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.
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!
Listen to any Cajun that knows their way around a good gumbo and they will most certainly tell you that the secret is in the roux. Roux, that dark delicious mixture of fat and flour, slow cooked to perfection, roasting each microscopic grain of flour to a deep dark brown.
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!
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!
I am not a cook. I cook to live, but no one would ever call me a chef. As I started thinking about making gumbo, I began to wonder how I could make it great. I have a recipe. I know the basics, and I know how to make it, but I dont know how to make it really spectacular. Hmmmm. So, I started thinking, what is the secret to a great gumbo? I was stumped. Naturally, I turned to Facebook to ask my friends what to do, and the answers have been so different that I suddenly realized how personal gumbo recipes are for people in Acadiana. But, that really makes sense, doesnt it? My moms gumbo was fantastic, but say that to someone else, and they would contend their mamas gumbo is fantastic. And their mawmaws and their pawpaws! Ive heard people argue over the years about the real secret to a great gumbo.
When I asked the question, I had no idea I would receive so many different kinds of responses on how to make it just perfect. Who would have ever thought of putting your chicken and sausage in a marinade of Tony Chacheres and whiskey overnight before you make your roux? A man I know very well says its very delicious. If you Google, “how to make the perfect chicken and sausage gumbo”, I didnt stop on a link until this one. A whole bunch of other things was suggested, but I dont trust recipes from people in places outside of Acadiana, so I picked a George Graham recipe. The recipe has the “holy trinity”, so its a good one to follow, but I wanted yalls advice, and boy, did I get it. Thank you, Acadiana friends!
I could be totally off-base with what I am going to suggest. I believe that gumbo recipes are almost as personal as how someone views politics. Crazy, right? Well, maybe not. Because the weather was a little cooler recently, and I actually began to think about gumbo.
5 Secrets to make your Gumbo better!
FAQ
How can I improve my gumbo flavor?
What is the secret to gumbo?
What makes gumbo better?
What ingredients are in gumbo?
Gumbo falls somewhere between a thick stew and a hearty soup and can contain ingredients such as chicken, sausage, ham, seafood, okra, tomatoes, and greens. As varied as the recipes can be, there are a few ingredients that all gumbos have in common: homemade stock; the “holy trinity” of celery, onions, and green peppers; and roux .
Gumbo vs Jambalaya: Which is healthier?
Gumbo is made using roux or okra where as jambalaya is made without roux but at times cornstarch is used as thickener. In both of these rice is served. In Gumbo rice is served but the rice is cooked in a separate pot and stew is served alongside. Where as Jambalaya is cooked with two parts of liquid to one part of rice, it is cooked until the liquid cooks down. Jambalaya should turn out dry, it should not be watery or mushy. Compared to Gumbo, Jambalaya is healthy as it is low in fat. Regular consumption of Gumbo may result in overweight and life style related complications.
What is Gumbo made of?
Gumbo is a dark stew made with a roux base, a medley of chopped vegetables called holy trinity veggies, and proteins ranging from andouille sausage to chicken to seafood. What ingredients do you use in gumbo? Andouille sausage and chicken are traditional to Cajun gumbo.
What do you put in gumbo?
Cajun seasoning: a blend of spices and herbs that’s essential for gumbo. You can find it at the grocery store or on amazon . chicken broth: since this is a chicken gumbo, stick with chicken broth or stock. bay leaves: optional, but they do add flavor. gumbo file: a ground powder used to thicken and flavor the gumbo (near the spices or on amazon).