Description
This Slow Cooker Jambalaya is a comforting and flavorful dish that combines smoked sausage, tender chicken, plump shrimp, and vibrant vegetables slow-cooked with Creole seasonings and tomatoes. Served with perfectly cooked long grain white rice, it’s an easy, hands-off meal full of southern charm and Cajun spice.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Proteins
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced about 1/4 inch
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pound large shrimp, shell on, thawed
Pantry Items & Spices
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere’s)
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker base: Add the diced onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to a large slow cooker. Then add the sliced smoked sausage and bite-sized pieces of chicken, followed by the canned diced tomatoes, dried oregano, and bay leaves. Sprinkle in the Creole seasoning and stir everything together well to combine all the ingredients.
- Slow cook the mixture: Cover the slow cooker and cook the mixture on high for 3 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours. The dish is ready for the next step when the vegetables are very tender and the chicken is fully cooked and easily pulled apart.
- Prepare the shrimp: While the slow cooker mixture cooks, take the thawed shrimp with shells on and use kitchen shears to cut along the backs to make peeling easier later.
- Add and cook the shrimp: Stir the shrimp into the slow cooker mixture, cover again, and cook on high for an additional 30 to 45 minutes until the shrimp turn pink and are fully cooked through.
- Cook the rice: While the shrimp cooks, prepare 1 cup of long grain white rice according to package instructions or by boiling until tender. When done, keep the rice covered and set aside until serving. This will yield about 4 cups of cooked rice.
- Season to taste and finish: Remove the bay leaves from the jambalaya. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed to suit your preference. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
- Serve: Either peel the shrimp shells before serving or serve with shells on and let guests peel them. Stir the cooked rice into the jambalaya or serve the jambalaya ladled over the rice as preferred.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Note that the shrimp texture will degrade if kept longer. This dish does not freeze well as reheating tends to make the shrimp rubbery.
Notes
- Use kitchen shears to cut the shrimp backs to make peeling easier after cooking.
- Slow cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4-5 hours depending on your schedule and equipment.
- Leftovers are best eaten within 2-3 days and should be stored in airtight containers.
- This dish does not freeze well because shrimp texture suffers upon reheating.
- You can choose to serve the jambalaya mixed with rice or spoon it over a bed of rice.
- For guests, consider peeling shrimp shells before serving for easier eating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1 cup jambalaya plus 1/2 cup cooked rice)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
