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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.
I have been making this recipe for a few years now and my family loves it!
This turned out absolutely delicious!! I used a packaged gumbo base instead of making the roux… but 5⭐️ dish & the whole family enjoyed.
This was insanely delicious.
My first time working with andouille. A bit spicier than what I would like. Think I’ll use kielbasa next time and use 1 1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning.
All in all, a very good dish
wow can’t believe how much static you get on a just being very helpful on a great recipe Thanks for posting I’ve been using it and had great reviews with friends. Oh cuz of where I live there are a few variations but thanks
I only cook for two. Can I make the regular amount and freeze half for future recipe?
Yes, it freezes great!
This is a solid gumbo recipe. I made this last night and it was a hit with everyone, but I don’t understand leaving the okra as an option (but I guess if people aren’t familiar with it, then…). I used rendered pork lard (instead of the oils… your body processes it better) and brown rice flour (one person was GF due to a sensitivity) and I didn’t notice any difference over what I would normally consider to be gumbo. Definitely making it again. This was my first recipe from your site and I’ll check back here for others in the future.
Thus turned out great for me. Although, I only used the roux method/recipe as I usually cheat and use a base/sifted mix. The roux came out perfect, but it took more like an hour. I was using an enameled pot, tho, so I don’t think my heat was high enough. Added okra and fire roasted tomatoes. I recommend using chicken thighs, strip the casing off your sausage if you can help it, and just give the precooked/recently seared meat a float in the last 5-10 minutes . Mine tastes much different than it usually does but that’s because it’s usually “semi homemade”. We spent a LONG time in the south (my husband as a kid/young adult, me in the military), and I’m not sure if it’s spot on, but it’s damn good. I also admit I could make this in my sleep so I didn’t follow any of the measurements or spicing outside of the roux…which I did use Veg oil for and was able to exact a really beautiful melted chocolate like texture at the end. So ty for that. However, as I do with most of my sauces, I added a couple tablespoons of butter at the end to round it out and give it a good sheen. I used 4 chicken thighs left over/chopped, 4 andouielle/slicedin half then into bote size half moons, 2 lbs raw shrimp, 2 green bell peppers/diced, an entire bunch of Celery/sliced, 3-4 tbl spoons of minced garlic, 64 oz of fish stock, 2 cups of water, a huge diced red onion (wouldn’t be my choice as I like yellow onion but that’s what hub bought), and I think a quarter cup of Cajun seasoning that I make, with salt. 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes with liquid made it tomato forward, but I like the tang and acid that added. And a bag of frozen okra. Fresh ground black pepper as well. I think this could use some Bay leaf also but I didn’t have any.
I want to say I agree that gumbo should have okra. I always want to be careful not to bastardize anyone’s culture when making food that doesn’t come from where and from whom I grew up with…so that’s important to me and I also just legit have never had it without okra. It thickens it a little as well, so I just feel for these reasons that the addition of okra is prudent.
I hope this is helpful, and thanks for helping me make my first scratch gumbo roux!!
As always I serve this with cornbread, sticky rice, and hot sauce. I also always make a couple /3 gallons of it so we can eat it for a couple days and give some to serve at my mutual aid. Time well spent ❤️
I love your gumbo recipe and have made it several times! I recently made it for our Princess and the Frog themed movie night and just shared a link to your recipe on my movie night blog: https://magpietayleetot.com/blogs/magpietayleetot-crafts-parties-and-more/princess-and-the-frog-family-movie-night
Delicious! I used butter instead of oil to make the roux and turned out great. Also added okra. Did take a lot of watching stirring to not burn the roux, so plan accordingly. Will definitely make again!
This is not gumbo if you don’t add okra. The word “gumbo” literally is African for okra. The fact that this recipe does not initially contain okra and simply suggest “you can add okra if you want” tells me a lot about the author of this recipe. Not a recipe I would consider worth my time.
You are correct! Without Okra it’s not Gumbo. I do sautee my okra before adding to eliminate the slime.
I’m gonna have to disagree with you, Dr. Emile. I grew up in south Louisiana, and I’d say I’ve had gumbo there at least as many times without okra as with. (I like okra, but I’ll go either way with gumbo.) If you’re making African gumbo, maybe it must have okra. But if you’re making New Orleans gumbo, it doesn’t have to. The African influence brought okra as a thickener, and the native American influence brought sassafrass file, and the European influence brought roux. Louisiana people typically think of the word “gumbo” as meaning a mixture, like the mixture of their heritage, and many cook their gumbo without okra. So authentic New Orleans gumbo can and often is made without okra.
Love this response. Thanks for the insight!
A little charity and kindness goes a long way. Life tip: If this is not something you would say to someone at the store (you would be put in your place), you probably shouldn’t do it online.