Turkey Sausage Jambalaya
This post is sponsored by Jennie-O. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own.
Lighten up gameday or weeknight meal with Turkey Sausage Jambalaya! This healthier twist on the classic is a one pot meal that’s ready in an hour! Featuring Jennie-O Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage, onions, green bell pepper and garlic, this entrée cooks down with rice and makes a perfect meal. Flavorful with just a hint of spice, Turkey Sausage Jambalaya will be your family’s new favorite meal and a wonderful recipe to provide at a tailgate!
Y’all.
I have a confession to make, and it’s one that’s going to make some of my friends laugh.
But… I’m weirdly selective when it comes to Louisiana cuisine and how it should be made. 😉
(I’m well aware this is ridiculous. Please bear with me.)
I’m love adaptations.
Heck, you’ll find alllllllll kinds of adaptions here at The Speckled Palate, but you’ll notice I’ve never adapted a traditional Cajun recipe. (I’m lookin’ at you, Shrimp and Grits, Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya and Crawfish Étouffée.)
Quite honestly, I don’t think classic Louisiana recipes need twists. They don’t need bells or whistles.
Heck, none of ‘em have bells and whistles to begin with. They’re just darn good cookin’ that’s FULL of flavor.
And they don’t need me messing with ’em.
(I’m sure this could be said for other cuisine, too, but alas…)
Today’s recipe is about as close to a twist on a classic as I’ll get.
Most jambalayas are chock full of sausage, but I’ve found that the traditional sausage used is pretty fatty.
And while there’s a time and place for that—hello, gameday goodness!—weeknight dinners don’t need to be gut bombs.
Which is where the Jennie-O Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage comes in. And it serves as the rightful star of this jambalaya!
The Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage is fully cooked, so we don’t necessarily have to do anything but slice it, though I crisped up the outside in the Dutch oven. The sausage has a great taste and texture with less fat – 65% less fat than smoked beef sausage.
Needless to say, I was excited to adapt my classic jambalaya recipe and feature this sausage because, well, I’m all for sausage in a weeknight meal.
And wouldn’t you know that it tastes AMAZING?
Even my Louisianan husband, who adds hot sauce to most everything, was satisfied with the flavor and heat of this jambalaya!
Not only is this jambalaya a great recipe for a weeknight dinner—it’s ready in an hour, y’all!—but it can also be showcased on gameday without complaint.
I meaaaaaaaaan… who’s gonna turn down a jambalaya that looks like THAT?
Not me!
Scroll on down to learn how to make this goodness at home…
Turkey Sausage Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 14 oz. Jennie-O Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup white rice
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Instructions
- Brown the turkey sausage on all sides over medium-high heat in a 3.5+ qt. Dutch oven. (I used my 5 qt.)
- When browned, remove from the pan, slice into rounds and set aside.
- Add the olive oil to the same Dutch oven.
- When the olive oil is hot, add the onions, bell pepper and garlic.
- Move the vegetables around the pan constantly, softening them, about 5-7 minutes.
- When the vegetables are soft, add the chicken stock and Worcestershire. Season with salt and cayenne.
- Bring the stock to a boil, and add back in the sliced turkey sausage. Cook for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors a chance to meld.
- Measure in the rice, then lower the head.
- Cover the Dutch oven and cook for 40-45 minutes.
- When the time is up, the chicken stock should have been completely absorbed and the rice will be plump.
- Enjoy warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Are you a firm believer in keeping the classics as they are, or do you like to make adaptations on your tried and true favorites?
Could I interest you in a bowl of jambalaya?
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I could seriously eat Jambalaya every single day! Loving this simple recipe with that delish turkey sausage – definitely a winner for weekly food prep!! xo
I love this jambalaya recipe!!
Jambalaya is perfect for game day!
This looks AMAZING! My husband moved here from Norway just under a year ago and I’ve been trying to introduce him to the diverse range of regional cuisines we have here in the US. He recently discovered Gumbo and I think its high time he get some jambalaya (and/or grits) under his culinary belt. I can’t wait to whip this up for him!
I love this type of rice dish with all the flavors, textures and ingredients! I was raised on arroz con pollo in Panama that is a similar dish in Latin style. I am pinning this for later.
You had me at jambalaya!! I love turkey sausage and your recipe looks both delicious and beautiful! Great recipe once again Erin!
Oh, I do adaptations and fusion all the time! If I write it up it’s usually a major enough change that I really have a different recipe, but just cooking for us covers the spectrum. “I have this, and that technique will save time, and someone can’t eat the other ingredient…”
I think most people won’t even notice this one! Looks so good!
I am a sucker for a jambalaya…I love spicy!
Oh, I do adaptations and fusion all the time! If I write it up it’s usually a major enough change that I really have a different recipe, but just cooking for us covers the spectrum. “I have this, and that technique will save time, and someone can’t eat the other ingredient…”
I think most people won’t even notice this one! Looks so good!
‘Tis the season for Jambalaya! I was just talking about how I wanted some the other day, your turkey sausage version sounds great. Thanks for sharing!
I am a sucker for a jambalaya…I love spicy!
‘Tis the season for Jambalaya! I was just talking about how I wanted some the other day, your turkey sausage version sounds great. Thanks for sharing!
I love a good one pot meal – this one looks great! It’d be perfect for a busy weeknight when I don’t want to deal with a mountain of dishes.
YUUUM! I love how easy and simple this recipe is, but still full of flavor! My 3 year old would gobble this up (me too)!
I hear ya! I’m not overly keen on messing around with traditional Irish food, I tend to hide in a dark cupboard the week before St.Patrick’s day 😉 Your Jambalaya looks so tasty, I could definitely go for a helping or two!
I hear ya! I’m not overly keen on messing around with traditional Irish food, I tend to hide in a dark cupboard the week before St.Patrick’s day 😉 Your Jambalaya looks so tasty, I could definitely go for a helping or two!
Wow. This looks delicious! I’m actually picky about my New Orleans dishes too! I need to make gumbo for a personal chef client next week and she asked me not to use traditional andouille. Going to use this turkey sausage instead. Thanks for the idea!
Jambalaya in less than an hour?!! What’s not to love about that? And that charred turkey sausage. . .now that’s completely irresistible too.
This jambalaya looks so yummy!! What a great twist on a classic.
This jambalaya looks so yummy!! What a great twist on a classic.
You had me at jambalaya!! I love turkey sausage and your recipe looks both delicious and beautiful! Great recipe once again Erin!
I love this type of rice dish with all the flavors, textures and ingredients! I was raised on arroz con pollo in Panama that is a similar dish in Latin style. I am pinning this for later.