This crock pot chicken and rice creole gives you the tenderness of slow-cooked chicken thighs with the spicy goodness of sausage for a filling meal, complete with rice and ham.
A dash of hot sauce and plenty of bell pepper and tomatoes in a slowly simmered chicken dish has all the good things a classic Creole has to offer.
Taking the skin off the chicken thighs lowers your calorie count and saves you some money when you do it yourself.
Let the layers of flavors slowly simmer for several hours to get all the Creole spice to gently bubble together. Serve with some hearty country bread for a filling dinner.
This is even better re-heated the next day!
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Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Creole Recipe:
Chicken and rice is prominent in Creole cooking and this dish is a perfect example. But you don't have to cook all day. The Crock Pot takes care of everything!
- 8 chicken thighs skin removed
- 4 ounces cooked ham cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large green bell pepper cut into 1-inch cubes, seeds removed
- 6 green onions cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1 can 16-ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 can 6-ounces tomato paste
- 1/2 pound link sausage sliced in 1-inch pieces, cut diagonally
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
- Layer the skinless chicken thighs in the bottom of a crockpot. Add the ham, the green bell pepper and the green onions on top of the chicken.
- In a small bowl, mix together the canned tomatoes, the tomato paste, salt and the Tabasco. Pour this mixture over the chicken thighs and vegetables.
- Cover the slow cooker and turn on low, and cook the chicken for 4 to 5 hours.
- A half hour before the chicken is finished cooking, combine the water and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a very low heat, cover the pan and steam the rice for 20 minutes. Set the rice aside in the covered pot.
- Turn the heat on the slow cooker to high and add the sausage. When it is heated through, in about 15 minutes, add the cooked rice and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Serve in heated bowls with extra Tabasco for those who like a little extra heat!
On Your Own -Get creative with your sausage! Some cooks prefer a full flavored polish sausage, but you could get even more authentic with tasty chunks of Andouille sausage or maybe your favorite Cajun spiced sausage.
Look for links made with jalapeno for a bunch more heat. If you want to eliminate the chunks of ham, increase the amount of sausage to 12 ounces, but we find a nice slice of Black Forest ham to add a hint of smokiness that just gives all the other ingredients a hefty dose of flavor.
Food For Thought – Add some of your favorite vegetables.
Chunks of onions and carrots make this a Creole stew, and okra would make it more flavorful still. If okra isn’t your thing but you still would like a little bite, add some diced celery an hour before the chicken is done.
Good To Know – Most crockpot meals make excellent day-after meals, and this one is no exception.
Skim off any accumulated fat before gently reheating. Also, you can buy boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you should decrease your cooking time by 1 hour. Save yourself some money by removing the skin yourself.
It’s probably better to leave the bones in, as this chicken will be meltingly tender and falling off the bone anyway! And if you prefer white meat, this crock pot chicken and rice can be just as delicious with skinless chicken breasts.
Be sure to follow Foodgasm Recipes on Pinterest for more great recipes!