Leftover Turkey Jambalaya
Leftover turkey? Turn it into this delicious Leftover Turkey Jambalaya. It has so much spice and flavor. Serve with bread for a hearty meal!
Leftover turkey? Turn it into this delicious Leftover Turkey Jambalaya. It has so much spice and flavor. Serve with bread for a hearty meal!
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (divided)
- 1 pound andouille or kielbasa sausage (sliced)
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
- 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce (undrained)
- 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (i like the garlic flavor sauce)
- 2 cups diced turkey
- Carbohydrate 23.6245668588037 g
- Cholesterol 363.617751064536 mg
- Fat 84.928999896063 g
- Fiber 2.5556938889933 g
- Protein 90.5738907229247 g
- Saturated Fat 25.2774918614103 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (626g)
- Sodium 1169.47390953694 mg
- Sugar 21.0688729698104 g
- Trans Fat 7.27627688601035 g
- Calories 1241 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven. Add sausage and cook until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to the grease in the Dutch oven. Add onion, green pepper and celery and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, Tabasco sauce, pepper, and thyme.
- Bring mixture to a simmer and stir in rice and reserved sausage. Cover and cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes. I like to cook it uncovered for the last 5 minutes to help thicken it up.
- Stir in turkey and serve.
Uncovering the Dutch oven during the final five minutes of simmering allows excess moisture to evaporate so the grains achieve distinct separation rather than a pasty texture. Utilizing leftover roasted poultry requires specific timing adjustments because fully cooked protein dries out quickly under prolonged direct heat.
- Brown the sliced andouille or kielbasa sausage over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven until a dark crust forms on the bottom of the pan, which creates the foundation for the subsequent fond.
- Sauté the chopped yellow onion, green bell pepper, and celery in the rendered sausage fat and remaining oil until the onions turn translucent and the celery softens completely, taking roughly five to seven minutes.
- Add the minced garlic strictly for the final minute of the vegetable-softening phase to prevent burning and subsequent bitterness.
- Stir the uncooked long-grain white rice directly into the simmering broth, tomato sauce, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes mixture, then maintain a low heat setting with the lid secured to prevent the bottom from scorching before the starches hydrate.
- Fold the diced cooked turkey into the pot immediately before service so the meat warms through gently without shedding its remaining moisture into the surrounding sauce.
Proper moisture control remains the primary factor determining success in this skillet-to-pot conversion. Storing any portions in an airtight container within the refrigerator for up to three days allows the spices to fully penetrate the rice grains.
