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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!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. This was a first for me making Gumbo.
I followed your recipe and directions, which were awesome by the way, as you wrote them and added chicken.
We loved it! Do you know if this works freeze well?
Thank you
Hi Joan! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the gumbo! Yes, the recipe freezes just fine for up to 3 months. I suggest placing it in a freezer-safe bag or an air-tight container.
This recipe is pretty similar to what my dad made! He lived in Gonzalez Louisiana and stayed with a Cajun family. Pretty sure they’d roll in their graves if they knew my dad started adding tomatoes but we love it that way. I will say, adding some Worcestershire sauce adds some depth of flavor that I can’t live without. Agree with another commenter, Tony’s are perfect seasoning for gumbo.
This is my first time ever commenting on recipe blog.
Just made it tonight and it smelled and tasted very very very amazing!
I added some other veggies (mushroom & baby corn), I used smoked beef sausage, chicken and wild caught shrimps. Everything was just heavenly!
Thank you!
AMAZING! I followed step by step! Better than Cheesecake Factory!! Thank you will be adding to my list!
WAs my first time making and it turned out great!!My family enjoyed and I will definitely make again!!
Very quick & easy ! Will make again ty!
Added okra (because I like it) and also added old bay seasoning to the shrimp and let it hang out in the fridge for a while. Followed the roux instructions and stopped after 18 minutes for fear of burning.
End result was quite awesome.
I make this all the time for my family and for my coworkers. It really is delicious and is even better the next day.
I’m in GA so sometimes I add okra for an extra veggie.
I will add the only grocery store I can actually find gumbo file is Whole Foods.
Wonderful recipe. Love it.
Wow, really really good! Easy to make. I cut recipe in half, because it was just for me. What a mistake, I’ll need to make more. Thanks for sharing
Just made this recipe it’s delicious I added a bit of tomato sauce ( a few tablespoons ) to help get that red color my husband prefers and I omitted the gumbo filee bc my store didn’t have it. It’s still amazing thx so much for this recipe
My wife can’t stand any kind of peppers! Other than celery, your suggestions, please? I love all peppers, so suffer without!
First attempt at roux. Came out perfect. I skipped the okra but did add a small can of diced tomatoes. Word of advice. Have everything prepped and at hand, the roux is slow to start then peanut butter .
I want to make this but I want to add fresh oakra. How would I cook and add the oakra? Thanks…
I’ve made this recipe multiple times, and absolutely love it! I get compliments every time. It is even great leftover, maybe even a bit spicier.
I made this last night to serve tonight for New Year’s Eve (gonna add shrimp at the last minute). The flavors are delicious and my roux was the perfect color. The problem came after I added the tomatoes and stock – the entire concoction separated with a couple of inches of oil on the top.
Ignoring the advice of the purist Internet gumbo “experts” that I should toss out the whole thing (painstakingly chopped trinity, homemade chicken stock, and a pricey kielbasa), I managed to fix my broken gumbo! I skimmed off all the fat (got more than a cup of oily sludge) and whipped up a new roux, using a 60-40 ratio of flour to oil, in a separate cast iron pan. I brought the remaining stock/trinity mixture to a boil and added the cooled roux in a slow steady stream. It emulsified and thickened up beautifully – I even had to add more stock because it was too thick.
I’m giving this recipe 4 stars instead of 5 because I have a feeling that adding the can of tomatoes and stock all at once may have caused the separation. Also, there are lots of vegetarian sausages that are much better than Tofurky. But I appreciate the absence of okra and the addition of the stewed tomatoes. The taste is wonderful.
I actually had this problem of the oil separating pretty badly too. I just pulled it out, but do you think preparing the roux separately and adding it after everything else was combined would do the trick in the future?
We LOVE this recipe! We use King Arthur Gluten Free flour for the roux to make it allergen friendly (our kids are severely allergic to nuts, eggs, soy, dairy, and sensitive to wheat). It is delicious!! We double that veggies, too, and then double batch to stick in the freezer for cold days when we want something comforting and delicious to enjoy. Thank you!!
I’m so glad to hear it worked out well with gf flour! Thanks for sharing!
This will be my 1st time making the red gumbo,I grew up making the brown jumbo with all the ingredients listed here,but because my son wants red gumbo i will give it my best.I am from Slidell Louisiana 45minutes from New Orleans,Now living in Georgia. Thank you for your recipe change is good.I did not make this recipe.
My first Gumbo recipe that I have tried. I thought it was good! Meaning really tasty. 3nd, my husband approved. Always says remember that time you made that Gumbo soup. … anyway. This recipe is totally good enough to not want to try any others. Thank you.
I’ve made this multiple times now, and it is consistently delicious. Thanks for sharing, definitely a keeper!