A simple one pot chicken, sausage and rice dish, regional to South Carolina and one that dates back to the 1700s, using a whole chicken and made super easy with the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Chicken Bog
I was a bit intrigued when I first heard about bog. It's not something that is known much around here as far as I know. It's more of a regional dish born in South Carolina.
Every region seems to have some sort of chicken and rice dish like this though, and of course in my area of the Deep South, it's all about jambalaya!
So... what is the base difference between a Deep South jambalaya and bog?
They are certainly very similar, and while some recipes include near identical ingredients, purists insist bog is nothing more than chicken, smoked sausage, rice, water, salt, and pepper. Maybe an onion. Maybe some hot sauce splashed on individual servings.
Today, many cooks add more vegetables to bog, like green onion, sweet bell pepper and even carrots. Some add garlic, though I chose not to. Some even add cheese. Maybe this is why bog today, often simply reflects the contents of the cook’s larder, or even their imagination.
I do find that the method of seasoning is actually pretty different which results in a completely unique flavor profile. I poked around a couple of cookbooks and found one seasoned primarily with Italian seasoning. Another, written by a chef, uses a packet of dried onion soup mix! I tried to use a bit of a cross between the two of those for my version.
Although some recipes use boneless chicken breasts or even other parts, for me, a whole chicken was the best option. You cook the chicken whole, creating a seasoned stock, and then pull the chicken out to cool, add the rice and return the chicken to the pot, all of which I'm doing in my Instant Pot.
As always, full recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, are a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll past the step-by-step pictures below.
Here's how I make my Instant Pot version of Chicken Bog.
Brown chicken in butter breast side down, using sauté function about 5 minutes.
Turn over.
Add vegetables.
Add broth.
Mix together the seasonings. Add half to the Instant Pot and set aside the remainder.
Seal and set on high for 15 minutes.
Let pressure release naturally for 10 mins, then quick release.
Remove chicken and set aside to cool slightly. Discard skin and bones. Once cool, pull chicken and set aside or refrigerate until needed. Don't cube or chop it!
Drain, but reserve the liquid, discarding the vegetables. They have done their work.
Transfer the stock to a measuring cup and top with additional chicken broth or water as needed to equal 5 cups; set aside.
I usually do this step a day ahead and refrigerate the broth from the chicken, then scoop off and discard most of the fat solids from the top to reduce the fat.
The Cajun picked up this "hot" smoked sausage at the store so that's what I had and what I'm using today. I reduced the black pepper I'm using here accordingly, but if you choose a milder sausage, you can increase the black pepper.
The one caution I would add is that anything "hot" tends to intensify both with a pressure cooker and then again in leftovers. My husband loves that kind of fire - me not so much. Just keep that in mind with the type of smoked sausage you're planning to use and any adjustment of seasonings that might be needed. My personal preference is to use a milder sausage for this dish.
Add sausage to the Instant Pot.
Top with rice and add reserved seasoning mix and dried onion flakes to pot; gently toss.
Top with the pulled chicken.
Add broth and give a gentle stir.
Seal and use rice setting or set manually on high for 10 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
Gently toss with a fork before serving.
Instant Pot Chicken Bog
Yield: About 4 to 6 Servings
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
A simple one pot chicken, sausage and rice dish, regional to South Carolina and one that dates back to the 1700s, using a whole chicken and made super easy with the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 (3-4 pound) whole fryer chicken
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into chunks
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
For the Bog:
- 1 pound smoked sausage (I used hot Manda brand)
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 3 cups pulled chicken from above
- 5 cups reserved chicken stock from the chicken
Instructions
- Brown chicken in butter, breast side down, using sauté function about 5 minutes. Turn over, adding vegetables and broth.
- Mix together the seasonings and add half to the chicken. Seal and set on high for 15 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 mins, then quick release.
- Remove chicken and set aside to cool; transfer stock from Instant Pot to a measuring cup and top off with additional chicken broth or water as needed, to equal 5 cups; set aside or refrigerate if making ahead.
- Once cool, pull chicken from bones and set aside or refrigerate until needed. Discard skin and bones.
- Add sausage, rice, reserved seasonings and dried onion to Instant Pot; gently toss.
- Add chicken and broth and gently toss again.
- Seal and use rice setting or set manually on high for 10 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. Gently toss with a fork before serving.
Notes:
I like to prepare the chicken ahead and refrigerate the stock so that I can scrape off and discard the fat from the top. I wrote this recipe using a hot smoked sausage. Black pepper may be increased up to 1 teaspoon, if you are using a milder sausage.
Stovetop: Prepare as above in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is thoroughly cooked.
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