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.
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
Notes
Nutrition
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.
Really good! Definitely will make again! Instead of using chicken thighs, I used shrimp and added then after the rice was done and then waited 15 minutes. I also might add I used minute rice and everything turned out great! Got so many compliments! Thank you!
I finally got around to making this last night for dinner. I made it in my new Instant Pot, and it came out really well!
Tips if anyone wants to convert this for use with an Instant Pot or other electric cooker:
-I used the saute function to brown my chicken thighs, sausage, and celery/onion/bell pepper mix, in batches, in that order.
-I cooked it on the Meat/Stew setting for 30 minutes (it probably would have been done in 20, but I’m a newbie to this kind of cooking)! The smell was AMAZING, and the thighs well fall-apart tender, moist, and delicious.
-After releasing the built-up pressure, I added the rice and finished it like the recipe suggested; on the high setting of the slow cooker. It was done after about 25 minutes; I let it go for an extra 5 and the bottom scorched just the slightest bit-it was still really tasty, though!
I got to have some of the leftovers for lunch today, and it’s still fantastic.
Thanks for sharing the IP technique! :)
I made it again last night, and FYI 8 minutes on Manual High Pressure is perfect if you’d rather pressure cook the rice instead of slow cooking it.
Awesome, thanks for the feedback!
How do the chicken thighs work since they’re put in whole? Do they just fall apart? Please help explain!
Yes, I’m sorry, I forgot to add that in there. They will be extremely tender and you can just shred them with the utensil that you use to stir. :)
If I were to make the rice separately would I have to adjust anything else the recipe, liquid wise?
Yes, but then it wouldn’t really be jambalaya. :) For jambalaya, the rice needs to be cooked in the liquid with the rest of the ingredients so that it soaks up all the delicious flavors.
This sustained us all week…deliciously! The smoked sausage I found seemed a bit too plain so I added some chorizo which gave it a nice kick. We had an unused shrimp ring leftover in the freezer from a party this summer, so after the rice was done I tossed in the shrimp for a few minutes. I also completely forgot about the green onions-this was still scrumptious! Will be making it again!
(Site won’t let me rate this 5 stars- but it is!)
Can you make this in the Instant Pot? If so, how long?
I haven’t tried it, but I think I would do 20 minutes on high with everything but the rice, then add the rice and turn it on again… I’d have to check the manual to see how long they usually cook rice. I’m not sure if just using the “rice” function would still work with all those other ingredients in there. Maybe, though!
This was really good. We cooked it on low all day and then cranked the heat to high and added the rice. My slow cooker (a Ninja) has a little hole on the top and I think that affected things….it took my long grain white rice over an hour to cook. But once it was done, it was very good, but next time I will use more chicken and will use Aidell’s andouille sausage.
Man, this was really good! I am such a fan of this blog, and I also do not have a ton of time, so my Crockpot is my best buddy. Every time you post a Crockpot recipe, I try it, and this one was particularly good. Love the spiciness and how you were able to add the rice directly to the Crockpot- most recipes have you cook it in a separate pan. Good job!
Beth, how should I change this recipe given that I will have to use brown rice instead of white?
It’s not an easy swap, unfortunately. Brown rice needs more time and moisture to cook through, so I’d have to experiment with it to find out exactly how to alter it to make it work.
If you cook the brown rice for 1/2 the time required then add it to the jambalaya to finish cooking it should come out just right. You can 1/2 cook the brown rice the night before then strain it, if your short on time.
I have left over frozen shrimp from your dragon noodle recipe. If I want to add to this recipe, when should I put it in? Thanks!
I’ve never cooked shrimp in a slow cooker before, so I can’t say for certain. But shrimp does cook very quickly and if you over cook it, it can become tough and rubbery. So, I would either sauté it quickly in a skillet and then stir it into the jambalaya after it has cooked, or add it at the very end with the rice.
Thank you!
I put thawed shrimp in after the rice was cooked, and let it all continue cooking for about 20-ish minutes … Just enough to heat the shrimp without making them rubbery. Worked great.
This recipe made so much food for so little. My husband even ate the leftovers, something he rarely does! Please post more recipes like it.
I am always looking for good slow cooker recipes (that don’t involve condensed soup). My family loves Jambalaya, and I was pretty excited to see it adapted to the slow cooker so we could expand our routine menu. I used Aidell’s Chorizo (chicken) rather than smoked sausage, and followed the recipe otherwise. The family loved it – especially my 14 y/o son who packed the leftovers for his lunch every day this week. This will be a recipe we make again and again. Thank you, Beth!
I made this using smoked chicken sausage and I shared it as a Meal for a New Mom. My fam doesn’t like cooked bell pepper (we are in the Pacific NW so I think it is just a regional taste thing). Made a lot and it was filling. I had never tried a rice dish in the crock pot.
This is super easy and tasty! The only issue I had (which was probably me, not the recipe) is that right after I made it, some of the grains of rice were not fully cooked while others were very soft, but I’m guessing this could have been prevented if I’d stirred it more, as it seems that the grains on the bottom absorbed more of the liquid. However, after a day in the fridge this issue seems to have mostly resolved itself (I think re-heating it steamed more softness into the uncooked grains too), and it’s one of the few recipes I’ve made that actually tastes better as leftovers! For once I’m excited to eat my leftovers! And I’m happy it will freeze well too!
I mean, how much liquid is needed to make it on the stovetop?
Making this on the stove top should be almost the same as using a slow cooker. I would use a heavy cast iron dutch oven and set the heat at medium low. Follow Beth’s recipe and adjust the heat as needed. In the winter I cook many stews and one pot meals on the wood stove. I use a couple tricks to control the temperature and let it simmer all day. It’s all the same concept of low temperature and long cooking times.
Jolene, I would highly, highly recomend following her “pastalaya” recipe which is made on the stovetop. You should be able to sub the pasta for rice. At my house, we do the rice seperate anyway.
Jolene, if you want to make this on the stovetop, I would use Beth’s “chorizo chicken jambalaya” and then just sub in smoked sausage for the chorizo. The seasoning mix is basically the same as this one and it’s a stovetop recipe. I’ve also subbed in mild Italian sausage in that recipe, squeezed out of the casing.