This chicken gumbo comes straight from Louisiana and is overflowing with authentic Cajun flavors to prove it. It’s the absolute best way to warm up on a cool day and will transport you straight to the bayou!
Some recipes truly stand the test of time, and this Louisiana chicken gumbo recipe is one of them! It’s been passed down through the years, ensuring that each new generation gets to enjoy that rich, savory broth loaded with tender chicken, smoky sausage, and aromatic vegetables.
It’s absolute heaven served over a bed of white rice and would taste lovely with a little French bread or this easy cornbread to wipe the bowl clean!
Why you’ll love this Louisiana Chicken Gumbo
- Authentic Louisiana flavor: This recipe is a cherished family recipe from Elizabeth Cottrell. It comes from her mother-in-law, a woman who spent her entire married life in southwest Louisiana in the heart of Cajun country. These are real, traditional flavors that will take you straight to the South.
- Incredibly flavorful: From the Holy Trinity of vegetables to the smoky sausage and fresh chicken, this chicken gumbo is overflowing with flavor. You’ll definitely want some bread or rice to wipe the bowl clean!
- Perfect for entertaining: This chicken gumbo is the kind of soul-warming dish that makes everyone feel warm and cozy! It’s ideal for a family gathering or special meal. You might want to make a double batch, just in case!
File or Not?
Ellen used Gumbo File (powdered Sassafras) in her recipe, but those of us who do not live in Louisiana cannot generally find this spice in the supermarket. I left it out of my recipe because it's hard to find locally, but you can get it online.. The recipes I looked at called for varying amounts of Gumbo File powder. I would start with 1-2 teaspoons of it.
What You Need
For this recipe, you need measuring cups and spoons, a knife, a cutting board, some good pans, and maybe a rice cooker. But what you really want is some beautiful dinnerware, am I right?
Ingredients
- Raw chicken—To make this recipe a little faster, I used boneless, skinless chicken tenders. The original method calls for breaking down an entire chicken into parts and letting them stew in the gumbo before removing the skin and bones.
- Smoked sausage—For an authentic gumbo, you should use authentic Cajun sausage. In a pinch, you can substitute kielbasa or chicken andouille.
- Shortening - This is the ingredient recommended in the original recipe. Since you need to cook the oil to such high heat, butter would not be a good substitute. Try using coconut oil if you don’t have shortening.
- Flour - To create a dark roux, you must use a starch, like flour, that can thicken this gumbo recipe and absorb all that flavor.
- Hot water - Since we’re using bouillon, you can use regular hot water. Feel free to substitute chicken stock or broth instead.
- Celery & yellow onion - As these cook down in the pot, they’ll add a savory aroma and mild sweetness that ties the other flavors together.
- Chicken bouillon - Instead of bouillon, use regular chicken stock.
- Kitchen Bouquet - This secret ingredient adds a rich, umami flavor that will make any recipe taste like it cooked slowly all day (even if it didn’t).
- Salt & pepper - Since the bouillon already has salt, taste before adding any more.
- Cayenne pepper is optional, but a little heat will make your chicken gumbo even more flavorful and satisfying.
- Green pepper, parsley, & green onion - These will be added towards the end of cooking to keep them from getting too soft or soggy.
- Cooked rice—Traditionally, your Louisiana chicken gumbo is served over a bed of cooked rice. You can also substitute cauliflower rice or your favorite rice alternative!
The Process
In Louisiana, they use a whole chicken and cut it up after cooking to serve a piece with each bowl. Elizabeth prefers to remove the skin and bones when the gumbo has cooled and return the meat to the gumbo. It's so much easier to eat. That's the way I do it when I use a whole chicken, too.
I substituted chicken Andouille sausage for the Kielbasa and I took the easy way out, using boneless, skinless chicken tenders instead of a whole chicken (which the original recipe called for). I cubed the raw chicken and sauteed it with the Andouille sausage until both were fully cooked. I added the meats into the sauce at the end when I added the peppers mixture.
I also like my gumbo with more of a tomato broth so I sometimes add a can of diced or chopped tomatoes. The recipe is terrific, It is a little complicated because there are multiple steps, but it is still fairly easy and so worth the effort.
This chicken gumbo doesn't call for any seafood. It's also good to know that not all gumbos have okra and tomatoes. Although I love okra. I may add some chopped okra next time.
How to Make Louisiana Chicken Gumbo
Step 1: Meat
- In a large skillet, sauté the sausage and chicken until the chicken is cooked through (all white).
- Set aside (retain the juice, same bowl is okay)
Step 2: Veggies & Spices
- Put the chopped onions and celery together in a 2-cup bowl and set aside.
- Put the green peppers, green onion tops and parsley in a 2-cup bowl and set aside.
- Put the salt, pepper, cayenne and bouillon cube in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Roux
- Heat shortening on high heat in a heavy pot.
- Add flour and stir constantly until dark brown (this is a “roux” – the basis for many French dishes. It’s easy to burn, so watch it and don’t stop stirring!).
Step 4: Putting It Together:
- Add chopped onions and celery and stir until slightly wilted.
- Add water and mix well to dissolve roux.
- Add spices and Kitchen Bouquet.
- Cover and bring to steaming on high heat, then lower to simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken somewhat.
- Add chicken and sausage mixture (including juices) and the green pepper, parsley and onion tops mixture ten minutes before removing from heat.
- Serve very hot over hot, cooked rice.
This pot of chicken gumbo makes 6 filling servings. The leftovers reheat really well, and you can easily make a double batch to feed a crowd!
Tips
- Whisk constantly - The roux can easily burn, which will add a bitter flavor that doesn’t taste very good in your finished gumbo. Whisk constantly and have your hot water ready to go to thin it out as soon as it starts to clump together.
- Don’t skip the Holy Trinity - Celery, onions, and green peppers are the basis of almost every Cajun recipe. This is how you get that real, authentic flavor.
- Make baked rice - Instead of running the rice cooker, make this baked rice to have a fluffy, warm bed of rice to absorb that hearty broth. It’s so easy!
Authentic Louisiana Chicken Gumbo Recipe
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders diced
- 1 lb. smoked sausage like Kielbasa or chicken Andouille cut into round slices
- 6 tablespoons shortening
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups hot water
- 1 yellow onion minced
- ¼ cup celery diced
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet flavoring
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1¼ teaspoons black pepper
- ⅙ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 green pepper diced
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped green onion tops
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 can diced tomatoes optional
Instructions
Step 1: Meat
- In a large skillet, sauté the sausage and chicken until the chicken is cooked through (all white).
- Set aside (retain the juice, same bowl is okay)
Step 2: Veggies & Spices
- Put the chopped onions and celery together in a 2-cup bowl and set aside.
- Put the green peppers, green onion tops and parsley in a 2-cup bowl and set aside.
- Put the salt, pepper, cayenne and bouillon cube in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Roux
- Heat shortening on high heat in a heavy pot.
- Add flour and stir constantly until dark brown (this is a “roux” – the basis for many French dishes. It’s easy to burn, so watch it and don’t stop stirring!).
Step 4: Putting It Together:
- Add chopped onions and celery and stir until slightly wilted.
- Add water and mix well to dissolve roux.
- Add spices and Kitchen Bouquet.
- Cover and bring to steaming on high heat, then lower to simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken somewhat.
- Add chicken and sausage mixture (including juices) and the green pepper, parsley and onion tops mixture ten minutes before removing from heat.
- Serve very hot over hot, cooked rice.
Nutrition (may vary depending on ingredients and amounts used)
Notes
Variations
- Try whole chicken pieces - In Louisiana, they use a whole chicken and cut it up after cooking to serve a piece with each bowl. For an easy eating experience, remove the skin and bones before returning the meat to the pot and serving.
- Use gumbo file - Gumbo file, also known as powdered sassafras, is common in authentic gumbos, but can be hard to find. You can either skip it or get it online. You’d need approximately 1-2 teaspoons for this recipe.
- Add seafood - Although you don’t have to add seafood to this recipe, it would taste amazing with some shrimp!
Recipe FAQs
Although many gumbo recipes do contain okra, you don’t have to include it! This recipe is adapted from a woman who married a man from Louisiana and lived in Cajun country her entire adult life.
They would serve and eat this type of gumbo there, so it’s certainly traditional. Okra can add additional flavor and thicken the stock to make your gumbo even more filling, but you don’t have to use it at all.
There are several different ways to thicken soups, stews, and gravies, and one of the most popular options is to use a roux. This is typically made by melting butter or another solid fat in a pot, then whisking in flour until it creates a paste.
As you add liquid, this molten paste will bubble and spit until you thin it out and create a gravy-like consistency. Dark roux requires you to melt and toast the fat first, so it adds an extra rich, nutty flavor to your gumbo or other dishes. It’s an easy way to incredible flavor quickly!
Although most other types of roux are made using butter, the dark or gumbo roux is cooked at a high heat. This would burn the fats in the butter and add a bitter taste to your gumbo. Instead, choose an oil-based fat like shortening or coconut oil to get the flavor without burning the fat.
