Mexican Jambalaya
This is so easy and so delicious. Best of all, it's super quick. I just made it at my in-laws' house and they loved it. My kids love it too.
This is so easy and so delicious. Best of all, it's super quick. I just made it at my in-laws' house and they loved it. My kids love it too.
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts -boiled and shre
- 2 cups instant rice -regular will work, but will take a l
- 1 24-ounce jar green salsa - i used one made
- 1 envelope taco seasoning mix
- 1 can southwestern corn - drained
- 1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese - garnish
- ****************************
- 2 ripe avocados - sliced thinly
- Carbohydrate 0.497228333333333 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0.166066659927368 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (40g)
- Sodium 71.2673333333333 mg
- Sugar 0.331161673405965 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 2 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil and shred chicken.
- In a large pot, combine chicken, taco seasoning, uncooked rice, salsa, corn (drained), and chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes (for instant rice) or 20-25 minutes (for regular rice) or until liquid is cooked out and rice is tender.
- Serve with shredded cheddar and sliced avocados.
Traditional Creole jambalaya relies on the holy trinity of celery, bell peppers, and onions sweated slowly in fat before adding stock and rice. This variant discards aromatic vegetables entirely, substituting commercially jarred green salsa to introduce both moisture and acidity in a single pour. Bottled salsa contains preserved tomatillos, chilis, and garlic that eliminate the chopping phase while supplying a consistent pH level of roughly 4.0, which prevents starches from breaking down prematurely during boiling.
Budget management dictates using already cooked poultry rather than raw cuts. Simmering raw chicken directly in the pot requires monitoring internal temperatures to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas folding in boiled and shredded meat cuts total stovetop exposure down to 10 minutes when using instant white rice. Regular long-grain rice requires extending that simmer window to 25 minutes and increasing the chicken broth quantity by a quarter-cup ratio to account for prolonged evaporation.
Starch gelatinization governs the final texture of the grains. Covering the pot tightly traps steam, forcing heat to penetrate the endosperm evenly without scorching the bottom surface over medium-high burners. Removing the lid too frequently lets steam escape, resulting in hard-centered grains paired with a gluey exterior.
Avocados and cheddar cheese added at the table introduce fats that balance the acidity of the tomatillos. Slicing the avocados just before serving prevents enzymatic browning caused by polyphenol oxidase exposure to oxygen. Leftovers keep safely in a sealed container inside a 40-degree Fahrenheit refrigerator for up to three days, though reheating requires a splash of water to restore moisture lost during initial starch retrogradation.
