This slow cooker chicken and sausage jambalaya brings the spirit of Louisiana straight into a busy Midwestern weeknight. Traditionally, jambalaya is a one-pot rice dish from Louisiana with French, Spanish, and West African influences, built on smoky sausage, tender meat, vegetables, and bold seasoning. Here, we lean into the convenience of the slow cooker: you literally dump in diced chicken breasts, smoked sausage rounds, vegetables, broth, rice, and just three pantry seasonings, then let time do the work. The result tastes like you hovered over the stove all afternoon, but your actual effort is about 10 minutes.
Serve this jambalaya in warm shallow bowls, topped with a sprinkle of sliced green onion and a few dashes of hot sauce for those who like extra heat. A simple green salad with a tangy vinaigrette helps cut through the richness, and warm crusty bread or cornbread is perfect for soaking up every last bit of the seasoned juices. If you’d like to round it out further, offer a side of sautéed greens or roasted okra, and finish the meal with something cool and citrusy, like orange slices or a light lemon dessert.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into 3/4-inch pieces
12 ounces smoked sausage (such as andouille or kielbasa), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil (or neutral cooking oil)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
1 bay leaf (optional, but nice for depth)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (for serving, optional)
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker crock with a bit of olive oil or nonstick spray to help prevent sticking.
Add the diced chicken breasts directly to the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer.
Scatter the smoked sausage rounds over the chicken so the meats are mixed but still visible in distinct pieces.
Add the chopped green bell pepper, onion, and celery on top of the meats, followed by the minced garlic. At this point, the top of your slow cooker should look like a colorful mix of raw chicken, smoked sausage rounds, and green bell pepper pieces.
Sprinkle the smoked paprika, dried Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using) evenly over the meat and vegetables. Tuck in the bay leaf if you’re using it.
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth, then drizzle in the olive oil. Do not stir; keeping the rice off the very bottom at first helps prevent it from getting overly soft.
Rinse the long-grain white rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then gently sprinkle the rice evenly over the top of the liquid and vegetables in the slow cooker. Use the back of a spoon to press it down just enough so it’s submerged in liquid, but avoid heavy stirring.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through, the sausage is tender, and the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
Once the rice is tender, remove the bay leaf and gently fluff the jambalaya with a fork or large spoon, folding from the edges toward the center to mix the meats, rice, and vegetables without mashing the grains.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a bit more seasoned salt or black pepper if needed. Serve hot, topped with sliced green onions and a dash of hot sauce if you like.
Variations & Tips
For a slightly more traditional Louisiana flavor profile, you can swap the Italian seasoning for a Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, but keep the total to three main seasonings to honor the spirit of the recipe: for instance, use smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, and seasoned salt as your trio. If you prefer dark meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully and stay especially moist during slow cooking. To reduce the heat, skip the cayenne and choose a milder smoked sausage like kielbasa; to increase it, use andouille sausage and add extra cayenne or a splash of hot sauce at the end. Brown rice can be used, but you’ll need to increase the broth by about 1/2 cup and extend the cooking time; be aware that the texture will be heartier and the grains less fluffy. For a more vegetable-forward version, stir in a handful of frozen okra or peas during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you need to make this ahead, you can dice the chicken and vegetables and slice the sausage the night before, then simply dump everything into the slow cooker in the morning. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of extra broth or water to loosen the rice, and they often taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to mingle.
