Gumbo Recipe
Spice up your weeknight meals with the best gumbo recipe in town! This chicken, sausage, and seafood stew is bursting with authentic Cajun flavors from Creole seasoning, paprika, and gumbo filé. And the richly flavored broth and roux make every spoonful simply delicious and comforting.
If you’re looking for the best Louisiana gumbo recipe, then you’ve come to the right place. (Ahem!) Many years of trial and error have finally led this gumbo lover to the perfect recipe. And now, I can proudly share this recipe with you. Not to brag, but this gumbo will surely be your new favorite!
Cajun vs. Creole Gumbo
The debate rages on among the purists. However, I’m not a purist, so for me, it’s all good. The simple difference is the tomatoes. Creole cuisine goes for the tomatoes, and Cajun does not. Cajun roux tends to be darker than the Creole.
However, the similarities are unifying. The holy trinity, bell pepper, celery, and onion, provides the authentic flavor, and a roux thickens it. So, adapt it to your tastes and call it your own.
How to Make Gumbo
- Season the chicken and sear it in a hot pan. Set aside, and brown the sausage. Set aside, and make the roux.
- Add the holy trinity, stir well, then add the broth. Add the chicken and sausage, then add the seafood and simmer until the shrimp are done. Add tomatoes if desired. Adjust the gumbo to your desired consistency.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- For a Cajun gumbo, leave out the tomatoes and make the roux a little darker.
- Throw a flame-throwing party with scotch bonnets, serrano peppers, jalapenos, or habaneros. Or a dash of cayenne adds a kick of heat that’s not too overpowering.
- Enjoy a plant-based gumbo with vegan meat substitutes, mushrooms, and cauliflower.
- If using okra to thicken the soup base, chop the okra and add it to your gumbo 10 minutes before it’s done.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
Gumbo (and most tomato-based dishes) tastes even better the next day. So, if you want to save time before the big event, cook the gumbo the day before, and wait for reheating time to add the crab legs and shrimp. Heat it up, and add the seafood when you’re ready to serve. Relax and enjoy!
Transfer cooled, leftover gumbo into an airtight container or ziplock bag. It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and heat it up in a saucepan for a quick weeknight dinner.
What Goes Well With Gumbo
A bowl of steaming hot rice and a loaf of crusty French bread is a must, but it also goes great with mashed potatoes if you’re grain-free. A potato salad and cornbread are also tasty sides for gumbo.
More Comforting Soul Food Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”fqltEogp” upload-date=”2018-08-06T20:36:18.000Z” name=”Gumbo Recipe” description=”Chicken Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo — a rich, flavorful gumbo with authentic flavors; loaded with chicken, sausage, shrimp and crab legs. Simply Delicious.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This post was first published in January 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, beautiful new photos, and a video.
Gumbo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper to taste (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon (12g) Creole seasoning or to taste
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil
- 8 ounces (250g) smoked sausage (andouille, kielbasa, and Polish sausage work well)
- ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (60g) flour
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup (120g) chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
- ½ pound (250g) crab legs
- 1 tablespoon (12g) Creole seasoning
- 1 tablespoon (10g) chicken bouillon powder (1 cube)
- ½ tablespoon (4-5g) smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon (6g) thyme (fresh or dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 14-ounce can tomatoes, chopped (optional)
- 6 cups (1.5l) chicken stock (or 6 cups water and 6 teaspoons of bouillon)
- 1 pound (450g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon (6g) gumbo filé
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup (15g) chopped parsley
Instructions
- Lightly season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Then cook the chicken until browned on both sides, remove it, and set it aside.
- Brown the sausage, and set it aside.
- Melt the butter with the oil in the same pan, then sprinkle in the flour and stir 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. Please don't walk away from the stove during this process, or it could burn. The time it takes is so worth it.
- When you have achieved your desired color, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Return it to the heat. 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, and bay leaves, and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Follow with the tomatoes (if using) and about 6 cups of chicken stock, then bring to a boil and simmer for 45-50 minutes. After that, add the shrimp and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in filé powder, green onions, and parsley. Adjust the soup's thickness and flavor to preferences.
Tips & Notes:
- The standard for salting to taste is ¾-1 teaspoon per pound of meat. If you are on a low-salt diet, start with ½ teaspoon or less and do a taste test after making the sauce to see if it needs more. You should taste all the wonderful spices, not the salt.
- There is no shortcut to a good roux. Take your time and cook your flour-fat mixture until it’s beautifully dark and smooth. Keep your eye on the roux and stir continuously when cooking it because it burns quickly. If available, use a wooden spoon to mix your roux.
- Creole and Cajun seasonings are similar, and they work interchangeably in this recipe. If the sauce tastes bland, add more.
- If using okra to thicken the soup base, chop the okra and add it to your gumbo 10 minutes before it’s done.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
It wasn’t delicious!! The sauce burned on me the first time, but once I tried it the second time it came out perfect.
WooHoo! Sorry about the burned sauce but glad to hear it worked out on the second try!
Hi Imma,
I have made this several times now… I have SO MUCH FUN cooking it. It is my boyfriends absolute favorite thing too.. he won’t even let me cook it for a group because he wants it as his special dish HAHA. ridiculous I know. Just had to thank you for sharing.
xxx
Morgan
WHOOT! I’m so pleased to hear that Morgan, thanks so much for letting me know!
It’s funny to me that people are complaining about tomatoes being in this recipe, stating that is not what’s in “Louisiana Gumbo” but gumbo in Louisiana would never exist if West Africans were not enslaved in Louisiana to begin with. “Gumbo is a stew that originated in West Africa but is more known for being a dish in the state of Louisiana in the 18th century.” A lot of soups and stews form West African culture has tomatoes. In fact, a lot of southern American cuisine came from the recipes that slaves brought with them from West Africa.
Anyway, I am making this right now, and will be putting tomatoes in it, because my African ancestry has me putting tomatoes in most of my soups and stews!
Preach it Sister, couldn’t have said it any better! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Bon Apetit!
My whole family just love this..Thanks for sharing
Awesome! Thank you so much!!!
This was by far the best gumbo I’ve ever had! I will admit that I was a bit skeptical at first because of the tomatoes, but it worked (I used Rotel to give it a bit of spice)! The crab was a nice touch as well. This recipe is definitely a keeper, thanks for sharing!
Jenn,thank you so much!!! So sweet of you to take the time to let me know.
My family loved this gumbo I made it a couple days ago, and my husband said he needed his own pot of this (lol)
I have added this recipe to my favorite column
thanks Baltimore,MD
Fantastic ! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Yummy! I love all your recipes. Pls what is gumbo file? I wanna try this recipe.
Gumbo filé powder,is powdered leaves of the sassafras tree, used in Southern Cooking. It’s available in most Super Markets, if you live in the United States. You may omit if not readily available
This is a great recipe! The only adaptation I did was omit the file gumbo powder didnt have any so i just used more roux and okra to thicken. But this is a great yummy easy to follow recipe! Will be making it again and again especially for mardi gras in feb! Thanks!
That’s so wonderful to hear! thank you for letting me know! Yes , this would be PERFECT for Mardi Gras
Have you ever frozen this and used later? Or do you always make it fresh? I wanted to know if it was freezable.
I have done so many times. And it works out just fine. Freeze , when you are ready defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat . Works for me all the time.
So excited that I came across this recipe and it was totally by mistake. It looks a little scary to me, especially using crab legs. But, I think I’m gonna give it try next week. Can’t wait.
Thanks…. Lauren
Hi Lauren! It’s not as scary as it looks . Just follow the steps and you will nail it with or without the crab legs. Do let me know how it works out for you.
THIS MY SECOND TIME MAKING THIS GUMBO. OUTSTANDING!!!
I ADDED A MEDIUM POBLANO PEPPER AND 2 MEDIUM JALAPENO PEPPERS INCLUDING THE SEEDS. I USED A POUND OF CRABS. THIS GUMBO IS BETTER THEN THE FIRST COOKED GUMBO. TODAY, I STARTED FOLLOWING YOU. WE ARE A FAMILY OF SPICEY TASTE BUDS. PREVIOUSLY, I M
ADE THE SPICEY CHICKEN LEGS. KEEP UP THE GOOD COOKING.✌.OUTSTANDING. JESUS’S PEACE, LOVE AND BLESSINGS.
Thank you so much!!!! Glad my recipes are working out well for you.You are too kind.
This was absolutely amazing! It was pretty expensive to make, but well worth it. My husband and I have decided that next time we make it, we are going to break apart the crab first, and put it in the same time you put in the shrimp. So, that we can cut down on shells, and just get straight to eating!
I had never had gumbo before, and I am so glad I did this recipe for my first. AMAZING!
That’s a great idea Sara! So glad to hear I made your first experience enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Happy Friday!!!
Do you add the butter and flour to the oil that the chicken and sausage were cooked?
Yes I do. Make sure there are no burns in the pan before doing so.
Okay!!!
Thank you so so much for this recipe. I come to Pinterest daily to look for new things to try and gumbo just happened to be one of them. I made the gumbo, and OH MY GOSH. It it so delicious. I didn’t follow your recipe to the T. I deleted the tomatoes, and instead of chicken we added crawfish. Overall, this is amazing and will definitely be added to our cookbook. Thank you so much. I will definitely be looking forward to creating more of your recipes.
Fantastic!! Yes to crawfish. So glad to hear it worked out well for you Brianna. Thanks for letting me know.
This tastes like NOLA!!! Definitely a keeper in my recipe file!!!
WOW! I’ll take that comparison any day. Thank you so much!!!
looks GREAT!!!! i’m going to make this one for my husband, he’s been requesting this recipe, it’s my first time to cook Gumbo!, i’m glad i found this recipe! thank you for sharing it.. god bless you! *^_^*
Awesome! Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks
I love to cook but have never made gumbo before, even though I love it. I decided to give this recipe a try last week and it was absolutely delicious! This definitely went straight to the top of my favorite recipes list! Thank you so much for sharing it.
Fantastic! Thanks for letting me know .
These receipts look good, I want to try.
You should it tastes AH-MaZing!!!
Loved the way it tasted. I actually enjoyed the broth before I added the gumbo file. I may use half of the recommendation. But it was my first time making gumbo and definitely not my last thanks to you! Thanks!
My pleasure ! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
in regards to step #6 –
“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.”
you dont mention 6 cups of chicken stock in the ingredients list. So should i include 6 cups of chicken stock or was this a typo ?
Yes include 6 cups of stock. I have updated recipe.