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    Authentic Cajun Gumbo Recipe

    Published February 17, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    You will love this delicious authentic Gumbo recipe jam-packed with chicken, andouille sausage, and okra in a tasty homemade chicken stock. The flavors in this dish are nothing short of incredible.

    I’m a huge fan of Cajun and creole food and love exploring cuisine from that region of the United States. If you’re the same way, you must try my Jambalaya or Red Beans and Rice.  

    bowl of gumbo with rice and green onions


     

    Gumbo

    Gumbo is a Cajun and creole specialty throughout the state of Louisiana. It’s a thick, stew-like dish with several ingredients, such as the trinity (onions, celery, and bell peppers), okra, and meat. The most common proteins are chicken and sausage, but you can make a seafood-specific combo. According to the recipe evangelists, you should never combine seafood with chicken.

    This recipe and ingredients will be completely different depending on who makes it. There are many arguments on whether the recipe should be thickened with a roux or with gumbo file. File is a powder consisting of dried sassafras leaves. It can be a thickening agent or a flavor garnish before serving the gumbo.

    You can extract the most flavor using a roux, gumbo, and okra. After all, one of the many definitions for Gumbo is, in fact, okra. Regardless of how you make this, it’s a time labor of love, and if you follow the procedures closely, the flavors and results are fantastic.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    ingredients to make gumbo
    • Chicken – I prefer a whole chicken to use the meat and make chicken stock.
    • Trinity – In classic creole and Cajun cooking, the trinity is a must which consists of onions, bell peppers, and celery.
    • Sausage – Use a good andouille sausage.
    • Oil – Vegetable oil is the traditional fat to use.
    • Garlic – A few garlic cloves will go a long way toward the gumbo flavor.
    • Flour – All-purpose flour is what you will need to make the roux.
    • Seasonings – You will need to use a Cajun seasoning, whether homemade or store-bought. You will also need a few bay leaves.
    • Okra – Fresh sliced or frozen sliced will work.

    How to Make Gumbo

    Add the whole chicken to a large pot, cover it with 1 gallon of water, and simmer on low to medium heat for 75 to 90 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

    adding a whole chicken to a pot

    In the meantime, add some oil to a large pot over medium heat and sauté the sausage slices for 5 to 6 minutes or until they have sear marks. Set them aside in a bowl or on a plate.

    searing sliced sausage

    Add the onions to the pot and cook over low heat until very well caramelized, which usually takes 45 to 60 minutes.

    caramelizing onions

    Next, add the celery and bell peppers, and sauté over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are a little brown and tender.

    cooking celery, onions, and peppers

    Stir in the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, which takes 45 to 60 seconds.

    stirring in garlic

    Set the sauteed vegetables to the side on a plate or in a bowl and then return the pot to the burner but do not turn the heat on just yet.

    setting vegetables to the side

    Go Back to the pot with the chicken, carefully remove it, and set it to the side on a large plate. Cool it slightly.

    removing a cooked whole chicken from a pot

    Strain the chicken stock through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer.

    straining a chicken stock

    Return the chicken stock to the cooktop and keep it warm over low heat.

    adding a pot of chicken stock to the stove

    Remove the skin from the cooked whole chicken, and then remove as much meat as possible from the breasts, wings, thighs, and drums.

    removing the skin from a cooked chicken

    Roughly chop the pulled chicken and set it to the side.

    chopping cooked chicken

    Next, go back to the pot where the trinity vegetables were cooked and add in the oil over low to medium heat and heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

    adding oil to a pot

    Slowly sprinkle in the flour while continuing to whisk until combined.

    adding flour to a pot

    Frequently whisk or stir the roux in the pot until it reaches the dark roux stage. It should be the color of a dark penny. This will take around 30 minutes to achieve.

    making a dark roux

    Pour back in the cooked vegetables and stir until combined.

    mixing roux and vegetables

    Sprinkle in the Cajun seasonings and stir to combine.

    adding seasoning to cooked vegetables

    Pour 2 to 3 ladles of warm chicken stock into the pot and mix it with the vegetables, spices, and roux until it becomes dark and creamy.

    adding stock to a pot of roux and vegetables

    Now pour all the chicken stock, the roughly chopped chicken, and the seared sausage slices.

    pouring sausage to a pot with stock

    Next, add the bay leaves and sliced okra and stir it well.

    adding okra to a pot

    Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat to help activate the roux to help thicken the stock.

    bowling gumbo

    Once boiling, turn the heat down to low medium, and cook it on a lid for 1 hour.

    bowling gumbo

    Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve, store, or keep it warm over low heat.

    seasoning gumbo with pepper

    How to Serve Gumbo

    Traditionally gumbo is served with cooked long-grain rice. However, if you do some digging, you will find there are several areas in Louisiana that serve it with potato salad on the side or right in the center of your gumbo bowl.

    gumbo with potato salad

    Additionally, there are variations where you can add some hard-boiled eggs to the gumbo right after the boil and then simmer it alongside everything else. The egg will take on some incredible flavors and help stretch the recipe’s amount.

    gumbo with potato salad and a hard boiled egg

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: You can make this gumbo up to 1 day ahead of time. Follow the reheating instructions below.

    How to Store: You can store this covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. This will also freeze covered for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating and serving. 

    How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of gumbo to a medium-sized saucepot and cook over low heat until hot. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    Chef Notes + Tips

    • If you can’t find andouille sausage, try, and use a good smoked sausage.
    • When making the stock, you can add any vegetable scraps if it’s not bell peppers.
    • If you aren’t pressed for time, you can simmer the gumbo for an additional hour.
    • This soup will get better with time.

    More Soup Recipes

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    Authentic Cajun Gumbo Recipe

    5 from 28 votes
    You'll love this delicious authentic Gumbo recipe jam-packed with chicken, andouille sausage, and okra in a homemade chicken stock.
    Servings: 10
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • pound Whole chicken
    • 1 gallon water
    • 2 large peeled small diced yellow onions
    • 1 ½ pounds andouille sausage cut into ¼” thick slices
    • ¾ cup vegetable oil + 3 tablespoons
    • 4 ribs small diced celery
    • 1 seeded and small diced red bell pepper
    • 1 seeded and small diced green bell pepper
    • 5 finely minced cloves of garlic
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasonings
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1- pound thick cut sliced fresh or frozen Okra
    • gumbo file for garnish
    • cooked long grain rice for garnish
    • optional potato salad for garnish
    • sea salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Add the whole chicken to a large pot and cover it with 1 gallon of water and simmer on low to medium heat for 75 to 90 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
    • In the meantime, add some 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a large pot over medium heat and sauté the sausage slices for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they have sear marks. Set them aside in a bowl or on a plate.
    • Add the onions to the pot and cook over low heat until very well caramelized, which usually takes 45 to 60 minutes.
    • Next, add the celery and bell peppers and sauté over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are a little brown and tender.
    • Stir in the garlic and cook just until it’s fragrant, which takes 45 to 60 seconds.
    • Set the sauteed vegetables to the side on a plate or in a bowl and then return the pot to the burner but do not turn the heat on just yet.
    • Go Back to the pot with chicken and carefully remove the chicken and set it to the side on a large plate. Cool it slightly.
    • Strain the chicken stock through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer. Return the chicken stock to the cooktop and keep it warm over low heat.
    • Remove the skin from the cooked whole chicken and then remove as much meat as possible from the breasts, wings, thighs, and drums. Roughly chop the pulled chicken and set it to the side.
    • Next, go back to the pot where the trinity vegetables were cooked and add in the oil over low to medium heat and heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Slowly sprinkle in the flour while continuing to whisk until combined.
    • Frequently whisk or stir the roux in the pot until it reaches the dark roux stage. It should be the color of a dark penny. This will take around 30 minutes to achieve.
    • Add back in the cooked vegetables and stir until combined. Sprinkle in the Cajun seasonings and stir to combine.
    • Pour in 2 to 3 ladles of warm chicken stock into the pot and mix it with the vegetables, spices, and roux until it becomes dark and creamy.
    • Now pour in all the chicken stock along with the roughly chopped chicken and seared sausage slices. Next, add in the bay leaves and sliced okra and stir it well.
    • Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat to help activate the roux to help thicken the stock. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low medium and on a lid and cook it for 1 hour.
    • Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve, store, or keep it warm over low heat

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: You can make this gumbo up to 1 day ahead of time. Follow the reheating instructions below.
    How to Store: You can store this covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. This will also freeze covered for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating and serving. 
    How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of gumbo to a medium-sized saucepot and cook over low heat until hot. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
    If you can’t find andouille sausage, try, and use a good smoked sausage.
    When making the stock, you can add any vegetable scraps if it’s not bell peppers.
    If you aren’t pressed for time, you can simmer the gumbo for an additional hour.
    This soup will get better with time.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 16gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 592mgPotassium: 539mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1532IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: cajun, southern