This Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is a proper one pot dinner, smoky, a little spicy and so much easier than it looks. If you have never made jambalaya before, this is a great place to start.
Jambalaya has a reputation for being fussy but once you understand a couple of key things, and what trips people up, it is actually really straightforward, even in the slow cooker.
This recipe sits firmly in my fakeaways section for good reason. Smoky sausage, tender chicken thighs, Cajun spices and rice all cooked together in one pot.
What Is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a Louisiana rice dish with roots in both Cajun and Creole cooking. It is built around a flavour base of onion, celery and capsicum, known as the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, along with smoky sausage, chicken and spices, all cooked together with rice so everything absorbs into one deeply seasoned dish.
There are two main styles. Cajun jambalaya is a brown dish with no tomatoes, while Creole jambalaya is red and cooked with tomatoes. This recipe is Creole style, the tomatoes add a little acidity that balances the smoky heat really well and makes a slightly saucier result which works beautifully in the slow cooker.
What Makes a Great Jambalaya, and How We Get There in the Slow Cooker
There are a few things that separate a really good jambalaya from a flat, stodgy one. Understanding these will make a real difference to your end result.
Brown your proteins properly. This is the step that builds the flavour base of the whole dish. Brown the chicken first, then the sausage in the same pan. Those caramelised bits left behind in the pan go straight into the slow cooker with everything else and add a depth you just cannot get any other way.
Cook the vegetables and spices in the same pan. After the proteins come out, the onion, celery and capsicum go in. These three together form the aromatic base that every good jambalaya is built on. Adding the spices and tomato paste here and cooking them briefly before everything goes into the slow cooker makes the flavour much deeper than adding them raw.
The rice goes in at the end. Unlike some slow cooker recipes, the rice does not cook for the full time here, it goes in for the last 25–35 minutes on HIGH. Rice that cooks too long turns to mush, and nobody wants that in their jambalaya.
Use the right rice. Long grain white rice is what you want. Avoid short grain, instant or risotto rice, they will go gluey. Rinse your rice before adding it to remove excess starch.
The sausage goes in in two stages. Half goes in with the chicken for the main cooking time, half goes in with the rice. This keeps some of it juicier and gives you better texture throughout the finished dish.
What You Need to Make This Jambalaya
Here is what goes into this recipe and a few notes worth knowing:
Chicken thighs Boneless, skinless thighs hold up well over a slow cook and stay juicy. Breast meat can dry out so I would stick with thighs here.
Smoked sausage Kransky is the easiest to find in New Zealand and Australian supermarkets and works really well here. In the US the traditional choice is Andouille, a heavily smoked, spiced sausage with a real kick. Any good quality pre-cooked smoked sausage will do the job. Slice it on the thinner side rather than thick rounds for the best texture.
The holy trinity Onion, celery and capsicum (bell pepper). Finely diced so they soften into the dish rather than sitting in chunks.
Spices Paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin and chilli flakes make up your spice mix here, a simple homemade version of Cajun seasoning. If you have a jar of store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning you can use about 2 teaspoons of that in place of the individual spices, though check the salt level as blends vary. Start with the smaller amount of chilli flakes if you are cooking for kids or anyone heat-sensitive.
Tomato paste Cook this in the pan for a minute or two until it darkens slightly. That short cook transforms it from sharp and raw to something much richer.
Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce Worcestershire sauce is easy to find in any supermarket in NZ, Australia and the US. Combined with the soy sauce it adds a quiet savoury depth — you will not taste either individually but the dish would miss them.
Long grain white rice Rinsed before it goes in. Essential for a fluffy rather than gluey result.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya (Step by Step)
Step 1 — Brown the Proteins
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces until lightly coloured. You are not cooking them through, just getting some colour on them. Remove and set aside. Add the sausage to the same pan and cook until browned and slightly caramelised. Remove and set aside. Do not wipe the pan.
Step 2 — Build the Flavour Base
In the same pan, add the onion, celery and capsicum and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt and chilli flakes and stir through until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly.
Step 3 — Into the Slow Cooker
Transfer everything from the pan to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce and stir to combine. Return the chicken and half of the sausage to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours until the chicken is tender.
Step 4 — Add the Rice
Turn the slow cooker to HIGH. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning now — this is your last chance before the rice absorbs everything. Stir in the rinsed rice and remaining sausage. Add a small splash of stock if the dish looks dry. Cover and cook for 25–35 minutes until the rice is just tender.
Check it at 25 minutes, slow cookers vary and you do not want the rice to overcook but want it tender not firm to the bite. The finished dish should be moist but not soupy. If it needs to reduce a little, leave the lid off for a few minutes.
Step 5 — Finish and Serve
Gently stir to combine. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir through the fresh parsley. If you want a slightly richer finish, stir through a tablespoon of butter at this point. Serve straight from the pot.
Jambalaya in the Slow Cooker – Common Questions
Can I skip the browning step?
You can, and it will still taste good, but those caramelised bits left in the pan after browning the chicken and sausage go straight into the slow cooker and add a depth you just cannot replicate any other way.
My rice is still hard — what happened?
A few things can cause this. The liquid level may have been a little low, or your slow cooker may run on the cooler side. Add a small splash of stock, put the lid back on and give it another 10 minutes on HIGH. Check that you used standard long grain white rice and not an instant or quick-cook variety, those absorb liquid differently and will not give you the right result.
My jambalaya is soupy — how do I fix it?
Leave the lid off and cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes to let some of the liquid reduce. The finished dish should be moist and saucy but not wet.
Can I use chicken breast?
Thighs are much better suited to slow cooking and I would always choose them here. If you do use breast, check it at the earlier end of the cooking time and cut it into larger pieces so it holds together.
What sausage should I use?
In New Zealand and Australia, Kransky is your best bet and works really well. Some specialty delis and butchers stock Andouille if you want to go more traditional. In the US, Andouille is widely available and is the classic choice, kielbasa is a good backup if you cannot find it. Whatever you use, make sure it is a pre-cooked smoked sausage rather than a fresh one.
Variations
Prawns are a great addition, stir them in for the last 10 minutes of the rice cook and they will be perfectly done. A diced green capsicum alongside the red is more traditional and gives a slightly earthier flavour. For extra heat, a few shakes of Tabasco at the end is all you need.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The rice will absorb more liquid as it sits so add a splash of water or stock when reheating. Reheat in the microwave or gently on the stovetop until piping hot, stirring carefully to keep the rice intact.
This freezes well in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Fakeaway Favourites for Your Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
- Slow Cooker Asian Sticky Beef Short Ribs
- Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken
- Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
- More Chicken Recipes for the Slow Cooker
Onto the Recipe for This Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
A rich, comforting slow cooker jambalaya with tender chicken, smoky sausage and bold Creole flavours. An easy, hands-off dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 700 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 500 grams once trimmed) , about 1½ lb / 1.1 lb trimmed, cut into medium bite-sized pieces
- 300 g smoked sausage (Kransky or similar) , (about 10 oz / ⅔ lb andouille or kielbasa works well), halved lengthways then sliced thin
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 red capsicum (red bell pepper), diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- teaspoon ¼–½ teaspoon chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) , (optional, mild to spicier to suit)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 400 g crushed tomatoes (14 oz can)
- 1¼ cups chicken stock (312 ml / 10.5 fl oz)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed (200 g / about 7 oz)
To Finish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon , (about 1–2 tablespoons)
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the sausage and cook until browned and slightly caramelised. Remove and set aside.
- Add the onion, celery and capsicum to the pan and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt and chilli flakes if using. Cook briefly until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until slightly darkened.
- Transfer everything from the pan to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
- Return the chicken and half of the sausage to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in the rinsed rice and remaining sausage. Add a splash of stock if needed. Cover and cook for 25–35 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Gently stir to combine. Season to taste, then stir through the lemon juice and parsley.
- Optional: Stir through 1 tablespoon butter for a richer finish.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until piping hot, adding a splash of water or stock to loosen if needed. Stir gently to keep the rice intact.
Notes
- Slice the sausage thinner rather than thick rounds for the best texture.
- Adding some of the sausage later keeps it juicy rather than fully cooked through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before adding the rice.
- The finished dish should be moist, not soupy. If needed, leave the lid off briefly to reduce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 34498Total Fat: 1720gSaturated Fat: 543gUnsaturated Fat: 1177gCholesterol: 19967mgSodium: 59914mgCarbohydrates: 732gFiber: 183gSugar: 443gProtein: 4174g
This nutrition calculation for Just Slow Cooker Recipes has been automated, please use your discretion with the calculation and use your own if unsure.
I hope you love this one. It is a bit of a project compared to a dump-and-go slow cooker recipe but the extra steps are worth every minute. Let me know in the comments when you make it!
Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to try this recipe. I hope you find plenty of slow cooker inspiration here on my blog.
If you’d like to see more of my latest recipes and kitchen adventures, be sure to follow along on Pinterest.
Happy cooking!
Anna
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