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This authentic chicken and sausage gumbo is a labor of love, and it is well worth it. A rich, dark roux is at the base of this chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, along with chicken thighs, andouille sausage, and veggies. This Louisiana specialty can now be made in your own kitchen!
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo: A Louisiana Specialty
This authentic Louisiana chicken and sausage gumbo is from a former friend’s grandmother. It is more of a Cajun gumbo rather than a Creole gumbo. The Creole gumbo would likely have a seafood mix instead of a chicken and sausage mixture. Regardless of Cajun or Creole, this gumbo is wildly flavorful and so hearty.
The base of the chicken and sausage gumbo starts with the richly flavored dark roux that you make. It is what makes ALL the difference. It’s what gives the nutty and smokey taste to the gumbo.
Gumbo Roux
The hallmark of a richly flavorful gumbo is in the roux. I’m not talking just any roux though. The gumbo roux has to be a deep, chocolate brown color. It takes about 1 hour to reach this gorgeous shade of brown. You don’t want it to be dark chocolate colored because then it becomes bitter.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Take care to not walk away while making your roux. It can burn in a blink of an eye and you’ll be left with a bitter roux and you’ll have to start all over!
- When making the roux, do not add cold ingredients directly to it. It can cause separation. You want all the ingredients at room temperature before adding to the roux.
- Use a neutral oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil. Do not use butter, olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, etc.
- As mentioned above, if you want to make this more of a Creole gumbo, swap out the chicken and sausage for seafood like crawfish or shrimp.
- Serve chicken and sausage gumbo over white rice or dirty rice.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow leftovers to cool then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, portion out a desired amount into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until warmed through. Alternatively, you may also reheat this on the stovetop in a small pot.
To freeze, allow leftovers to cool then spoon gumbo into Souper Cube trays. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, pop out the desired amount and reheat in a pot on the stovetop until warmed through.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Equipment
Ingredients
For the roux:
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
For the gumbo:
- 12 ounces Andouille sausage, cut into half moons
- 3 pounds (1361 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup (101 g) chopped celery, about 3-4 stalks
- 8 cups (1893 ml) chicken broth
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons file powder
Instructions
- To make the roux, combine flour and vegetable oil in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Using a wooden spoon, continuously stir the roux as it cooks. Eventually, it'll turn darker shades of brown. This will take about an hour to achieve the color you see below. Don't leave your roux! It burns very quickly. Once you've achieved the desired color, remove from heat and let sit until it reaches room temperature then store in an airtight container in the fridge to use the next day for gumbo (or if doing all in the same day, you don't need to put it in a container, just let it sit in the pot while you prepare everything else).1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour, 1/2 cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- To make the gumbo, in a large dutch oven, brown the sausage with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the sausage is brown, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.12 ounces Andouille sausage
- Brown the chicken pieces in the same oil and sprinkle Cajun seasoning on the chicken. Once chicken is brown, remove with slotted spoon and set aside.3 pounds (1361 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- Next, in the same oil, sauté onion, green bell pepper, and celery (they call this the holy trinity in Louisiana) until soft and tender.1 large onion, 1 large green bell pepper, 1 cup (101 g) chopped celery
- Add the sausage and chicken back in the pot. Pour all the roux on top of the mixture and let it warm up with everything. Stir to coat.
- Add the 8 cups of chicken broth on top, stirring to get it all combined. Add cayenne pepper and bay leaves, as well as salt and pepper, to taste.8 cups (1893 ml) chicken broth, 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 4 bay leaves, Salt and pepper
- Bring mixture to a boil then let it simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- 30 minutes prior to finishing and serving, whisk in file powder then continue to let it simmer.1 1/2 tablespoons file powder
- Serve over bed of white rice.
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
I love gumbo so much. I guess I should, after all I’m almost 100% cajun. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I add chopped green onion tops the last several minutes— Yum! I look forward to trying your recipe!
It’s the “Best” if you can get your sausage from Lejeune’s Sausage Kitchen in Eunice, Louisiana! They make their own sausage on Tasso Circle and you can buy anything smoked there. They even ship the sausage to you. It is worth every bit to just smell the sausage cooking. We buy the garlic sausage which doesn’t even taste like garlic, but has a “ pop” to it! We won’t make “ gumbo” without it! We are from Louisiana but live in Tenn., now.