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Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
Gumbo made the authentic Cajun way!
Real deal gumbo starts with the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking (celery, onion and bell pepper.) Next roasted chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp are simmered in chicken broth flavored by a rich, dark roux.
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 well loved 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.
Gumbo 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 I took the shortcut and picked up a rotisserie chicken.
Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken 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!
Thanks for PINNING!
Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 lbs andouille sausage sliced 1/4” thick
- ¾ cup vegetable oil plus extra for sautéing sausage
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large onions chopped
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounce can whole tomatoes (crushed by hand)
- ½ 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
- 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)
- ½ teaspoon filé gumbo powder
- green onions sliced thin, for garnish
- cayenne pepper to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- 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 ¾ 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!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Here are a few more Cajun style recipes you might enjoy:
- Cajun Bourbon Chicken
- Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad with Creamy Cajun Dressing
- One Pot Spicy Cajun Chicken & Rice
Eletta
This came out amazing!!!! I made this and my family loved it! Husband can’t have spice for health reasons but family was craving gumbo. I was hesitant at first afraid it would be too hot for him. I left out the spicy stuff but then I was worried it would jeopardize the flavor. It didn’t and was an instant hit! I’m adding this to my recipe book yum!
Tricia Buice
Fantastic Eletta! So glad you and your family enjoyed it. Bravo!
JJ
I have done a few Gumbo recipes (Heard of Gumbo thought it’s weird, then I visited New Orleans had some and fell in love, lot better tasting than some can describe) , and for someone living in South-Africa some ingredients are not available, expensive or difficult to get, this one only 2 that is easily replaced with an alternative we can get here.
This by far are the best recipe I have come across, this will be saved and shared and taste loved.
I miss my first, the original New Orleans taste from the source.
Tricia Buice
So glad you enjoyed this recipe JJ. We love it and have found it to be most authentic. Thanks again for trying the recipe and for taking the time to comment.
JJ
No, Thank you for sharing the love and taste. Just wonderful
Brandy Sparks
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
Tricia Buice
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 😉