Name: Spicy CrockPot Jambalaya
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 485 min
Ingredients: 1 can chicken (shredded); 1 pound smoked sausage (sliced); 28 ounces diced tomatoes with mild green chilies; 1 large onion (chopped); 1 large red bell pepper (chopped); ½ cup chicken broth; ½ cup white wine; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 2 teaspoons dried parsley; 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (you can make your own with the recipe linked here); 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp

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Easy CrockPot Jambalaya with sausage, chicken, and shrimp and bold spices takes just 5 minutes of prep before the slow cooker does its magic. It's healthy comfort food for the whole family!

a close up of shrimp and sausage in CrockPot jambalaya on a bed of rice on a plate

Want more bold Cajun flavors? Try 15 Minute Cajun Shrimp Scampi With Cauliflower Rice, Spicy Marinated Shrimp, or Shrimp Avocado Cucumber appetizers with Cajun remoulade sauce. And of course, homemade Cajun seasoning goes best with any recipe.

Why this is the best slow cooker Jambalaya

It's very quick & very easy: This recipe has only four very easy steps. You can have it prepped and in the CrockPot in less than five minutes.

It uses standard ingredients: This recipe uses basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Nothing fancy here!

It tastes great! All the herbs and spices in this recipe give it a spicy flavor that isn't overwhelming but makes it melt in your mouth delicious.

It's versatile: Some people like to cook their rice in the CrockPot with the jambalaya. I do not. I like to prepare rice at the end of cooking, usually in the Instant Pot because it's easiest, and then I serve the jambalaya overtop of the rice on each plate. I don't mix it together. You can if you want to, but I prefer that my rice contrasts with the flavor of the jambalaya rather than taking on its flavors.

slow cooker jambalaya in the crockpot with a ladle topped with shrimp, sausage, chicken, and red pepper

It's allergy-friendly and great for special diets: This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, and nut-free. If you leave out the rice, jambalaya is great for keto, low-carb, low-calorie, and bariatric diets. (Note that the nutritional information below does NOT include the rice.)

What's the difference between gumbo and jambalaya?

Gumbo and jambalaya are similar. Gumbo is made with more liquids, has more vegetables than meat, and uses a base made from a flour and butter roux that is cooked until it's deep brown. Gumbo may contain any combination of okra, sweet bell pepper, jalapeños, onion, and celery. Jambalaya also contains liquid, but has more meat than veggies and typically lacks okra.

What you'll need to make the best CrockPot Jambalaya Recipe

EQUIPMENT

Crockpot - Obviously, you'll need some kind of slow cooker. Brand is unimportant.
CrockPot liners - These make cleanup so easy! Once you try them, you'll never go back to cooking without them.

INGREDIENTS

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Shredded chicken - I use canned chicken, but you can cook and shred one or two boneless skinless chicken breasts or even boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. You want about a pound of chicken, give or take.
Smoked sausage - Some people prefer to use Andouille sausage, but any smoked sausage will work nicely in this recipe.
Diced tomatoes with mild green chilies - You can use any brand, including Rotel.
Chopped onion - Any variety of onion is fine. I prefer sweet Vidalia.
Chopped red bell pepper - You can use whatever color pepper you want. Red is the sweetest but green bell pepper is also fine.
Chicken broth - I prefer low sodium chicken broth, but you can use whatever you like.
White wine - The general rule is to use the same wine you would drink, although in this case, a dry white wine is much preferable to a sweet wine.
Dried oregano - A lot of times, we think of oregano as an Italian herb, but it goes really well with spicy flavors. Don't leave it out!
Dried parsley
Cajun seasoning - You can make your own with the recipe linked here.
Cayenne pepper - The recipe, as written, is pleasantly spicy. If you prefer burn your tongue off spicy, you can add extra cayenne.
Dried thyme
Salt and black pepper - As needed to season at the end.
Frozen shrimp - I buy the precooked shrimp, but any frozen shrimp will work. Actually, the shrimp could be refrigerated too. Any shrimp I suppose. I buy large or jumbo shrimp and always peeled and deveined. You're going to add them to the slow cooker last, just before serving.
Rice - I serve long grain Jasmine rice or plain white rice with jambalaya. Some recipes will tell you to put it into the sauce at the beginning of the cook time, and you can do that, but it can be a little finicky. (Sometimes the grains get too soft and sometimes they stay too hard.) I prefer to make the rice in the Instant Pot just before serving the jambalaya and just pour the jambalaya over the cooked rice.

How to Make this Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya Recipe

There is virtually no prep in this easy recipe.

Slice the sausage into coins and shred the chicken.
Add the sausage, chicken, tomatoes, onion, pepper, broth, and wine to the CrockPot.
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Add herbs and spices on top of the other ingredients in the slow cooker.
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Mix everything together.
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Set to low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
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Add the shrimp.
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Cook for an additional 30 minutes on high, until the shrimp is heated through.
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While the shrimp is heating, prepare rice according to the package directions. We like basmati rice, but there are also Cajun rice blends at the grocery store that would work well with the flavors of the jambalaya.
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Variations

You can add the uncooked rice to the slow cooker at the beginning of the cooking time, and it will cook with the rest of the soup. You won't have much (if any) liquid in the "soup" if you do it that way, and the rice will taste like the soup rather than like plain rice. Some people prefer that.

You can add a couple cloves of garlic to the other ingredients at the beginning. Garlic makes everything taste better. I suggest pressing the garlic into the sauce with a garlic press.

If you're a celery fan, feel free to add some chopped celery to the other ingredients at the beginning. I'm not, so I leave it out, but it is used in many traditional jambalaya recipes.

This is a super versatile recipe. Feel free to add shredded or cubed beef (you may want to switch to beef broth in that case), crawfish, or lump crab meat in addition to the sausage and shrimp. (You may want to leave out the chicken if you're using beef. Or use them both. Totally up to you.)

slow cooker jambalaya in the crockpot with a ladle topped with shrimp, sausage, chicken, & red pepper

Cook's tips for the best CrockPot jambalaya

If you are planning to add the rice to the CrockPot, you have to do so at the very beginning. Also, if you normally rinse your rice (and you should), DO NOT RINSE the rice for this recipe. The extra starch will help to thicken your jambalaya, so you don't want to rinse it away.

If you have extra time during prep, you can brown the sausage to add extra flavor to the jambalaya. I recommend deglazing the skillet with your chicken broth and then pouring that delicious elixir into the CrockPot with the other ingredients. (Deglazing means that you pour the broth into the hot skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the dark bits that stuck to the pan while browning the meat. Then just pour all that broth and stuff into your CrockPot - instant flavor boost!)

Go heavy on the seasonings. Jambalaya is intended to have a lot of flavor, so don't skimp on the spices. You don't have to use a ton of cayenne if you don't want to, but taste the soup and make sure it is well seasoned. You may want to add additional cajun seasoning or even plain salt. Remember that rice will soak up the flavor, so you may even want to slightly over-season the soup if you're planning to serve it over rice.

If you want your jambalaya to be extra spicy, feel free to add extra cayenne pepper or even your favorite hot sauce.

Don't forget to garnish the jambalaya! A sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley or (my favorite) a sprinkle of chopped green onions makes a pretty presentation but also adds a fresh note to the flavors.

Should my jambalaya be watery?

It should not be watery, but I do prefer it to be more like a soup than a casserole. If you want the broth to be thicker, follow these instructions:

f you want to thicken the soup, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together ¼ cup of cold water with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch until it makes a thin paste. Pour the slurry into the CrockPot and stir. Turn the slow cooker to high, and cook for about 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken right up.

shrimp, sausage, chicken, and red pepper on a fork over slow cooker jambalaya on a bed of rice on a white plate

What to do with leftover jambalaya

You can store leftover jambalaya in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the CrockPot, on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave (30-second intervals until hot), as desired. Reheating in the CrockPot or in a saucepan on the stove typically results in the best texture.

You can also freeze leftovers. When they are completely cooled, transfer to an airtight container or zippered plastic freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 4-6 months.

To serve frozen jambalaya, defrost in the fridge overnight, then heat in the CrockPot, on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave (30-second intervals until hot), as desired. Reheating in the CrockPot or in a saucepan on the stove typically results in the best texture.