Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Authentic Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo recipe, from an actual Louisiana native! This gumbo is rich in flavor with a dark roux, the holy trinity, smoky andouille sausage, and seasoned chicken served over perfectly cooked rice. It’s a south Louisiana specialty! If you’ve never made one before, see my How to Make a Roux Guide.
The Best Cajun Gumbo Recipe
Gumbo is a popular and classic cajun dish served in south Louisiana. It’s right up there with Jambalaya, Crawfish Étouffée, and Red Beans and Rice.
The secret to a good gumbo is all in the roux! Getting a dark roux gives your gumbo that distinctive deep and rich flavor. I’ve been cooking chicken and sausage gumbo for years, which means I’ve messed up quite a few batches of dark roux. Follow my expert tips to make sure you get your roux right the first time!
For a deeper dive on gumbo roux, check out How to Make Roux for Gumbo, Oven Roux for Gumbo, and Microwave Roux. Want a hands-off way to make gumbo? Try my Slow Cooker Gumbo for the same bold flavors with less effort!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Lauren’s Take: Gumbo made right really is a flavor unlike any other. Take your time getting the roux to the right chocolate color for the best flavor.
Taste: Rich and deeply flavored from the chocolate roux. Just the right amount of heat from cayenne pepper and spicy andouille sausage.
Texture: The consistency of this gumbo is somewhere between a stew and a soup. It should be thicker than broth, but less thick than gravy.
Time: It will take about 2 hours to make this gumbo. Check out my tips below for some ways to save time and get this gumbo ready in half the time!
So What Makes a Gumbo a Gumbo?
There are as many versions of gumbo as there are cajun and creole cooks. Everyone has a different version.
- Thickness – Some people like their gumbo more thin like a soup, and some like it thicker more like a stew. Either way is fine, but I like it right in the middle.
- Okra – A gumbo doesn’t need to include okra, although many classic gumbo recipes include it.
- Tomatoes – A true Cajun gumbo does NOT include tomatoes. Tomatoes would be a Creole gumbo.
- Roux – To me, the hallmark of a good gumbo is the deep rich chocolate color roux, but I’ve heard there are some people who make their gumbo with a lighter roux and some without a roux at all!
- Filé – Filé powder is ground sassafras leaves that some people add to their gumbo for thickening and flavor. I usually don’t add filé to my gumbo, but if you do, add it sparingly at the end once you’ve removed the pot from heat.
- Protein – There are various meats that can go in a gumbo, most commonly cajun andouille sausage and chicken. There are also seafood gumbos that have crab and shrimp in them. Leah Chase of the New Orleans famous Dookie Chase restaurant created Gumbo Z’Herbes which has tons of greens, ham hock, sausage, and even brisket.
The “right” way to make a gumbo is a HIGHLY debated topic among gumbo makers and tasters. I want you to know there really is no right way to make a gumbo. If your family likes it a little differently, then that is just fine.
Ingredients & Substitutions
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Seasonings – For this recipe, you’ll make your own cajun chicken seasoning, which in turn flavors the gumbo. You’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, dried, thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. This chicken seasoning is also great to use in other chicken recipes! You can also add cajun seasoning to taste at the end of cooking.
Andouille sausage – Andouille is a spicy cajun pork sausage. If you can’t find it in your area, or want something less spicy, any smoked sausage will do. Love andouille? Try this Creamy Cajun Andouille Sausage Pasta.
Bone-in chicken thighs – Simmering chicken thighs with the bones adds even more flavor to this gumbo. Substitute for boneless chicken thighs if needed. You can also use bone in chicken breasts.
All purpose flour and oil – This is the base of the roux. Use a neutral oil for the roux like vegetable oil, avocado oil, or canola oil. You can even use bacon grease, but this may overpower the other flavors. I prefer not to use butter or olive oil.
The holy trinity – The Cajun Holy Trinity consists of onion, bell pepper, and celery. I like to do both red and green bell peppers to add in a little extra flavor. Garlic is the honorary member.
Other produce – Fresh parsley and green onions help round out the rich flavor of this gumbo.
White rice – Gumbo is traditionally served over white rice. See How to Cook Perfectly Fluffy White Rice Every Time.
Cardinal Rules for Making a Gumbo Roux
Don’t be intimidated by making a gumbo! Keep some of these expert tips in mind, and you’ll make a delicious gumbo roux.
- Don’t walk away from the roux! Roux can burn easily, so you need to stay near stirring constantly. A burnt roux is a sad sad thing, because there is no coming back from it. If you burn the roux, you have to start again. A burnt roux will be bitter, and there will be flecks of black in it. Keep the heat low and slow, and keep stirring. If you keep burning your roux, try making an oven roux.
- Get it dark. Roux should be a rich chocolate brown color for the best flavor. You want it dark, but not too dark. If your roux gets to the color of dark chocolate, it can become bitter. Don’t add in the veggies until you get the right color. The holy trinity will stop the roux from getting any darker.
- Never add cold ingredients to a hot roux. This can cause the roux to break. Always let the holy trinity come to room temperature, and heat up the broth before adding to the roux.
Equipment needed
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Buy Now → How to Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Step One: Sear
Heat the pot over medium heat. Brown sausage and set aside, then brown the seasoned chicken in the same pot and set aside.
Step Two: Roux
Whisk flour and oil together. Cook over medium-low heat while stirring near constantly until the roux is a rich chocolate color. This should take about 45 minutes.
If you need more help getting a dark brown roux, check out How to Make Roux for Gumbo or try making an oven roux.
Step Three: Sauté
Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux and stir together. Sauté until vegetables are softening, then add garlic.
Step Four: Simmer
Slowly add in hot broth and mix until well incorporated. Add meat back to the pot with parsley, green onions, and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Step Five: Debone
Remove chicken to cool slightly. Debone and chop meat into bite sized pieces, then return chicken to the pot.
Step Six: Finish
Stir in remaining parsley and green onions and taste for final seasoning. Serve gumbo over rice and garnish with green onions, parsley, and a scoop of potato salad!
Storage & make ahead
Storage: Store leftover gumbo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store rice separately.
Freeze: Chicken and sausage gumbo freezes very well. Cool the gumbo and store in a freezer safe container for about 6 months.
Reheat: This recipe reheats just fine in the microwave or over medium-low heat in a saucepan.
Make ahead: Chicken and sausage gumbo is great to make ahead of time and keeps well. Make 1 day in advance. Do not store the whole pot in the refrigerator, or it will be very hard to cool down. If storing a whole batch, break it up into a few different containers so it gets to a safe temperature faster.
Ways to Make This Gumbo Recipe Easier
Making a good gumbo is a labor of love, and takes some time. If you’re in a rush, here are some time saving tips to make this gumbo easier and faster!
- Use a pre-made roux. Making a roux is the hardest part (and the longest) about making a gumbo. Save some time by using store bought jar roux like Savoie’s Old Fashioned Dark Roux. You can also make your own oven roux ahead of time and store it for later. It lasts about 6 months in the refrigerator.
- Make a microwave roux. Making a roux in the microwave is a huge time saver and indistinguishable from a roux made on the stove top. It can burn really easily though, so be careful! Check out how to make a microwave roux for all the details.
- Skip the searing. I always sear the sausage and chicken first to add extra flavor, but if you’re in a rush, you can skip the browning step.
- Use a rotisserie chicken. Remove the meat from the bones and chop into bite sized pieces. Simmer the carcass in the gumbo for extra flavor, then add in the chopped chicken towards the end of cooking.
Want it even easier? Make Slow Cooker Gumbo!
What to Serve With Gumbo
My two essentials for serving with gumbo are perfectly cooked white rice and potato salad. See What to Serve with Gumbo for even more ideas!
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t have to cook or brown sausage before adding it to gumbo, but it does add an additional layer of flavor. To save time, just add it in without searing it.
Browning the chicken before adding it to gumbo is an optional step, but adds extra flavor. I always brown my chicken first to develop a more flavorful coating on the chicken.
Classic gumbo is made with andouille sausage. It’s a spicy cajun sausage with French roots. It is made from pork and different brands have varying degrees of heat. I prefer Savoie’s andouille sausage. Another very popular sausage for gumbo is the Conecuh brand.
Both jambalaya and gumbo are cajun dishes that feature the cajun holy trinity and rice, and sometimes they both can have chicken and sausage. Gumbo is a stew like dish made with a dark roux and served over rice, where jambalaya is a rice based dish that usually doesn’t have a roux, and does not have a stew-like consistency.
More Cajun Recipes
Authentic Cajun Sausage and Chicken Gumbo Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Gumbo
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 1 pound andouille sausage
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- 1 cups vegetable oil (or avocado oil)
- 3 pounds bone in chicken thighs
- 1 large yellow onion (about 2 ½ cups chopped)
- 1 small green bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1 small red bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped)
- 4-5 celery stalks (about 1 cup chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth (warmed)
- 3 bay leaves
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley (divided)
- 3-5 green onions (about 1 cup chopped, divided)
- Salt, black pepper, and cajun seasoning to taste
- Cooked rice (for serving)
Instructions
- PREP: Mix chicken seasoning and set aside. Chop onion, bell peppers, celery, and green onions. Finely chop parsley. Mince garlic. Slice sausage into bite sized pieces. Remove skin from chicken, and pat thighs dry. Season evenly with chicken seasoning mix.1 large yellow onion, 1 small green bell pepper, 1 small red bell pepper, 4-5 celery stalks, ¼ cup finely chopped parsley, 3-5 green onions, 5 cloves garlic
- SEAR: Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat, then add olive oil. Sear sausage until browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove sausage from pot and drain on paper towels.1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- BROWN: In the same pot, sear the chicken until browned on both sides, about 3-5 minutes each side. Do in batches if needed for better browning. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Drain the grease and wipe out the pot if there are any burned bits.
- ROUX: Turn heat to medium-low heat, and add flour and oil. Whisk together to get out all lumps. Cook while stirring frequently until the roux is a rich chocolate color. This process should take about 45 minutes. *Do not leave the roux unattended, it can burn quickly.1 ¼ cups flour, 1 cups vegetable oil
- SAUTÉ: Once the roux is the right color,* add in the chopped onions, bell pepper, and celery while stirring until all vegetables are added. Cook on medium low while stirring for about 5 minutes until vegetables are wilting. Add garlic and cook another minute.
- SIMMER: Slowly add hot broth, about ½ cup at a time, while stirring to the roux and vegetable mixture. Mix and add broth until it is all added and smoothly incorporated into the roux. Drain any excess grease from the chicken and sausage and add back them into the pot with half of the parsley and half green onions, plus bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam or excess fat that rises to the top.6 cups chicken broth, 3 bay leaves
- DEBONE: Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow it to cool enough to handle. Separate the meat and discard the bones and cartilage. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces, and add it back to the pot.
- FINISH: Stir in remaining parsley and green onion, saving some for garnish. Taste for proper seasoning* and add salt, black pepper, or cajun seasoning as needed.
- SERVE: Serve gumbo over rice and garnish with green onions, parsley, and a scoop of potato salad.
Notes
- Substitute andouille sausage for any other smoked sausage.
- If using a premade roux, substitute flour and oil for 1 ¼ cup dark roux. Add the roux to the pot after you remove the chicken. Warm up the roux until a piece of onion thrown in sizzles, then add the rest of the holy trinity, and proceed with the recipe per directions.
- Don’t walk away from the roux. It can burn easily, and then you have to start over.
- Never add cold ingredients to a hot roux. Doing this can cause it to break. If you prepped the holy trinity ahead of time, let it come to room temperature before adding the roux. Make sure to warm the chicken broth before adding it to the roux.
- If you’re struggling with roux, read How to Make Roux for Gumbo or try making an oven roux instead.
- Some people have said this is too spicy, and some not enough spice. Every brand of sausage and cajun seasoning has different levels of spice and saltiness, so it’s important to taste and adjust your final seasonings at the end!
- Rather an easier method? Try Slow Cooker Gumbo.
Equipment
- Whisk
- Tongs
Nutrition
Meet Lauren
I’m the blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, and otherwise food obsessed gal behind Lauren From Scratch. I was born and raised in New Orleans and lived in South Louisiana most of my life. Growing up around Cajun country has instilled a love of food that runs deep in my bones. I am passionate about food and teaching you how to make mouth-watering Louisiana inspired dishes in your own kitchen!
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Let’s get social, cher! Come hang out with me and get a little peek into the life of a food blogger.
Really wanted to make gumbo and I wanted a Cajun recipe since I’ve never attempted one myself.
Utterly fantastic! I could have pushed my roux a bit darker for sure, I got it to about milk chocolate, but it was perfect. Smoky, savory, rich, and just perfect with a squeeze of lime to cut the heaviness of the dish at the end. Good thing I have an absolute ton of leftovers! Can’t wait to have another serving!
Thank you, Nikoli!! It freezes beautifully if you want to save some leftovers for later!
trying to figure out how to leave my own comment ..I want to attach a photo of my chocolate roux!!! it took a LOT of patience
WOO Sharon!! Let’s see it! It really is a labor of love 🙂
Lauren, thanks for another well-presented, reliable recipe. The result was great, and the guests all went back for seconds. A few comments:
Sausage – I used Conecuh Original, a favorite around here, instead of andouille.
Spiciness – with the Conecuh sausage, it seemed about right. No one found it too spicy or too bland.
Roux – it took me an hour and ten minutes to get the color right. Maybe I should have pushed it harder.
Saltiness – I didn’t have to add any extra salt. the chicken broth and the sausage had plenty.
Creole seasoning – you’re right, many products are too salty. I find Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning to be less salty and easier to use.
Possible adjustment next time – I thought the “soup” was a bit thin and kept thinking okra would have been a good addition to thicken it a little.
Thanks, Frank! Next time you can use a little less broth if you like it thicker. Okra is also a great addition! If you want it to be less slimy, saute it at med-high heat for about 10 minutes until just getting brown on the edges, then add it in when you add the stock and let it simmer for at least 30-45 minutes.
So, I’m not from the south. I got a random idea to cook gumbo as an intro to a part of the south’s cooking.
The recipe was good once spiced up at the end as instructed. However, I should have known I was in trouble with the amount of oil in the dark roux. I had one serving and I feel so, so full. I am tapping out of the territories cuisine.
It is very rich! If you ever give it a go again, you can get away with half the amount of oil. You could also try a dry roux which doesn’t use any oil at all. I’ll have a post on that coming up soon.
Did I read that correctly to cook the flour and oil for 45 minutes? Or do you mean 45 seconds?
45 minutes! Its a low and slow process to take the flour from white to the dark chocolate brown color needed for gumbo. Check out this post for more detailed info on how to do it https://laurenfromscratch.com/gumbo-roux/ There are some quicker/easier ways to do it.
Can za’atar be used instead of file for an earthy flavor?
I just returned from NOLA and this recipe looks like the most authentic I’ve found.
Also, I see the calorie count is 800+ calories per serving. What is the size of the serving?
Za’atar is definitely not what we would use in New Orleans, but its a tasty seasoning blend. Give it a try and tell us how it is. Serving size is about a cup. The calorie count is only an estimate. There will be a lot of grease that comes to the top you can skim off.
I really enjoyed making this recipe, and the end result was almost exactly like the gumbo I had at the Blue Bayou in NOLA. I did not use the za’atar because I didn’t want to mess with perfection. It was yummy and everyone loved it!
Thanks, Janet! Happy you enjoyed it.
I’ve never made gumbo before because I always heard it was difficult to get right. It’s getting chilly here in Virginia though so some gumbo would be good and I decided I’d give it a try. Your recipe for microwave roux eliminated a big issue – thank you! My goodness, what a time saver and just like you said, you can’t tell the difference! My first effort turned out pretty great thanks to your excellent recipe and detailed instructions. I did want to add shrimp and okra so I followed your additional instructions there too and it turned out EXCELLENT.
The only question I have is that a lot of gumbo I’ve had has a more “earthy” taste – is that the filé? I wasn’t able to find any filé on the shelf here in Virginia stores but I’m thinking I’ll order some if that’s what adds the earthy taste.
Thanks for ANOTHER great recipe that I know I’ll be making again!
Thank you, Victor!! I want to write my recipes so that anyone can make it successfully the first time, even if they’ve never made it before, so hearing that makes me so happy. The earthiness can come from adding a little bit of filé to your bowl. It might also be from a darker roux or different types of sausage.
Can I add shrimp to recipe and if so should I cut back on the chicken? And if I can add shrimp, when would you suggest I add it and should I season first?
Do 1 pound of shrimp, and cut the chicken down to 2pounds. Use some of the chicken seasoning for the shrimp. Season them and keep in the fridge until ready to use. Make the gumbo per directions, then add the seasoned shrimp and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through, then serve.
First & last time making this!! It was SOOOOOOO delicious! Got so many amazing comments on this! That roux!!! Took over an hour & still didn’t achieve that beautifully deep dark chocolate. Mines made it to darker peanut butter. Of course you need to season to your taste, do I added that to my roux after some time. I say last time, because this is a true labor of love! I wonder if making a dry roux would have the same taste!? Very good recipe!!
Hey Angel! I haven’t tried the dry roux yet. You can try my microwave roux that only takes about 10 minutes (but much easier to burn), or my oven roux (takes longer but needs way less babysitting!). But even easier than both of those, jar roux! It tastes just as good as homemade, no one will know the difference.
Gumbo is an art, not a recipe. However, follow this recipe and then make it your own… chef’s kiss. In the early 1990’s I was taught to make gumbo by my mother-in-law, Mimi and her mom, Mamaw. Both, uniquely different and yet, equally delicious. But!!!! They never gave me measurements, just a dash here and a dash there; never any exact amounts. I tried this recipe this weekend, but my roux was at least 2 hours, slow and low until it was a dark chocolate color. It took me about 4 hours to finish but it was perfect. This is as authentic as you’re going to get. Well played, madam.
Thank you for the kind comment! You are very right, it is definitely an art. Every family has their own way of doing it, but this is a great recipe to start with! Thanks again.