Let the good times roll and celebrate Mardi Gras with a delicious, smoky jambalaya cooked over a wood fire on a Yoder Smokers Pellet Grill! Enjoy the rich flavor of Tasso Ham and Grilled Chicken in this recipe.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Direct-flame charred thighs: Boneless chicken thighs seasoned with Cajun rub and charred over GrillGrates add smoky, blackened flavor before they’re diced into the rice.
- Tasso browned in butter: Browning the spicy, smoky ham in a hot skillet renders its fat and leaves browned bits that season everything added afterward.
- The trinity in one skillet: Onion, celery, and green bell pepper cook together with garlic and San Marzano tomatoes, forming the classic Cajun base.
- Rice cooked in the grill’s heat: Setting the skillet on the indirect side lets the rice absorb the stock, tomatoes, and smoke in one pot.
Tasso Ham & Grilled Chicken Jambalaya
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
1 hour 2 minutes
Calories
525
Happy Mardi Gras! Celebrate with this Tasso Ham & Grilled Chicken Jambalaya cooked over a wood fire on the Yoder Smokers Pellet Grill!
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
-
1/4 cup Code 3 Spices Sea Dog Cajun Rub
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 12 oz smoked tasso ham, diced 1/2” pieces
- 2 cups yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup green bell peppers, diced
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
-
2 cups Ciao San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
Directions
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill to 450ºF, set up with both direct and indirect grilling areas. Install GrillGrates on the direct grilling side of the grill. Place a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet to the right side the grill, to preheat.
Apply a thin layer of binder (hot sauce, oil, etc.) to the chicken thighs to give the seasoning something to stick to. Combine the Code 3 Spices Sea Dog Cajun Rub the with the cayenne and white pepper. Mix well. Season the chicken with the mixture. You will not need all the seasoning. Reserve the extra for later use.
- Grill the chicken over direct flame until lightly charred on all sides and the internal temperature reaches 160ºF. Remove the chicken from the grill and dice into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
- Turn the grill down to 400ºF.
- Melt the butter in the hot skillet. Add the diced tasso ham and cooked until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the onion, celery and bell peppers. Cook just until the onions start to turn translucent in color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes in tomato sauce. Cook for one minute, stirring.
- Add the bay leaf, vegetable stock, rice and diced grilled chicken. Stir well to mix everything evenly. Place the skillet in an indirect cooking area and close the lid of the grill. Cook until the rice is tender, about 1 hour.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why brush the chicken with a binder before seasoning it?
A thin coat of hot sauce or oil gives the Cajun rub something to stick to. You won't need all the seasoning mixture, and the extra can be saved for later use.
Why char the chicken over direct flame and then dice it?
Direct heat chars the surface for smoky flavor. Dicing the cooked thighs afterward means the pieces cook evenly in the rice and are easy to eat.
What internal temperature should the chicken reach?
Poultry is safe at 165°F. Check the thickest part of each thigh with an instant-read thermometer. The diced chicken then keeps cooking in the rice for about an hour.
What is tasso ham?
Tasso is a Cajun cured and smoked pork product, heavily spiced and made from pork shoulder rather than a traditional ham leg. It adds smoky, spicy, salty flavor to the dish.
Why brown the tasso in butter first?
About five minutes of browning renders its fat and leaves browned bits stuck to the skillet. Those bits carry flavor into the vegetables and rice.
Why cook the onion, celery, and bell pepper only until the onions turn translucent?
They finish cooking with the rice in the final hour, so a brief cook at the start is enough to soften them and build flavor without overcooking them.
Why lower the grill to 400°F and put the skillet on the indirect side?
Rice needs gentle, even heat. The indirect side keeps the bottom from scorching during the hour it takes the rice to absorb the stock and tomatoes.
How do I know the jambalaya is done?
After about an hour, the rice should be tender and the liquid mostly absorbed.
How should I store leftovers?
Cooked rice dishes should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. Leftovers keep for about 3-4 days and should be reheated until steaming hot.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5. A hot grill pan or cast iron skillet can char the chicken, and the rest cooks in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven at 400°F, though you'd lose some of the wood smoke.
Recipe Highlights
Charred Cajun chicken: Adds smoky, blackened flavor.
Browned tasso: Builds a spicy, smoky base.
Classic trinity and tomatoes: Create the Cajun flavor foundation.
Grill-cooked rice: Absorbs stock, tomatoes, and a little smoke.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 12.48 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 525
- Carbs
- 44 grams
- Protein
- 34 grams
- Fat
- 22 grams
- Sodium
- 703 milligrams
