegetarian.
Tofu sounds interesting! I’ve never tried it in jambalaya. Did it taste good? 😋
I was a bit skeptical about grilling the chicken first, but it made such a difference! Can’t wait to try it again.
Really? Grilling first? Seems like a lot of extra work to me. How much could it actually change the flavor? Just curious.
I totally agree! Grilling really adds a smoky flavor that makes the dish so much better. I never thought about it before either.
Waste of time, it didn’t even taste like jambalaya. Disappointed.
I totally disagree! This jambalaya has such a nice grilled flavor. Maybe you didn’t follow all the steps?
I mean, it’s not traditional, but I kinda liked it. Gotta keep an open mind! Jambalaya can be done in many ways.
It didn’t turn out like I thought it would. The rice was too mushy for me. Maybe I did something wrong?
Hmm, can you use brown rice instead? I forgot to buy some! 🤔
Does it really take 25 minutes for the rice? Seemed way too long. Just a suggestion.
Cayenne?! Isn’t that a type of pepper? I thought it was a kind of spice? lol.
I’m too lazy to grill chicken so I just fry it. Still good!
I found this recipe too spicy for my taste. Maybe less cayenne next time? 😅
Yeah, the cayenne can really take over. I usually just use a pinch! 😅
So good! My whole family loved it! They ate it all! Thanks for sharing!
I can’t believe how simple this was. I usually cook complicated stuff!
Holy cow, where has this recipe been all my life? Easy and delicious!
Very nice! I added some corn for sweetness! 🙂
I don’t know if I did it right, but mine came out a bit mushy. Was the rice supposed to absorb all the broth?
This is the best jambalaya I’ve ever made! The chicken was so juicy and the spices were just perfect. Definitely a keeper!
How can this even be called jambalaya without sausage?
Wow, this is sooooo good! I topped mine with some cheddar cheese, yum!
I don’t usually like rice, but this dish was surprisingly good! Easy to make too.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I never thought I’d like rice either, but this recipe really changes that! 🔥
Didnt turn out like the pic. Maybe I did something wrong.
Cook the chicken a bit longer, I kinda like it crunchy. More flavor that way!
I didn’t follow the recipe exactly and used leftover rotisserie chicken, but it was still pretty good! Cooking is all about improvisation, right? 😜
I love the colors of this dish! Looks so good, taste lives up to it!
Too spicy for my kids! I might cut back on the cayenne next time. But overall, not bad.
This jambalaya recipe was fantastic! The grilled chicken added such a nice flavor. Definitely a keeper! 🍗
I used vegetable broth instead, came out good. Vegan jambalaya!
it was ok, but I’m no chef so who knows.
Very satisfying meal. Perfect for a busy weekday dinner!
Not enough liquid in the skillet. Rice was hard. 😥
I had the same issue once! Just add a bit more broth next time, it helps a lot!
Well, maybe you just didn’t cook it long enough? Rice can be tricky sometimes.
Too spicy for my kids! Next time I will skip the cayenne.
Maybe try milder peppers next time? Sweet is nice too.
Loved it! The grilled chicken added a nice touch. I didn’t have paprika, used chili powder instead, and it was still good!
Tasty! But I think I put too much salt. My bad lol.
Tasty! I added shrimp to mine and it turned out great! Highly recommend!
This needs something, maybe shrimp? It’s too plain.
This is not traditional jambalaya! Where’s the sausage? A real jambalaya has sausage in it!
This was sooo good! My kids loved it! 😍
My kinda meal! Yummy 😋
Too many peppers, it was like a veggie explosion! 😅
Yummy! I used leftover chicken and it worked fine. Super easy.
How can you just grill chicken and say it’s jambalaya? Jambalaya is supposed to have sausage!
Sounds delicious! I love using leftovers. Definitely giving this a try!
Didn’t work for me. My rice was undercooked and the sauce was too watery. I must have done something wrong.
Don’t forget to use fresh herbs! I used dried, and it was just… okay.
So easy to make! I love how quick it is for a weeknight dinner. Thanks!
I completely agree! This recipe is a lifesaver during busy weeks. 😍
Too many ingredients! I’m not good at cooking with so many. Might just stick to plain chicken next time.
Pretty decent, but I prefer seafood jambalaya. This felt kind of dry with no sauce.
Why does everyone say it’s good? I couldn’t even eat mine! The flavors just didn’t mix right.