Looking for a hearty, spicy, and soul-satisfying meal that practically cooks itself? This Slow Cooker Jambalaya is our go-to dish for busy RV days or chilly winter nights. Loaded with tender chicken, smoky Andouille sausage, and plump shrimp, this one-pot wonder is a crowd-pleaser every time.
This post contains affiliate links. As a participant in Amazon Associates and various affiliate programs, we are compensated when qualifying purchases are made through our referral links at no additional cost to you. Full Disclosure
What Is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a one-pot Cajun favorite that brings together meat, seafood, vegetables, and bold seasonings into a thick, stew-like dish. Think of it as Louisiana’s answer to comfort food—satisfying, spicy, and bursting with flavor.
In our RV kitchen, we love cooking it in a slow cooker and serving it over Jasmine rice. Everything simmers together for hours, and the result? A bowl full of flavor that warms your soul.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy to make in a small kitchen
- Flavor gets better the longer it simmers
- Feeds a crowd (or gives you leftovers!)
- Flexible – spice it up or dial it down
We cook the rice separately in our rice cooker, which makes the cleanup a breeze and keeps the rice texture just right.
👉 If you’re outfitting your RV kitchen, we highly recommend a Crock-Pot 8-Quart Multi-Use XL Express Crock and an AROMA Rice Cooker.
A Few Rob Tips:
- I always toss in extra meat. I’m talking more chicken, an extra package of sausage, and jumbo shrimp for good measure.
- Lisa isn’t a big fan of shrimp unless it’s fried, so the jumbo size makes them easy to pick out (and hand to me).
- Forgot celery? No big deal. I’m not wild about it anyway—it’s great without.
- We keep it saucy! We use a combo of crushed tomatoes, Rotel, and tomato sauce for a rich tomato base.
Slow Cooker Jambalaya Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7–8 hours (low) or 3–4 hours (high)
Total Time: ~8 hours
Course: Main
Serves: 6–8
Ingredients
- 1 lb Boneless Chicken Breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 13–26 oz Andouille Sausage, sliced (we use 2 packages)
- 1 lb Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and tails off
- 1 (10 oz) can Diced Tomatoes (we use Rotel)
- 1 (28 oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can Tomato Sauce
- 1 large Onion, chopped
- 1 large Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 cup Celery, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 3 tsp Dried Oregano
- 3 tsp Dried Parsley
- 2–3 tsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1–1.5 tsp Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- Cooked Jasmine Rice (for serving)
Instructions
Chop Chicken into 1″ pieces.
Another reason I like to add more sausage than the recipe calls for is that the Andouille Sausage I find comes in a 13-oz package, so instead of being short in my Jambalaya, I throw in an extra package.
Everything comes together in one pot with bell peppers, onion, and celery. I forgot to buy celery, so it got left out this time. I’m not a huge celery fan, so I didn’t miss it. The Jambalaya was still awesome!
We love our Jambalaya saucy and occasionally use spaghetti sauce in it, but found that we like it made with Crushed Tomatoes, Rotel Tomatoes, and Tomato Sauce just as well, if not more so. This way gives a great Tomato flavor.
Add a cup of Chicken Broth for a touch of chicken flavor. Give everything a stir and you’re ready to let the Jambalaya Cook for 7-8 or so hours on low or 3-4 on high.
With about 30-45 minutes left until the Jambalaya is ready, throw in your raw cleaned and tails off shrimp. At this point, also start cooking your rice.
When finished, serve Jambalaya over cooked rice. It’s such a hearty meal. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a Slow Cooker add chopped Chicken and Andouille Sausage.
- Add Crushed Tomatoes, Diced Tomatoes (We prefer Rotels), and Tomato Sauce
- Add Chopped Onion, Bell Peppers and Celery
- Add Chicken Broth
- Season with Oregano, Parsley, Cajun Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper and Thyme. Play with it as you like I always like to add a little extra spice to really bring out the flavors.
- Give everything a good stir to mix.
- Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on Low or 3-4 hours on High.
- With about 30-45 minutes left in cooking time Add thawed Shrimp.
Final Thoughts
This Slow Cooker Jambalaya has become a staple in our RV kitchen. It’s easy to prep, packed with flavor, and perfect after a long day on the road or standing watch at the gate. The beauty of this dish is in its flexibility—add more heat, more meat, or skip an ingredient if you don’t have it on hand (looking at you, celery). It’s forgiving and always satisfying.
If you’ve got a slow cooker and a little time, this one’s a no-brainer.
Have you made Jambalaya before?
Let me know in the comments what you like to throw into yours—extra spice, a different protein, or maybe even a vegetarian twist. I’d love to hear how you make it your own.
And hey, if you try this recipe and love it, consider sharing it or pinning it to your favorite recipe board. It helps us keep the good food and travel content coming!
If you’re looking to build your own home-based business like we have with this webpage, check out Wealthy Affiliate.
Wealthy Affiliate is an all-in-one platform that you can build your whole affiliate marketing business on. It combines training, software, and website hosting into one. This makes the whole process of starting an online business from scratch much easier, especially if you’re new to building a website.
