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slow cooker chicken and sausage jambalaya

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Recipe (Made in the Slow Cooker!)

Kitchen Ready Betty
This cozy slow cooker jambalaya is packed with tender chicken, smoky sausage, and rich Creole flavor that simmers all day. It's incredibly easy to throw together on busy mornings, leaving you with a hearty, comforting dinner everyone will love!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 7 hours 45 minutes
Course Game Day, Main Dishes, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American, Cajun, Creole, Louisiana, Southern
Servings 8
Calories 422 kcal

Equipment

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs chicken boneless skinless thighs OR boneless skinless chicken breasts; cut into cubes
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon sage
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 3 celery ribs chopped
  • 2 medium green bell peppers seeded, stemmed, and chopped
  • 1 cup white onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb smoked sausage sliced; choose andouille for a spicier, authentic profile, or kielbasa for mild
  • 15 oz tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 cups cooked long grain rice
  • sliced green onions and hot sauce optional toppings for individual servings

Instructions
 

  • Add chicken (either cubed thigh or breast meat) to bottom of greased or lined slow cooker.
  • Combine the dry seasonings (oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, sage, chili powder, cayenne, salt & pepper); sprinkle over chicken.
  • Arrange chopped celery, peppers, onion, and minced garlic over the seasonings.
  • Place sliced sausage on top. Then add tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce; slowly pour in chicken broth. Add the bay leaves.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours OR on HIGH for 3-4 hours (*see recipe notes).
  • About 30 minutes before jambalaya is finished, cook the rice separately on the stove. Follow package directions, but take 1-2 minutes off of simmer time.
  • Remove lid from slow cooker and take out the bay leaves. Then add the cooked rice; stir to incorporate.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Optional to garnish individual servings with green onions and hot sauce.

Notes

If you decide to use chicken breasts instead of thighs, you'll want to closely watch your cooking time. Chicken thighs have more natural fat, so they can simmer low and slow all day long without drying out. Since chicken breasts are much leaner, you'll want to start checking the jambalaya around the six-hour mark to keep the chicken perfectly tender and juicy!
Every crockpot varies, but mine perfectly simmers cubed chicken breasts for seven full hours before it's time to add the rice.
Cooking rice on the side and stirring it in towards the end of cooking time guarantees perfectly fluffy grains instead of mush.
Store leftovers in the fridge for about three to four days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The rice will continue to absorb the sauce, so it's helpful to have extra chicken broth on hand when reheating leftovers.

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 35gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 930mgPotassium: 895mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 847IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mg
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