This chicken and sausage gumbo recipe is a classic Cajun-style gumbo built on a deep, dark roux and the holy trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery. It’s a bowl of comforting, flavorful stew.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
I've been cooking this gumbo for years. Gumbo was actually the first thing I made when I took a culinary class, and I had to get it right before it ever appeared here on the blog.
It sits right alongside my Red Beans and Rice, Dirty Rice, and New Orleans BBQ Shrimp on the comfort food rotation.
I cook this gumbo on cool weekends, game days, and anytime I want one big pot of food that will feed a crowd and taste even better the next day. The flavor comes from time and patience with the roux, so plan to be in the kitchen for a stretch. Once that roux hits a deep chocolate color, the rest of the recipe moves quickly, as long as you prepped correctly.
Happy Cooking,
Tanya
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo at a Glance
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours (includes 2 hours for the oven roux and 1 hour to build and simmer the gumbo)
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Serves: 8 people
- Best For: Cool weather dinners, Sunday cooking, game day, feeding a crowd
A Quick Look at The Ingredients
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For the Roux
- Vegetable oil and all-purpose flour - Equal parts oil and flour cooked down to a dark chocolate color. This is the heart of the gumbo and where the flavor lives. Use a neutral oil like vegetable or canola so the roux can do its job.
Meat
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs - I prefer thighs over chicken breast because they stay tender through the long simmer. If you want to use bone-in thighs for extra flavor, you can absolutely do that. Just pull the meat off the bone before serving.
- Andouille sausage - Andouille is a smoked Cajun pork sausage, and it is the traditional choice. If you cannot find it, a good smoked sausage or kielbasa will work. Avoid anything with cheese or sweet seasonings.
The Holy Trinity and Aromatics
- Yellow onion, green bell pepper, and celery - This is the Cajun holy trinity, and it is the aromatic base of the gumbo. Do not swap these out. This helps make an authentic gumbo.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic adds depth.
Seasoning and Liquid
- Cajun seasoning - I use any Cajun seasoning blend I have on hand. Whether it's my homemade blend or a store-bought blend. I like this one or this one. Taste before adding more salt since most blends already have plenty.
- Dried thyme, dried oregano, Cayenne pepper, Bay leaves
- Chicken stock or broth - I prefer low-sodium. It gives you control over the salt level. Homemade chicken stock is great if you have it on hand.
- Worcestershire sauce - Adds a savory backbone to the broth.
- Sliced okra - Okra adds body and that classic gumbo texture. Frozen sliced okra works fine.
For Serving
- Cooked white rice, long-grain or jasmine.
- Chopped green onions for topping.
- A pinch of gumbo filé powder is sprinkled into each bowl off the heat. Optional but classic.
- Hot sauce at the table.
How to Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
This recipe walks through my preferred oven roux method, which lets the roux develop slowly in the oven without all the standing and stirring at the stove. I have also included the stovetop roux method in the recipe card if you want to go that route. Either way, the rest of the process is the same. The full directions are in the recipe card below.
Make the Dark Roux
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add ½ cup vegetable oil and ½ cup all-purpose flour to a large Dutch oven, whisking until smooth with no lumps. Slide the pot into the oven uncovered.
Stir every 30 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides, until the roux reaches a deep chocolate brown color, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. The smell will turn nutty and toasty. If you see black flecks or smell anything acrid, the roux is burned, and you have to start over. A burned roux will ruin the gumbo.
Brown the sausage and chicken
While the roux is in the oven, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced andouille in an even layer and cook until browned on both sides, then transfer to a plate.
Add the chicken thighs to the same skillet and sear in batches until nicely browned on both sides. Move the chicken to the plate with the sausage. Once cool enough to handle, chop the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Keep any juices that collect on the plate.
Cook the trinity
Remove the finished roux from the oven and set the Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Stir in the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery.
Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. The mixture will be glossy and thick at this point.
Build the Gumbo Base
Add the browned sausage and chicken directly to the pot, along with any juices from the plate. Sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning, thyme, oregano, and cayenne.
Pour in the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce, stirring as you go so the roux melts smoothly into the liquid. Lay the bay leaves on top. Bring the pot up to a gentle boil, then immediately lower the heat to a steady simmer.
Simmer low and slow
Partially cover the pot and simmer the gumbo for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Skim any fat that rises to the top if you like.
The broth will deepen in color, and the flavors will pull together. When there are about 15 minutes left, add the okra.
Finish and serve
Take the pot off the heat and fish out the bay leaves. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the gumbo into bowls over hot cooked white rice. Sprinkle a pinch of gumbo filé powder over each bowl, top with chopped green onions, and pass hot sauce at the table.
Variations
- Add shrimp. Stir in 1 pound of peeled, deveined shrimp during the last 5 to 7 minutes of simmering until they curl and turn pink.
- Use bone-in chicken thighs. Sear them skin-side down, simmer them whole, then pull the meat off the bones before serving.
- Make it spicier. Bump up the cayenne, add a few dashes of hot sauce while it simmers, or use a spicier andouille.
- Swap the sausage. Smoked turkey sausage or smoked kielbasa works if you cannot find andouille.
- Skip the okra. If you are not into okra, leave it out and lean on the roux and filé powder for body.
Serving Suggestions
Gumbo is meant to be served over cooked rice. I usually go with long-grain white rice, but my Garlic Butter Rice is a nice upgrade when I want a little extra richness. For a Southern spread, I serve it with the Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe. You can also add a giant scoop of potato salad to calm down the spiciness. Yes, this is one way that gumbo is served, and it’s delicious.
How Dark Should the Roux Be?
For a Cajun-style chicken and sausage gumbo, you want the roux to go all the way to a dark chocolate brown. It will look almost like melted dark chocolate or a peanut shell. A lighter roux gives you more thickening power but less flavor. A darker roux thickens less but gives you that deep, smoky, almost coffee-like flavor that defines a good gumbo.
I prefer the oven roux method because it lets the roux develop without the constant babysitting required on the stovetop. You still need to stir every 30 minutes, but you can do other things in between. If you do go the stovetop route, stay at the stove the whole time and stir nonstop with a flat wooden spoon. If you smell anything acrid or see black flecks, throw it out and start over. There is no saving a burned roux.
I’d also like to mention that your stove will determine how easily—and how quickly—your roux turns brown. I cook on multiple cooktops, and I’ve noticed that on certain induction burners, it took a long time to get my roux dark, almost 2 hours in one instance. With gas, I reached that chocolate color in about 35-40 minutes. Just keep that in mind when making a roux on the stovetop.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Storage: Cool the gumbo and transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavor actually improves overnight.
- Freezing: Cool completely, portion into freezer-safe containers without the rice, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of chicken stock if it has thickened too much. Cook fresh rice to serve.
- Prep Plan: You can absolutely prep this gumbo ahead. Make the roux and let it cool completely, then scrape it into a clean jar or airtight container and stash it in the fridge for a couple of weeks. When you’re ready to cook, scoop the cold roux into your Dutch oven and warm it over low heat just until it loosens up, then add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and keep going with the recipe.
Tanya's Top Tips
- Get the roux dark. This is the most important step. A pale roux will give you a pale, flat-tasting gumbo. Push it to a deep chocolate brown. Cooking it in the oven will give you the best control of reaching this color without burning the roux.
- Use low-sodium chicken stock. Cajun seasoning and andouille both bring salt to the pot. Low-sodium stock lets you season at the end without making your gumbo too salty.
- Brown the meats well. Do not crowd the skillet. A real sear on the sausage and chicken builds another layer of flavor.
- Taste at the end. Salt levels vary depending on your stock, seasoning blend, and sausage. Always taste before adding more.
- Sprinkle filé off the heat. Add a pinch to individual bowls right before serving.
That seems like a lot, but it's so worth it. If you can, make this and enjoy it the day after for the very best flavor. Oh, and this thing freezes like a champ. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Add the oil and flour to a large Dutch oven and whisk until there are no lumps. Slide the pot into the oven, uncovered, and cook, giving it a good stir every 30 minutes, until the roux is a deep chocolate-brown color, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Add the oil to a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring nonstop, until the roux darkens to a milk chocolate–to–dark chocolate color, 30 to 45 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so it darkens slowly without scorching. Once it reaches the color you like, pull the pot off the heat for a minute to cool it slightly.
- While the oven roux is cooking (or before starting a stovetop roux, if that’s easier for you), place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the andouille slices in an even layer and cook until browned on both sides, then transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the chicken to the same skillet and sear in batches until nicely browned. Move the chicken to the plate with the sausage, along with any juices that collect, then chop the chicken into 1‑inch pieces.
- When the roux is ready—whether you made it in the oven or on the stovetop—set that pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the browned sausage and chicken, plus any juices on the plate, straight into the pot with the roux and vegetables. Sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning, thyme, oregano, cayenne (if using).
- Pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and the Worcestershire sauce, stirring as you go so everything combines into a smooth base. Lay the bay leaves on top. Bring the pot up to a gentle boil, then immediately lower the heat to keep it at a steady simmer. Partially cover the pot and let the gumbo cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring now and then.
- Stir in the okra and let the gumbo simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat and fish out the bay leaves. Taste and season with salt and black pepper until it tastes right to you.
- Spoon the gumbo over bowls of hot cooked white rice. If you like, sprinkle a pinch of gumbo filé over each bowl just before serving. Finish each bowl with chopped green onions before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- The roux is the heart of the gumbo. Push it to a deep chocolate brown for full Cajun flavor. If it smells acrid or develops black flecks, discard and start over.
- Use low-sodium chicken stock so you can control the salt at the end. Cajun seasoning and andouille both bring salt to the pot.
- Gumbo tastes even better the next day. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze without the rice for up to 3 months.
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