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My take on a hearty New Orleans Gumbo with shrimp and sausage! I’m making the roux from scratch so it’s extra flavorful! This recipe is perfect to make on the weekend and enjoy all week long as the flavor gets BETTER with time!
A biiiig ol’ pot of steaming hot New Orleans style GUMBO right here.
Talk about this being the highlight of the week! A big pot of gumbo with shrimp, sausage, and if you’re feeling extra generous, some chicken! I love making these kinds of meals on a Sunday. It’s hearty and cozy and the leftovers are enjoyed for a quick lunch all week long. Just think – a warm bowl of rice topped with a slow-simmered, tomato-based stew loaded with aromatics like onions, peppers, and celery. It’s spicy, hearty, and completely made-from-scratch. Okay, it’s basically amazing. I don’t know about you, but I LIVE for food like this.
This is for my food lovers out there that don’t mind taking a few extra minutes to make GOOD FOOD. It’s perfect to curl up with on the couch. If you’re in Texas, have the air conditioner on full blast while you pretend isn’t just shy of reading 1000 degrees. And if it happens to be cool when you’re making this, I promise you it will warm you to your bones!
Let me just say it now, THIS is a LOOOOOONG post. If you are a gumbo expert and just want a recipe, feel free to scroll to the bottom. I’m sharing all the things I’ve learned from when I was a noob.
While this was still in the recipe testing phase, I read pretty much everything on the topic. Not to mention the countless videos I sat through to make sure I learned how to make a proper roux. And though I’m not claiming I’m an expert in gumbo making or that my recipe is an authentic ‘Creole’ or ‘Cajun’ recipe, I will say I’ve picked up quite a few things along the way that can help make your pot more delicious.
The secret to making the perfect roux
- A high heat oil. You can use corn, avocado, canola, or vegetable. I don’t suggest using olive, coconut, or any other oil that has a low smoke point. You need something that can really withstand the heat and the longer cooking time.
- All-purpose flour. I’ve only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour so sadly, I can’t say if any other type will work.
- Continuously stirring: I know, I’m asking a lot here! Okay, so yes, this needs a total of 15-20 minutes of constant stirring and constant attention. And yes, I’m asking you to drop everything. No multitasking in general but a big pot of gumbo is in your future and I promise you, you will love me a little more when you don’t have a burnt, smelly pot of caked-on flour to clean because like a champ, you listened and babied your roux.
What is roux?
It’s basically the heart and soul of every gumbo recipe. I’ll elaborate further It’s a simple combination of oil and flour that is slowly browned to perfection. You want a nice, deep, and rich flavor that gumbo is known for. In our case, we’re using equal parts of each.
I never write reviews and I had to come back to say this was DELICIOUS! I was so intimidated by making Gumbo but this was the first time and it was so stinking tasty!! If your on the fence about making this, just do it!!
Know the stages of a roux:
- The blond roux: This is the most basic type of roux that we make. It’s what you make when preparing a béchamel sauce and it’s also what we use to make my shrimp enchiladas with poblano cream sauce. The roux is nice and light and usually requires just a quick 30 seconds -1 minute of browning the flour.
- 5-minute roux: This reminds me of the color of tahini paste. It’ll be a little deeper than the blond roux but we need to keep going. Keep in mind, as we cook the roux, it is losing its thickening power. This means that the darker the roux, the less it will thicken your gumbo.
- 10-minute roux: Almond butter-ish. It’s lighter than peanut butter but on its way there. You’ll notice that it smells a little like popcorn or similar to when you brown butter. A nice nutty smell.
- 15-22 minute roux: The color of homemade peanut butter. It’s dark and nutty and its a medium brown tone. I stopped my roux here (at 21 minutes exactly) because I still wanted a little thickness to the gumbo and a deep-dark roux is an acquired taste. If you’re new to gumbo making, i’d suggest leaving it at this stage! It will thicken the dish just enough and the flavor will be well pronounced without overpowering.
- 25+ minute roux: Dark brown roux is the color of peanut butter. You can take the roux a little further to what is considered a black roux (about 32-40 minutes), which is about the color of dark chocolate. But keep in mind that this will change the overall taste of dish and will leave it thin (a soup like consistency) and a black roux just isn’t for everyone!
Basic ingredients in gumbo
- Oil: Is one of the two ingredients needed to make the roux.
- All-purpose flour: Is the other ingredient need to prepare the roux. It’s the first step of making gumbo.
- The holy trinity: This is a combination of yellow onions, celery, and bell peppers. Keep in mind that I used a colorful array of peppers, however, just green bell peppers would also work for this recipe
- Garlic: you can use as much or as little as you like, I use 6 cloves for that perfect flavor!
- Bay Leaves: add a depth of flavor
- Sausage: Andouille sausage is most commonly used when making gumbo. I
- Seasonings: You’ll need cajun or creole seasoning, Louisiana hot sauce, and cayenne pepper to add some heat.
- Tomatoes: stewed tomatoes are optional. I know people are passionate about whether there are tomatoes in gumbo, or not. I’ve made this recipe about 100 times and have tested it both way – use or don’t!
- Chicken broth: we’ll need a quart. Homemade chicken stock is best because it allows you to control the sodium in the recipe. But you can also use a carton of store-bought or dissolve a few cubes of bouillon in water and use that.
- Shrimp: I like to use shrimp in my homemade gumbo but I have seen all sorts of other additions like oysters and crab legs in a seafood gumbo.
- Filé Powder: or gumbo filé as it’s sometimes called is a spicy herb made from dried and ground sassafras leaves.
- Ingrdients for serving: I like to have some chopped scallions and fluffy white rice to serve. Gumbo can also be served in a bowl like a soup.
Why This Recipe Works
- The Mise En Place: Basically all I’m saying is that just get your ingredients ready to go. Chopping while browning the roux is a big no-no. I highly, highly, highly suggest getting the chopping, measuring, and having all ingredients ready to go before you start making the roux. Trust me on this, it will make your life so much easier.
- The cookware: The roux in this recipe requires extra special love and care and so I really suggest using a dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot. A pot that’s pretty thin, like a stockpot is not a good option for this recipe. Stockpots get super hot and you run the risk of burning the roux. But you could make the roux in a cast iron skillet, then transfer to a stock pot and continue from there.
Gumbo with Shrimp and Sausage
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Roux:
- ½ cup high heat oil such as avocado, canola, corn, or vegetable
- ½ cup all purpose flour
For the Gumbo:
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 bell peppers any color, diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 ounces andouille sausage sliced (I used Tofurky)
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tabasco sauce more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon cayenne omit to make it mild
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes optional
- 1½ pounds raw shrimp
- 2 teaspoons gumbo filé
- sliced scallions + white rice or quinoa for serving
Instructions
- ROUX: Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until combined and smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and continuously stir for 15-22 minutes or until the roux darkens to just past a deep peanut butter color. Take your time here and don't be tempted to crank up the heat. You do not want to let the roux burn! (if you smell it burning, you will need to throw is out, clean the pot, and start over, unfortunately there's just no saving burnt roux!)
- SAUTE: Once the roux reaches that deep rich brown color, stir in the onions, bell peppers, and celery and continue to cook, stirring as needed so the vegetables don't stick. About 8-10 minutes or until the veggies soften. Add the garlic, andouille sausage (if using tofurky, do not add yet, you'll need to brown it in a skillet first then add it with the shrimp at the end), and bay leaves. Continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the garlic is nice and fragrant.
- SEASON: Add the cajun seasoning, tabasco sauce, and cayenne along with the chicken broth and stewed tomatoes (if using) and bring to a high simmer before lowering the heat to medium-low, covering and simmering for 15-20 minutes.
- ADD PROTEIN: Add the shrimp and sausage (if using) to the gumbo, give it a stir and allow to continue to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and the veggies have softened. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Add the gumbo filé and stir. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- TO SERVE: Serve warm with white rice or quinoa with sliced scallions on top.
Notes
- Peppers: You don’t have to use all the colors for the bell peppers. I just really enjoy the taste and color they add.
- Tomatoes: After making this recipe several times, I find the tomatoes are optional. 1 (14.5-ounce can) diced tomatoes can be used in place of the stewed tomatoes as they can be hard to find sometimes. You might need an extra splash of broth if you decide to omit the tomatoes from the recipe.
- Gumbo File: available in the ethnic food aisle near where they keep the cajun seasonings. It’s basically ground leaves from the sassafras tree.
- Adding Okra: I know some people find it isn’t gumbo if there’s no okra. That said, it just comes down to preference. If you’d like to add some, you can slice 4 ounces of okra into small pieces. Fry them in a tablespoon of oil to keep them from being slimy in the gumbo. Then add then in with the shrimp in step 4.
- Swapping the protein: I’ve played with this recipe a ton, swapping bite-sized pieces of chicken thighs for the sausage and it all works. If you do decide to use chicken, thighs work best and would go during step #2.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
I have often seen Cajun seasoning as an ingredient. Is there a specific brand or do you make it from scratch.
Looking forward to trying your recipe.
I usually just use a store-bought Cajun seasoning. Tony’s is a popular brand that I use often and remember off the top of my head but there are plenty of others you can try as well 🙂
I have never made a gumbo but I am so glad that I made this one. So yummy! The spice level was perfect! I did use all the ingredients except for the cayenne pepper and the gumbo file. I used andouille sausage and added frozen chopped okra. I didn’t want to have to stir the roux for 15-20 minutes continuously so I did a little research and found Alton Brown’s gumbo recipe and chose to cook the roux the way he does. Which is cooking it in the oven and it turned out beautifully. Then I finished cooking on the stove top. This is a recipe that I will be cooking again and again!
This was such an awesome recipe! We used hamburger meat instead of shrimp and it was still super tasty! My husband is super picky and he ate 3 bowls!
I made this for Fat Tuesday dinner. My family loved it and said we need to make it again. The only thing I did different was not to add cayenne pepper which would have made it to hot for us. Also the roux only took me 11 minutes to get to the rich color. I cooked it in as cast iron pot which maybe cooked it faster. Great dish!
You show cilantro rice with this, How about the recipe for that, linked in this blog….thanks.
Sure looks good. can’t wait to try it.
Hey there! It’s just plain, par-boiled rice that I prepared and dusted with chopped cilantro for pictures. Hope you enjoy the gumbo! 🙂
This is an awesome recipe. Unfortunately I did not have the file, but none the less the recipe was simple, easy to follow and the meal turned out delicious!
followed your recipe step by step it turned out amazing I put andouillu sausage, shrimp and crab meat in mine it was amazing!! I will definitely be making this again in my near future.
Seriously everything I’d hoped it would be! So delicious an satisfying! You know how you often cook a meal and everyone else thinks it’s great but by that stage you’re less than impressed. Something to do with smelling it and tasting it over and over. This was different, I couldn’t get enough! I’m looking forward to sampling it over and over again over the next couple of days. Not sure what I did different but my roux was ready in about 10 minutes on a very low heat. I suspect the bottom of the pot was thinner than I thought. Still, I didn’t burn it 🙂 yay me! I haven’t had many gumbos but this recipe will be a regular for me.
I never write reviews and I had to come back to say this was DELICIOUS! I was so intimidated by making Gumbo but this was the first time and it was so stinking tasty!! If your on the fense about making this, just do it!!
This looks so good! Thank you for posting. I will be craving this all day now 🙂
Made the gumbo for my husband and daughter and they love it. My daughter took the leftovers to work and everyone there loved it I had to rewrite the recipe for them and my daughter copied it for the rest. One of the employees made it for his wife but instead of putting the tobasco sauce in it they put it in themselves individually his wife doesn’t do spicy. Thanks for the recipe
Absolutely awesome! This is definitely a keeper. In the middle of an arctic blast in Michigan right now so this was an awesome find!
Thanks for sharing.
I could only find frozen ready to cook raw shrimp – if this ok to use? So excited to try and make it.
Yes, that’s fine! I just suggest that you allow them to thaw before using them in the gumbo.
OMG! I freaking LOVE Gumbo! This is the very first time I made Gumbo and I stumbled upon your assistance and NAILED it! Thank you so much Spice in a Jar! (Insert hand clapping with standing ovation).
Fellow Gumbo friends… follow your pallet with these amazing directions.
Exquisite Roux directions. Follow, Follow, Follow!
I am very impressed.
Happy New Year!
Loved it but got to have the okra
Absolutely ?
Excellent….we absolutely loved it
I’m happy to come across your gumbo recipe, just made it this morning. My husband loves it that he ate 2 bowls for early lunch :), will be making it again.
So glad to hear that Jo-Ann! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment! 🙂
Hi Marzia. Thank you for taking time to reply and for this recipe. I have made this gumbo recipe twice again. My husband came down with a cold yesterday and requested this recipe for his comfort food.
I made this last night and it was *killer*! I think it gave me street cred as a cook among my family. I used butter instead of oil for the roux and as an okra lover, used okra instead of tomatoes since you said they were optional. So good. Next time I might use both tomato and okra. Question about the file- I bought and used, but had never heard of it. Does it give flavor? Or texture?
That’s awesome! File is used in gumbo recipes to give it an earthy flavor and help thicken it (although I don’t think our tiny amount is actually doing much thickening). Glad you’ll be giving it a go with the tomatoes next time! 🙂
As someone from Louisiana who learned to make gumbo from a few older ladies who’ve lived there their whole lives I’m impressed! Most “gumbo” recipes aren’t gumbo at all! My only recommendation is the best Cajun seasoning there is and the only one most Louisiana residents use is Tony Chachere’s. You won’t need the extra hot sauce if you use Tony’s. It gives you a flavor heat instead of just a spicy heat. I usually add chicken to mine, but really you can do any meat you desire. One of the best I ever ate had fresh blue crab I it. And okra is definitely optional since it’s not for everyone!
I don’t use file as it doesn’t reheat well, tends to make the gumbo gummy. I use roux and okra for thickening