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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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Have you tried this recipe?!
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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.
I made this over the weekend with the home made chicken broth recipe. It was very good. Only thing I did not like was there were no ratios for the veggies. Also I simmers the raw veggies for an additional 30 mins after the 7min boil. Below are my ratios.
2 cups Celery
4 cloves garlic
1.5 cups Onion
.5 cups parsley
1 table spoon cajun spice
4 stalk green onion
Horrible! Recipe is off — flour broth ratio is off. Gumbo was extremely thick. Total waste! Never again, at least not this recipe.
So sorry it didn’t work for you. If it was too thick all you need to do is add more broth. Making gumbo is really a labor of trial and error. You’re going to have to develop “instincts” when cooking, especially when cooking gumbo. My first time making gumbo I burned the roux and the okra made it too slimy. Welcome to the club!
I’ll give the credit for at least trying to create an “authentic”new Orleans style gumbo. And there is 2 kinds. Chicken or seafood
. This recipe combines the chicken with shrimp. Not authentic. I am a national awarded chef as and I grew up in New Orleans and every summer I was out in the gulf of Mexico trawling for shrimp from the age of 10. I have traveled abroad and I stick to original tastes and procedures as I only know. I use the peeled shrimp casings to create my stock while my roux is under ow heat. Very low.. butter and flour. And as any true Cajun will agree. Your time is not adequate to achieve the smooth nutty flavor a copper penny roux should be. Watch video’s of Justin Wilson. A true cajun… if your heat is to high on simer.. pick your iron pan up of the heat and use a wok stand to create the distance. A 45 minute roux at the copper penny color is a burnt roux. It should take at least 3 hours.. mine takes 4 hours. We do not purchase Cajun sesoning.. we create it. Not hard and you have control over your heat.. cayenne can get hot.. . Okra celery onion tomatoes and sassafras (gumbo file) is with the process and the roux is not really used to thicken the stock but a set towards your true authentic flavor. You will achieve tightness from your okra and sassafras more than you think. Gumbo is not thick , it has a consume texture and tightness. Over your rice.. which is authentic mahatma or watermaide long grain rice and we don’t have potato salad on the side. That has to be a joke, right.. .might as well have it with a muffilata… seafood style uses crab shrimp even crayfish.. as we might call a mud puppy.. crawddad… few other names out there. Anduile is cajun.. best .. I will not make gumbo.. chicken or seafood, without it. I’m afraid to look at the recipies.. but for sure.. this recipe is no where close to a true coolness creation..
I definitely recognize there are many, many different ways to make gumbo. You’re welcome to share your own recipe online.
You really have to be thick skinned for some comments. Sorry.
I live in the pacific north west, and we don’t have any places that serve this. Since I love food and wanted to try it, I looked up dozens of recipes and decided this one was the one to try! Well I figured on spending about 4 hours, and that was about right. But the end result was really good, so much flavor! The reason it took me so long was I made my own chicken broth, as well as cooking the shrimp. But all said this is worth 4 hours in the kitchen!😊
Tried this recipe a couple of years ago for my son on his birthday, he loved it so much I make it for him every year!!thank you even though the roux is a labor of love 💗
Perfection!
What kind of nonsense is this? Way to much roux. Ruined my dinner
Did you cook the roux properly?
Yes, unless the poster is only keeping positive reviews, this is the truth, and should be out there for people to read. The roux is abysmal, and a waste of ingredients. Wish I had known before I wasted the day on it.
Can I use avocado or olive oil in this recipe? I just don’t like using vegetable or canola.
Yes you can. Enjoy!
Best ever. This recipe is wonderful.
Avocado oil would be better because olive oil would create so much extra flavor in the roux. Also avocado oil is a high temperature resistant oil and olive oil isn’t. I’ve made roux out of grapeseed oil and I feel avocado oil would be good too. Plus it’s much healthier than vegetable oil.
Where is the okra? It’s not gumbo without okra, it’s just stew
If you read and not just the recipe she said you can add okra. Most people don’t like okra it’s a personal preference. It’s still yummy. Add a scoop of potato salad and some French bread. I was raised in South East Texas. It’s authentic.
I dont like okra. But in gumbo it’s a must. It adds thickness just like the gumbo file does. If you use the roux to create the texture that’s between stew and consume, without okra and sassafras. You have a heavy roux taste. When the okra is added, let it simmer down some. The slime is not there and the flavor and texture is.
My family is not a fan of okra, so I subbed young zukinni! So good!
We made it and it was delicious, with a few modifications and suggestions:
– There was a strong herbal taste to it, most likely from the parsley. I added about 1.5 cups of parsley, so it might be helpful to specify an amount in case the bunch turns out to be bigger than normal.
– In step 3, it was unclear if your instructions were to pour them into the stock pot with the roux or a separate pot. You may want to specify.