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Slow Cooker Jambalaya – This Jambalaya is a Creole rice dish made with shrimp, andouille sausage, chicken and vegetables. A hint of spice and so much flavor, this dish is cooked in a slow cooker for an easy dinner.
The crock pot is one of the best inventions. I mean I am all for Air Fryer Recipes and Instant Pot Recipes, but the slow cooker has been around forever and is so darn versatile!
And this recipe is loaded with chicken, sausage, rice, and shrimp! A full complete meal that you just throw in the crock pot and it does all the work.
Jambalaya is Creole dish that you will often see in areas like New Orleans. It has a French, West African and Spanish influence. All of the ingredients cook together to make a delicious and flavorful dish.
Another common dish from that area is Gumbo. Gumbo and Jambalaya start with very similar ingredients, but they aren’t the same dish. Gumbo includes okra and is more like a stew that is served over rice. where as Jambalaya everything is cooked together and okra is not a common ingredient.
What’s In Jambalaya
- Chicken – skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Andouille sausage – any Cajun/Creole sausage
- Green bell pepper – red or yellow is fine
- Tomatoes – a can of diced tomatoes
- Onion – white or yellow
- Celery – this gives lots of flavor
- Chicken broth – or vegetable broth
- Bay leaves
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Cajun seasoning
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Shrimp – large raw shrimp is what I used, but any shrimp is fine
- Parsley
- White Rice – instructions for both long grain and instant rice are in the recipe card below
How To Make Slow Cooker Jambalaya
This recipe doesn’t get much easier, I understand the ingredient list looks long. But it is really just a dump and go recipe, so take my word for it, it is easy!
- Start by adding chicken breast, sausage, bell pepper, the can of tomatoes, onion, celery, chicken broth, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne and garlic in the crock pot. Stir to bring everything together.
- Put on the lid and cook for 5 hours on low or 3 1/2 hours on high.
- After it has cooked remove the lid and add the shrimp. Cover and cook for 20 more minutes.
- Finally if you are using instant rice, pour it in and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until it cooked and fluffy.
- Turn off the crock pot and let it sit for just a couple minutes to soak up the broth and let it chicken.
- Garnish with fresh parsley to serve.
If you want to use long grain rice, you can cook it separately and just stir in during the last couple of minutes. It will soak up the flavor of the broth and be delicious. Instructions for using both types of rice are in the recipe card below.
What To Serve With Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a pretty complete meal, so you don’t need a lot on the side. If you like things spicy and use the cayenne in the recipe, maybe something to cool your mouth down! And if you are in a hurry don’t miss my Instant Pot Jambalaya version!
Storage
This is one of those dishes that I love to have extra of for leftovers. You can store in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week. The shrimp is not the best to microwave or reheat, so sometimes I won’t add all of the shrimp if we know we won’t eat it that night.
You can also freeze jambalaya. It is great to store in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place it in the fridge to thaw over night before reheating.
More Crock Pot Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pork Roast
- Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
- Crock Pot Potato Soup
- Beef & Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pozole
Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 pound andouille sausage links, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, sliced thin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 pound medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 ½ cups instant white rice
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast, sausage, bell pepper, can of tomatoes, onion, celery, chicken broth, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne and garlic in the crock pot. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 ½ hours.
- When the jambalaya has cooked for 3 ½ to 5 hours, add the shrimp and cook for 20 minutes.
- Then, add the instant rice and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off the cooker and let it sit to soak up the broth.
- If using long grain rice, cook separately according to packaged directions and stir into the jambalaya. Turn off and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish with parsley to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Ooo! This is a great dish to have when the temps dip a bit – I want to dig in!
This Jambalaya looks and sounds incredibly delicious! The perfect weeknight meal!
Perfect Cajun flavor. Makes great leftovers too.
All these flavors in one delicious dish! I love Jambalaya!
Another delicious recipe and super easy. I used cauliflower rice. It turned out great!!! Thanks for the recipe.