I have to begin by prefacing that this is not your traditional Jambayala. This is a chic slow cooker version of the popular dish.
We here at Chic love slow cooker meals. Nothing beats a home cooked meal at the end of the day, but sometimes you don’t have the energy or time for it. With the slow cooker, you can have a hearty and delicious meal waiting for you when you arrive home.
This is my take on Creole jambayala, also referred to as “red jambalaya” because it’s inclusion of tomatoes. Most Cajun and Creole cooking includes the trinity of celery, bell peppers, and onions. This serves as the base for many regional dishes, including gumbo.
Jambayala usually is made with chicken, sausage, and seafood. I opted for chicken breast, Andouille pork sausage, and shrimp. To make it easier and budget-friendly, I used frozen cooked shrimp. (Be sure to get the shrimp without tails.)
You can choose to cook the rice separately and mix it into the saucy mixture before serving. Or you can add uncooked rice to the slow cooker about 30 minutes before serving and have it cook in the pot. If using uncooked rice, do not add the shrimp to the pot until the rice is completely done cooking. To cook the rice in the slow cooker, turn up the heat to high for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Do not lift the lid during that time. Allow all that heat and steam inside the slow cooker to thoroughly cook the rice.
This is a fairly large batch of jambayala that is more than enough to feed a family of 5. With Mardi Gras tomorrow, why not celebrate with your friends and family with a spicy and flavorful bowl of jambayala?!
- 1-28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3 sticks of celery ribs, chopped
- 1 cup bell peppers, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp Creole or Cajun seasoning*
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 12 oz Cajun-style andouille pork sausage, sliced
- 12 oz frozen cooked shrimp
- 2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- In a large skillet, melt butter on medium high heat. Sear chicken on all sides. No need to fully cook the chicken, just sear to get some color. Transfer chicken to clean bowl.
- Add celery, bell peppers and onion to skillet. Cook until onions begin to soften. Add cayenne pepper and Cajun seasoning. Toss to combine. Remove from heat.
- In the slow cooker, add diced tomatoes (along with juice) and chicken broth. Add seared chicken and sliced sausage. Follow with celery-onion mixture.
- Cover slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on low setting.
- *If using uncooked rice, add rice to slow cooker. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on high setting.
- Once rice is cooked, add frozen shrimp. Cover slow cooker and let shrimp warm up for 8-10 minutes.
- *If using cooked rice, add rice after shrimp has warmed up.
- Serve warm and garnish with parsley and additional Cajun seasoning as needed.
- If you want it spicy- add more cayenne pepper
- *I used Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning
