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.
Made this last Nov and it was amazing! Just bought the ingredients to make it again, can’t wait
Learned to make gumbo from a Coastal Mississippi gal and would use okra instead of tomatoes…..give it a try and see though Cajun taste buds ;~}
Thanks to you Pat, the greatest cook I’ve ever known
Hello Karen. The oil is just for browning the chicken and sausage. Thanks for stopping by!
I was also inquiring of the same as the video shows oil being added to the roux. Is this not correct? Should the roux only consist of the butter and flour?
Hi kay, I usually add butter and oil. The oil It’s optional- use oil and butter or butter alone works just fine.
Made for New Years Eve. Delicious recipe. Flavors are outstanding. Easy recipe but it does take time in order to obtain the best flavors. Fun recipe and end result is very rewarding. Thank you for this nice recipe.
Hello I want to make this dish but I am looking for something more like potatoes corn etc
Hello,
Do you mean potatoes corn dish ?
Hello,
I’ve made Gumbo once in my lifetime. I must admit, it was delicious for my first attempt! All that to say, how does using seafood stock in lieu of chicken help the taste of Gumbo? Your professional response is appreciated.
Thanks,
Tina B.
Hi Tina,
It wouldn’t make that much of a difference since you are also using chicken . Either stock would do just fine.
I used the recipe back in 2017 and it came out great. I’m going to use it again for New Year’s Day. Question thought can I use the same pan I cooked the chicken and sausage in to make the roux. Or shall I clean it out to make the roux? I did not last time and everyone enjoyed it.
So happy to hear this . Thanks for taking time out to share this with us. Wishing you all the best for 20220.
Yes! It gives it great flavor.
I made your recipe as a gift for some Amish friends of mine last year. They loved it. Getting ready tomorrow to make another batch for my friends for Christmas present! 🙂
I made this it was excellent I only added lump crab meat and made the recipe exactly as written.
Thanks for the feedback.
This is great gumbo. Made it last year for New Year’s day and will make it again this new year. I strayed from the recipe a bit and it still turned out great. But I think I will stick closer to your instructions this time with just adding more chicken thighs. Soooo tender!
I’ve made this recipe before but today I’m making it with smoked turkey. It smells great. I can’t wait to eat dinner.
Excellent! I made it with leftover smoked turkey and shrimp, added some okra! Delicious:)
I am trying hope it’s delicious looks delicious
Pass…there are tomatoes in this. This is not gumbo. With tomatoes its soup
Omit the tomatoes. When you add tomatoes it becomes a Creole Gumbo. Leave them out
You don’t have to add tomatoes, there’s many types of Gumbos some call for okra and some don’t.
I’m from New Orleans, La. and I have the BEST GUMBO IN THE WORLD!! I never made a gumbo in under 6 hours, I was craving a Gumbo so I gave your recipe a try 1:45 mins later WOW AMAZING!! It’s not my Gumbo but it will hold me over until Thanksgiving.. thank you for sharing.
This recipe is very interesting. Being from New Orleans I grew up making gumbo with my elders. It was never a dish we could make in under 6hrs. There is so much missing, and as a Creole I don’t add tomatoes to gumbo. In Louisiana there is Creole and Cajun gumbo and there is a way to get it done. Though I find this interesting… I’d have to stick to the way I was raised to make gumbo.
Would you share your Recipe? I wanna see the difference my mom also made gumbo nobody could ever come close to making it as good as hers. But she doesn’t have a recipe. Trying to find one like it. Hers too took along time to cook.
Chanda
I am from Tx, my parents are from Lousiana. I have to say I will have to stick with our roots with a brown roux.
All I can say is WOW! This stuff tastes amazing! I followed the recipe to the letter and it just turned out amazing.
I made this Sunday and it was absolutely delicious and wonderful. I wish I could post a picture. I posted it on my FB page. I used snow crab legs, lump crab meat, shrimp, andouille sausage and chicken. I had a chocolate-colored rue. I sat there and stirred it for 30 minutes. Thank you soo much for this recipe. I will continue to check your recipes. I am on your list and get emails also, that’s how I saw this one.
How to make dirty rice ?
Here is how to make it https://www.africanbites.com/dirty-rice-4/. Enjoy!!!
This recipe is so delicious! It was a big hit.
My question is, should I have slit the crab legs (to allow the meat to run out) before I added them into the soup? No one got to enjoy the crab legs because they were still in the shell, and were too hot to think about cracking them from the soup. What do you recommend?
But it is so DELICIOUS and fun to make!
Hi Martha, So happy to hear it was a big hit with your family. Next time, I would suggest splitting the crab open ,add in the outer layer and reserve the crab meat for the last 5 minutes or cooking so your family can enjoy the meaty part . Hope this helps .
Ha Imma
Just read how you make gumbo I about to give it a shot. Will keep you informed
Awesome! Looking forward to hear how it works for you. Happy cooking!
Love your recipe ❤️ for Louisiana Gumbo I will try this recipe asap. Thank you
Do let us know how it works out . Thanks
Hare esta receta para navidad, sera diferente a lo que en casa se acostumbra. Gracias por compartir tus recetas!!!!