Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya:
The first time i went to NOLA, was for my uncles wedding. I was 20, it it happened to be Mardi Gras, and the bars would ‘take your word’ if you were over 21.
My soon to be cousin was a local of Louisiana, and a gracious tour guide. We started the night with some jambalaya and po boy sandwiches. All delicious.
Then we did a bar crawl, and eventually ended up at some all-you-can-eat crawdad-mud bug (crayfish) restaurant. What could go wrong?
They bring out the mud bugs in a metal pail, steamed and seasoned. They are similar to eating a whole shelled shrimp. You break of the head, and peel off the skin, and eat them. EZ PZ. But then my new cousin went to the next level – and told me I should try the ‘crawfish butter’. Sure, ok, whatever. But what is crawfish butter?
So what the heck is Crawfish butter?
***Squeamish people might be better off to just skip to the recipe.
So Crawfish butter is what comes out of the discarded head. Silly me I thought it was brains, but it turns out crawdads don’t have brains.
Their liver is inside of their head. So basically you are sucking out the organ that filters their body from toxins.
About 50 mud bugs later, and copious amounts of crawfish butter we called it a night, and headed home.
This is where the night becomes very memorable for me. Upon arriving back to the airbnb, my body decided it was going to purge everything that I had ate or drank that day.
EVERYTHING. And that was my first memory of food poisoning. Not sure what it was that caused it, but that was the last time I ate crawfish butter.
So, anyway, back to jambalaya. Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya is a lifesaver when you’re busy and still craving a fantastic dinner, so let’s dive in:
Deeply rooted in a blend of French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences, Louisiana’s Jambalaya showcases a fusion of culinary traditions.
Derived from Provençal, the name translates to a mishmash—a fitting description for the diverse elements composing this iconic dish.
Taking a modern twist, the slow-cooking method, although not traditionally associated with jambalaya, transforms the cooking experience. Slow cookers, with their set-and-forget convenience, make this an easy dish, and the slow cook enhances the flavor over time.
In this culinary ensemble, Andouille sausage, succulent shrimp, and the “holy trinity” of onions, celery, and bell peppers create a melody of tastes and textures. The gentle heat of the slow-cooker allows the spices to mingle and deepen, infusing the dish with Louisiana soul over hours.
Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya Ingredients:
- Chicken breast or chicken tenders
- Andouille sausage
- Large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Garlic, minced
- Onion, diced
- Green bell pepper,seeded and chopped
- Jalapeno chili,seeded and diced
- Celery stalks, diced
- Fresh thyme
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Can diced tomatoes
- Long-grain rice
- Scallions for garnish
- Cajun seasoning
- Sea Salt & Freshly ground black pepper
Why Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya Works:
Why it Works: The recipe for Easy Slow-Cooker Jambalaya succeeds because of the combination of flavors and textures from the sausage, chicken, and shrimp with Creole seasoning and rice. Slow cooking the rice in seasoned chicken broth allows it to absorb the flavors of the other ingredients, becoming fluffy and separate. The recipe’s simplicity, with only 20 minutes of preparation time, makes it an ideal choice for a busy weeknight dinner.
Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya Tips and Tricks:
- First, Choose long-grain white rice: Opt for varieties like jasmine or basmati as they stay fluffy and separate after cooking due to lower starch content.
- Rinse the rice: Remove extra starches to prevent the jambalaya from becoming gluey.
- Brown chicken and sausage: Braising before adding them to the slow cooker gives additional flavor.
- Select Cajun-style seasoning: It’s a classic available in most supermarkets.
For a DIY Creole seasoning:
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme.
Slow-Cooker Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders cut into 1" cubes
- 6 oz. andouille sausage cut into 1/4" slices
- 12 large shrimp peeled and deveined
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno chili seeded and chopped
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 3 c. low sodium chicken broth
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 c. cooked long-grain rice
- Chopped scallions for garnish
- 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the chicken pieces and cut them into bite-sized chunks. In a skillet, brown them for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Then, move the chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Slice the sausage thinly and put the pieces in the same skillet. Fry them for 2 minutes, flipping them over once, until they are lightly browned. Move the sausage to the slow cooker.
- Cut the garlic, onion, green pepper, jalapeño, and celery into small pieces. Put them in the skillet with the thyme leaves. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir them every few minutes and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
- In the slow cooker, put the vegetable mixture, cajun seasoning, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes. Mix everything well.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is soft and easy to cut.
- Season the shrimp with salt and cook them in the same skillet over medium-high heat until they turn pink, flipping them once halfway through, for about 6 minutes total. Transfer them to the fridge, and add them back at the end.
- Cook the rice according to the package directions and set it aside. Next, transfer the rice to a slow cooker after four hours and simmer it for 15 minutes. Lastly, stir in the shrimp and warm them for five minutes.
- Garnish with chopped scallions.
Nutrition
Easy Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Pairs well with:
