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
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Recipe
Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Roux:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour , heaping
- 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 *
- 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 Shrimp , 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 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
Create a FREE Account to save your favorite recipes and create meal plans
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.
*This post may contain affiliate links!
This post contains affiliate links.
This recipe was the bomb, my family loved it. They literally said this was the best thing I’ve ever made them. It was also so easy & quick to make as well. It didn’t have a bunch of ingredients. It was literally perfect. 1000/10 highly recommended.
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.
Just awful. I followed this recipe exactly, used all of the ingredients in correct measures, properly timed, slaved over the preparation for roughly three hours, and it was terrible. Way, way too salty, for one thing. Shrimp, andouille sausage and bits of chicken in an unappealing brown muck. So I dissent from my fellow cooks and will not ever use this recipe again.
Horrible.
Simon, my friend, the recipe is pretty sound from an ingredient stand point – except for a whole bunch of celery. Two to three stalks is more like it. She basically has this boiling for under 10 minutes and done! Absurd. A full boil will break a roux like a bad habit. Try it again with these changes and it will be amazing. I’ve made this general rotisserie chicken and stock recipe for years. Trinity cooking for 5-7 minutes? And then you have the chicken going in and done? I gaaar-un-teeee, this will be a pot of oily, undercooked slop. The trinity needs to be added to the nearly finished roux and properly browned. This will take a good 10 to 15 minutes with constant stirring and scraping. Then add your sausages to the vegetable roux and brown that for a good five minutes or more. Then SLOWLY add all of your ROOM TEMPERATURE stock to this hot roux mixture. Bring this all to a very gentle simmer, add the chicken, and gently cook for a half hour or so. The stock, if salted, and sausage will impart a lot of sodium. You may need very little salt in the end. You can throw raw shrimp in at the end and simmer maybe three minutes. It will cook just fine in a 200 degree liquid at a bare simmer.
I followed your recipe today very closely. Maybe sacrilege, but i used an orange bell pepper as part of my Trinity. The finished gumbo is so so good i can’t believe i made it. Talk about depth of flavor! Great recipe that’ll be my go to.
Sounds great. File powder and bay leaves would be good additions.
This was delicious but a few notes for readers:
1. I have a flat top electric stove. The roux took me about 90 minutes. When I do again, I’d probably make the roux ahead of time like discussed in blog post.
2. I didn’t use the parsley only because I couldn’t find any in store the day I went.
3. I used tony chachere’s seasoning. It had good flavor though a bit salty. I’d probably try a different brand or use no salt added chicken stock if I used the same seasoning again.
4. Id try to find some okra next time AND I’d make corn bread as a side.
Great recipe – thank you!
Great recipe. I added more cajun powder, tomato, and okra to it.
Total BS gumbo recipe. Precooked chicken? Boiled trinity? Don’t waste your time on this recipe.
Please give ingredients in measured amounts. Your bunch of celery may not be even close to mine. Same with all of the veggies.
this was a great base to work from! i was trying to recreate my louisiana mom’s gumbo recipe. i added okra (to thicken the soup), several bay leaves, and filé powder, and used Tony Chachere’s cajun seasoning. it turned out just like i remember it. thank you!
Looking forward to trying this recipe! You give nutritional info however I didn’t see portion sizes. It does say 6 servings, but you mention it makes a lot. Can you let us know how much is in a serving? 1 cup? 2 cups? Thanks!
I’ve made this recipe before and loved it! However, this time around while making it, I’m counting calories. What is the serving measurement for 464 cal? Is that a cup or 1/2 cup? Something like that?