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Home » Recipes » Soup & Stew Recipes

New Orleans Gumbo

Published: Jul 16, 2018 · Modified: Aug 26, 2024 by Brooke Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Do you love to eat gumbo?  Our New Orleans gumbo recipe tastes amazing, and shows you how to make your own roux and seafood stock. 

If you enjoy eating food from New Orleans, check out our chicken and sausage jambalya and our red beans and rice.

person holding a bowl of seafood gumbo with a spoon
Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make New Orleans Gumbo
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Expert Tips
  • More Southern Recipes You'll Love
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Why This Recipe Works

  • It incorporates a dark roux.
  • It uses a rich homemade seafood stock.
  • It uses the aromatic base or Creole "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers and onions.
  • It uses okra and roux as thickeners.
  • It has different proteins like chicken, sausage, bacon, and shrimp for added flavor.

Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for seafood gumbo

Our New Orleans gumbo takes pantry staples, except the Andouille sausage. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.

  1. Roux: We used flour and lard to make our dark colored roux.
  2. Aromatics: We used onion, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic.
  3. Meats: We used chicken breast, Andouille sausage, smoky bacon, and shrimp.
  4. Spices: We used salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and fresh thyme.
  5. Stock: We used a rich, homemade seafood stock.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make New Orleans Gumbo

Gather the ingredients.

cooking the andouille sausage and sauteeing the aromatics
  1. Cook the sausage and bacon, then make the roux. Put the meat in the fridge while you make the roux.  Take your time making the roux, since this is a crucial step in making it taste mouthwatering.  Get the step-by-step photos and lots of helpful tips in my recipe for roux. (image 1)
  2. Sauté the onions, celery, green pepper, and garlic. (image 2)
adding the roux and cooking the chicken
  1. Add the roux to the sautéed aromatics. (image 3)
  2. Brown the chicken in olive oil, then transfer to a plate.  Once it cools, shred it with a fork. (image 4)
holding a ladle of seafood gumbo
  1. Next, pour in the seafood stock. (For this recipe, we used homemade shrimp stock.) Continue making the gumbo by adding the okra, spices, and half of a lemon. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lemon, then add the shrimp, hot sauce, and black pepper. Stir and adjust seasonings to taste. (image 5)
  2. Serve hot with steamed white rice, sliced green onion, hot sauce, and optional file powder. Enjoy! (image 6)

Recipe FAQs

What is jambalaya vs. gumbo?

Jambalaya is a thick stew that is cooked with rice, while gumbo is served with rice. The other main difference is that gumbo has a roux and jambalaya doesn't. They have similarities with browning the meat first, using the same aromatic base (holy trinity) and stock, but jambalaya always has tomatoes, and Cajun gumbo doesn't.

What is the secret ingredient in gumbo?

The secret ingredient is the roux. Two ingredients (equal amounts of flour and a fat) are cooked together to make a dark colored roux. This takes about 45 minutes, but is worth it, as it will provide the deep, rich flavor that gumbo is famous for.

What are the three types of gumbo?

The three types of gumbo are: seafood, sausage, and chicken. Seafood gumbo is Creole and has tomatoes in it. Sausage gumbo uses Andouille sausage, which has a distinct smoky flavor. Chicken gumbo commonly uses chicken breasts or chicken thighs, but you can also slow simmer a whole chicken and debone for a mixture of both.

What meats are used in gumbo?

The most common meats are chicken, sausage, and seafood, but you can also find a meatless gumbo during Lent, which has hearty greens.

Common seafood used for gumbo are shrimp, crab, oysters, or crawfish. The chicken can be white breast meat, dark thigh meat, or a combination of both.
The sausage is usually Andouille, a spicy, smoky pork sausage, and or tasso, which is cured smoked pork shoulder, and is popular in Cajun style gumbo. 

How do you thicken gumbo?

The traditional way to thicken this dish is to use a dark reddish brown or copper penny-colored roux.  It is the backbone of this recipe and gives it a lovely smoky flavor.

Okra gives a silky smooth texture and helps thicken it.  Some people think that fresh okra tends to thicken better than frozen, but frozen is more readily available and convenient.

Adding file powder just before serving adds additional flavor and thickening, but if you used okra don't use file powder--it's a cardinal sin to use both!

What is file powder?

File powder is made from immature dried leaves of the sassafras plant, which is commonly found in the eastern U.S.  It's often used as a thickening agent, and has a unique flavor that can't be substituted.

However, it shouldn't be added to the pot while it's cooking because it will make it stringy.  Ideally, allow each guest to stir it into their own bowl.

How do you store gumbo?

Make Ahead: You can make the roux up to 3 days in advance. Gumbo can also be made the day before as the flavors improve the next day.
Leftovers: Allow to cool and cover and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Allow to cool and store in a freezer friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove top over medium heat.

Serve

Gumbo is traditionally served with steamed white rice and sprinkled with sliced green onions. Each guest can then spice it up with hot sauce or sprinkle file powder on top.

If you're looking for other tasty seafood recipes, make sure to try our recipes for New England clam chowder, cream of crab soup, salmon croquettes, and seafood stock.

holding a large spoonful of gumbo.

Expert Tips

  • This recipe tastes even better the next day.  It also keeps well in the fridge for a few days, and it can be frozen.
  • To make this quicker and easier, make the seafood stock and roux ahead of time.  You can even brown the meat in advance.
  • A dark roux is the backbone of gumbo; take your time making the roux as it will thickens this stew and will give it a smoky flavor.
  • For additional thickening agents, use okra or file powder.
  • Add hot sauce or file powder to your own bowl to customize it.

Note: This was the final post in a three post series.  You'll want to check out Part 1: How to Make Seafood Stock and Part 2: How to Make Roux for Gumbo for more top tips.

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Recipe

person holding a spoonful of seafood gumbo

New Orleans Gumbo

Enjoy the taste of Louisiana and learn the secrets to awesome gumbo with this recipe.  Shrimp, sausage, chicken, a dark colored roux, and spices flavor this rich New Orleans stew.  All your relatives will be wanting you to make this for family dinners!
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 9 cups
Calories: 472kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound chicken breasts
  • sprinkle of salt and pepper
  • 12 ounces Cajun-style Andouille sausage, cut in coins
  • 6 slices smoked bacon, cut in ¼ inch pieces
  • ¾ cup lard
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, roughly 6 cloves
  • 5 cups seafood or shrimp stock
  • 10 ounces fresh or frozen okra, sliced
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ lemon, without seeds
  • 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • hot sauce, to taste
  • sprinkle salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, for garnish

Equipment

  • tongs
  • wooden turner
Keep your screen on while you work!

Instructions

Brown the Meat

  • Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat.  Brown the chicken breasts, turning over once.  Once browned, remove from the heat and place on a plate.  Once the chicken has cooled, shred with a fork.
  • Add the bacon pieces and coined sausage to the pot, and cook until the fat is rendered from the bacon and the sausage is slightly brown.  Remove from the heat and place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

Make the Roux

  • In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, heat the fat (lard) over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and stir constantly until the roux turns a deep copper color, about 45 minutes.  Check out my roux recipe get step-by-step photos and many helpful tips on this important step.

Making the Gumbo

  • Transfer the roux to a heavy-bottomed pot and add the onion, green pepper, and celery.  Stir and cook over medium high heat until it starts to soften, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
  • Pour in the seafood stock and add the sausage, bacon, and shredded chicken.  Stir until well combined, then mix in the sliced okra, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and half a seedless lemon.
  • Cover and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the lemon, then add the shrimp, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper.  Stir and cook for 5 more minutes, then adjust seasonings to taste.
  • Garnish the gumbo with chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onion.  Serve with freshly steamed white rice.

Notes

  • This recipe tastes even better the next day.  It also keeps well in the fridge for a few days, and it can be frozen.
  • To make this quicker and easier, make the seafood stock and roux ahead of time.  You can even brown the meat in advance.
  • A dark roux is the backbone of gumbo; take your time making the roux as it will thickens this stew and will give it a smoky flavor.
  • For additional thickening agents, use okra or file powder.
  • Add hot sauce or file powder to your own bowl to customize it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 472kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 17.1g (6%)Protein: 33.6g (67%)Fat: 30g (46%)Cholesterol: 163mg (54%)Sodium: 892.1mg (39%)Fiber: 2.3g (10%)Sugar: 2.9g (3%)Vitamin A: 720IU (14%)Vitamin C: 26.5mg (32%)Calcium: 80.6mg (8%)Iron: 1.9mg (11%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Todd

    November 14, 2021 at 5:41 pm

    5 stars
    I've been making Gumbo all my life (50) and your techniques and ingredients our my favorite way to make Gumbo. I have found the key to a great Gumbo is a rich stock in which you incorporate. I always slow simmer a whole chicken in pot and debone for a mixture of white and dark meat flavors. In addition, use the chicken stock instead of water to incorporate within shrimp stock for a more richer flavor .
    A best tip is to cool base completely to remove any excess fat that will rise to top and then reheat and add your shrimp at end as indicated.
    Bon appétit

    Reply
    • Emma

      November 15, 2021 at 6:25 am

      Those are great tips, Todd! We're honored that you like these techniques so much, too. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  2. Bill Reed

    October 05, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    I love Cajun and Creole cuisine and this recipe is spot on. As in any gumbo it is time consuming and worth the effort. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Emma

      October 06, 2021 at 7:31 am

      You're welcome, Bill! We're so glad that you enjoyed our gumbo recipe.

      Reply
  3. Tonya M Woods

    September 26, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    Can I substitute the lard for salted butter instead

    Reply
    • Emma

      September 27, 2021 at 6:22 am

      Unfortunately, not for this roux; only light-colored roux can be made with butter. This Creole roux has to be cooked until it reaches the color of a copper penny, and the milkfat in the butter would burn before the flour cooked to this stage.

      Reply
  4. Donald Horstman

    September 08, 2019 at 5:00 am

    5 stars
    Substituted bay scallops for shrimp. Not quite as flavorful as shrimp but my daughter won’t eat shrimp. My homemade
    Smoked andouille is a ground sausage.

    Reply
    • Emma

      September 08, 2019 at 8:57 am

      We're glad that you enjoyed the gumbo, Donald! Thanks for sharing your substitutions. 🙂 Scallops sound delicious!

      Reply
  5. Suzanne Hoffman

    April 15, 2019 at 1:30 pm

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe and I like the way you presented it. If I may, a few comments:
    -- I would like to add that it is important to add the stock slowly (ladle-by-ladle is best). Beware of adding cold stock! Heat it, then add slowly. John Folse taught me how not to break a roux.
    -- It's not an either-or for me at my table. Okra goes into the gumbo. File on the table.
    -- I use chicken thighs in addition to the white meat for a richer flavor. Cheating tip -- Organic rotisserie chicken.
    -- Works just as well with chicken stock if fish stock not possible. If I'm using rotisserie chicken and don't have time to make a stock, I use Kirkland Organic chicken stock that I augment with a quick stock I make from roasting the bones and adding a bunch of aromatics and peppercorns that I simmer while I'm prepping the veggies and making my roux.
    -- If you want to have the real deal and don't care about the shipping cost, order the tasso and Comeaux andouille from any of the online Louisiana companies e.g., Cajungrocer.com
    -- Yes, it's uncommon to mix seafood and chicken in gumbo, but not unheard of. Rules were meant to be broken and that's how we get new dishes. In any case, Jambalaya is a blend of seafood and meat.

    Bon ap, y'all.

    Reply
    • Emma

      April 19, 2019 at 11:30 am

      Thank you, Suzanne, for your review and tips. I'm glad you enjoyed the gumbo!

      Reply
  6. Alicia Bond

    March 25, 2019 at 11:40 am

    I enjoyed reading your recipe for chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo. My Grandmother, who was born and raised in Welsh, Louisiana, taught me a similar recipe. I also throw a little crab in mine occasionally--that way everybody gets what they want. lol

    Reply
    • Emma

      March 25, 2019 at 1:58 pm

      Thank you, Alicia! Crab in gumbo sounds really delicious!

      Reply
    • Suzanne Hoffman

      April 15, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      Agreed! Good tip!

      Reply
      • Emma

        April 16, 2019 at 10:24 am

        Crab would be a yummy addition!

        Reply
  7. Kacy Turner

    January 29, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    When do you add the okra?

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 30, 2019 at 3:32 pm

      Thanks for asking, Kacy! We corrected the recipe. Add the okra to the gumbo in step 2, along with the spices and lemon. Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Bunni

    January 24, 2019 at 11:17 am

    Are you adding 3/4 cup of lard to the fat you rendered from the bacon and sausage to make the roux? Or do you throw away the bacon grease and sausage grease and just use lard?

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 24, 2019 at 6:20 pm

      Yes, throw away the bacon and sausage grease and just use lard.😊

      Reply
  9. Trish

    July 31, 2018 at 10:37 pm

    I am from New Orleans and although I am sure this is yummy, we do not mix seafood and chicken gumbo. But thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Emma

      August 01, 2018 at 11:10 am

      I'm glad that you enjoyed reading this post!

      Reply

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We're Brooke & Emma Fajcz, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts. Our recipes have been featured in Oprah Magazine, The Guardian, Parade, Insider, Delish, and BuzzFeed.

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