Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Gumbo in a bowl with green onions on top

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe

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 stew that is full of flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken and sausage gumbo

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 20

Servings people

Calories 455kcal

Author Tanya Harris

Ingredients

½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
8 cloves garlic minced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
14 oz andouille sausage sliced into half rounds
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for additional heat
4 cups chicken stock preferably low-sodium
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 ½ cups sliced okra 8–10 pods or frozen
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch gumbo filé powder for serving
Cooked white rice for serving
Chopped green onions for serving

Instructions

Oven Roux (primary method)

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.

Stovetop Roux (alternate method)

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.

Building the Gumbo

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.

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.

Nutrition