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My Crockpot Jambalaya Recipe with Chicken and Shrimp is the perfect way to bring the taste of New Orleans home to your kitchen. Savor the Cajun flavors in this healthy, but hearty flavor-packed Crockpot Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya recipe. You’ll love the warmth of this recipe, and the full-bodied flavors in an easy to make slow cooker meal.
Crockpot Jambalaya Recipe with Chicken and Shrimp
Mix it up with a combination of all of the above of chicken, shrimp or a healthy sausage. All it takes is your trusty crockpot and a little bit of spice to throw together this recipe. Think dinner party or your weekly meal prep!
Be transported back to the sights, sounds, and flavors of Mardi Gras as soon as your spoon hits your mouth with this epic crockpot recipe. About 10 minutes of prep time is all it takes – and of course, about 4-5 hours in your crockpot, to make this dish a reality. Get this recipe ready to go before you leave in the morning and enjoy a special treat for dinner. A perfect blend of protein, carbs and healthy fats from the chicken, the Crockpot Chicken, and Shrimp Jambalaya will be your new go-to.
Can I Add More Spice to This Crockpot Jambalaya?
Need more heat? Go ahead, add a little more Tony’s, or even some cayenne. I made this a bit milder than most would, simply because I know not everyone tolerates high spice levels. Cajun foods are often a bit more flavorful than some recipes, but this one can be adjusted to fit your needs.
If you are looking for a little more pep, try our Red Beans and Rice recipe. Continue the Cajun theme and add our Quinoa Jambalaya to your weekly rotation as well.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead?
While I prefer using chicken breasts due to the health and fat content, you can definitely substitute chicken thighs. In fact, they will give this an even richer flavor to the jambalaya. Just grab boneless skinless chicken thighs if you decide to go that direction.
I have even grabbed chicken sausages to add to this recipe when I’ve found clean versions at the grocery store. This adds a whole other depth of flavor to a perfect warm slow cooker meal.
Can This Recipe be Frozen?
Yes! You can definitely make large batches of this crockpot jambalaya and freeze for future meals. I like to prep this recipe by adding all of the ingredients except the rice into a large freezer storage bag and labeling. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then pour into the slow cooker to cook the day you want to serve.
You can, of course, cook as directed, allow it to cool completely, then pour into freezer storage bags or freezer soup containers to label and date before freezing. Remember that liquids expand when they freeze, so definitely leave room in your container for this.
Ingredients
Chicken breasts
Shrimp
Brown rice
Green bell pepper
Celery
Yellow onion
Tomatoes
Garlic
Chicken broth
Tomato paste
Cajun seasoning
Salt
This was originally published on August 8, 2013, and updated on January 12, 2020.
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Crockpot Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
5 from 2 reviews
Author:Whitney Carlson
Total Time:4 hours 10 minutes
Yield:81x
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Description
This Crockpot Jambalaya Soup can be made with shrimp, chicken, and/or sausage (or mix them all together!)! Throw it all in the crockpot and have a hearty and delicious meal.
One of the primary differences in Cajun jambalaya as opposed to the Creole variant is the absence of tomatoes. Instead, it relies on a dark roux (which is a cooked mixture of flour and fat) to achieve a deep, smoky flavor. Country meats like andouille sausage, tasso ham, or game meats take center stage.
Add 2 cups white rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is opaque and toast-y smelling, about 3 minutes. Add the liquid and meats. Pour in 2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth and bring to a boil.
One of the biggest complaints when making jambalaya is that the rice ends up mushy. And there's two main culprits of this – choosing the wrong type of rice and over-stirring. For this recipe, you want long-grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine. Don't use short-grain rice.
For a spicier jambalaya, use two jalapeños. And then you can always add more cayenne at the end if you'd like. Pick your protein: Chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage are all traditional options for jambalaya. But feel free to choose just one, two or use all three, depending on what proteins you like.
Whereas the seasoning combination of onion, celery, bell pepper, cayenne pepper and thyme give jambalaya its Creole/Cajun flavors, paella has a Mediterranean flavor profile owing to lemon, paprika, saffron and olives.
A cajun jambalaya, I'm reliably informed, should be somewhat dry, even slightly browned on the bottom, which rules out the soupier, wetter texture of those creole versions using tomatoes (Oliver advises cooks to aim for a “porridgey” consistency).
Jambalaya, on the other hand, is a rice dish. Your average recipe contains about double the amount of liquid to rice, but the liquid cooks down. Jambalaya shouldn't turn out watery or mushy. Recipes with tomato sauce will turn out a little wetter, however, almost as wet as risotto, and that's totally normal.
Too much stirring can cause mushy rice as it releases starch. Don't be tempted to stir too much. Also, overcooking rice can lead to mushy rice. You want the water to be mostly absorbed, then remove it from the heat and let it steam to make the perfectly sauced rice.
I like roux in jambalaya because it thickens it and makes it less soupy. For the roux, use good quality vegetable oil that can stand up to high heat; butter or olive oil will burn before you get to the final result. Cook on medium-high to high heat, stirring constantly.
Two main categories of jambalaya exist: Creole (or red) jambalaya, which is associated with the city of New Orleans and contains tomato, and Cajun (or brown) jambalaya, which contains no tomato and is more common in other parts of Louisiana. The recipe I'm focusing on here is the former, with tomato.
How To Serve Jambalaya. Immediately divvy your pot of hot jambalaya into individual bowls, or serve it at the table family-style in a large serving dish. Top it with fresh sliced green onions, chives, or chopped parsley. If you'd like, add hot sauce and a loaf of warm, crusty bread.
Etymology. The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that jambalaya comes from the Provençal word jambalaia, meaning a mish mash, or mixup, and also meaning a pilaf (pilau) of rice. This is supported by the fact that the first printed appearance of the word is in a Provençal poem published in 1837.
Creole jambalaya includes tomatoes—possibly a sub for paella's saffron (a once out-of-reach ingredient for southern Louisianans). Cajun jambalaya, found more frequently further outside of New Orleans, omits tomatoes, yielding distinctly cooked grains, garnished with chicken, sausage, and later, spring onions.
There are two types of jambalaya: Cajun and Creole. Cajun jambalaya originates from the bayous of Louisiana, featuring andouille sausage and various veggies. Creole jambalaya incorporates tomatoes and shrimp, using influences from Spain, France, and African locals.
So, what's the difference between these two cuisines? While they are very similar, they do utilize different ingredients. Cajun food is typically spicier than Creole food, and it also contains more pork and crawfish.Creole food utilizes more ingredients like tomatoes, shrimp, oysters, and crab.
Gumbo is perhaps the signature dish of both cuisines. Creole gumbo has a tomato base and is more of a soup, while Cajun gumbo has a roux base and is more of a stew.
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