Chicken Bog

Ever had one of those dishes that feels like a warm hug from your favorite grandma? That’s Chicken Bog for you – a soul-satisfying Southern classic that combines tender chicken, smoky sausage, and perfectly cooked rice in a dish so comforting you might just want to curl up with a bowl and call it a day.

The magic of Chicken Bog lies in its rich, flavorful broth that infuses every grain of rice with savory goodness. This one-pot wonder gets its quirky name from its slightly “boggy” texture – not quite a soup, not quite a pilaf, but something wonderfully in between. The combination of slow-simmered chicken and smoky sausage creates a depth of flavor that’ll have everyone at the table asking for seconds.

Ingredients

For the Base:

• 6 cups water
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt

For the Rice Mixture:

• 3½ cups chicken broth (from cooking liquid)
• ½ pound smoked sausage of your choice, sliced
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons Italian-style seasoning
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes

Steps

1. Gather all ingredients before beginning. This preparation step ensures you won’t be scrambling for ingredients mid-recipe.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, whole chicken, chopped onion, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and juices run clear, about 1 hour. For food safety, use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (near the bone) – it should read at least 165°F (74°C). The meat should pull away from the bone easily when properly cooked.
3. Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board to cool for 10-15 minutes. This cooling period makes the chicken easier to handle without burning your fingers while still keeping it warm enough to work with.
4. While the chicken cools, skim and discard fat from the cooking liquid. The fat will appear as a slightly oily layer on top. Measure exactly 3½ cups of the cooking liquid and transfer to a 6-quart saucepan. Discard any remaining cooking liquid. This measured amount ensures your rice will cook properly without becoming too soggy or too dry.
5. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard all skin and bones. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces (about ½-inch chunks). Don’t shred the chicken too finely as larger pieces provide better texture in the finished dish.
6. Add the chopped chicken to the cooking liquid in the saucepan. Add the sliced sausage, rice, Italian seasoning, and bouillon cubes. Set over medium-low heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The rice will begin to absorb the flavorful liquid.
7. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue cooking, stirring often (every 3-5 minutes), until thickened to desired consistency, about 10-20 more minutes. The finished texture should be moist but not soupy – the rice should be tender but not mushy. If mixture becomes too thick, add a few tablespoons of water or broth to reach desired consistency.

Smart Swaps

• Use brown rice instead of white (increase cooking time by 15-20 minutes and add an extra ½ cup of broth)
• Substitute turkey for chicken (use the same cooking method and time)
• Try andouille sausage for a Cajun twist or kielbasa for a milder flavor
• Use low-sodium broth and 1 teaspoon of salt instead of the full tablespoon for a lower-sodium version

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Replace white rice with ½ cup cauliflower rice + ½ cup brown rice to reduce carbs by approximately 15g per serving
• Use skinless chicken breasts instead of whole chicken to reduce fat content
• Replace half the sausage with 8 oz of mushrooms for added fiber and reduced saturated fat
• Add 1 cup of diced bell peppers for extra nutrients without adding carbs
• Portion into 1 cup servings (approximately 25g of carbs per serving) instead of larger portions

Pro Tips

• Save the extra chicken broth for soups or stews – it freezes beautifully for up to 3 months
• For extra flavor, toast the rice in 1 tablespoon of butter before adding the liquid
• Let the dish stand for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and excess moisture to absorb
• Chicken Bog reheats wonderfully and tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop
• For a one-pot version, use a Dutch oven for both cooking the chicken and finishing the dish