Slow Cooker Jambalaya
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Spicy and flavorful Slow Cooker Jambalaya is instant family favorite comfort food you will fix again and again. Way too easy and delicious to make only once!
Want more of these big, bold Cajun flavors? Be sure to try my recipes for Cajun Grilled Salmon, Cajun Shrimp and Rice Skillet, and Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta next.
Ingredients
- Andouille Sausage – Smoked sausage is so good in his jambalaya recipe. I do prefer Andouille, but you can use whatever smoked sausage you like.
- Uncooked Shrimp – I always buy the already peeled and de-veined shrimp but you can purchase the shrimp with the shells and tails, it will just be more work for you once the dish is cooked.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast –Pound the boneless, skinless breast to an even thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Bell Peppers – For a pretty jambalaya, add one of each bell pepper: green, red, and yellow or orange) and dice them up.
- White or Yellow Onion – Either onion you have on hand here is okay. Apply a fine chop to them.
- Jalapeños – Remove the seeds and stems from the jalapeños for a delicious kick without overwhelming heat.
- Uncooked White Rice – The rice will cook in the broth and other juices, so go ahead and add it in uncooked, it’s totally fine.
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth – Any name-brand chicken broth will work here. I like low sodium so that I can add the salt later to taste. You could also use chicken stock if you prefer.
- Crushed Tomatoes – Open a can, any can, and add those crushed beauties right to the pan.
- Minced Garlic – I like to use the garlic in the jar that’s already minced but you can mince your own.
- Cajun Seasoning – Either store-bought or homemade Cajun spices will work well.
- Cilantro or Parsley – These herbs are optional, but I like to finely chop them and add them over the top of this jambalaya recipe as a garnish. You can also use green onions and a tablespoon of olive oil swirled on the top in a pinch.
How to Make This Recipe
- First, slice the smoked sausage into sections (into about ¼ inch thick slices). Remove the tails from shrimp if they are still on, and chop the chicken into 1-inch pieces. (not pictured)
- Next, add the sausage, chicken, bell peppers, onion, jalapeños, chicken broth, tomatoes, minced garlic, Cajun seasoning, and salt and pepper to greased slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook the jambalaya for 3-4 hours on low. Stir in the rice and cook another 1-2 hours until rice is fully cooked and tender. (photos 1-3)
- Then, about 20 minutes before serving, uncover the slow cooker, stir in the shrimp, cover again, and then cook it for about another 15-20 minutes. Stir in the contents of the slow cooker, sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley if desired, and serve hot. (photo 4)
Storage Directions
Not sure how to store this jambalaya? It’s easy. You can put it in an airtight container in and pop it in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you’d prefer to freeze it, use an airtight container as well and put it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
If you’ve used shrimp with the shell on, be sure to take the shells off before freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can totally go ahead and put uncooked rice in the slow cooker, there is enough broth and juices from the tomatoes to cook the rice just fine in the slow cooker. If you put cooked rice into the slow cooker, it will be complete mush by the time the jambalaya is done.
Your jambalaya should not be watery…if it is, you have added too much chicken broth or your tomatoes were too watery/juicy. If you run into this problem, one way to salvage it is to add a tablespoon of cornstarch to some tomato juice or broth and then add this slurry to the jambalaya recipe and stir, stir, stir, till the sauce starts to thicken.
For this jambalaya recipe, the best kind of rice to use is just plain, old fashioned uncooked white rice. Some rice varieties take longer to cook and would alter the recipe cooking instructions. Since I haven’t tested all kinds of rice, I tend to stick to the long grain white rice that’s the most common.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Two jalapeños will not make this dish real spicy. If you want more of a kick, I recommend adding a third jalapeño, or try adding in your favorite hot sauce or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Make sure you use the right amount of liquids and no more. Otherwise, the jambalaya will be too mushy.
- If you typically wash your rice before cooking, in this case I would suggest not rinsing it as the starches on the rice help thicken the jambalaya.
- To make this jambalaya vegan, use vegetable broth and skip the sausage. Instead, add more peppers or other vegetables you enjoy.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Loving fix and forget meals in your crockpot? Try these!
- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Soup
- Best Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
- Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Slow Cooker Jambalaya Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package andouille sausage
- ½ pound uncooked shrimp , (peeled and de-veined)
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded to even thickness
- 3 bell peppers , (one each of green, red, and yellow or orange), diced
- 1 white or yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 jalapeños , (see note), seeds and stems removed
- 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 30-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons store-bought or homemade cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, or to taste
- cilantro or parsley, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Slice sausage into sections (about ¼ inch thick slices). Remove tails from shrimp if they are still on. Chop chicken into 1-inch pieces.
- Add sausage, chicken, bell peppers, onion, jalapeños, chicken broth, tomatoes, minced garlic, cajun seasoning, and salt and pepper to greased slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on low. Stir in rice and cook another 1-2 hours until rice is fully cooked and tender
- About 20 minutes before serving, uncover slow cooker, stir in shrimp, re-cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Stir contents of slow cooker, sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yummy! I cooked the rice separately in some of the liquid from the crock pot, then mixed it in. Also, since the sausage is cooked and the chicken is in 1 inch chunks, this only takes 4-5 hours.
Same issue with the rice. Had to throw the whole thing out.. we had taco bell instead. 95% of the rice was complete mush and 5% was still crunchy. such a bummer.
I made THIS TODAY. THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADDING THE ONION (ASSUMING IT GOES IN WITH THE OTHER VEGGIES) OR CUTTING THE JALAPENOS. INGREDIENTS ARE USUALLY LISTED IN THE ORDER THEY ARE ADDED, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL. added the rice and cooked for 2 hours, plus another 2 hours on “warm.” interesting that my rice was still crunchy. overall, it was good. not spicy.
My family is from Lake Charles , Louisiana. Jambalaya has been a family tradition. This a great recipe.Thank you. It can be done stove top using uncle Ben’s . Takes about 30-45 minutes.
Followed the recipe to a T. Could not Get the rice to fully cook. Added more broth and 3 hours later, crunchy rice still. Used long grain white rice and know how to cook. I will not be using this recipe again.
This recipe is SO GOOD! Adjusted it a little for my finicky eaters – added smoked sausage as well browned on the stove for a little extra flavor, and no chicken or shrimp. Cooked on low for 6 hours, then added the rice and cooked high for 1 more hour. Came out AMAZING! Also short cut used canned sliced jalapenos- came out super spicy which I liked. THANK YOU!
I read a lot of comments about the rice being too mushy – since I plan on freezing half, anyways, I amended the recipe to omit the rice except as an add in, and it turned out great.
I cooked the recipe as normal for 5 hours on low – then I added the shrimp. I removed the lid for the last hour and added some gumbo file and a couple of handfuls of frozen okra. I pured a couple of ladles in a food processor, and then added back to the rest in a large stockpot and simmered on med until thickish. I added pepper and file and simmered until it was the consistency I liked, then served over rice.
Definitely make the rice separate. Wish I saw the comments before I put the rice in there
Tiffany, good recipe, mine turned out great, different rices cook in different time periods in different consistencies of liquid. These people having problems with rice to done, cook it in less time, and those with the rice not done enough should cook it longer in enough liquid.
I was so sad this didn’t turn out! The rice came out raw and I kept increased cooking time. I ended up with 50% raw rice grains and 50% mushy rice. Had to toss it out! So much $$ wasted.