Gumbo Recipe (Plus Video)

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 file. And it’s cooked in a richly-flavored broth and roux, making every spoonful of this gumbo is simply delicious and comforting.

classic gumbo recipe in a pan

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! 😉

Contents…

Recipe Ingredients
How to Make It
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
Serving and Storage Instructions
FAQs
What to Serve
More Southern Comfort Food to Try
Watch How to Make It

Cajun Gumbo Recipe

a bowl of gumbo dish with a spoon to scoop it out

Gumbo has always been my favorite Southern dish (along with Baked Mac and CheeseSouthern Fried ChickenButtermilk Biscuits, oh, the list goes on! I guess, I just love food. 😁).

This one became my favorite because it has the right amount of heat from Creole Seasoning and sweet tartness from tomatoes. It is also highly seasoned with herbs and spices, such as paprika and thyme.

And, of course, the holy trinity – bell pepper, celery, and onion, which gives the most authentic flavor to our easy gumbo recipe.

All these flavors simply blend in perfect harmony. You’ll fall in love with this fantastic dish in no time. 💖

Recipe Ingredients

gumbo recipe main ingredients

Our easy gumbo recipe here requires several ingredients, but you don’t need to worry because most of them are pantry staples. And the rest are readily available in your local grocery store. Despite the long list of ingredients, this recipe is surprisingly easy to make. 😉

  • Chicken – I usually go for skinless chicken thighs because it’s more tender and flavorful. Of course, you can always use any chicken cut you prefer. You could even use any poultry, like turkey or quail.
  • Smoked Sausage – This adds meaty, spicy, and peppery flavors to our gumbo. I used Andouille sausage for this recipe; other choices are Kielbasa and Spanish or Mexican chorizo.
  • Crab Legs and Shrimp – Their natural oceany and seafoody flavor add an iconic touch to our gumbo recipe, making it genuinely delicious. Oh yes! 😋
classic gumbo ingredients on a chopping board
  • Butter and Flour – We need these two to make our dark roux, which is essential to make our gumbo nice and thick while adding a sensational buttery flavor as well. While butter adds a special touch, any neutral-flavored oil will do the trick. And if you need gluten-free, try your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour.
  • Seasonings – It’s no secret that the holy trinity in cooking is the foundation of our sumptuous Southern dish. And together with garlic and onion, they add marvelous fragrance and fantastic flavor. For authentic Cajun flavors, my homemade Creole Seasoning is perfect. Oh yes!
  • Tomatoes – Technically, Cajun gumbo doesn’t have tomatoes, but I’m adding them anyway. ✌ Their natural sweetness and tartness add another layer of deliciousness to our dish. Plus, it gives our gumbo broth a nice color and consistency, too.
  • Gumbo File – Also known as file powder, this quintessential gumbo ingredient enhances flavor and thickens soups. Unlike other seasonings added before simmering to deepen the flavor, file powder is added to gumbo, together with green onions and parsley, just in time to serve.

How to Make Gumbo

searing the chicken and sausage for gumbo

Sear the Chicken and Sausage

  1. Season – Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. (Photos 1-2)
  2. Sear – Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Then cook the chicken until browned on both sides, remove, and set aside. Add the sausage and brown, and then remove. Set aside. (Photos 3-4)
making the roux for gumbo

Make the Roux

  1. Combine – Melt the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the flour and stir until smooth. (Photo 5)
  2. Stir Continuously – 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, or it could burn. (Photo 6)
  3. Let It Cool – When you have achieved your desired color, remove the Dutch oven from the stove and let it cool.
cooking and simmering the gumbo in a pan

Cook and Simmer

  1. Saute – Return the Dutch oven to the stove. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery, and cook for 8-10 minutes–stirring frequently. (Photos 7-8)
  2. Simmer – Then add chicken, sausage, crab legs, Creole seasoning, chicken bouillon or cubes, paprika, thyme, bay leaves, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Follow with the canned tomatoes and about 6 cups of chicken stock, then bring it all to a boil and simmer it for 45-50 minutes. After that, add the shrimp and simmer 5 more minutes. (Photos 9-10)
  3. Adjust Soup Consistency – Stir in file powder, green onions, and parsley. Adjust the soup’s thickness and flavor with broth or water and salt.

Recipe Variations

  • Seafood Delight – Enjoy our gumbo packed with more seafood such as oysters, mussels, crawfish, and squid. Seafood Gumbo has never been this tasty! Oh yes!
  • Heat-Seeker – More heat and more fun for heat rebels like me. Oh yes! 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.
  • Vegetarian Gumbo – Replace meat with more veggies, like mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and potatoes, for a more nutrition-packed gumbo. Yay! (Or just throw in some sliced okra like this Okra Gumbo.)
  • Low-Carb and Keto-Friendly Gumbo – Enjoy a gluten-free gumbo thickened with chopped okra instead of roux. Guilt-free yet equally delish! 👌

Tips and Tricks

  • 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.
  • 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 Instructions

Oh, you bet our gumbo here tastes even better the next day. So, if you want to save time before the big event, cook the gumbo the day before and reheat it when you’re ready to serve. Relax and enjoy!

If making ahead, don’t add the shrimp just yet because they tend to get rubbery and tough when overcooked, which may happen while reheating. So I highly suggest cooking the shrimp separately and adding them just before serving.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Good thing our classic gumbo recipe here freezes well, so leftovers are not a problem, too. So make a big batch, and you’ll never need to worry about your sudden cravings. Woohoo!

  • Store – Transfer the gumbo into a clean and dry airtight container once cooled. And if you’re planning to freeze it, I highly suggest transferring it into heavy-duty freezer-safe resealable bags in individual portions for easy thawing and reheating. Perfect for a small family or to satisfy sudden cravings. 😉
  • Refrigerate – It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to three days.
  • Freeze – It’s good for up to 6 months in the freezer if properly stored.
  • Reheat – Heat thawed gumbo to a deep pot on medium-low, covered, when ready to serve. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching, adding more broth or water as needed. If reheating a small portion, you can reheat it in the microwave instead.

Tip: Reheat leftovers the same way. To be safe, reheated leftover gumbo should be eaten the same day, and any leftover leftovers should be discarded.

FAQs

What is gumbo?

Gumbo is a popular dish in Louisiana featuring various kinds of meat such as seafood, chicken, and pork cooked in a thick broth with fantastic flavors from the holy trinity of cooking – onion, bell pepper, and celery. Some use a brown roux to thicken their soup base, while the others use okra or gumbo file. It all comes down to what you like most. 😉

How to make the perfect roux for gumbo?

Roux is made with equal parts of oil and flour, then carefully cooked to eliminate the raw flour taste. And in the case of gumbo, it takes about 22-25 minutes of continuous stirring to achieve its gorgeous dark brown color.

You can check out this post about how to make roux and learn about different types of roux and their uses.

What is gumbo’s secret ingredient?

You have to have either okra or gumbo file (or both) to be true gumbo. Otherwise, it’s not authentic. Sorry guys! That said, homemade seafood stock, hands down, makes the best gumbo ever.

Gumbo filé is usually available in the ethnic section of your local supermarket. I know Amazon has it if you can’t find it where you are.

What Goes Well with Gumbo

Serving gumbo topped with a cup (or more!) of steaming hot rice will always be my favorite pairing. But sometimes, I also love wiping my bowl clean with these delicious bread recipes below to go with my favorite gumbo recipe.

More Southern Comfort Food to Try

a pan of classic gumbo with a ladle and kitchen cloth in the background

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 on January  2014 and has been updated with additional write-up, new photos, and a video.

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 file. And it's cooked in a richly-flavored broth and roux, making every spoonful of this gumbo is simply delicious and comforting.
4.92 from 167 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (907 grams) chicken thigh, skinless
  • salt and pepper,  to taste
  • ¼ cup (2 ounces) canola oil
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) smoked sausage
  • ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (64 grams) flour
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons  (12 grams) minced garlic
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup (about 3 sticks) chopped celery
  • ½ pound (227 grams) crab legs
  • 1 tablespoon (12 grams) Creole Seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon (or 1 cube) chicken bouillon powder
  • ½ tablespoon  (7 grams) smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon  (4 grams) thyme, fresh or dried
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 14- ounce can tomatoes, chopped
  • 6 cups (1.5 liters) chicken stock or substitute with water
  • 1 pound (454 grams) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon gumbo file
  • 2 green onions , chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley. chopped

Instructions

  • Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Then cook the chicken until browned on both sides, remove, and set aside. Add the sausage and brown, and then remove. Set aside. 
  • Melt the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add 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. Don't walk away from the stove during this process, or it could burn.
  • When you have achieved your desired color, remove the Dutch oven from the stove and let it cool.
  • Return the Dutch oven to 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.
  • Follow with the canned tomatoes and about 6 cups of chicken stock, then bring it all to a boil and simmer it for 45-50 minutes. After that, add the shrimp and simmer for 5 more minutes.
  • Stir in file powder, green onions, and parsley. Adjust the soup's thickness and flavor with broth or water and salt.

Tips & Notes:

  • 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.
  • 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.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 480g| Calories: 416kcal (21%)| Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)| Protein: 37g (74%)| Fat: 17g (26%)| Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)| Cholesterol: 148mg (49%)| Sodium: 602mg (26%)| Potassium: 650mg (19%)| Fiber: 3g (13%)| Sugar: 2g (2%)| Vitamin A: 865IU (17%)| Vitamin C: 21.4mg (26%)| Calcium: 128mg (13%)| Iron: 3.7mg (21%)

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389 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this last night for our snowy Halloween. It was my first time ever making Gumbo. Everybody loved it. I will be making it again for the opening weekend of Deer Season in a couple weeks. Such a yummy comfort food.

  2. 5 stars
    I NEVER Leace reviews. Ever. And it became an absolute must after making this last night. You can literally taste the layers of flavor in this dish. The depth it has is out of this world. Not only did our house smell absolutely amazing, but my husband loved it as well. This is such a hit, you would t be disappointed

    1. Brielle, this is amazing! I am ecstatic that it was a hit in your home. It is indeed one of my favorites. Thank you for stopping by!

  3. 5 stars
    Cooked this for a after trick or treat get together.
    Everyone raved about this gumbo. Thank goodness I made enough! Must try it. Its a crowd pleaser for sure.

    1. I haven’t even thought about using this dish in relation to Halloween but that sounds great! I’m glad you enjoyed 🙂

  4. I made this today and just finished eating it oh my God I deviated from the recipe a little bit out of my own will touch and I usually don’t use measuring cups which I didn’t in this case I added a few pieces of corn on the cob this was amazing OMG it was awesome.

  5. 5 stars
    doesn’t sound great to make all the changes to this amazing africanbites recipe it’s perfect the way it is

  6. I loved reading your recipe!! It is very similar to my own. I actually combined several recipes to make it mine. Basically the difference’s in mine and yours is no crab or shrimp, no file, I use a whole rotisserie chicken deboned, use bones and skin to make my own stock, then use 1 lb. of smoked sausage cut in half moon slices and 1 bag okra pieces and no smoked paprika(however, I may add this to give it a little smokiness). Love to get new ideas for recipes. Thank you for sharing.

    1. doesn’t sound great to make all the changes to this amazing africanbites recipe it’s perfect the way it is

  7. I just made the gumbo and it was the best. I will be making it again soon

  8. The Gumbo looks very tasty with all the seafood, i love your cooking style, Thanks for sharing.

  9. 5 stars
    Great recipe! This is pretty true to the classic creole-style gumbo theme. I’ve heard that Cajun style has rules against using meat AND seafood together, and doesn’t use tomato, but is otherwise pretty similar.

    There’s two things I do slightly differently: One is adding the garlic only during the last minute or two that the vegetables are cooking. The other is to let it simmer for a good 2 hours before finishing it, because a really dark brown roux takes FOREVER to cook out.

    Oh! and speaking of the roux, you can save some time cooking it if you get the oil really hot, then whisk the flour into it. It cuts the time for cooking that down from 30-45 minutes to 15 or so, once you get the hang of it.

  10. I am simply amazed by not only the diversity of you recipes but the quality of the food as well. Please keep up the good work! Jack

  11. I checked out the recipe here for reference for making Gumbo my second time ever. A tip for the shrimp, i put the shrimp shells in a small pot with a little water and boiled a few minutes and then strained the liquid into my Gumbo gravy which added a great shrimp flavor. I had seen that before somewhere that you can extract a lot of flavor off of the shells.

  12. Just thought that I would pass this piece of culinary history on to the uninitiated. Gumbo which is so popular in the South, has it roots in Africa. In fact the word “gumbo” is Swahili (an African dialect) for okra.
    By the way Imma, this is an excellent recipe that you posted. I’ve lived in Louisiana for the past fifty-eight years and I love gumbo. My wife was born and raised in New Orleans and is an excellent cook. We enjoy gumbo as often as we can.

  13. I’ve used raw, fresh pan seared, rotisserie and left over chicken. It all works. If it’s raw I’d consider chopping it first or shredding it after tho.

  14. Yes. Oil and butter with flour. Usually in equal parts for rue. 1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup oil for a half cup of fat to 1/2 cup of flour.

  15. It’s sassafras leaves. Usual brand you can find is Tony Chachere’s. It thickens the stew. You can add it individually to the bowls after serving or put it in as it is cooling down. Don’t cook it though, it tends to overthicken.

Comments are closed.

4.92 from 167 votes (69 ratings without comment)