Slow Cooker Jambalaya

I’m a typical 5’4” white girl from the Midwest that has never been to New Orleans and has had authentic Jambalaya before. That is on my bucket list of places to travel to just to experience the food. Here’s a little background on the history of Jambalaya because I also like to learn about food history. 

Jambalaya is a rice-based dish that contains chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage with the Cajun holy trinity of vegetables which are onion, celery, and bell pepper. Jambalaya is a dish from Louisiana with Spanish, French, and West African influence. It originates from the French Quarter in New Orleans as an attempt to make paella but the Spanish used tomatoes instead of saffron because tomatoes were much cheaper. 

I’m pretty sure this recipe below is not true authentic jambalaya because of 1. It is made in a slow cooker and jambalaya is a recipe that can be easily made on the stovetop and 2. There are no Cajun holy trinity vegetables listed in the recipe which are onions, bell pepper, and celery. Instead of adding chicken and sausage to the mix I used andouille chicken sausage which is found in most grocery stores now and by using andouille chicken sausage it also helps keep the points low in the recipe. 

How to make Slow Cooker Jambalaya 

1. In a slow cooker, mix the chicken sausage, tomatoes, onion, garlic,  and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme. 
2. Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High.
3. When the main dish is done, add the raw shrimp to your crockpot and let the shrimp cook in the crockpot until the shrimp are no longer pink inside. 5 to 10 minutes. 
4. Serve with cooked rice.

Tips for Slow Cooker Jambalaya 

Vegetables: I mentioned above, this recipe doesn’t have the holy Cajun trinity in the recipe but vegetables can definitely be added to this! Use 1 onion, 2 stalks of celery, and 1 green bell pepper. 

This recipe can be made the night before and put in the fridge.  Put it in the slow cooker before leaving in the morning and cook on low for 8 hrs. 

Can this be made on a stovetop? If you don’t have a slow cooker this recipe can be definitely made in a stovetop. Cook the sausage in a large pot with garlic and veggies and add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Let that simmer for 20 minutes and at the end add the shrimp. The shrimp will be done when it turns pink. 

What is the difference between gumbo and jambalaya? Gumbo is a soup or stew served over rice. Jambalaya is a casserole that is cooked in the same pot with the rice.

Other Slow Cooker  Recipes 

Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy 

Sugar-Free Applesauce

Best Ever Slow Cooker Calico Beans 

Slow Cooker Sausage and Pineapple 

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken  

*If you make this recipe please comment and rate the recipe below to let everyone know how it is, or tag me on Instagram! If you want to upload a photo you can do that on Pinterest. Just find the post for it.

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