A simple crockpot cajun chicken and vegetable dish. Serve it over rice for a delicious meal!
Clearly by the title, I didn’t quite know what to call this…It’s not quite a soup, maybe a bit of a stew? And when you serve it with rice it’s just a good dinner. (??!) So the title is purely descriptive — there is some chicken, some veggies, and some rice. And it just so happens to be another slow cooked meal!
The inspiration for this dish started after I had a big bowl of gumbo at a restaurant a few weekends ago. The gumbo wasn’t a super traditional one, but it was so delicious. It was spicy enough to make my eyes water a bit and so when the toddler asked for a bite I was a bit hesitant, but gave him some anyways.
After that bite, he made the funniest face that had us all cracking up. After his first bite, I was certain he wouldn’t want any more. So I proceeded to try and feed him something else. But ALL he wanted was the soup. He continued to eat it, bite after bite. After each bite, he’d make a contorted face that looked like he wasn’t enjoying it, take a big sip of water, and then take another bite.
He was definitely feeling the spice, but ate it anyways and claimed he loved it! So he polished off my soup and I was left with his kiddo meal. Ha!
Since I didn’t get my fill of the soup and I knew the toddler would be supportive of the idea, I made my own wannabe gumbo. Except it’s so non-gumbo traditional that I didn’t want to offend any die-hard gumbo lovers by using that word in the title. ??
And it ended up pretty different from the soup in the restaurant so calling it a soup didn’t quite fit either.
Regardless of not knowing exactly what to label this as, I will tell you it is SERIOUSLY delicious and so quick and easy to make! Especially if you buy prepared chopped veggies…then it’s as quick as dumping it in the crockpot and waiting!
However, this isn’t a 100% dump it and forget about it meal, because you do need to use a pot near the end of cooking time to add a simple roux (butter + flour). Then you use that same pot to cook the rice!
I actually did try a version where I added the rice in the crockpot about an hour before dinner time and unfortunately it didn’t work out so well. The rice wasn’t very evenly cooked (some pieces got “soggy” while some where still hard) and the texture just wasn’t the best. (Come on rice! Cook well in the crockpot! ?)
So it’s a crockpot plus one pan kind of meal! All still very easy though, trust me!
And final note, if you don’t have a crazy toddler that can handle ALL the spice (seriously, though ?) add the cajun seasoning slower and to taste!
- 1/2 cup (~2-3 stalks) celery
- 1 cup (~1) small yellow onion
- 1 cup (~1) small green bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) stewed tomatoes*
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs breasts will also work
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 to 1 full tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup rice white or brown
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons white flour
- Green onions, optional
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Prepare the veggies (or buy pre-chopped veggies for an even quicker prep)
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Very thinly slice the celery, very finely chop the onion, chop the bell pepper (remove stem and seeds), mince the garlic (or use pre-minced garlic).
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Add to the crockpot. Pour the stewed tomatoes (do not drain) into the crockpot and then add the chicken thighs.
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Pour the chicken stock (more flavor) or broth (or even water with chicken bouillon) into the crockpot.
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Add the cajun seasoning. I use McCormick which is a little more mild than others I've used so do this completely to taste preference. We like a full tablespoon, but you may like less or more. Always start with less and add more at the end!!
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Add the cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. (I add about 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
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Set to low for 5-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours or until the chicken easily shreds. Every slow cooker is different so watch yours carefully!
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About 45 minutes before serving, place a small pot on the stovetop and heat the pot to medium high heat. Add the butter and whisk until completely melted and frothy. (Margarine doesn't work here.)
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Briskly whisk in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding slowly. Whisk until smooth in between each flour addition.
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Whisk constantly until a creamy and lightly browned mixture forms (if it clumps you'll need to start again). Lower the heat and allow to slightly thicken. Carefully add to the crockpot (it sizzles when added, so do it slowly!)
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Remove the chicken and shred. Return to the crockpot.
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Meanwhile, in the same pot used to make the roux, prepare the rice according to package directions.
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Either add the cooked rice with everything else or serve separately. (I like separately so leftovers don't get "soggy")
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Remove the bay leaf, add more cajun if desired, and some salt and pepper. If desired, add some chopped green onions to each bowl. Enjoy!
*I use stewed tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano.
More delicious crockpot meals:
Crockpot Creamy Enchilada Soup
Easy Crockpot Sweet Potato Stew
Crockpot BBQ Ranch Chicken Tacos
Debbi says
Looks Delicious! Thank you Chelsea 🙂 This will be on my menu this week
chelseamessyapron says
You are so welcome! 🙂 Thanks for the comment and I hope you LOVE this Debbi! 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Love how hands off this delicious meal is- so much time to develop those rich Cajun flavors 🙂
chelseamessyapron says
Yes absolutely! 🙂 Thank you Medha! 🙂
Denise @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Ha ha oh I’m so impressed your toddler was such a trooper with the spiciness! That actually kind of sounds like me eating spicy food: I love it but it hurts. This looks so delicious, I love that it’s different from a lot of crockpot recipes I see these days.
chelseamessyapron says
Haha I was so surprised! But yes, I’m pretty similar — love it and it hurts! Ha!! Thank you Denise! 🙂
Ashley says
haha I love that story – too funny! I am always looking for new ideas for my crockpot and this sounds delicious!
chelseamessyapron says
Thank you Ashley! 🙂
kathy says
I know it depends on your ingredients but was curious to know what an average nutrition would be for this receipt
Jim says
Looks great! Is the garnish scallions?
chelseamessyapron says
Yes! 🙂
Eugene Azbill says
Out of curiosity, why did you not mention the green onions which are obviously used to garnish the dish?
chelseamessyapron says
I apologize for the oversight! I’ve updated the recipe to include them 🙂 Thanks for pointing that out!
Robin says
Any suggestions for making this without the roux? I’d rather save the fat for toppings 😉
chelseamessyapron says
Hey Robin! I’ve never tried it without the roux so I’m not really sure how exactly it will turn out/taste, but you can definitely try leaving it out.
Sean K says
You can use a cold water/corn starch mix instead of the roux to thicken it up. You use equivalent parts of cold water mixed with corn starch. Then slowly pour it into the soup/stew, stirring it as you pour. The heat of the soup will thicken the cornstarch/water. This method is used A LOT when making Chinese sauces. The cornstarch method leaves out the flour/carbs. You’ll definitely want to thicken it up. Its well worth it.
Sean K says
This was delicious. Really good. I added some Old Bay to the mix (because, unfortunately, I didn’t add any actual seafood – but wanted that seafood flavor that crab and/or shrimp would add). I then added some Okra too. This was really good. I will be making this again … very soon.
chelseamessyapron says
So happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the comment and review Sean 🙂 And the Old Bay + Okra addition sounds delicious!!