Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya

When I want a slow cooker dinner that actually tastes like dinner and not just “something from the crockpot,” this crockpot chicken jambalaya is one of the recipes I come back to. It has all the good stuff- chicken, sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, rice and bold Creole-style seasoning- and feels like a much bigger meal than the amount of work it takes.

Ingredients for Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya

While the ingredient list looks a little long, have no fear. Most are the spice blend which you can simplify by using a premade creole or Cajun spice blend. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.

• Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp– Proteins are one of the easiest ways to customize your homemade jambalaya recipe… and also a great way to clean out the odds and ends from the freezer! We used chicken breasts, andouille sausage and shrimp, but really as long as the total amount is around 2 pounds, it will be just fine.
• Canned diced tomatoes & juice– The juice will marry with other liquids from the veggies to make a fragrant broth. I used plain petite diced tomatoes.
• Fresh garlic– nothing will ever compare to fresh garlic. The jarred stuff is great for saving time, but has a sweet flavor opposed to pungent garlic.
• Yellow onion– Yellow and white onions pack the most onion-y flavor.
• Fresh celery- Another item amount that can easily be changed. Throwing in one more rib won’t hurt it and omitting it altogether won’t either.
• Bell pepper- I’m all for color, so I use any color of bell pepper I can find. Green bell peppers are the cheapest, but be mindful that red, yellow and orange bell peppers are generally slightly sweeter than green.
• Bay leaves- One of the most omitted ingredients in cooking isn’t because people don’t like the flavor, they just don’t have them on hand. Dried bay leaves add warmth, depth and peppery notes to any sauce.
• Cooked white or brown rice– This is one of my time-saving recipes, so I used 2 packets of 90-second rice. Use leftovers or make it from scratch and use white rice or brown rice, short or long grained rice. If making it from scratch, use chicken broth instead of water to give it more flavor.
• Shrimp- Our previous version didn’t have seafood, but we love shrimp, so it got added. It it is optional. Size and amount is up to you.
• Seasonings– This list looks long, but it is fairly basic. Use our custom blend of bold spices or a heaping tablespoon of premade Creole or Cajun seasoning. Taste it before hand so you know how spicy and salty it is and can adjust accordingly.

How to Make Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya (Step-by-Step)

The magic of this dish is a low heat for a long time. Since the proteins are cooking in liquid, they stay super tender and take-on the flavor of your custom broth. When the rice is added, even though it is already cooked, it still has some capacity to absorb the seasoning.

1. Combine ingredients. Combine the chicken, sausage, tomatoes (with juice), garlic onion, celery, bell pepper, bay leaves and seasoning blend in the slow cooker and give it a few good stirs.
2. Cook in slow cooker. I cooked mine on high for 3 hours, but you can easily do low for 6 and it should be fine. Ideally the celery will still have a slight snap.
3. Add rice and shrimp. When you are just about ready to serve, remove the bay leaves and add the cooked rice and shrimp, stirring again to warm thoroughly, about 15 minutes. Alternately, you can just spoon the meat and veggie blend over a bed of rice. I like it more like a stew or soup, so I stir it in. The starches also help to thicken the veggie broth.
4. Garnish. This version was garnished with snipped parsley, but chopped green onions and or a splash of hot sauce are also welcome.

Easy Variations and Substitutions

There are plenty of ways for you to make this crockpot chicken jambalaya your own. Here are a few ideas.

• Okra is another under used vegetable. Popular in the south, okra can get slimy with a weird texture when overcooked, but adding it precut, chopped and frozen.
• Add kale – When you add the rice, fold in 1/2-3/4 cup of massaged chopped kale. It will break down in that short amount of time. Massaging it helps to break up fibers, much like tenderizing beef, making it easier to chew and digest.
• Make it HOT! Add more crushed red pepper flakes, aleppo chile flakes, cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
• Swap proteins. Like so many of our dishes here, we encourage you to try different proteins. We exclusively use chicken breasts (or chicken thighs), even in the sausage, but pork, beef or even tofu are great swaps as long as the total weight equals the same. Even try mixing for more flavor sophistication. Smoked sausage will give, of course, a smoky essence.

Chef Tips for the Best Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya

I’ve got a few first-hand, tested tips to share with you to ensure your jambalaya comes out perfectly.

• Add the rice at the end – Adding cooked rice at the end helps keep it from getting bloated or mushy in the slow cooker. It also makes the dish easier to reheat later, because the texture stays more distinct.
• Use andouille if you want the most flavor – Andouille sausage brings the smoky, spicy depth that helps the dish taste more like jambalaya and less like just “slow cooker chicken and rice.”
• Don’t skip the aromatics – The onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. They are part of what makes the dish feel layered and savory rather than flat.

Storage and Freezing

Slow cooker jambalaya is an excellent make-ahead dish whether you are serving it to your family or bringing it to a potluck or sick friend. In fact, my husband might tell you it tastes better the next day because the starchy rice has more time to soak it all up.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Microwave is actually preferably in this situation.

Freezing: You can freeze this, but it freezes best before the shrimp is added. If I were planning ahead, I’d freeze the chicken-and-sausage base, then add freshly cooked rice and shrimp when reheating for the best texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Crockpot chicken jambalaya is packed with chicken, sausage, shrimp, rice and Creole seasoning for an easy slow cooker meal with bold flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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Servings: 6

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Equipment

• Garlic press
• Slow Cooker
• Slow Cooker Liners

Ingredients

Jambalaya:

• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts , cut into 2-inch pieces (approx 2 average breasts)
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage , links cut into discs (approx 3 links)
• 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes un-drained
• 4 cloves garlic , crushed
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 2 ribs celery chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper chopped, assorted colors
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
• 1 pound shrimp , cooked and peeled

Seasoning:

• 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

• In the slow cooker, combine the chicken, sausage, tomatoes (with juice), garlic onion, celery, bell pepper and bay leaves.
• If using a pre-made cajun or creole seasoning, add a heaping 1 tablespoon and omit seasoning blend, or make seasoning blend in a small bowl using all of the dry ingredients. Blend well and add to the chicken mixture.
• Cover and cook on high heat for 3 hours. Remove lid, stir well and remove the bay leaves. Add the cooked rice and shrimp, stirring again ro warm thoroughly.
• Allow to continue cooking for 10-15 minutes on the "warm" setting or turn totally off with the lid on. Serve hot.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings!

Notes

Make ahead: Slow cooker jambalaya is an excellent make-ahead dish whether you are serving it to your family or bringing it to a potluck or sick friend. In fact, my husband might tell you it tastes better the next day because the starchy rice has more time to soak it all up.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Microwave is actually preferably in this situation.

Freezing: You can freeze this, but it freezes best before the shrimp is added. If I were planning ahead, I’d freeze the chicken-and-sausage base, then add freshly cooked rice and shrimp when reheating for the best texture.

Please note that this recipe has changed considerably since it originally posted. While many found success in making it the original way, with dry rice, others were not. After extensive recipe testing, we were not able to get consistent results with different brands of rice and slow cookers, so we changed the recipe. If you are looking for the original recipe, it is posted below.  Please note there was an error and it was to cook for 4 hours on high, 6 on low. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 402 kcal, Carbohydrates: 30 g, Protein: 19 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 56 mg, Sodium: 792 mg, Potassium: 544 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 1026 IU, Vitamin C: 42 mg, Calcium: 58 mg, Iron: 2 mg

Author: Jessica Formicola

Calories: 402

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Creole

Keyword: chicken jambalaya, slow cooker jambalaya

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