Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo ~ with the Holy Trinity of Lousiana cooking (celery, onion and bell pepper,) roast chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp are simmered in chicken broth flavored by a rich, dark roux made the Cajun way!
Many folks will be celebrating Fat Tuesday this week which means they will party, and eat hardy before heading into the Lenten season. Gumbo is a favorite celebratory dish, and perfect if you’re looking for a meaty stew loaded with authentic southern Louisiana flavor.
Gumbo dates back to the 18th century but I’m not sure of the age of this particular recipe. My sister-in-law’s parents (Paul & Margie) were kind enough to share their delicious version of this classic stew with me … and you! They’ve been making gumbo for many years based on a recipe from an old friend who lives in Shreveport, Louisiana. Paul and Margie made some tweaks and minor changes over the years, and of course I made a few too. Hope they don’t mind because we certainly didn’t!
Typically served in a bowl with rice, gumbo is filling and hearty and can be spiced as much, or as little as you like to suit your personal taste.
We’re fond of spicy foods, so we added some cayenne pepper to the pot as well. The andouille adds a little kick, and lots of flavor, so you may want to try it first before adding cayenne.
The biggest change I made was to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of cooking a whole chicken as instructed in the recipe. This cut a good amount of time from the recipe prep, and based on the end result, we are pleased! My senior taste tester (a/k/a traveling husband) said he was pleasantly surprised that a non-Cajun could make something so good. He means me!
Don’t forget to PIN to your favorite stew or soup board!
- 2 lbs andouille sausage sliced 1/4” thick
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil plus extra for sautéing sausage
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 large onions chopped
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes (crushed by hand)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped okra (not breaded)
- 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken skin and bones removed and discarded, meat shredded
- 1 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon filé gumbo powder
- green onions sliced thin, for garnish
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
Prep all the vegetables and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Sauté the sliced andouille sausage until lightly browned then remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Cover the plate and set aside to a warm location until needed.
Heat 3/4 cup vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering and almost smoking. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is the color of a copper penny (not an old one!) Add the onions, celery and bell pepper and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute or two or until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, while slowly adding a small amount of chicken broth if needed, to prevent burning.
Add all the remaining chicken broth to the pot with the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the shredded chicken, frozen okra and half the sausage to the soup pot. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and add the remaining sausage, the filé gumbo powder and the shrimp (if using). Stir well, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
To serve, gently reheat if needed. Season with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaves.
Serve over hot cooked rice and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and green onions if desired. Serve with cayenne pepper or hot sauce for those that want a little more spice!
Here are a few more Cajun recipes you might enjoy:
- Cajun Bourbon Chicken ~ from Creole Contessa
- Cajun Shrimp with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce ~ from Damn Delicious
- Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad with Creamy Cajun Dressing ~ from Cafe Delites
- One Pot Spicy Cajun Chicken & Rice ~ from Creme De La Crumb
You’ll need a good soup pot for your gumbo! (click on the photo for more information)
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I hope you all had a lovely spring-like weekend. We had temperatures in the 70’s on Saturday with a nice thunderstorm in the afternoon. We have robins in our yard digging for worms and getting ready to make little robins. Our giant weeping willow has leaves on it, but it’s always first to bloom. I think the ground hog got it wrong this year – but I guess that’s not the first time. Are you celebrating Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras this year? Maybe next year I’ll make a King Cake to celebrate!
Thanks again to Margie and Paul for sharing their wonderful recipe with us! And thank you so much for stopping by!
Tricia
Hi, is this recipe spicy? I can’t handle much spice but want 2 try this dish so bad. Also I want 2 just use chicken breast how many do you think would work? Thank you so much
Hi Brandy! If you want dial down the heat, I would leave out the crushed red pepper flakes. I think two chicken breasts would be fine if that’s what you have on hand. Depending on the size of the breasts, I would use 3 for a meatier gumbo instead of the whole rotisserie chicken. This is such a wonderful recipe – so glad you’re going to give it a try 😉
Love gumbo and yours looks very good. I’ll have to dig out my andouille sausage out of the freezer.
Hope you love it too Karen! Thanks 🙂
Ooooh yes. Such a hearty bowl of gloriousness that packs a punch too. I’ll have a great big serving please. Looks so pretty too. Love the chunky veg
This is a very solid recipe Dom – everybody loved it!
LOVE gumbo. Or anything Creole/Cajun, really. This looks terrific — lovely recipe. Thanks.
He too John – thank you very much! Have a great week
What a mouth watering bowl of gumbo that you created here Tricia, love that you used okra, so delicious!! Love this time of year.
Thank you Cheri! It is a good solid recipe for sure 🙂
MMMMM chicken sausage & shrimp = YES PLEASE!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀
It’s a hardy bowl of deliciousness Gigi! Thanks for stopping by.
Gumbo with the holy trinity and andouille sausage works for me, it looks delicious, Tricia! I’m non-Cajun too and like to make gumbo and I notice that you make it the authentic way with filé gumbo powder also. I learned the hard way years ago to remove the pot from heat before adding it, it turned into a stringy mess. Thanks for the recipe! And I’ll even add the okra next time. 🙂
Hi Pam! I hate learning the hard way – haha. Okra is the best in this stew. Enjoy and thanks!
Wow, do I love Fat Tuesday. This stuff looks like the perfect celebratory meal! Drooling already 🙂
Thank you so much Karly! Great to hear from you. I was just over at your blog checking our your latest post 🙂 Have a great week!
Looks like a very good recipe and if it tasted just half as good as it looked I can understand your husbands comment. Good job and recipe saved.
Thanks Larry – my husband is well traveled and a fearless eater. He loves to try new things and has found himself in Louisiana from time to time eating amazing gumbo. He thought my pot of gumbo was pretty great considering I’ve never been to New Orleans! It’s a wonderful bowl of deliciousness – you should try it!
Nothing like a good pot of gumbo!! And, on Mardi Gras, too!! High compliment from a Cajun! 😉 blessings and hugs ~ tanna
Thanks Tanna 🙂 Have a great day!
Gumbo is something I have never tried making but your photos certainly make me want to try it! It looks delicious, Tricia!
It is super tasty Susan – worth every minute in the kitchen!
What a delicious looking gumbo! I love Cajun food…there is so much flavor!
We love a good spicy dish and gumbo begs for spice! Thank you so much Kathy.
Trying to make something like gumbo is an intimidating thing but you make me feel like it’s do-able. I am a fan of using rotisserie chicken for a shortcut and really, this looks fabulous. Your family is so lucky to feast on all this good food!
Thank you so much Monica! It’s not a 30 minute meal but it is very do-able 🙂 I bet you spoil your family all the time!
My MIL grew up outside New Orleans. We’ve travelled down that way-but it’s been a long time. Love it and the food! This is a good one. Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you Abbe! I would love to visit New Orleans – but maybe not around Mardi Gras 🙂
I am like Sue, I never made a gumbo or cooked with okra. This looks like great party food. Have a great week Tricia, I will pin this recipe.
Those folks in Louisiana sure know how to party! This is delicious and a must try one of these days 🙂 Thanks for pinning Gerlinde!
I have never made nor had one..sounds comforting!
It is very comforting Monique! Packed with flavor, it’s satisfying and filling too 🙂
Can you leave out the andouille sausage (my husband won’t eat pork) and okra (neither of us likes it)? I know I know … my mother’s side of the family in Louisiana would have a heart attack if they knew I even asked this. LOL.
Do you think it would it still taste ok in your opinion?
Hi Gina! I don’t think leaving out the okra will affect the taste at all. However, the sausage plays a big part in this dish so I am sure the taste will be different. Perhaps you could use a nitrate free, all natural turkey or chicken sausage? Either way – the base of the stew is terrific but without sausage it will be different but that may not be a terrible thing! Thanks so much for the great question Gina. Have a wonderful week!
Can you believe it, I’ve never made a gumbo! I think I’m a little intimidated by the okra, I’ve never cooked with it before. But this looks so warming and wonderful, you’ve convinced me to give it a whirl.
It’s such a wonderful southern dish Sue. And okra is no big deal! We love it pickled 🙂 Have a terrific week!
This looks wonderful Tricia! Gumbo is one of our favorite dishes and I love that there are so many delicious varieties. Using a rotisserie chicken is such a great time-saving idea!
Thanks Chris – it is a delicious meal and so filling. Gotta love it!
Awesome flavour, Tricia!So cool that you even used okra here..I would definitely come back for a second!
Thank you Angie! Second helpings is a must! Have a great week.
So beautiful and all those flavours! I saw fresh okra at the grocery store yesterday and immediately thought I should pick some up and make a gumbo. And then this pops in to my life. Meant to be 🙂
Thank you Jennifer. fresh okra is a sure sign of spring! Such a great dish with so many variations. Enjoy!