This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Slow Cooker Jambalaya is loaded with tasty sausage, chicken, and shrimp that gets cooked low and slow to activate the bold spices. This hearty, slow-cooker dinner is effortless and only takes 10 minutes of prep.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: I love meals. I can just dump everything in, set it, and forget it. You can do that with this slow cooker jambalaya recipe!
- Flavor: You will love the way the spices play with the tasty flavors of sausage, chicken, and shrimp.
- One-Pot Meal: One-pot meals are the perfect solution for busy nights! Cajun alfredo, shrimp creole, and foil packets are a few meals that will liven up any dinner.
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Jambalaya
This list of classic cajun ingredients comes together for a fun Southern meal. Various spices blend together to create a warm, spicy dish that is hearty and incredibly delicious!
- Chicken Breasts: A hearty protein that absorbs flavor.
- Andouille Sausage Links: I slice these into bite sized pieces.
- Raw Shrimp: I like to use shrimp that is large, peeled, and deveined.
- Rice: Add uncooked rice 1 hour before the cooking time ends. Or stir in pre-cooked rice with the shrimp 15 minutes before everything finishes.
- Diced Tomatoes: Add to the color and enhance the jambalaya’s sweet and salty flavor.
- Onion, Red Bell Pepper, and Celery: These are the three veggies that can be found in almost any cajun dish.
- Chicken Broth: You need this liquid to cook your meat. I like using chicken broth because it adds a hint of savory flavor.
- Dried Thyme: Thyme pairs well with the tomato and adds a bit of a minty taste.
- Dried Oregano: Adds a bitter and earthy spice to balance out the flavors.
- Cajun Seasoning: This rustic and bold seasoning blend adds a punch of spice.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds even more earthy and spicy flavors.
How to Make Slow Cooker Jambalaya
This jambalaya will be a new family favorite and is easy to prepare. Simply combine all the ingredients and let your slow cooker work its magic! Honestly, the hardest part is waiting for it to be ready because the smell of this cooking is amazing!
- Combine: Add the chicken, sausage, tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, chicken broth, thyme, oregano, cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper into the slow cooker. Then, simply stir to combine.
- Cook: Next, set the cooker to low for 7-8 hours (high for 3-4 hours). One hour before the cooking time is done, add in the uncooked rice and stir to combine. In the last 15 minutes, add the shrimp.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy! If you need more heat, add more cayenne pepper.
Easy Jambalaya Tips and Tricks
You can easily customize this slow cooker jambalaya to match your tastes. With these easy tips and suggestions, you will create the best jambalaya around!
- Gumbo or Jambalaya: Gumbo typically uses a roux cooked to a deeply flavored brown stage. It contains more liquid like a stew and includes vegetables like okra, bell peppers, celery, and onions. Jambalaya features rice cooked in one pot with more meat than vegetables.
- Brown Your Meat: Do this before adding it to your crock pot. Browned meat is traditionally a key flavor in jambalaya. Don’t skip this step if you want the most authentic flavor!
- Quality Sausage: Seasoned sausage is one of the most important parts of this recipe. A good quality sausage can really uplevel your jambalaya’s flavor.
- Using Other Meats: This slow cooker jambalaya recipe makes it easy to change up the meat. It will not interfere with the delicious results! Beef tastes great, so sometimes I also like to add in chuck roast. You can also add in crawfish or crab meat.
- Add Enough Spice: If you are planning on serving up your jambalaya with rice, make sure it is heavily seasoned! Rice tends to soak up flavor. Don’t be afraid to add in an extra dash of cajun seasoning!
- Add Garnish: For an extra pop of flavor, top your jambalaya with chopped green onions or parsley.
- Serve With: Serving your jambalaya with rice is the traditional way of having it. I also like to pair it with cornbread or corn casserole for a sweet, creamy contrast to its spicy flavor. Additionally, hush puppies and fried okra are some of my other favorite Southern sides!
Storing Leftover Jambalaya
I love how easy and delicious this recipe is, but also how amazing leftovers taste! Jambalaya is the perfect thing to have on hand for simple weeknight dinners.
- In the Refrigerator: In an airtight container, the jambalaya will stay good for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: You can easily microwave jambalaya in a microwave safe bowl for 30-second intervals until warm. My personal favorite way of is on the stove. I feel like it helps retain all of the delicious texture of the meat and shrimp. Heat on medium, stirring frequently until warmed through.
My Other Favorite Cajun Recipes
The hearty, spicy flavors of Cajun cooking pairs perfectly with hot summer nights. Bring the spirit of New Orleans to your kitchen this summer with these other mouthwatering dishes! Easy and packed with flavor, I know you will love all of them just as much as I do!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts skinless, boneless, cut into chunks
- 1 pound andouille sausage links sliced
- 1 can diced tomatoes 28 ounces
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup uncooked long grain rice (see notes*)
- 1 pound raw shrimp 13-15 count
Instructions
- Add the chicken, sausage, tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, chicken broth, thyme, oregano, cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper into the slow cooker. Then, simply stir to combine.
- Next, set the cooker to low for 7-8 hours (high for 3-4 hours). One hour before the cooking time is done, add in the uncooked rice and stir to combine. In the last 15 minutes, add the shrimp.
- Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can shrimp be frozen when added..or thawed
I would make sure that the shrimp are thawed before putting them in because they only cook for the last 15 minutes.
Is the shrimp cooked or uncooked?
You add in the uncooked, deveined and peeled shrimp during the last 15 minutes and it will cook in the slow cooker. I hope you love it!
Would this freeze well it’s just my husband and I now and would be to much
You can! Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months in your freezer and then thaw it in your fridge overnight. You can then heat it up on your stove! Keep in mind that the rice may have a different, slightly mushy texture after being frozen.
If I decide to put the rice in the slow cooker, is it put in raw or cooked before and added in? You’re not clear on that- and is that after the shrimp or before?
Thanks!
You can mix in some cooked rice to the jambalaya just before serving. Or, you can just serve it on top of some rice instead!
I take it the shrimp used in this recipe: SLOW COOKER JAMBALAYA is raw before they sre put into the slow cooker?
Yes! The shrimp won’t be put into the slow cooker until the last 15 minutes and then it will cook with the rest of the ingredients. I hope that you love it!
Do you cook chicken first?
No, put the chicken n raw! It will cook with the rest of the ingredients.I hope you love it!
Can you add some frozen okra?
I’ve never tried that but it sounds delicious!
Making this tonight for my Bunco group. Crossing my fingers I did everything right. Our theme is Mardi Gras!
Alyssa
I absolutely loved this recipe. I’ve always wanted to try jambalaya but not a big fan of spicy. I reduced the amounts of Cajun seasonings & cayenne but added little more at a time to get the right flavor. I don’t even enjoy cooking but my whole family loved it. My husband, parents, and sister all tried it. It worked out great. Since I became a caregiver for my parents it’s been hard to find easy to cook recipes that we all like because I’m just not a big fan of vegetables.
Absolute delicious. Our entire family loved and it’s definitely a recipe to keep and repeat. Also, it’s very easy.
Thanks for a geat one!
I don’t like the Cajun flavor nor to I like heavy spice. I do however like soups and stews and veggies so I would like to give this a whirl. Would cutting spices in half still give me a little of the traditional flavor? Could I leave the Cajun seasoning out completely or would that spoil it too much? Might not be as cold here in TX as it is in MN, but it is dang chilly right now!
Thanks for what you do!
Question – my husband is deadly allergic to seafood. What kind of fish would you recommend to use instead of the shrimp?
Hi Kim! With a food allergy like that, I would just leave out the seafood altogether. You could add in some more chicken! Dark meat adds in a great flavor! I hope you love it!
This was fantastic! Easy to make.
I had all my ingredients prepped and in the pot before I read the suggestion UNDER the recipe to brown the meat first for more authentic flavors. The actual recipe didn’t mention browning, but perhaps it should if that’s how to achieve the best flavor. That being said, I tripled the recipe and everyone enjoyed it on Super Bowl Sunday.
I agree with you that browning the meat should be part of the instructions and not just a “tip”.
Good flavor but rice needs to cook longer. Didn’t have plain diced tomatoes so I used Rotel and it came out fine. I also added some super spicy peppers I had frozen from our garden this past summer. Everything turned out really well and I would recommend this recipe for an easy jambalaya.
I have made jambalaya for many years—always stove top. Tried this recipe, but cooked the rice separately. Also I browned the sausage in a cast iron skillet. It tasted very good, except the rice didn’t of course have the flavor of the dish and was too soupy as I did not take the chicken broth out and use it directly in the rice . Knowing my mistakes, I’ll probably try it again—or maybe just cook in spot on the stove! Great spicy flavor though!