- 2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 12 ounces smoked Andouille sausage, sliced into rounds*
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 small)
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 medium; may use color of choice)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (may substitute Cajun seasoning–I’ve even used Old Bay)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
- Optional: 1 cup (more or less) black beans, rinsed and drained
- For serving: rice; crusty bread or cornbread; sliced green onions for topping
Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Creole
Somewhere between soup and stew, this flavorful meal is incredibly easy to throw together. The spice level is on par with a medium salsa. Feel free to use 1/8 teaspoon cayenne as a starting point or omit for young children. Those who have a high tolerance for spice may certainly add more!
Yield: 6-8 servings
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except the “for serving” ingredients in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and, using two dinner forks, shred or chop the meat into bite-size pieces. (I like to cut the thighs in half across the grain first so that the pieces are not too long and stringy.) Optionally, the chicken may be shredded directly in the crockpot to your desired texture. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and heat until hot throughout.
- Serve in a soup bowl over rice (or with a scoop of rice on top), with a side of bread for soaking up the flavorful broth, and/or with a garnish of green onions.
Notes
- *If you prefer a dish with no spice, you may use kielbasa instead of the Andouille sausage and omit or reduce the cayenne pepper. Conversely, you may add more cayenne pepper for extra heat.
- The flavors in this dish improve over time, making leftovers especially delicious. When I have some leftover rice, I add it to what remains in the slow cooker. By the next day, the rice will have absorbed much of the broth, creating a heartier, stew-like meal.