Paula Deen Chicken Bog is a South Carolina one-pot rice dish loaded with smoked sausage and tender chicken in a rich, seasoned broth. It feeds 10 to 12 and takes about 75 minutes from start to finish. This is church supper food, the kind of pot that shows up when someone needs feeding.
The rice is what makes or breaks this dish. Paula cooks it right in the broth after the chicken and sausage have had 40 minutes to build flavor. If you add the rice too early or skip that hard boil, it turns to mush instead of soaking up all that smoky, peppered stock.
Pull the chicken off the bone while the rice boils so you are not holding up the pot. Cook the rice uncovered for 10 minutes first, then cover and drop the heat. Leftovers keep well for two days in the fridge.
Paula Deen Chicken Bog
Course: SoupCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy10
servings15
minutes1
hour475
kcalA thick, peppery rice dish where bone-in chicken and smoked sausage simmer together before the rice absorbs all the seasoned broth in one covered pot.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
2 teaspoons Paula Deen Seasoned Salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 lb smoked link sausage
1 (3 lb) quartered chicken
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon ground Black pepper
3 bay leaves
8 cups water
3 cups raw white rice
Directions
- Slice the sausage: Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Combine the ingredients: In a stockpot, combine the chicken, sausage, onion, butter, and seasonings.
- Cook the chicken: Add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and cook at a low boil for 40 minutes.
- Remove the chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool slightly.
- Pick the meat: Pick the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and skin.
- Add the rice: Add the rice to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring well.
- Cook the rice: Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice is done.
- Finish the dish: Remove the bay leaves, and return the chicken to the pot.
FAQs
Can you use a different sausage instead of smoked link sausage?
Kielbasa or andouille both work here. Regular Italian sausage will change the flavor because it is not smoked. The smoky taste from the sausage is half the reason this dish works, so stick with something cured and smoked.
How long does chicken bog keep in the fridge?
It holds well for two to three days in a sealed container. The rice soaks up more broth as it sits, so add a splash of chicken stock when you reheat it. It freezes fine for up to two months, though the rice softens a bit after thawing.
Can you make the broth the night before and add the rice later?
Yes, cook the chicken and sausage in the broth a day ahead and refrigerate it. When you are ready to eat, bring the broth back to a boil and add the rice. Do not add the rice early because it will absorb all the liquid overnight and turn to paste.
Why did my rice come out mushy?
The most common reason is skipping the uncovered boil. The rice needs 10 minutes of hard boiling before you cover the pot and drop the heat. Stirring too often after covering also breaks up the grains and makes them gummy.
Why does Paula cook the chicken on the bone instead of using boneless?
Bone-in chicken releases collagen into the broth while it simmers, which gives the stock a richer body that coats the rice. Boneless breasts will work if you are short on time, but the broth will be thinner and less flavorful.
