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.
Gumbo vs. jambalaya:
Jambalaya is primarily a rice dish (think paella) while gumbo is more of a stew that is thickened with a roux and made with chicken, sausage, and/or seafood. Both gumbo and jambalaya are often made with some similar meats and vegetables but the process of making them and flavors of the end result are completely different. Here is my favorite Jambalaya recipe!
The key to this recipe is the Roux!
A “roux” is made with two ingredients; flour and oil, and it’s the key to any great gumbo recipe! The flour and oil are cooked and stirred together for about 30-45 minutes until it becomes dark brown almost like mud, or chocolate and the consistency of dough. The roux is what adds the deep, rich flavor to the gumbo, and it gives it it’s thick texture. Make a good roux is a labor of love, but but one that totally pays off, and you can make it ahead of time!
Step-by-step Authentic Gumbo:
1. Make the roux. in a large pot, combine flour and oil and cook, stirring constantly on medium low heat. You have to be careful to stir it constantly, on medium low heat, so that you don’t burn it. It’s easy, but takes patience. The darker the roux, the richer the flavor!
2. Chop the veggies. When you’re ready to make your gumbo, start by chopping celery, onions, bell pepper, parsley. I love the freshness from the green bell pepper, onion, celery and parsley. You can also add okra, if you want. Add it at the same time as the other vegetables.
3. Brown the sausage. Spread the sausage in a single layer on a hot, large skillet. Once browned, flip each one over individually, to make sure they all get nice and brown on both sides.
4. Add to large pot. Add chicken broth veggies, parsley, and roux to the pot and stir well. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste.
5. Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp and taste. 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.
6. Serve warm over hot cooked rice. This recipe tastes even better the next day as the flavors have a chance to blend. If you’re really wanting to go all out, serve it with a side of homemade potato salad!
Make ahead, Storing and Freezing Instructions:
Store Gumbo covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The roux can be made 3-5 days in advance, stored in a large resealable bag in the fridge.
This recipe makes quite a lot but it also freezes really well. To freeze, allow it to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe container (separate from the rice) for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Consider trying these similar recipes:
- One Pan Jambalaya
- Caribbean Jerk Chicken Bowls
- Mongolian Beef
- BBQ Ranch Grilled Chicken and Veggie Bowls
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Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo
Video
Ingredients
For the Roux:
- 1 heaping cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
For the Gumbo:
- 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 parsley leaves , 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, and roux to the pot and stir well.
- 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.
- Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.
- 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!)
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe in 2015 but updated it in November 2017 and again in December 2019 with process photos and step-by-step instructions.
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Laura says
Once I got past making the roux, I felt like a champ! Great recipe. We had this for our New Year’s meal and I believe it will become a tradition. Thank you! For those who are panicked about the roux, I suggest watching YouTube. It gave me all the courage I needed!
DP says
Delicious recipe and first time making gumbo! Ours featured chicken, chorizo sausage, mussels and shrimp. Would have rated a 5 but roux directions called for excessive browning that would have led to burning if entire recommended time was allowed for stirring process. Otherwise, all good and will definitively be making this gumbo again.
L. Haggard says
Truly a hit in my household of picky eaters! I added okra because it’s a personal favorite but it would’ve been great without it too.
Alejandra says
This is a great gumbo, the Roux gave it a very deep nice flavor. Both the kids and my Luisiana born husband loved it. I could not get enough of it. So delicious.
I did not have rotisserie chicken so I browned chicken cubes on the sausage fat, then cooked the chicken with the vegetables. I used canned broth and a great Cajun seasoning I picked up in Louisiana recently.
I froze half the gumbo so we are excited to have those leftovers soon. Hopefully it is as tasty as fresh.
Thank you for sharing!!
Radny says
It tasted exactly as I hoped! Since I don’t eat pork or shellfish, I used Turkey sausage, and turkey stock that I made from the Thanksgiving turkey. The roux did take about 25 minutes but I stayed with it and it worked out perfectly. I suggest that you note how long it should take in your instructions. I too added some okra, just because, that’s what I expect in gumbo. We will make it again, Thanks!
Janet Ellison says
This recipe is horrible. For the amount of flour and oil, there was no way to get it light brown in 30 min. and the consistency shown in your picture. It was too dark and tasted burnt and awful.
Lauren Allen says
Hi Janet, making a roux can require practice. If it tasted “burnt” it was burnt, and you’d need to start over.
Terry Green says
If you let the skillet get too hot, it is likely to burn – and that can happen in seconds. I made a roux tonight, took about 30-35 minutes on medium heat (the setting on my electric stove top for this is 4), stirring the ENTIRE time with a whisk to get it to chocolate brown. Sometimes, I turn the heat down for a few minutes….I use an iron skillet, they hold the heat and can get really hot. Yes, patience is required because you do have to constantly stir or the roux will burn. By the way, I don’t make my gumbo like this, but I expect this would work. There are hundreds of ways to make gumbo….and if you season well, it will probably taste good. I typically use a combo of chicken stock and stock made from shrimp shells and heads and the smaller parts of crab that are too labor intensive to get the meat out….just smash them and cook them with the shrimp shells. this will add lots of flavor to your stock.
Patty says
Hi Janet – see my subsequent comment. I wonder if making the roux in that amount of time to get it that DARK (without burning) needs a specific kind of pan. I used my LeCreuset Dutch oven, at exactly “medium-low heat” on a gas stove, and after 2 hours+ (I kid you not – fortunately I had set aside the entire day as a pajamas-and-cook day, LOL) – and the addition of a full 1/2 c. more of flour, it refused to get that thickness in the photos, or that dark brown – I did not burn it, either. I notice in the video she used a metal type pan for the roux – my Dutch oven is enamel-coated cast iron – hmmm. So since the roux is designated as the KEY ingredient…it’s concerning. Wanted to share my experience with you! There’s more info in my comment. I also am puzzled that the shrimp used in the recipe is cooked ahead of time.
Heather says
OMG!!! I am a newbie to gumbo but your directions made it so easy and took my fear away when I thought I was going too far with my roux. I excluded the chicken because I was only prepared for sausage and shrimp, but it was still filling and oh so yummy!! I used Slap Yo’ Mama yellow cajun seasoning and it had just the right amount of spice for us. My kids who hate spicy foods were even giving it a thumbs up! We’ll definitely be making it again!