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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.
This looks so good! Just wondered if I want to use leftover cooked chicken, how many cups do you think I need? Thank you!
Can you use a different oil for the roux? Like ghee? melted butter? Avocado oil? Bacon fat?
Can you use a different oil for the roux? Like ghee? melted butter? Avocado oil? Bacon fat?
This is my first time making gumbo, and due to an allergy I needed a tomato-free version. This recipe did not disappoint!
I didn’t have as much flour as I thought, and had to use part chickpea flour for the roux but the flavor still came out great and I “cheated” with some corn starch to thicken the sauce. The only other thing I did different was to use raw shrimp with the shell on, boiled with the veggies, because a lot of other recipes I looked at said that’s a key part of gumbo flavor. Can’t wait to eat this all week!
This recipe is delicious and easily made! I added the deli chicken, but I also added smoked turkey legs, smoked pork, smoked sausage and smoked neck bones. The smoky flavor is outrageous with this recipe! Thank you for sharing! My family is VERY happy you did!!!
I loved this recipe. I didn’t add the chicken but replaced it with a bunch of crawfish tails. It was really good. I learned a trick to making the roux. I start it in a cast iron dutch oven and once it gets started, put the whole thing in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. I pull it out and whisk it a couple of times but since it’s not on direct heat, it won’t burn.
I love the crawfish modification and the roux trick seems brilliant. I’ll definitely have to give that a try next time around! Thanks for your comment, Rob.
This has become our Christmas eve dinner. Just finished making it actually. We have made changes here and there, started making our own Cajun seasoning, but no matter what, this amazing dish is what you can expect and look forward to at our kitchen table come Christmas. My 18 year old says he looks forward to it more than the presents. Thanks for a great recipe that is now a new family tradition.
That is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! XOX
Would like a bit more steer on what “bunches” of celery, green onion and parsley are. I used 3 green onion “stalks”, about 12 stalks of parsley and most of a “head” of celery and it seems like too many veggies for what I consider Gumbo. If I had used the entire “bunches” I bought from the store there would have been no room for the meat! I ended up using 8 cups of water to try to make more space for the meat, otherwise it would have been quite thick. There needs to be enough room for the liquid! Any steer on what you mean by “bunches” would be great. Thanks.
Yes, I use an entire head of celery and an entire bunch of green onion and an entire bunch of celery. You can add more broth at the end, to you liking.
I made this and it was delicious. I did a few things a bit different. I added the chopped onion to the hot roux to help cool it down as I had to go to an appointment. Upon returning home, I added the celery, green pepper and garlic and reheated the roux. Followed the rest of the recipe except I did cook the shrimp in the gumbo and used store bought bone broth instead of making my own stock.
I love this site. It is great to be able to make a meal plan and have the grocery list generated. Thanks for making my life tastier and easier.
Love love love this recipe ?…. I’m from the Bahamas so I added a bit of tenderized conch….omg….the flavor is unbelievable ☑️