CrockPot Jambalaya Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good jambalaya? ›

The richness of the stock, the slow build of Creole spices, and the way the meat is cooked — in this case, caramelizing the sausage, which coaxes out more flavor and adds that appealing browned finish — also contribute to the deep, complex layers of this dish.

Plus, the slow cooker keeps the jambalaya warm for a day's worth of visiting or tailgating activities.

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).

Once the meat has created a good browning at bottom of the pot, add about 1 cup of water. Don't worry, we will cook this water out. You want to add enough water to be able to scrape the griade off the bottom, but not too much so that it doesn't take too long to cook back out again.

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.

White rice: Long grain is traditional, but short grain white rice also works. Okra: Fresh or frozen; we will use this to help thicken the jambalaya. Salt and Black Pepper: Very important! Don't forget to taste and season with salt and pepper to taste at the end.

Given how close that temperature is to the Danger Zone, Crock Pot recommends that you only keep food on the warm setting in your slow cooker for up four hours.

Problem: Complicated to make, jambalaya is usually overcooked and underseasoned. The dish is an unappealing mixture of rubbery shrimp, dry chicken, and gummy rice bound in a thin, watery tomato base. Goal: We wanted fluffy rice with perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken, shrimp, and sausage.

Absolutely! Jambalaya reheats well, and the flavors often intensify, making it a fantastic make-ahead dish for gatherings or meal prepping.

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.

Do you need a roux for jambalaya? ›

Most jambalaya recipes don't call for thickeners like roux or okra, though some people use cornstarch as a thickener if the dish needs it. Most of all, the role of rice distinguishes gumbo and jambalaya. You serve rice in gumbo, but the rice cooks in a separate pot.

A hearty blend of rice, meats, vegetables, and lots of seasoning, jambalaya is a cold-weather comfort food that is sure to please everyone. There are two types of jambalaya: Cajun and Creole.

Jambalaya is a rice dish

This thick rice stew is a distant relative of Spanish paella, but made with local ingredients.

Make a corn starch 'slurry' by mixing cold water and some corn starch, then add that to the hot dish that still cooking. You want to cook the dish for a few minutes after adding corn starch to let it thicken and cook out the raw flour flavor.

The pot will now contain the browned sausage, browned meat, caramelized vegetables, bouillon cubes, garlic, and the right amount of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, either reduce to low heat and cover the pot or turn off the heat and cover the pot.

The Holy Trinity is the Cajun and Creole counterpart to this trio, consisting of onion, celery, and rather than carrot, green bell peppers. Just like mirepoix, the Holy Trinity is one of the first things to hit the pan, acting as an aromatic base for dishes like Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Crawfish Étouffée.

The one ingredient that seems to be fairly constant in all Jambalaya preparations though is some kind of sausage, and preferably a smoked one. Andouille, a spicy smoked sausage native to Louisiana, is the traditional choice.

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.

Cajun jambalaya usually has a brown colour due to the meat dissolving in the broth. It also has a smokier flavour because of the meat being allowed to brown first.