Chicken Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo — a rich, flavorful gumbo with authentic flavors; loaded with chicken, sausage, shrimp and crab legs. Simply Delicious. 
I Heart Gumbo! It just blends right in with my African Cuisine – spicy, substantial, well-seasoned and full of amazing ingredients. I have got to say the combination is right on point. Now how could anyone not want to make this ?
Don’t let the ingredients list scare you. Making gumbo is simple and straight food and is no more complicated than making stew. After you get past the stirring (making the roux) everything else is a breeze. This gumbo is loaded with hearty pieces of chicken thighs, smoked sausage, crab legs and shrimp. The key to a great gumbo is the roux.
A “roux” is basically equal parts of oil and flour, stirred together to eliminate the floury taste. With gumbo, the stirring is prolonged to achieve a chocolate color to intensify the flavor the stew. 
When making the roux, try not to walk away or else it might burn. In the beginning, it will look like frosting but after about approximately 22-25 minutes of constant stirring the mixture will become a little more like gravy.
Most recipes call for okra (a thickener), I intentionally omitted it and replaced it with gumbo file (powdered leaves of the sassafras tree) This serves both as a thickener and adds a distinct flavor to the dish. Gumbo is most often paired with it’s time honored maid – rice. So have some white rice to go with this, along with bread (my preference) If you want to include okra in your gumbo then give this other gumbo a try .
For a cooking breeze, have this Creole Seasoning ready in your pantry. This creole seasoning add depth and richness to this gumbo dish. It’s quick to put together and can be easily customized to your personal preference.
Enjoy!!!
Watch How to Make It
Chicken Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo — a rich, flavorful gumbo with authentic flavors; loaded with chicken, sausage, shrimp and crab legs. Simply Delicious.
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 8 oz . Smoked sausage
- 2 pounds chicken skinless chicken thigh
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 sticks)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 14 oz . can tomatoes (chopped)
- ½ pound crab legs
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning.
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder or 1 cube
- 1- tablespoon thyme fresh or dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock (sub with water)
- 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1- tablespoon gumbo file
- 10 cups cooked rice
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Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed Dutch Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, and then remove. Set aside
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In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan combine melted butter, oil and flour until smooth.
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Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 20-30 minutes or until it turns a rich dark brown color - just like chocolate. Don’t walk away from the stove during this process. It might burn.
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When you have achieved your desired color. Remove from stove and let it cool.
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Return the Dutch oven back on the stove. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 8- 10 minutes –stirring frequently.
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Then add chicken, sausage, crab legs, creole seasoning, chicken bouillon or cubes, paprika, thyme, bay leaves and let it cook for 5 minutes. Followed by can tomatoes about 6 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes .Add the shrimp, simmer for 5 more minutes.
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Stir in file powder, green onions, and chopped parsley.
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Adjust thickness soup and flavor with broth or water and salt.
How to Make Chicken Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo
Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat ¼ cup oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed Dutch pan. Add the chicken in the pan and sauté until browned on both sides then remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, and then remove. Set aside 
Add butter and flour to the Dutch oven, stirring until smooth. 
Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 20-30 minutes or until it turns a rich dark brown color – just like chocolate. Don’t walk away from the stove during this process. It might burn 
When you have achieved your desired color. Remove from stove and let it cool. 
Return the Dutch oven back on the stove. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 8- 10 minutes –stirring frequently 
Then add chicken, sausage, crab legs, creole seasoning, chicken bouillon or cubes, paprika, thyme, bay leaves and let it cook for 5 minutes. 
Throw in can tomatoes and about 6 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes 
let it simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes. Discard bay leaves. 
Add shrimp. 
Finally throw in gumbo file, chopped onions and parsley 
Looking for an easy Jambalaya . Then give this one here a try ! 
I have made this several times and is such a hit! I am from Louisiana and it’s my comfort food when I want a taste of home. Going to make it tonight for new family living in Washington who have never tasted Cajun cooking! Not sure I can find file powder here but I know I can hit it out of the park!
This recipe is the best ever. This is my second time preparing this particular recipe and my family is sooo in love with it. I have it saved in my recipe book-Thanks a bunch.
Could I make this in a slow cooker?
A REAL Louisiana Gumbo is much BETTER if it contains OKRA. You should fry about 2lbs of okra down in a cast iron skillet with a little bacon fat of cooking oil on high MEd…a tablespoon of white vinegar …cook it down until most of the slime is gone and add it to your broth when you add the rest of your veggies..also you can make just chicken and sausage….or you can make just seafood: Crab, Shrimp, Oysters OR do it like this recipe and throw em ALL in there together. There ain’t no wrong way to make Gumbo….Do it like YOU like it.
Hi Sam ! Thanks for sharing
Would like to know how many servings will this recipe make please.
I just purchased all the ingredient to make for my family Sunday dinner today. I can’t wait to eat!!!!!
Should I cook the shrimp before or add it in raw?
i added mine in raw. It will cook through in the 5 minutes. It was amazing.
I made your gumbo recipe on New Year’s Day. It is excellent and definitely a keeper!! My family really enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback Nancy . So happy to hear this.
Do you buy the crab pre cooked or raw?
I buy it pre- cooked .
Great way to start 2019. My first time to make authentic gumbo. Your directions were easy to follow. The result was amazing! You are a fantastic cook. I will definitely try your other recipes.
Tried this gumbo and it was awesome. It was easy to make and turned out perfect.
Made this for Christmas Eve, and everyone who stopped by the house had a bowl. Absolutely fantastic recipe, thank you for sharing this. I used crushed, not diced, tomatoes, and omitted crab legs. Flavorful, and gets better as it ages. Even my 11 month old baby boy slurped up every drop of this delicious gumbo. Thanks!
I’m so happy it turned out well for you. Thank you for dropping by. 🙂
Can I substitute tomato sauce for diced or crushed tomatoes?
Looking forward to making this for New Year’s Eve!!!
You can leave it out completely.
This recipe right here is straight . The whole family loved it thanks for sharing.
Made it as per recipe. Found Gumbo File on Amazon. I did however after tasting, add 2 cups of sliced frozen okra for my personal taste. What a great tasty dish accompanied with both cooked white rice and french bread as recommended. You hit this out of the ballpark and for that we thank you for sharing.
My pleasure! Happy to hear it worked out well
I LOOOOOVVVVEEEEEDDDD THIS RECIPE! I made a gumbo last yr… maybe the yr before and it was good but I love the adaptations to this one. This Is now my go to recipe. It didn’t take too long and the flavors are awesome. I will say the only things I did differently was, I made my roux with bacon fat (delicious btw) I also omitted the file and I used aprox 6 beef bullion cubes. It added so much flavor! Thanks for the this. I can’t wait for an excuse to make it again.
Glad you love it, Michelle! And thank you so much for sharing those tips. You get me wanting to make one over the weekend. 🙂
I roast my thighs separately. Use the separated oil from the drippings for my roux.
I used this recipe as a guide in making my first gumbo last year (had been living in Mobile, AL for many years and never made a gumbo!). I did include okra (omitted the file) and made a few very small changes to the vegetables (minced them very small or decreased the amount — I still have an aversion to onions and celery but I know they impart so much flavor I don’t want to omit them, so if they are smaller, they cook down more and I don’t notice them LOL). The gumbo was fabulous!! I don’t often finish such large dishes by myself (leftovers for dayssss) but I did not waste one single bowl of it! I am living in south Georgia now and the weather has gotten good and cold again. And I have returned to use your recipe again! I will probably make it more heavy on the seafood and light on sausage.. at least that’s the thought I have for now! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, Melissa. Keep warm and happy weekend!
I am making this as we speak. So far it’s looking delicious and I tasted it. It tastes soooo good. Can’t wait to devour it