Description
This slow cooker jambalaya recipe combines smoky sausage, tender chicken, and flavorful shrimp with a medley of vegetables and Creole spices, all simmered to perfection in a slow cooker. Served over fluffy long grain white rice, it’s a comforting and hearty dish ideal for busy days when you want a delicious, hands-off meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
Meat & Seafood
- 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
Other Ingredients
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (e.g., Tony Chachere’s)
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker base: Add the diced onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, sliced smoked sausage, bite-sized chicken pieces, canned diced tomatoes, dried oregano, bay leaves, and Creole seasoning into a large slow cooker. Stir everything well to combine.
- Slow cook the meat and vegetables: Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the vegetables are very tender and the chicken is cooked through and easy to pull apart.
- Prepare the shrimp: While the main mixture is cooking, leave the shells on the shrimp but carefully cut up their backs using kitchen shears. This step will make peeling easier after cooking.
- Add and cook the shrimp: Stir the shrimp into the slow cooker mixture. Cover and cook on high for an additional 30 to 45 minutes until the shrimp are fully cooked through.
- Cook the rice: While the shrimp cooks, prepare the long grain white rice according to package instructions or by boiling. Once cooked, keep the rice covered and set aside until ready to serve, yielding approximately 4 cups of cooked rice.
- Season and garnish: Remove the bay leaves from the jambalaya. Taste the dish and season with salt and black pepper as desired. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. You can either peel the shrimp shells before serving or allow guests to remove the shells themselves as they eat.
- Serve: Mix the cooked rice into the jambalaya or serve the jambalaya ladled over the rice. Enjoy immediately.
- Storage: Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Note that the shrimp may start breaking down after this time and the dish does not freeze well due to texture changes upon reheating.
Notes
- To make eating easier, peel the shrimp shells before serving or instruct guests to peel them as they eat.
- Use creole seasoning according to your preferred spice level.
- The dish can be cooked on high or low setting in the slow cooker depending on your time availability.
- Leftovers should not be frozen as reheating affects shrimp texture negatively.
- If you prefer, chicken thighs can be substituted for breasts or a combination of both for more flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1.5 cups jambalaya with rice)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
