While jambalaya isn’t difficult to make on the stovetop, it’s still SUPER hot here, so I like to use my slow cooker when I can. Everything in this easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya recipe is cooked in one pot, including the rice. Cooking rice like this might sound like a mushy mess, but as long as you add it at the very end, you can control the texture a bit more and get good results! This slow cooker recipe is simple comfort food at its best and perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
What Is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a popular rice-based dish originating from Louisiana, believed to have been inspired by the culinary influences of the French, Spanish, and African cultures there. It’s a natural “budget” recipe because it combines flavorful and inexpensive cuts of meat (smoked sausage and chicken thighs) with bulky and inexpensive ingredients, like rice, onion, celery, and bell pepper. Some recipes also add seafood, but I skipped that to keep costs down. Add a good handful of spices, and you have a super filling and very satisfying meal that freezes well and reheats effortlessly in the microwave. Total winner.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this slow cooker jambalaya recipe:
- Celery, Onion & Bell Pepper: Known as the ‘holy trinity’ of Cajun and Creole cooking, these veggies provide the base flavor for this recipe.
- Garlic: A little minced garlic adds depth and flavor.
- Smoked Sausage: The type of smoked sausage you use DOES matter. Andouille sausage is the traditional choice, but you can use any smoked pork sausage you like. More on why the type of sausage matters below.
- Chicken Thighs (Optional): Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are flavorful, inexpensive, and don’t dry out when they’re cooked in the slow cooker.
- Dried Herbs & Seasonings: Dried oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and freshly cracked pepper add a ton of flavor to your crockpot jambalaya.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Adds liquid to cook the rice and thickens the broth.
- Fresh Parsley: I mix fresh parsley into my slow cooker when I add the chicken broth.
- Chicken Broth: Use homemade chicken broth or your favorite store-bought brand.
- Rice: Use long-grain white rice for this recipe, not instant rice.
- Green Onions: For garnishing.
What Type of Sausage To Use
This recipe depends greatly on the sausage you buy, which accounts for about half of the flavor in the dish. I had one of those “small changes make big differences” moments at the grocery store and bought smoked turkey sausage instead of regular smoked pork sausage, and I kind of regret it. But hey, it all depends on your priorities. Just be aware that the sausage can make or break this recipe. And while I think you could easily skip the chicken thighs to reduce the meat load of the dish, do not skip the smoked sausage.
Jambalaya vs Gumbo
Both dishes are delicious and are integral parts of Cajun and Creole cuisine, but they’re distinct in their own ways. Jambalaya is a one-pot rice dish, while gumbo is a thick stew or soup made with a dark roux (a mixture of flour and fat) as a base. Gumbo can be served with rice, but it’s not cooked with the other ingredients like in jambalaya.
There are also some differences in the ingredients used, but both dishes typically include the holy trinity of vegetables (onion, celery, and bell pepper) and a variety of protein options. It’s mainly the preparation and serving style that sets these two dishes apart!
How to Store
This slow cooker jambalaya recipe makes about 10 cups total (when made in a 5-quart slow cooker), so you’ll probably have some leftovers! Let everything cool before storing it in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze individual portions for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the microwave—yum!
Slow Cooker Jambalaya Recipe
Servings 8 (about 10 cups)Ingredients
- 3 ribs celery ($0.37)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.42)
- 1 green bell pepper ($0.87)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 12-16 oz. smoked sausage* ($3.49)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (optional) ($1.13)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- Freshly cracked pepper (15-20 cranks of a mill) ($0.05)
- 2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes (or one 28oz. can) ($1.98)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped ($0.20)
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice ($0.96)
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.23)
Instructions
- Finely dice the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Slice the smoked sausage into rounds or half moons and add them to the slow cooker, along with the chicken thighs, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and freshly cracked pepper.
- Pour the diced tomatoes and all their juices over the meat and spices in the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Stir briefly.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn the heat on to high, and cook for four hours.
- After four hours, the liquid in the slow cooker should be boiling. Carefully remove the chicken thighs, making sure to replace the lid quickly. Shred the meat and stir it back into the pot along with the uncooked rice.
- Make sure all the rice is submerged under the liquid, then replace the lid as quickly as possible so that it returns to boiling quickly.
- Let it continue to cook on high for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Remove the lid, test the rice to make sure it’s tender, then stir to fluff the ingredients (don't stir too vigorously or the rice will become gummy). Sprinkle the sliced green onions over top, then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make SLow Cooker Jambalaya – Step by Step Photos
Finely dice 3 ribs celery, 1 yellow onion, and 1 green bell pepper. Mince 2 garlic cloves. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
Slice 12-16 oz. of smoked sausage into rounds or half moons and add them to the slow cooker, along with the 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and freshly cracked pepper (15-20 cranks of a mill).
Pour 2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes and all their juices over the meat and spices in the slow cooker. Add 2 cups chicken broth and 1/4 bunch of chopped fresh parsley. Stir briefly.
Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn the heat on to high, and cook for four hours.
After four hours, the liquid in the slow cooker should be boiling. Carefully remove the chicken thighs, making sure to replace the lid quickly. Shred the meat and stir it back into the pot along with 2 cups uncooked long grain rice.
Make sure all the rice is submerged under the liquid, then replace the lid as quickly as possible so that it returns to boiling quickly.
Let it continue to cook on high for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
Remove the lid, test the rice to make sure it’s tender, then stir to fluff the ingredients (don’t stir too vigorously or the rice will become gummy). Sprinkle 3 sliced green onions over top, then serve.
I totes forgot my green onions! Which is a shame because green onions are such a quintessential flavor in slow cooker jambalaya. No worries, though. I still have leftovers that can get the green onion treatment! Leftovers for days cuz that’s how I roll.
This is such an easy weeknight meal for my house! I love that there are leftovers for the rest of the week, too! Even our three year old twins love the jambalaya!
Just made this tonight, and it came out perfectly if you follow the directions specifically! Rice came out great. Only qualm would be to change the spices a little bit, or just add more. I added some Tony’s to ours and that helped, because otherwise it’s a teensy bit bland.
We had this for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious. My husband and I loved it. It was so good and so easy. Highly recommend!! I cooked the rice separately and just added it in the crockpot just to mix it up once cooked. So good!! It makes a lot of food and it is amazing. Thank you for the amazing recipie!!!
This one didn’t hit the mark for me. The taste wasn’t very Cajun and the rice didn’t cook well.
Much better than the boxed mix we had been using! The rice turned out fine for me, the flavor was good and you could always sub andouille if you want a little more heat.
As others have said, id avoid this one. You either end up with a soggy sausage stew, or you’re stuck with hard rice.
Skip this recipe. Except for adding more garlic, I followed the directions thoroughly. The rice was still hard, and needed another hour but more importantly, the entire dish was flat-out bland. Just bland bland bland.
Can I cook this on low for longer (maybe low for 8 hrs)? So it may cook during the workday?
You need that higher heat to cook the rice properly. Lower heat will just kind of turn it to mush. :(
This was DELICIOUS!!! It had a little bit of a kick to it so I added a dollop of sour cream on top of each serving. Loved it
I am also having a rice problem! I read all of the comments- should have listened and made rice separately. Flavor is good, easy to prep. But the rice not cooking is a big issue for me. Will try again next time.
This is my go to recipe, I LOVE IT and make it all the time. But I just skip the rice and add some shrimp at the end, then I guess it’s more like Gumbo :)
Do you think this recipe would work with red, black or wild rice?
Unfortunately, I’ve never tried cooking those types of rice in a slow cooker, so I don’t know if the slow cooker will get the liquid boiling to a point where it can cook a more tough kind of rice like that.
Cook time is way off for the rice. 35 minutes and it’s still rock hard.
I made this a few months ago for my family (including an 18- month old) and it was a resounding success!! To the point where it was making an appearance weekly (!) on our dining tables, and if I skipped it one week my husband would ask when we would be eating it next. Thank you for such a great- and forgiving- recipe that I can tweak as we go.
Made this today it’s wonderful. I did use chopped tomatoes with green chiles. This is so good. Made garlic bread to go with it. Try it you’ll like it!