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Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Shrimp

Crock Pot Jambalaya

Published: Feb 21, 2023 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

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Black oval slow cooker with rice, chicken, shrimp with recipe title text on image for Pinterest.
White bowl filled with rice and shrimp with ssilver slow cooker in the background.
White bowl filled with rice, shrimp, and chicken with a silver slow cooker in the background and recipe title text on image for pinterest.
Black oval crock pot with rice and chicken and parsley with recipe titlte text on image for Pinterest.
Rice, sausage, shrimp, and chicken divided by recipe title text on image for Pinterest with a white bowl filled with rice, shrimp, and chicken.
Black oval dish filled with rice, shrimp, and chicken divided by recipe title text on image for Pinterest with a white bowl below.
Rice, sausage, shrimp, and chicken divided by recipe title text on image for Pinterest with a white bowl filled with rice, shrimp, and chicken.

Crock Pot Jambalaya has juicy shredded chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage mixed with vegetables, Cajun seasoning, and rice that are cooked together in the Crock Pot for the most delicious Jambalaya. This hearty Cajun dinner is fit for a New Orleans king or queen.

White circular bowl filled with rice, shrimp, sausage, and chicken with a slow cooker in the background.

I’ve been making this Crock Pot Jambalaya recipe for over a decade now. Although this is not authentic Louisiana style jambalaya it is delicious and gives you all the flavors you find in Cajun cuisine. I first had authentic jambalaya during a work trip over a decade ago when I was in New Orleans. It was amazing. I went home to work on recreating Jambalaya only (to be honest) very disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as the one in the restaurant I had consumed a week prior.

However, my husband, parents, and in-laws LOVED the recipe. Once my taste-buds forgot about the traditional Jambalaya I was hooked on this recipe. So the moral of the story is, if you are from Louisiana you might not find this recipe super authentic. My jambalaya recipe contains tomatoes, where traditional jambalaya is a brown roux and no tomatoes. If this is your first time eating Jambalaya I think you’ll fall in love with how delicious this recipe is.

Why this Recipe Works

Prep the meat and vegetables ahead of time to save time the morning you want to cook.

This is a 2 part Crock Pot meal. The meat and vegetables cook first, then you add in the rice and shrimp.

Jambalaya in the Crock Pot can feed a large group– which is perfect for entertaining or makes for a delicious lunch the next day.

Ingredients

  • Chicken – I like to use boneless skinless chicken breast but chicken thighs work too.
  • Andoullie Sausage – I find this in the refrigerated meat section.
  • Shrimp – I use frozen shrimp that I thaw. I like the larger shrimp but you can use the smaller salad shrimp.
  • Rice – I use Ben’s Original white rice for this recipe.
  • Vegetables – 1 large can of diced tomatoes with the juice, an onion, bell pepper, and celery is what you’ll need for the base of the Jambalaya.
  • Seasonings – A mix of Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, and oregano are the spices you need. I also like to add in fresh parsley at the end.
  • Hot Sauce – I don’t use much since my kids like to eat the Jambalaya, but a little bit of Louisiana Style Hot Sauce is what I use. If I’m not serving this to the kids I double the hot sauce. I also serve the hot sauce on the side.

How to Make Jambalaya in the Crock Pot

Diced celery, onion, and bell pepper on a cutting board with a knife next to it.
Sausage links with sliced sausage on a wood cutting board.

Prepare the ingredients for the slow cooker, chop the onion, green bell pepper, and celery stalk.

Next, cut the andouille sausage into bite-size pieces. I like to cut them into larger pieces so my kids can pick them out if they want too since the sausage can be on the spicier side.

Black oval slow cooker with diced sausage, onions, tomatoes, and spices.

Place the sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, oregano, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and thyme.

Oval black dish filled with tomato mixture and 3 chicken breast.
Black oval slow cooker with sausage, onions, peppers, and tomatoes.

Add in the chicken breast. Then mix well until the chicken is covered. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.

Black oval slow cooker with sausage and vegetables.

This is how the jambalaya will look once it’s done cooking. Once the meat is cooked, carefully remove the liquid and reserve to the side.

PRO TIP – I cook the rice in a separate pot, but use as much of the reserved liquid as possible. This will give your rice so much flavor.

Cook the rice according to package directions using as much jambalaya liquid as possible;( 2 cups rice needs 4 cups liquid). Typically I can get 2 cups of liquid from the crock pot so I’ll use an additional 2 cups water or chicken broth.

RICE COOKER – I cook my rice in a rice cooker the normal way I normally cook rice.

Female hand pouring cooked rice from a silver pot into a black oval pot.
Black oval dish filled with rice, chicken, and shrimp with parsley on top.

While rice is cooking, stir in the thawed shrimp in the crockpot, cover and cook on high until the shrimp are cooked (about 30 minutes). Once rice is done mix into the crock pot. Discard bay leaves, add fresh chopped parsley if desired, and serve.

Recipe FAQs

Oval slow cooker with rice, chicken, and shrimp in it.
What’s the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a stew that is cooked with rice where Gumbo is a thick stew that is served with rice. Both of these meals can have the same spices, and vegetables. The only difference is one is served on top of rice and the other is served with rice mixed in.

Does shrimp belong in jambalaya?

Typically Jambalaya has chicken, sausage, and some seafood like crawfish or shrimp.

What can you substitute for andouille sausage in jambalaya?

If you don’t have or can’t find andouille sausage, you can use a smoked sausage, Italian sausage, or even brat wurst.

Tips & Tricks

White circular bowl filled with shrimp, chicken, and rice with cornbread on the side.

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks whenever I make Jambalaya.

  • More protein – Want more meat and less rice? Add only 1 cup of rice (with two cups of liquid).
  • Draining Liquid – To drain liquid from slow cooker I use a dry 1 cup measuring cup. Push the food to the side and continue to pull the liquid from the slow cooker and pour into a liquid measuring cup until you have the desired amount needed to cook the rice. It’s okay if the liquid has some of the vegetables and or sausage. You should still have a little bit of liquid left after removing most for the liquid. If you feel that you have too much liquid you can always carefully drain and remove more.
  • Hot Sauce – I use LOUISIANA Hot Sauce brand in this recipe.

What to Serve with Jambalaya

Black oval dish filled with rice, peppers, and chicken.

Wondering what to serve with Jambalaya? Here are a few of my favorite side dishes.

  • Honey Cornbread Muffins
  • Fried Green Tomatoes with Cajun Ranch Dipping Sauce
  • Honey Butter Crescent Rolls
  • Seasoned Collard Greens

If you make this Slow Cooker Jambalaya recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and subscribe to my email list!

White bowl filled with rice, shrimp, and sausage with spoon next to it.

Crock Pot Jambalaya

Crock Pot Jambalaya has juicy shredded chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage mixed with vegetables, Cajun seasoning, and rice that are cooked together in the Crock Pot for the most delicious Jambalaya. This hearty Cajun dinner is fit for a New Orleans king or queen.
4 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Lactose, Low Salt
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 346kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • ½ pound Andouille sausage diced
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
  • 1 stalk celery chopped
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 pound frozen peeled shrimp thawed
  • 2 cups white long grain rice
  • Fresh chopped parsley as garnish

Instructions

  • Prepare the ingredients for the slow cooker: dice sausage, chop the onion, green bell pepper, and celery stalk.
  • Place the sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, oregano, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Mix well then add in the chicken breast. Make sure to cover the chicken breast before you begin to cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours OR on HIGH for 4 hours.
  • Once the meat in the slow cooker is done cooking, carefully remove the liquid, and set to the side. (You will use this liquid to cook your rice in a separate pot.) Cook the rice according to package directions using as much jambalaya liquid as possible;( 2 cups rice needs about 4 cups liquid. Typically I can get 2 cups of liquid from the crock pot so I'll use an additional 2 cups water or broth.)
  • While rice is cooking, shred chicken and then stir in the thawed shrimp in the crock pot, cover and cook on high until the shrimp are cooked (about 1 hour). Once rice is done mix into the crock pot (this can be while shrimp cooks). Discard bay leaves, add fresh chopped parsley if desired, and serve.

Notes

  • More protein – Want more meat and less rice? Add only 1 cup of rice (with two cups of liquid).
  • Draining Liquid – To drain liquid from slow cooker I use a dry 1 cup measuring cup. Push the food to the side and continue to pull the liquid from the slow cooker and pour into a liquid measuring cup until you have the desired amount needed to cook the rice. It’s okay if the liquid has some of the vegetables and or sausage. You should still have a little bit of liquid left after removing most for the liquid. If you feel that you have too much liquid you can always carefully drain and remove more.
  • Hot Sauce – I use LOUISIANA Hot Sauce brand in this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 522mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 368IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!
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About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 10 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Harold Burton

    June 30, 2021 at 2:27 pm

    Oh boy I am so glad you posted this!!!We love using the crockpot and I have been wanting some new tasty recipes!

    Harold Burton

    Reply
    • Katie

      June 30, 2021 at 3:58 pm

      Hi Harold, Thank you–I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

  2. Veronica Sykes

    April 06, 2020 at 11:34 am

    5 stars
    This is one of my all time favorite recipes from Katie’s Cucina. Easy to make and full of flavor! A crowd pleaser in my family!

    Reply
    • Katie

      April 09, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      Veronica, thank you so much for taking the time to rate and leave a comment! I’m so happy that your family loves this recipe as much as mine does!

  3. Katie

    September 11, 2018 at 11:01 am

    Hi Megan, sorry to hear that. Maybe, try lessening the time on the shrimp to 15 minutes. Also–another option is using fresh thawed shrimp and cooking for 10 minutes.

    Reply
  4. Renee-Michele Brunet

    March 19, 2017 at 3:12 pm

    I’m gonna make this! But I’m thinking of substituting quinoa for the rice…any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Katie

      March 26, 2017 at 8:50 pm

      Hi Renee–you could do that I just wouldn’t add it to the slow cooker. I would cook the sausage/chicken/shrimp combo and maybe strain off some of the juice to add to your quinoa before you start cooking it to give it extra flavor that might work well. Similar to how I explain doing it for the rice!

  5. Jessica

    June 27, 2015 at 2:33 pm

    Hi! This recipe was delicious, my roommates loved it! However, this dish is more of an etouffee than a jambalaya. Jambalaya doesn’t usually have tomatoes in it, but etouffee does, making a bit more of a creole dish than a cajun dish. I’m from south Louisiana, so I’ve learned all about the culture and food in school and throughout my childhood. I may experiment and try this recipe again without the tomatoes to see if it comes out as more of a jambalaya.

    Reply
    • Katie

      June 27, 2015 at 9:18 pm

      Hi Jessica. Glad everyone loved this. I’m not from Louisiana (just visited once). This is my take on “jambalya”. Thank you for sharing the difference between étouffée and jambalaya and creole vs cajun. Let me know how it turns out without the tomatoes!

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I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

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