Easy Gumbo Recipe

This Authentic New Orleans Gumbo is made with a dark roux, vegetables, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served over rice. This is a beloved recipe shared with me by a native New Orleanian.

As you probably have gathered, I love making comfort food style recipes that use lots of fresh produce and real ingredients. This gumbo is no exception, and if you like this then I know you’ll love Jambalaya and Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice.

We had a really fun neighbor growing up who was from New Orleans and made a fantastic homemade Gumbo! I’m so thankful my Mom took him up on his offer to teach her how to make a true, authentic Gumbo! Decades later it is a beloved recipe that has become a staple in our family and we have made it hundreds of times! It is definitely in my top favorite meals of all time! Nothing tastes better on a cold winter day.

easy gumbo recipe

Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo

easy gumbo recipe

This easy seafood gumbo recipe features shrimp and sausage and starts off with an extremely flavorful roux.

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h20min

Yield: 4 serving(s)

Nutrition Facts: calories 634 Calories, Fat 39 g, Saturated Fat 16 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 262 mg, Sodium 1597 mg, Carbohydrate 28 g, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 5 g, Protein 42 g

Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 tbsp. cajun seasoning (without salt)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (15-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • cooked white rice, for serving

Instruction:

  1. In a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter, then add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until dark caramel colored, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add onions, peppers, and celery, and stir until softened, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic and sausage, then season with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in bay leaf, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
  3. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add shrimp. Once shrimp is pink and cooked through, taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in green onions, reserving some for garnish.
  4. Serve spooned on top of white rice.

Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo

easy gumbo recipe

This Authentic New Orleans Gumbo is made with a dark roux, vegetables, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served over rice.

Prep: 20min

Total: 80min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 464 kcal, Carbohydrate 5 g, Protein 12 g, Fat 29 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 116 mg, Sodium 1303 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 1 heaping cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup oil ((vegetable or canola oil))
  • 1 bunch celery (, diced, leaves and all)
  • 1 green bell pepper (, diced)
  • 1 large yellow onion (, diced)
  • 1 bunch green onion (, finely chopped)
  • 1 bunch fresh chopped parsley (, finely chopped)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1-2 Tablespoons cajun seasoning (*)
  • 6-8 cups Chicken broth (*)
  • 12 ounce package andouille sausages (, sliced into ‘coins’ (substitute Polska Kielbasa if you can’t find a good Andouille))
  • Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken*
  • 2 cups Shrimps (, pre cooked)
  • cooked white rice (for serving)

Instruction:

  1. Make the Roux*: In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience–when it’s finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, “cookie dough” like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.
  2. Brown the sausage. In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.
  3. Cook the vegetables in broth. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot.
  4. Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, garlic and roux to the pot and stir well.
  5. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste.
  6. Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.
  7. Taste and serve. At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking–salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe’s stuff or more chicken broth–until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)

Gumbo Recipe

easy gumbo recipe

This easy Gumbo recipe is loaded with amazing flavor and is soul-satisfying to the very last bite. Made with love and packed full of flavor, Gumbo is a classic Southern dish that is made with chicken, Andouille sausage, shrimp and spices. Go down south with this amazing Gumbo recipe!

Prep: 10min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 563 kcal, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 37 g, Fat 40 g, Saturated Fat 17 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 234 mg, Sodium 1559 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, unSaturated Fat 19 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 to 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces (or chicken breasts))
  • ¾ cup salted butter
  • ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 celery stalks (diced)
  • 1 yellow onion (diced)
  • 1 green bell pepper (de-seeded and diced)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons garlic salt
  • 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 12 ounces andouille sausage (sliced)
  • 1 pound raw large shrimp (peeled, deveined, tail off (~ 16-20 shrimp))
  • 2 green onions (thinly sliced, optional garnish)

Instruction:

  1. Heat the vegetable oil up in a large heavy saucepan on medium high heat.
  2. Once the oil is hot add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. You will add it back in later.
  3. Drop the salted butter into the saucepan and let it melt. Whisk in the all-purpose flour with the butter to create a roux (a smooth mixture of the flour and butter).
  4. Lower the stove top temperature to medium or medium-low and then cook the roux, frequently stirring, for 30 minutes to one hour or until it turns dark chocolate brown. (This step is necessary for the classic Gumbo taste and color and the roux changes color depending on the heat and materials used, which is why it may take a long time.)
  5. Once the roux is a dark chocolate brown color, stir in the celery, yellow onion, and green bell pepper.
  6. Season with the Cajun seasoning and garlic salt and then cook until the vegetables become nearly fork tender, about 5 minutes.
  7. Gradually add in the chicken broth 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and making sure the sauce thickens before adding more. Stop stirring in the chicken broth if the sauce isn’t thickening anymore.
  8. Bring the mixture to a simmer, uncovered. If the sauce still has some thickness to it, continue with the next step. If not, cook for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken the sauce a little.
  9. Add in the cooked chicken and andouille sausage and return to a simmer.
  10. Add in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp curls and turns opaque, about 5 minutes.
  11. Plate and serve warm over a serving of rice (optional) with a sprinkle of green onions as an optional garnish.

Easy Homemade Gumbo Recipe (Step-by-Step) | HowToCook.Recipes

FAQ

What is the secret ingredient in gumbo?

Garlic Is the Ingredient That Makes a Superb Gumbo

Ted Daigle says the secret to really tasty gumbo is granulated garlic. As a fan of garlic, I couldn’t agree more. I love garlic, and I find it’s flavor gives a punch to any dish.

What are the 2 rules of gumbo?

Here are some handy rules from a gumbo expert: Brown your sausages. ABSOLUTELY NO wieners/hot dogs/franks in the pot. Don’t put whole, undressed crabs in the pot.

What are the three types of gumbo?

Common Types of Gumbo

Traditional favorites usually include seafood gumbo, sausage gumbo, and chicken gumbo, but it’s incredibly versatile.

Is gumbo still gumbo without okra?

Gumbo can be made with or without okra or filé powder. The preferred method in the historical New Orleans variation is with a French dark even chocolate-like roux. The flavor of the dish has its origins in many cultures. Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish, and a dark roux, filé, or both.

About the author

Helen is an author and editor at helenbackcafe.com, who has a passion for writing about recipes. She loves to experiment with different ingredients and cooking techniques to create delicious and unique dishes.

Among all the foods, pizza holds a special place in her heart, and she loves exploring different variations and toppings to create the perfect slice. Through her writing, Helen hopes to inspire others to get creative in the kitchen and share their love for food with the world.

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