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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.
It was great, but I couldn’t get the roux to turn that brown color. I stirred it over medium low heat for about an hour and it stayed the same color.
It will turn brown, you just need to keep cooking it and depending on your stove (gas or electric) you could increase the heat a little.
Try using olive oil as well.
1st time to attempt to make Gumbo, & MAN, it is SOOOOOO good!!!
Obviously the most time consuming was the Roux, but TOTALLY worth it.
Thank you for the great recipe!
I’ve been trying out different Cajun dishes every week, and tonight I used your recipe to try gumbo for my first time. I thought it turned out really well. For the roux, I found myself fluctuating between heat levels 3 and 4 (out of 10). I probably cooked the roux for about 40 minutes; I was running out of time to serve dinner by a certain time and had to move on the rest of the recipe. So it wasn’t quite as dark as pictured here. I don’t think I burned it, as I was stirring quite vigorously the entire time, but it was smelling a little bit like burnt popcorn; no black bits in the roux though. Based on the comments here, it would seem that if I actually burned the roux that the gumbo wouldn’t taste very good.
I did find that the end result was a bit more soupy than I was expecting (the pictures here look quite thick), but it was very tasty. Next time, I might try using less chicken broth.
The darker the roux, the less thick your broth is.
Definitely a keeper and will make again. As someone who has been cooking for 50+ years, I get a chuckle out of the comments. This is a simple recipe but requires patience. Medium low on my electric stovetop is #3 setting. It didn’t start ‘browning’ until the last 15 minutes (of the 45). I almost turned the heat up a bit and was glad I didn’t. When it says ‘heaping’ cup of flour…believe ie. Total, I ended up using 1 1/2 cups of flour. During the first half hour, I just came back and whisked it, scraping the bottom, every 4-5 minutes. During the last 15 minutes I had to stir constantly. I did not precook the andouille. I tossed it into the pot with the vegies. At the 15 minute mark for the vegies, I stirred in the Cajun seasoning and a bit of salt and cookied for another 15 minutes on simmer to finish cooking the sausage. With 3 minutes left, I stirred in the shrimp. Perfect! For those who say this isn’t authentic…nothing really is. Even in Louisiana, I found a vast variety of difference in how gumbo was prepared. Some use tomato, okra, file powder, etc. Some don’t. They are all authentic.
Great gumbo and easy to make thanks to Lauren!
I also add cut okra and it helps thicken up the gumbo.
This gumbo is amazing! I add more seasoning and add thyme and bay leaves and okra but it’s DELICIOUS! For those that say it’s not good, they’re just not following instructions or not tasting it before serving. I always add more seasoning than listed. Heavy salt and pepper too!
When do you add the okra and keep them from being slimy?
I added mine with the rest of the vegetables. No issues at all.
I use frozen okra no slime and add it at same time of other veggies. I never have slime. I add a bit of tobasco as well.
My friend tells me the only way to make a true gumbo is use an ingredient called file` not flour to make the roux. Have you heard of this,? and does it really make a difference in the taste?
File’ is ground sassafras. I typically don’t use it.
But, if you do….add it to your bowl instead of the pot. It can make your entire pot of gumbo too thick and earthy tasting.
Easy to follow recipe. Took longer than 1hr 20 minutes more like 2hrs 45 minutes but only because the roux! Definitely saving this recipe
I almost never leave reviews, rate a recipe, but this is rich and delicious and a crowd pleaser. I will make this again and again. Thank you for sharing it.