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This Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa is easy to make and has so much flavor! Crock Pot Jambalaya is a delicious recipe that my whole family loves.
Jambalaya is a classic Creole dish that is typically made with rice, sausage, chicken, shrimp, and a variety of spices. It can be a bit time-consuming to make, but this healthy crockpot version makes it easy to enjoy this delicious dish at home.
This recipe uses quinoa instead of rice, plus poultry sausage, lean chicken and shrimp for protein. It has less fat and calories than traditional Jambalaya but the spices still give it its signature cajun flavor. This crockpot jambalaya is a great option for busy weeknights. It’s easy to make, and is packed with flavor.
Where’s the Recipe?
I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen and I receive a lot of questions about recipes. To better serve all of my readers, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my recipes.
In this article you will find ingredient information, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip over all of that, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the nutritional information and easy to print healthy Crockpot Jambalaya recipe box.
Ingredients in Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa
I love learning about food, and I’m sharing some fun facts about the ingredients in this easy crockpot shrimp Jambalaya below. To learn more about the food you eat, head over to my YouTube channel.
- Celery: Did you know celery is a member of the carrot family? The plant and its seeds provide an abundant source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic clove but you can also purchase pre-minced garlic to save time.
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this jambalaya. Chicken breasts are a great way to get extra protein into your diet. One chicken breast has a whopping 54 grams of protein!
- Poultry Sausage: For this Jambalaya recipe I prefer chicken andouille sausage. I really love the simple ingredients in the Open Nature brand.
- Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are a staple in every pantry, be sure to opt for the low-sodium variety.
- Thyme: A relative of oregano, thyme has a gentle flavor that blends well with almost everything.
- Oregano: Oregano is a versatile herb spawning from the mint family and is popular in Italian, Mexican, and Mediterranean cooking.
- Red pepper flakes: If you prefer more spice you can add even more red pepper flakes. I love the heat it brings.
- Tabasco sauce: I love a little kick of heat in my jambalaya, so I typically use tabasco sauce, but any hot sauce will do.
- Shrimp: I’m not a fan of overcooked shrimp, so I pre-cook my peeled, deveined, tails-off shrimp and then add it to the end for just a long enough time that they heat through.
- Basil: Basil adds a bright finish to this recipe. I love to use dried while cooking, and stir in some fresh when I add my shrimp.
- Quinoa: I love using quinoa in place of white rice or brown rice because it is considered a complete protein source, which means that it provides all nine essential amino acids. It’s also a good source of antioxidants and minerals. I typically use white quinoa, but you can choose your favorite variety. If you’re a jambalaya purist cooked regular rice works perfectly.
- Green onion: Green onions are completely optional in this recipe, but give a nice bite at the end that I really enjoy.
How to Make Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa
Click here if you’re looking for an Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe.
Time needed: 7 hours and 15 minutes.
This recipe is about 2 1/4 cups per serving.
- Prepare your vegetables: First chop your onions, celery, and garlic.
- Prepare the chicken and sausage: Next cut the chicken breasts into one-inch squares and then slice your sausage into half inch-thick slices.
- Combine: Now add the diced onions, celery, garlic, chicken, sausage, diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper, and Tabasco sauce to your crockpot, and stir well.
- Slow Cook: Cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Cook quinoa: When the cook time is almost complete on your crockpot, cook your quinoa. To start, rinse your quinoa and then add it to a pot of water. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil, and then cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
The basic ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid. You will want to have 3 cups of cooked quinoa for this quinoa jambalaya. - Add shrimp: Now is time to stir in the shrimp, basil, and cooked quinoa. Cover, and continue cooking until the shrimp and quinoa are heated through.
- Garnish and serve (or portion individual servings for meal prep): Stir well, and serve topped with freshly chopped green onions.
Recipe Tips
- This Crock Pot recipe is a great meal prep recipe. Just portion out in a single serving airtight container and freeze or refrigerate until ready to eat. Microwave thawed Jambalaya for 1:30-2 minutes.
- Buy frozen chopped onions to save time.
- A small hand grater will mince the garlic in less time than dicing it with a knife.
- If you’d rather use your favorite Cajun Seasoning in this recipe, replace all spices with 4 teaspoons of it.
- Bay leaves can be added to this recipe, just remember to remove them from the pot before serving!
- I don’t add much, if any, salt to my recipes because everyone has different tastes, dietary restrictions, and preferences. Add salt and black pepper to taste before cooking.
Healthy Eating Plans
This Crock Pot Jambalaya is a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional Jambalaya. It fits perfectly into several healthy eating plans.
Weight Watchers Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa
6 Blue Plan Points | 8 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points | 5 Points on the 2023 Plan
21 Day Fix Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa
Entire recipe: 12 Red Containers, 6 Yellow Containers, 6 Green Containers, and 6 Teaspoons
Per serving: 2 Red Containers, 1 Yellow Container, 1 Green Container, and 1 teaspoon
My take on Jambalaya is perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something healthy, and comforting, but you don’t want the work. This Healthy Crock Pot Jambalaya recipe couldn’t be easier.
2B Mindset
This would be a great 2B lunch with additional vegetables as a side.
Looking for more healthy slow cooker recipes?
- Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
- Crock Pot Egg Drop Soup
- Dairy Free Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Homemade Crockpot Chicken Stock
- Healthy Stuffed Bell Peppers Soup
Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa
Equipment
- Crockpot
- Kitchen Knife
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 1½ cups onion chopped
- 1½ cups celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 1 lb chicken sausage Low sodium
- 30 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper crushed
- 1 tsp tabasco sauce
- 3 cups quinoa
- 1 lb cooked shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1 tsp basil
Optional topping: diced green onions
Instructions
- Chop your onions, celery, and garlic. 1½ cups onion, 1½ cups celery, 4 cloves garlic
- Cut chicken breasts into one-inch squares and slice your sausage into half inch-thick slices. 1 lb chicken breast, 1 lb chicken sausage
- Add onions, celery garlic, chicken, sausage, diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper, and Tabasco sauce to your crockpot, and stir well. 30 oz diced tomatoes, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp red pepper, 1 tsp tabasco sauce
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- When the cook time is almost complete on your crockpot, cook your quinoa. To start, rinse your quinoa and then add it to a pot of water. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil, and then cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The basic ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid. You will want to have 3 cups of cooked quinoa for this quinoa jambalaya. 3 cups quinoa
- Now is time to stir in the shrimp, basil, and cooked quinoa. Cover, and continue cooking until the shrimp and quinoa are heated through. 1 lb cooked shrimp, 1 tsp basil
- Stir well, and serve topped with freshly chopped green onions.
Notes
- Weight Watchers:
- Blue Plan Points – For every 2 ¼ cup serving or 1/6 of the pot is 6 Blue Plan Points
- Purple Plan Points – For every 2 ¼ cup serving or 1/6 of the pot is 3 Purple Plan Points
- Green Plan Points – For every 2 ¼ cup serving or 1/6 of the pot is 8 Green Plan Points
- 2023 Plan – 5 Points per Serving
- 21 Day Fix: For the entire recipe of 21 Day Fix Jambalaya you have 12 Red Containers, 6 Yellow Containers, 6 Green Containers, and 6 Teaspoons.
- Per 2 ¼ cup serving: 2 Red Containers, 1 Yellow Container, 1 Green Container, and 1 teaspoon.
- 2B Mindset– This would be a great 2B lunch with additional vegetables as a side.
- This recipe is great for meal prep, just freeze in individual serving containers and reheat when ready to eat.
- Buy frozen chopped onions to save time.
- A small hand grater works wonderfully to “mince” cloves of garlic.
- Add salt and black pepper to your tastes before pressure cooking.
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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What is the serving size?
It’s most accurate to divide your entire recipe by 6, but it should be about 1 1/2 cups. :)
Do you use raw or cooked shrimp? They look pretty pink in the picture so I am guessing cooked, but wanted to verify. Thanks!
Cooked :)