Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Creating this Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
If you have ever visited New Orleans and tried their authentic New Orleans gumbo, you know how delicious it is!
I did my best to imitate the flavors I remember tasting but am not trying to claim this as an authentic recipe (except for the rice which is authentically U.S.-grown!)
I wanted to design a gumbo recipe that is realistic enough for you to make for a weeknight dinner or for meal prep.
I made a dark roux, added the chicken and sausage and I served it with U.S.-grown brown rice. I didn’t use any unique ingredients or include seafood or shellfish in this recipe.
This post was sponsored by USA Rice in Feb. 2020 and was updated in Feb. 2022. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Kroll’s Korner running!
Gumbo is quite a delicious and comforting meal. It’s hearty, warming, nutritious and makes the house smell amazing!
If you want even more tasty meals featuring U.S.-grown rice, check out my Creamy Tuscan Chicken & Rice recipe or my Southwest Chicken Rice Bowls!
Ingredients you will need to make this Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe:
For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- U.S.-grown Rice: Traditionally gumbo is served with plain white rice. I chose to use brown rice!
- Chicken thighs: I think chicken thighs offer up the most flavor for gumbo, but depending on what you have on hand you can use chicken breasts too.
- Cajun seasoning: I have a recipe for you in the recipe card of this post or you can buy store bought Cajun seasoning.
- Olive oil: This is to drizzle on the chicken thighs before baking in the oven.
- Andouille sausage: I recommend buying the fully cooked, prepackaged smoked andouille sausage.
- All purpose flour: this is for your dark roux.
- Grapeseed oil: This is the best for making a dark roux because it has a high smoke point, meaning you can cook it hotter and for longer without burning the oil.
- Most roux’s are equal parts flour and a fat. Whatever you do not use butter to make this roux because it will burn, taste butter and ruin your gumbo!
- Celery: A staple vegetable for gumbo
- Jalapeño: optional, but delicious if you like spicy. You can also add in Tabasco or another favorite hot sauce.
- Yellow onion: I like to use yellow onions because they have a nice balance of flavor and actually become a bit sweeter as they cook. White onions have a more sharp and pungent flavor than the yellow.
- Green bell pepper: This is part of the “holy trinity” in Cajun and Creole dishes. Celery, onion and bell pepper combine to make a delicious aromatic trio. I use green bell peppers but you can also use red. (It’s up for debate!)
- Chicken broth: This gives more depth and complexity to your final dish.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes – In most Cajun versions of gumbo there is not any tomatoes, but I found I really enjoy the flavor with tomatoes added to it.
- Spices and seasonings: Dried parsley, minced garlic, Dried basil, Thyme, fresh, Pepper. Paprika, Bay leave, salt.
- *If you would like to add shrimp to your gumbo, add it at the very end when you’ve turned the heat off so the heat cooks the shrimp but not making it overcooked and tough.
Rice nutrition:
- Rice has approximately 100 calories per half-cup cooked serving
- U.S.-grown rice is sodium-, cholesterol-, trans fat, and GMO-free and has only a trace of fat and no cholesterol raising trans fats or saturated fat,
- Rice is gluten-free (yes, even brown rice) and the least allergenic of all grain.
- U.S.-grown rice is nutrient-rich and contributes more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including folic acid and other B-vitamins, as well as iron and zinc.
- It is comprised of complex carbohydrates that are more slowly digested and provides energy that fuels the body’s physical activity.
Tips for increasing whole grain consumption:
- Try mixing brown and white rice together in your favorite dish for more complex flavor and texture. It’s also a great way to encourage kids to eat more whole grains.
- Cook a double batch of brown rice and keep it on hand for a quick start to your next meal or bowl of gumbo!
How long does cooked rice last?
- Cooked rice can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for 3 to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
- For more information on U.S.-grown rice be sure to visit USA Rice.
How to make a dark roux for chicken and sausage gumbo:
Patience, and equal parts flour and grapeseed oil. I used ½ cup flour and ½ cup grapeseed oil and dark roux took at least 15-20 minutes to darken into a chocolatey color (Think Hershey chocolate bar). Can take up to 30 minutes sometimes.
Grapeseed oil is recommended because it has a high smoke point, meaning you can cook it hotter and for longer without burning the oil. You can use vegetable oil if you don’ have grapeseed.
- Turn a large, heavy bottom stock pot on moderately low heat. Get the pot hot first, then add in the grapeseed oil. Let the grapeseed oil get warm, 1-2 minutes and then begin to slowly whisk in the flour.
- Transfer to a wooden spoon (use a roux spoon if you have one) and stir continuously for at least 15-20 minutes (without burning the roux) or until it becomes a dark brown color. Be sure to have a glass of wine handy because this is a stir fest! It will be a dark mahogany color and have a toasty aroma when finished.
- DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE ROUX. It can easily burn if you do not stir constantly.
- You will notice the roux go through phases from being light in color, medium in color like peanut butter, and then very dark in color like dark chocolate. Dark roux has a deeper taste than lighter a lighter roux.
How to make chicken and sausage gumbo recipe:
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.
- Cook the chicken thighs in the oven.
- While the chicken cooks, dice up all of your veggies and mise en place your spices and other ingredients.
- Remove chicken from oven.
- Make the dark roux.
- When the roux is finished, add in the celery, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño and stir until vegetables are soft and tender ~7 minutes. Then add in the garlic.
- Whisk in chicken broth, reduce heat to simmer and add in tomatoes, parsley, thyme, pepper, paprika and lay leaves.
- Bring to a simmer and then add in chicken and sausage.
- Simmer over low heat, uncovered for 1-3 hours. No need to cook for longer than 3 hours.
- Serve with a scoop of brown rice on top.
How to Cook Brown Rice
- Combine 2 cups brown rice with 4 cups water in a medium sized saucepan. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the liquid is just barely simmering, then cover the pan. Cook for 45 minutes. Let the rice cook undisturbed for 45 minutes. Do not uncover the pot to check the rice during cooking.
- Take the rice off the heat and let the rice sit 10 to 15 minutes. This last step prevents the rice from becoming overly sticky and helps it lose that wet, “just-steamed” texture.
- Fluff and serve. Use a fork to fluff the rice, then scoop on top of the gumbo!
Tips for making the best Chicken and Sausage gumbo recipe:
- Use a dark roux: See above directions on how to make a dark roux. Most importantly, never stop stirring your roux. The dark roux is required to achieve the maximum potential flavor for an authentic Louisiana gumbo. This can take at least 20-30 minutes, maybe longer in some cases to get the dark color we’re looking for!
- Chop all of your veggies before you get started: Chop and dice the “holy trinity” veggies before you do anything else. Bell pepper, onion and celery. Also, have all of the spices pre-measured and handy so it’s easier to dump and stir when it’s time to add. All in all, mise en place your ingredients.
- File: I did not use file (FEE-lay) to finish off this gumbo but it’s typical to see this dish being finished off with it. File is a powder made from sassafras leaves and it will thicken and season your gumbo.
- Use a heavy stock pot/Dutch oven: We love using our big cast iron Dutch oven for making gumbo. Try to avoid light weight pots or pans with thin bottoms and use a large enough pan to allow for space at the top. You need volume for your pot because this gumbo serves a crowd!
Go low and slow
- Gumbo is a labor of love and not a dish that can be rushed.
- It takes at least 20-30 minutes alone to make the roux and another 1-3 hours for the gumbo to simmer before it’s ready to be served. The flavors meld together and intensify making it very flavorful.
- I actually like to make this a day in advance before we plan to eat it! Like good wine, gumbo gets better with age. You can even store in your freezer.
Have fun with it!
- In my research for this recipe there were so many rules to making gumbo that it seemed intimidating. But gumbo is like snowflakes, no two gumbos are exactly alike. Gumbo is flexible and have fun with tweaking flavors.
- Gumbo is not hard to make. The “hardest” part of making gumbo is making the roux and that itself isn’t even that hard. It just takes time. YOU JUST CANNOT WALK AWAY FROM IT AND YOU HAVE TO KEEP WHISKING.
- Can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe! Enjoy!
the goods
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken thighs, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning*
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 (16oz.) package Andouille sausage, 1/2 inch sliced into coins or half moons
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
- 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped small
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 large green bell peppers, diced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14 oz). can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups rice (cooked separately to serve on top)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut up chicken thighs into small bite sized pieces. Place in a medium sized bowl and toss with Cajun seasoning and olive oil. Place on a sheet pan lined with foil and place in oven for 20-25 minutes.1 lb. chicken thighs, cut into small, bite-sized pieces, 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning*, 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- While the chicken is cooking, dice up the celery, jalapeño, onion and bell pepper. Place them all in one bowl. It is important to cut and prepare the veggies before making roux so you have these ingredients ready to go.1 1/2 cups celery, chopped small, 1 jalapeño, diced, 2 large green bell peppers, diced, 1 large yellow onion, diced
- In a large heavy bottomed pot (preferably a Dutch oven), over medium-low, add in grape seed oil and get the oil warm (~1-2 minutes on the stove). Then, slowly whisk in flour to combine. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir continuously for at least 20-30 minutes (without burning) or until roux becomes a dark brown color (think chocolate). DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM STOVE. Roux can easily burn.1/2 cup grapeseed oil, 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- Remove chicken from the oven and set aside. When roux reaches desired color, add in celery, jalapeño, onion, and pepper into roux. Continuously stir until vegetables are soft and tender (~7 minutes). Add in garlic and stir for 30 seconds.5 cloves garlic, minced
- Whisk in chicken broth, reduce heat to a simmer and add in tomatoes, dried parsley, basil, thyme, pepper, paprika, and bay leaves. Stir and allow mixture to come to a simmer. Add in chicken and sausage.8 cups chicken broth, 1 (14 oz). can fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. thyme, fresh or dried, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 2 bay leaves, 1 (16oz.) package Andouille sausage, 1/2 inch sliced into coins or half moons
- Simmer over low heat for 1-3 hours. This is a key step so the flavors meld and roux can develop.
- Remove bay leaves. taste and adjust seasonings adding more salt or pepper as desired. Serve with cooked rice on top. Garnish with green onions or parsley. Enjoy!2 cups rice (cooked separately to serve on top)
Equipment
Video
Notes
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons Salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- If the roux burns, it is best to start over. Burnt roux will not give a great flavor. Darker roux will a give deeper flavor profile.
- Gumbo is a labor of love and not a dish that can be rushed. It takes at least 10-15 minutes alone to make the roux and another 1-3 hours for the gumbo to simmer before it’s ready to be served. The flavors meld together and intensify making it very flavorful.
- If you don’t have a jalapeño you can add in a hot sauce like tabasco, or leave out the spice all together if desired.
- If you want to add shrimp, add into gumbo ~ 10 minutes before removing pot from stove.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
I made this last year and everyone loved it! I made sure I had it saved to make again this year and can’t wait. Thank you for sharing with us.
i am so glad! thank you Angie ๐
Turned out great my family loved it!!
I am so glad, thank you!
TOMATOES DO NOT GO IN GUMBO!!!!
Hello. Thanks for your comment and 1 star review. So I am aware of that. I actually stated in my post: “in most Cajun versions of gumbo there is not any tomatoes, but I found I really enjoy the flavor with tomatoes added to it.” No where in my post am I trying to claim this is an authentic recipe. If you don’t care for how I’ve written my recipe, that’s fine. Leave out the tomatoes and make it however you like best. Recipes are essentially templates, not a hard guideline, feel free to change it based on your preferences, how you grew up eating gumbo, etc.
I love tomatoes in my gumbo as well. Always add canned or I add fresh tomatoes when I lightly fry my “holy trinity” veggies. I thought you were very clear about making this “your own” and having flexibility ( and fun) in the recipe ๐คท๐พโโ๏ธ Everyone’s palate is different..and true cooks can improvise.
I’ve made this recipe several times for my family. They love it. It is laborious, but the flavor profile is worth the time. Thanks
This was really a great recipe. The roux took forever, don’t be afraid to keep the flame on medium-low! I was stirring it way over 30 minutes because I had it on low. Overall, I really liked this recipe. Thank you. It was so good. ๐
So glad you enjoyed it! roux can take forever yes, which is a bummer, but soo worth it! thank you ๐
Iโve made this twice now. Both times it came out great. Also freezes very well for weeknight dinners. My partner doesnโt like peppers, so I substituted carrots. Worked well!
Thanks so much Dan!
There is no way to get a dark roux in 15 minutes. The โlabor of loveโ and flavor comes from making a dark roux by slowly bringing to a chocolate color over at least 60 minutes. It is also necessary to cook it this long for the proper consistency. Only cooking that much flour for 15 minutes will make a thick gravy. Your dark roux should be much thinner.
Hi Carri! Thanks for the comment. I agree it can take anywhere from ~20-30 minutes, but it has never taken me a full 60 minutes to get a dark roux. Iโll update my post to reflect that!
I followed the recipe almost to a T. My roux took almost 35 min to come to a nice dark color. I am making a day in advance and will heat and serve. I can tell by the smell this gumbo is going to be delicious thanks for the recipe guide.
Roux is a labor of love for this meal! Thank you so much ๐
Wow. My dark roux takes 50 minutes!!! This looks delish!
I would like to retract my previous review and state that I was wrong about there being no proper instructions! I was apparently having some technical issues and the whole page was not loading. I do see the instructions and am looking forward to making this.
Thank you so much Greg! Hope you enjoy it!
Made this today and it was amazing!! I added a pound of medium shrimp, a bag of frozen okra and a pound of crawfish tails and it was off the hook! Only thing I omitted from the origin recipe is the jalapeรฑo .