Stuffed Chicken with Crawfish Jambalaya
If you are not a fan of turkey for Thanksgiving, then this is the dish for you! This chicken is stuffed with a spicy crawfish jambalaya and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1-1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 1-1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1-1/2 tsp oregano
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the Jambalaya
- 2-1/2 tbs duck fat or chicken fat can substitute butter
- 1/ cups andouille smoked sausage, chopped
- 1-1/2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 3/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1-1/2 tsp garlic, minced
- 4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups seafood or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 12 oz Louisiana crawfish tails
For the Stuffed Chicken
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 tbs Cajun Seasoning more if needed
- 1 stick of butter
Instructions
- Debone the chicken. If you prefer not to, you can use skinless chicken thighs. See notes for roasting temperature for bone in chicken. Set aside and make the jambalaya.
- Season the chicken with cajun seasoning and Kosher salt.
- Combine the seasoning mix in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven, melt the duck fat (or butter if using) over medium heat. Add the andouille sausage and saute until crisp, about 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers; saute until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Add the seasoning mix and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantlyt and scraping the bottom. Add the tomatoes and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently.Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the green onions and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add the rice and crawfish tails and stir well. Remove from heat. Transfer to an ungreased 8 x 8 -inch baking pan. Cover pan snugly with foil and bake at 350°F until rice is tender but still crunchy, about 40 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately.
- Lay the deboned chicken skin side down. Add pats of butter under the skin, making sure to cover the entire chicken. Add the crawfish jambalaya under the skin and under the meat. Truss the chicken using a trussing needle and butcher twine.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Rub more cajun seasoning to the chicken if needed.
- Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Add a can of chicken stock and place the chicken on a rack. Roast, covered, until center registers 120 °F, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Time will depend on your oven and the starting temperature of your chicken so I recommend using a meat thermometer and checking after 1 hour.
- Increase oven to 400 °F, uncover pan and continue cooking until thermometer registers 165 °F (take the temperature from the dark meat end), about 20-30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil and allow to rest 5-10 minutes before removing the string and slicing.
Notes
- For chicken thighs: use 6-8 skin-on, boneless chicken thighs. Separate the skin from the meat and stuff with butter. Divide the jambalaya evenly among the thighs and press under the skin of each thigh. Tie together with butcher twine and roast in a pan for 425°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and roast for another 25-30 minutes until skin is crispy and golden brown and chicken is cooked through.