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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!
This gumbo was a smash hit in my house tonight, my dad said that it was better than his “lazy, roux free” version. He seemed shocked that his fifteen-year-old daughter could top the meal that he loves to make. I was so glad I came across this recipe, as it’s going to help me with my culinary arts class I’m taking at the moment. The lengthy prep time barely phased me, the final product was totally worth the wait. Can’t wait to make this again 🙂
Hi Da’Bria! I am so glad to hear you gave the recipe a try and that it was such a hit with your family! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
my boyfriend from louisiana and he almost passed out when you mentioned using tomatoes, lol i made this without it and he loved it!!
Hi Tanisha! Glad to hear your boyfriend enjoyed it! Thanks for circling back to leave a comment 🙂
This is the BOMB!
The gumbo was a big hit at our house. It was delicious and got better with age.
We made a double recipe. The pot we used was too small for double the ingredients so we left off the 2nd portion of chicken stock. It turned out great and worked well with less liquid.
We definitely we be having the gumbo again.
Thank you
This is great! How would you recommend reheating it? I want to make it for Thanksgiving, and microwave doesn’t seem particularly classy!
Hi Olivia! I’d remove it from the refrigerator an hour before you’re planning on serving. Leave in a Dutch oven and just reheat over stovetop until warmed through. I usually warm it over low heat so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, and stir it every 5 minutes or so until heated through!
This is THE BEST gumbo I have ever had! I sometimes add shredded chicken and/or scallops. And it freezes very well! It’s actually even better after it’s been frozen!
Yum! Your additions sound delicious, Holly! Thanks for sharing!
This is one of our favorites! Gives me a chance to use a few techniques.
I know this post is years old, but I have made this recipe like once a month since I found it in 2016. It’s still my favorite to make and take for lunches at work.
Trying this recipe this week and I’m excited!
Very nice recipe. Taste excellent.
So this was delicious. I changed a couple things. I had way less cook time on the roux , maybe my pot has a thin bottom.
I cooked the shrimp and scallops in a pan separately then added for 5 minutes.
The Cayenne was a lot, if you are making this, leave it out if you don’t like spice!
Overall a GREAT gumbo. I love the tomatoes.
Thank you!!!
Great recipe! I make it all the time 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that, Elizabeth! Appreciate you circling back to leave a comment 🙂
Okra?
I used butter for the ROUX and Root Beer to replace the file’. Added Okra as a matter of course. this recipie is great and a family favorite.
How interesting! I’ve never heard of that as a replacement, thank you for sharing Jeff!
WOW!! My first time making gumbo and it was AMAZING. I used avocado oil and King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour to make it allergy friendly (nut, egg, soy, dairy, wheat free) and it was AWESOME. Thank you!! Fri-YAY indeed.
Thank you for sharing that it works with GF flour, Kimmi!
As a beginning food blogger (just getting started), I’m getting used to spending hhhoouurrsss -instead of, say, the 20 minutes or whatever I used to do- researching ingredients, dishes, preparation methods etc each time I go to put a new recipe together. I must say – yours is the single most straight-forward yet comprehensive guide on gumbo I found after reading many recipes and articles and watching many videos (all the way down to looking up the culinary origins of okra!). Your post does a great job of hitting the important points an absolute gumbo beginner (as I was two days ago haha) would need to get started and build confidence, without having to dedicate tons of time to their own research. So if you ever do or have worried that you’re ~just another food blog~ don’t! I also appreciate that you acknowledged the liberties you took with the traditional recipe, but also didn’t apologize for them. You have a new follower!
Delicious! It was even better the next day. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
I agree; we always enjoy it more on day 2! Thanks for commenting, Rebecca 🙂
I have made this recipe many times. It’s my favorite gumbo recipe by far! Everyone I cooked it for, family and friends, have read about it. I will be using this recipe for many years to come.
So glad to hear it has been a hit for you! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment, Julia!
My son turned me on to this recipe. Wife and I LOVE this. Only real variance I do is double the shrimp ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Go glad! Extra shrimp is never a bad idea 😉
I also add extra stewed tomatoes
Just made this and it tasted superb.
There were, however, a few differences from the recipe on this page.
My roux wasn’t perhaps as dark as the recipe calls for. I made it from equal weights of general purpose flour and butter and although it did brown quite a bit I wouldn’t describe it as particularly dark. I’m used to making bechamel sauce with a white roux and was probably too worried about burning it. Still, I tasted it and there was a slightly nutty taste to it, and it did help thicken the finished article quite substantially- as did the gumbo filé which i was surprised to find on sale at my local farmers’ market.
Rather than using chicken broth I made a stock from the shells left over from peeling the prawns- as well as some whole prawns, vegetables and a glass of white wine. This resulted in a fishy stock that tasted a bit like a prawn bisque.
I couldn’t find Andouille sausage here so replaced it with a good Mexican chorizo instead. Not very Cajun but it tasted fine in the finished product.
I added a couple of teaspoons of fennel seed with the Cajun spice as I think it goes well with fish, and I used a generic Louisiana hot sauce rather than Tabasco. I omitted the cayenne pepper as my family prefers their food on the slightly milder side. Personally I like it hot and spicy, but then I’d end up having to eat the whole pot on my own.
I did consider adding some ancho chilli powder instead of cayenne since it’s milder and I like the smoky taste, but with the chorizo already in there I figured I had already headed as far towards Tex-Mex as I wanted to go. I use smoked paprika when I make Cajun spice mix, so I should probably have added some more heat. A combination of smoked and hot paprika in the spice mix would probably be a better idea in future.
That said there was plenty of spice in the finished dish, but it didn’t overwhelm the flavour of the shrimp or the sausage.
Anyway, thanks for the recipe. My family loved it served with lime and coriander (cilantro) rice and cheesy focaccia bread. It has now been added to the list of ‘things that will get made again because everyone seems to like them.’
I just made Gumbo for the first time using this recipe and WOW! My husband loved it as did I but next time I think I’ll cut out the cayenne. Wonderful flavor but the cayenne is kicking my booty and we love spicy anything.