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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
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Roux:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, , a little more may be needed
- 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 onions, , finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh chopped parsley, , finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1-2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning, *
- 8-10 cups chicken broth, *, you can add a little chicken bouillon paste to enhance the flavor of your 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 Shrimp, , uncooked or pre-cooked
- hot cooked 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 ½ 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 ½ cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, garlic 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 uncooked shrimp, if using and cook 2 minutes.
- Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and pre-cooked shrimp, if using.
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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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Best Gumbo I’ve ever had. I’ve made it several times. It’s my new Christmas dinner (the last 3 years). I made two batches today for a church potluck in South Dakota (where casseroles are king) and all of it was eaten. Really great recipe. Thank you.
Best Gumbo I’ve ever had. I’ve made it several times. It’s my new Christmas dinner (the last 3 years). I made two batches today for a church potluck in South Dakota (where casseroles are king) and all of it was eaten. Really great recipe. Thank you.
This is one of my go to recipes. Yes, add your choice of things but as long as it’s followed Gumbo will be 10/10
I’m from California, raised in the Midwest, lived in the deep south and this is an awesome gumbo recipe. It came together in the time allotted, beautiful dark brown roux smooth as silk and looked like a page out of a cookbook when I was done. Added a few more seasonings, lump crab meat, and a little extra dash of chicken stock and buddy she’s singing. Thanks for a great recipe.
My husband and I made your gumbo the only thing I did different is add crab meat! It turned out great!! Thanks for the recipe.
Best gumbo recipe next to my grandma’s! Added file at the end because I love it. Gumbo is a labor of love, so I don’t rush the roux – mix a drink, recruit company to chop veggies while I stir and 45 minutes later I’m looking at a perfect roux. It turned out amazing!! Thank you for sharing!
I have made this recipe a number of times now, and it is delicious!!! The only two changes I made we’re adding some crab meat and filé! The roux does need to be cooked at a higher temperature than indicated, but that’s just a personal preference.
I made this recipe today for the third time, and it was the best test! My husband asked me to use olive oil in the roux, even though other internet sites advised against it. It worked out well! A beautiful roux resulted. Our gumbo simmered on low all afternoon and it tasted so good! Thank you for all the steps and for the video instructions, as well.
I’m making this recipe for the third time and want to share my experiences. First time—the roux took almost two hours to make because I was afraid I’d burn it. Great flavor, however. Second time-I did burn the roux, but just started over. However, my Dutch oven had gotten nice and hot, so my new roux was perfect in hardly any time at all. So today, third time, I’ve heated the pot with water that has simmered a while. But today I’m worried because my hubby wants me to use olive oil. Everything I’ve read says not to use EVOO for gumbo roux. I’ll report how this turns out!
We are big big fans of this recipe! And I always add okra to my gumbo 😋
Loved this. Turn out just as planned and tasted great. Was not as difficult as I expected when I first read the directions. Really like the shortcut of buying the rotisserie chicken and making my own broth. Keeping this for future use!
The only thing I found missing was the file’. Other than that, this is pretty much spot on!!
Made this recipe with frozen okra, and a package of 6 fresh dark chicken quarters (bones/skins removed, and chopped up into bite size pieces). I also fried the roux/ingredients in a pan as necessary, but I used a slow cooker so that it would cook low and slow while I was asleep (I work overnights and sleep during the day). I woke up to a delicious gumbo that I could freeze in portions for my lunches. Only things I need to remember are to use shrimp without tails (they fell off the shrimp in the stewing process), and to use a LOT of cajun seasoning. I added a quarter of the bottle to the gumbo, and I still need to add more when eating it. It really is a strongly flavoured, yet delicious, dish. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Despite so many issues expressed by a number of folks echoing my own with getting the roux to the proper color and texture, IT IS DELICIOUS! I shared the results with a number of friends, and it got rave reviews. Including from me 🙂
I think the main roux issue is the temperature indicated to cook the roux…medium low did not work for me, though (see earlier post) maybe my difficulty had to do with using a far different pan than Janet (metal vs. porcelain-covered cast iron, i.e. Le Creuset). However…
My curiosity got the best of me, so I consulted a couple of chefs (particularly those associated with New Orleans cuisine), and every one of them had an issue with the burner temperature, indicating roux is *always* cooked at medium high – which is why you must stir constantly to avoid burning. For me, that made perfect sense. Easy fix. My gas stove dials range from low to high, with med low, medium, med high in the middle. My medium low took me 2hours and 20 minutes to achieve the chocolate color, along with having to add a full 1/2 c. flour to achieve the desired consistency. I only record this to help anyone else. I AM SAVING THIS RECIPE IN MY ARCHIVES – live and learn.
So, thanks, Janet! Another wonderful yummy recipe for my files!
Best,
Patty