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.
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 |
Cajun Gumbo Recipe
Gumbo has always been my favorite Southern dish (along with Baked Mac and Cheese, Southern Fried Chicken, Buttermilk 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
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! 😋
- 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
Sear the Chicken and Sausage
- Season – Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. (Photos 1-2)
- 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)
Make the Roux
- 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)
- 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)
- Let It Cool – When you have achieved your desired color, remove the Dutch oven from the stove and let it cool.
Cook and Simmer
- 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)
- 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)
- 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
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. 😉
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.
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
Watch How to Make It
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Gumbo Recipe
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.
Mike says
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.
ImmaculateBites says
My pleasure! Happy to hear it worked out well
Michelle Grady says
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.
imma africanbites says
Glad you love it, Michelle! And thank you so much for sharing those tips. You get me wanting to make one over the weekend. 🙂
Clark says
I roast my thighs separately. Use the separated oil from the drippings for my roux.
Melissa says
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!
imma africanbites says
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, Melissa. Keep warm and happy weekend!
BOBBY says
MY DAUGHTER CANT EAT THE VEGGIES OF ANY SIZE. SHE WILL PICK THEM ALL OUT OF HER PLATE. FOOD PROCESSOR WORKS WONDERS. CHOP VERY FONE AND IT IS OK. YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY IT.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for sharing, Bobby.
Sonja says
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
Karl Lang says
Heyyyy … Suggestion.. Try making your roux with bacon! Dice a half pound of smoked bacon, fry it, remove the bacon bits (save for salads!). Use the bacon fat like any other oil. Tastes magnafique! (… and leave out the tomatoes … no real Cajun or Creole chef uses tomatoes, only folks up north!
Pretty Tony says
Your wrong bacon grease for the roux is not how you should make it and even in the south they use tomatoes so get the hell on this is a great recipe and my family is making it for Christmas dinner
Summer says
Probably true, Karl Lang. But click around this woman’s website and you’ll learn that she cooks African-style. Gumbo, as you may remember, is an African language word for okra. Gumbo is actually prepared in Africa. I don’t personally know this website chef, but I would wager she is either African herself, or is (obviously) of African descent and perhaps with closer ties to Africa than the rest of us. Check out her African recipes on this website.
Jalena Branch says
What size pot did you use. I would like to use only one. Can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ll be my first time to make gumbo.
ImmaculateBites says
I used a 7 inch dutch oven. Anything large would do just fine .
Brooklynn says
Does it HAVE to be a Dutch pot ?
ImmaculateBites says
Not necessarily .Any large pot works just fine.
Patricia Warren says
I made this dish last week and I have to say that it was absolutely delicious!!!! It was the best gumbo I’ve ever had (even if I must say I MADE IT MYSELF). My husband raved about it to all his friends and he devoured it for a couple of days until it was all gone. Can’t wait to make this dish again!!!! I’m sharing this recipe with my friends and family
imma africanbites says
I’m so happy for you, Patricia! Glad you guys love it. And thanks for dropping by.
Rachelle says
I have always been interested in wanting to make gumbo but my fiance is allergic to shellfish and pork, do you know other alternatives to use with chicken.?
Elizabeth Davis says
Leave out the shrimp, and make sure your smoked sausage isn’t pork.. many gumbo recipes don’t use seafood !
Brandi says
Turkey sausage chicken and for you just take some of the gumbo and in a separate pot add the sea food and pork if you choose
Barbara Rodenbaugh says
Why use Canola Oil? That is poison and I am sure Grape seed oil, Olive Oil, or another more nutritional oil would be better. We don’t use Canola Oil as it is not real oil and it is actually machine oil made from the poisonous Rape seed. I like the recipe and will try it with another oil and try to find the thickener as I don’t like okra boiled only fried.
Legion says
Lightly season and roast the 9kra prior to adding it in. You will get the flavor but not cook apart.
Susan says
Use whatever oil you want. But, I did not see Okra listed on this receipe.?? Was wondering where it was? I am comparing this recipe to my Mother-in-laws. She also doesnt use tomatoes. The Okra adds some thickness and a certain consistency and taste.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Susan,
There is no okra in this recipe . You might want to check out this other one with okra in it. https://www.africanbites.com/chicken-shrimp-and-okra-gumbo/
ReshonT says
This is some good gumbo!! Thank you for the recipe!!
imma africanbites says
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Can’t wait for you to try this one. Enjoy!
Matt says
I plan on making it one day, letting the flavors marry, and then heating up and eating the next day. Should I add the seafood, gumbo file, green onion, and parsley when I heat it up the next day? What are your suggestions? Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, I would, especially the seafood. You do not want it too rubbery or overcooked.
Matt says
Anything else you would suggest?
Jody says
I wish I could share my pic with you. I love this recipe, my bf ask for it all the time. I will be making it again tomorrow. Really delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Patricia says
OMG, this was the first time I’ve made gumbo. I made it exactly like you said and it was marvelous. My entire family loved it and I had to hide a portion in the fridge for my lunch the next day. Thanks for the recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
Hahaha, I hear you girl! So happy you would take time out to share this with me . Thanks
kuggie says
I used whole tomatoes was that alright
ImmaculateBites says
I used diced tomatoes .
Ashley says
Thank you so much for your recipe it was a big hit for my family and i, I did notice that after the first few steps the oil was cooking out by the time I was putting back in the chicken an sausages but I added more of the conola oil and made my way to the stock but all in all it was the best food I have tastested my husband loved it and my kids did too I have never made gumbo before and I am happy this was my first me and my oldest daughter had a great bonding time while making it.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to shear your thoughts with us.
Bernice Oates says
When can I add okra?
ImmaculateBites says
5 minutes before you finish cooking .