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Never been to New Orleans? Bring The Big Easy to you with Chicken Sausage Gumbo. It’s a party that every ingredient has been invited to. This gut-bursting stew is brimming with tender okra, green peppers and celery, chicken thighs and chewy sausage, in rich and thick tomato gravy, seasoned with an abundance of smoky Cajun spices. Phew! Did I leave anyone out?
Cajun flavours will get your toes tapping and tongue tingling, so next up try my Cajun Dirty Rice showcasing shrimp and ground pork.
Cajun cuisine
Cajun recipes are a literal melting pot. Taking influence from French, African, Spanish, Portuguese and Native American cuisines, a little bit of everywhere and a little bit of everything available goes in, These exciting dishes are recognisably hearty, rustic, smoky and spicy, and overflowing with a variety of ingredients.
Dishes can be rice heavy, like dirty rice, or saucy like jambalaya, or, if we’re really getting into the Cajun spirit; alligator or catfish stew.
Easy gumbo recipe
Gumbo actually isn’t too tricky to pull off. There may be a long list of spice ingredients, but that can be shortened with a cheeky one-stop substitute (hello Cajun seasoning!).
There may be a couple of ingredients on the more exotic side (I’m looking at you, okra and Andouille sausage!), but again easily accessible alternatives can be found. A good gumbo is totally achievable and definitely worth giving a go.
You really only need to stick to three rules:
1) The roux must be dark brown.
2) The dish must include onion, celery and green bell peppers.
3) It must be served over rice.
You’ve probably made a roux before (lasagna, mac and cheese, or cauliflower cheese), you are already halfway there. This roux though, instead of creamy white needs to be cooked until it turns a melted milk chocolate colour.
After browning the chicken and sautéing the holy trio (see rule 2), the rest gets thrown in the pan, gently mixed and brews slowly in the oven for an hour. And laissez les bon temps rouler!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I’m not claiming this easy gumbo recipe is 100% authentic. It’s a simplified and super convenient version. I don’t want to miss out on good gumbo just because I don’t have the long list of spices! I discovered that a nifty jar of Cajun seasoning will do the trick nicely!
- If you’ve ever made a béchamel sauce, you’ll recognise it in the roux. The main difference is this roux is cooked until it is a deep brown colour.
- I said brown, not burnt. Cook it over a low heat and keep whisking to avoid that!
- Flour and either oil or lard are usually used to make a roux, but I prefer the richness of butter in mine. The choice is yours.
- I used fresh okra, as it was easy for me to source, but feel free to use frozen if that’s easier for you.
- Andouille isn’t easy to find either outside of certain parts of the U.S.! However, depending on where you are based, Polish kielbasa or Mexican chorizo make satisfying substitutes.
- The consistency of gumbo is a personal preference, mine is thick and stew-like. Others might prefer it more liquidand soupy. Add a little more stock if that’s you.
Serving suggestions
Rule number 3. The dish itself is so rich and flavoursome, you only need plain boiled white rice. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have anything else! Other Southern favourites are:
– sweet potatoes, like these super quick air fryer baked sweet potatoes, or savoury sweet potato casserole
– cheese grits
– collard greens
Or if you just love a good old mash, you won’t go wrong with brown butter mashed potatoes.
Storage and leftovers
This warming chicken and sausage gumbo recipe makes for a winning batch cook- perfect for whipping out when there’s an unexpected cold snap. I love an ‘eat one, freeze one’ recipe for just those kinds of emergencies.
Any ‘eat one’ leftovers can be kept in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat over a medium heat on the hob. If the gumbo has gone a bit thick, add a splash of water or more stock to make it more stewy.
After it’s hour-long stint in the oven, the ‘freeze one’ must be cooled completely before storing in the freezer. Use a large This is an affiliate link.freezer-safe container or portion out individually before freezing. This gorgeous chicken and sausage gumbo will keep for up to 6 months.
So, when you see the cold spell coming, take it out and defrost in the fridge overnight. Heat on the stove top checking the chicken itself is at a food-safe temperature (165F/ 74C) before serving.
Other stews recipes to try
- Easy Chicken Stew
- Classic Coq Au Vin (Chicken in Red Wine)
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Stew
- Irish Beef Stew
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- 100g / 1/2 cup butter
- 100g / 1/2 cup all purpose / plain flour
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ litre / 5 cups This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- 400g / 14 oz This is an affiliate link.canned chopped tomatoes
- 500g / 1lb skinless boneless chicken thighs , cut into quarters
- 500g / 1lb andouille sausage , sliced thickly
- 200g / 2 cups fresh okra, sliced
- 10g / 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp This is an affiliate link.smoked paprika, spicy
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 This is an affiliate link.bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot melt the butter and whisk in the flour over low medium heat, continue cooking whisking once in a while until the mixture turn brown. This will take 15-17 minutes. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat as it can burn the roux and give it bitter taste.
- While the roux is cooking heat 1 tbsp of oil in another frying pan and brown the chicken thighs until golden on both sides but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken to a plate. To the same pan add the chopped onions, green pepper and celery and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes until softened, then ad the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Take off the heat and set aside till needed.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- When the roux is brown, gradually whisk in the chicken stock until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Then add the Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt and bay leaves, chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley, sautéed onions, green pepper and celery, sliced okra and sausage and the chicken thighs with the juices at the bottom of the plate. Stir everything carefully and place in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Serve with steamed rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I find cooking enjoyable and decided to learn how to cook , I tried to make gumbo and the progress I have make is really nice, I went from now how in the world to almost there , seeing how close I get is motivating, The gumbo start to shape like gumbo after adding each ingredients I thought would give me a taste that I was looking for, it is amazing I am still trying to make the perfect gumbo , but I am ok with where I am In my new direction. I will be looking forward to your new recipes you will send to me and will probably try some of them
Hello Julia,
I’m going to make your delicious looking Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and thought about adding some chorizo. Do you think this would work, or would the chorizo spoil the original taste ?
I would appreciate your comments.
As a man who who has recently started cooking for my wife and I, (don’t worry I haven’t taken over the kitchen completely ! ) I think your site has some wonderful and varied recipes which you explain so well.
Thank you,
Derek
Hi Derek, thank you so much for your feedback. I am thrilled you are enjoying my recipes. You can absolutely use chorizo in this recipe. ๐ I actually recommend it as a suitable substitute in the recipe tips and notes.