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.
Hi! I want to double this recipe…what quart size pot do you recommend to use?
Hello, An 8 quart pot or larger would work. I used a 6 quart in this recipe.
Imma, honestly this the BOMB!! Me and gf love it!! Every Thursday we cook this…..and today too. Follow the recipe to letter. People doing this, Don’t change anything. It is comfort food to the max!!! Little bit of rice and, surprisingly, coriander on top. Trust me you’ll think different. Love from Dan (UK) ps even better next day
YESS! Thanks Dan.
I was wondering what you suggest to cut the carbs. We are basically KETO so do little to no carbs.
I forgot to let the rue cool down will it still be ok
Yes it will . You really don’t have too.
I love this recipe and so does my husband. I actually put in two jalapenos chopped up with the onions and peppers. I also have baked two lobster tail till almost done. Take the meat from the lobster chop it up and towards the end put it in so it does not over cook. So its got a kick to it, with chicken, sausage, shrimp, crab and lobster. It’s soooo good.
Yes you absolutely can sub the crab- replace with more shrimp or just leave it out completely
You sure can.
This was SOOO GOOD! I followed the recipe with these changes:
– I used a little bit of a cornstarch slurry since I didn’t have the gumbo file
– I used Maryland blue crab legs
– I used three chicken drums instead of thighs (meat fell off the bone)
This will be my go-to recipe from now on!! My entire house smelled phenomenal. And it was even better the next day!
YES!!!
Boneless and/or bone-in works just fine. Just take out the skin , especially if you are trying to cut back on calories .
This bowl of Gumbo came out so dang on good! I follow internet recrpies and the end product is a fail 3 out of 5 then I find myself just trying again and again until I perfect it with my own tweeks. This recipe though y’all, if you follow the directions it will come out ediblly delicious and nutritious:-). I recommend using quality ingredients organic Meats if accessible and organic Seasonings and herbs as well as organic veggies for that mind-blowing goodness! thank you Africanbites!
Woohoo!!!That’s so sweet of you Shamon! Thank you so much!!!
I LOVE this dish! I made it once last year and have been making it almost every other month since, and freeze the extra to have on nights when time is tight! I also use your creole seasoning in so many dishes. Thank you so much for sharing such a delightful recipe!! Yum! 🙂
Fantastic!! I am so thrilled you love this dish, Alison! Thank you for the feedback!
My father in law has asked about gumbo for a long time. I decided to make it as his Father’s Day gift. I remember making gumbo with my grandpa growing up but never really knew HOW to make. Just assist. Oh my gosh when I tasted this…I wanted to dish up a bowl immediately. My grocery stores were all out of crab legs (bummer) so I bought crab leg meat instead, takes them experience away from gumbo, but it still tastes phenomenal.
A few slight changes:
1. Used Chicken breast
2. Added more shrimp (I like mine with extra shrimp)
3. Crab leg meat
4. Added 2 more cups of broth to make up for the extra shrimp being added.
Even adding the extra broth, I didn’t need to add any extra seasonings. This will be a recipe I keep forever.
Aww…. I hope your Father-in-law enjoyed this dish. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback, A’Dailya :)!
Hi
Recipe looks amazing
I’m cooking for 100 people ! I know ! For a drop off service to say thanks for their service during COVID.
Can I cook all this is one giant saucepan ( I have one ) any tips or changes to the recipe for that size ?
Thanks
Wow, that is Awesome!
Yes, you can cook this in a giant saucepan. Just make sure to season properly and do not overcook the shrimp! Do let me know how it works out for you.
Hello,
You sure can.
Hi Patty! You can add about a tablespoon of the oil from the chicken to the roux.
Hi. Can you send a link to your Dutch oven? Is it enamel coated? I bought an iron one and the chicken was sticking
Hi Becky here is the link. https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Enameled-Covered-Dutch-4-3-Quart/dp/B073Q9WV88/ref=sxin_7?ascsubtag=amzn1.osa.94eb2e55-6549-4629-b3a7-5fdc81acf0f1.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&creativeASIN=B073Q9WV88&cv_ct_cx=cast+iron&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osa.94eb2e55-6549-4629-b3a7-5fdc81acf0f1.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-single-source&dchild=1&keywords=cast+iron&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B073Q9WV88&pd_rd_r=bc4e7aa6-9131-4aef-b925-03bdb6248b4b&pd_rd_w=V56qN&pd_rd_wg=Z7qWw&pf_rd_p=b9bea1c2-6981-439e-9086-1a31b4eafe7d&pf_rd_r=HEACKA6G45R9JKNJM3WJ&qid=1587236090&sr=1-2-72d6bf18-a4db-4490-a794-9cd9552ac58d&tag=21oak-20
This is my new favorite thing to make. Soooo good.
I couldn’t agree more!! This is one of my favorites too 🙂 ! Glad you loved it!
Made it tonight, my husband is from Louisiana and he was so surprised when I sat this down in front of him. Thank you so much!!!!!!
Omg this comment gave me confidence to go ahead and make it.
I’ve always loved gumbo since I first tried it as a young teen. When I started working on boat in Louisiana it was a big perk of the job to have authentic gumbo from people who grew up on the bayou. I learned to make it from a cajun who does it slightly different from your recipe, but it sure sounds good the way you do it.
Hi Robert! Now that was one Tasty job perk!!! Really looking forward to you trying out this recipe. Do let me know how it works out for you.
This took awhile but it was worth it! Now I brag to everyone about making the Roux. I paired it with rice and pizza bites from African Bites.
Thank you for a great recipe.
This is absolutely amazing and so fun to make. I’ve never made the roux from scratch and it made so much difference. We have a favorite seafood restaurant that serves catfish Acadian and this roux is what it’s topped with. I am looking forward to making it again.
Awesome!… Let me know how it turned out for sure…Speaking of catfish lets see what I can come up with next!
I’m a southern lady with gumbo standards that fall under the “snobby” category. Can I just say that this recipe was absolutely phenomenal!? You’re a genius. Thank you so much for sharing.
You may add about 1 tablespoon of oil to it .