Slow Cooker Gumbo

This Louisiana slow cooker gumbo with chicken, sausage, and shrimp starts with a real stovetop roux and the Holy Trinity of onions, celery, and bell peppers. The shrimp go in at the very end so they stay tender and sweet. Serve it with a scoop of rice for a hearty Cajun dinner without standing at the stove!

Before You Get Started

Gumbo is forgiving once it is in the slow cooker, but a few things up front make the difference between a good pot and a great one.

• Let the roux cool before it goes in. A reader cracked her crockpot insert pouring it in straight from the stove. Give it a few minutes off the heat first.
• Watch the roux closely while it cooks. It goes from golden to burnt fast, and a burnt roux cannot be saved. If it smells sharp or bitter, start over.
• Save the shrimp for the last 15 minutes. They cook through quickly and turn rubbery if they sit in the pot all afternoon.

How to Make Slow Cooker Gumbo

Gumbo is a natural fit for the slow cooker. The stew can simmer for hours, and the flavors only get better the longer they sit together.

⇢ Everybody’s gumbo is a little different. This one is Louisiana-inspired by way of a Virginia kitchen: a good roux, the Holy Trinity, and whatever proteins you have on hand. The name traces back to a West African word for okra, which tells you how far this dish has traveled to get to your table!

Step 1: Make the Roux

Heat the flour and oil together in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Whisk almost constantly for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture turns the color of a copper penny. 

If it starts darkening too fast, pull it off the heat and lower the burner to medium-low. Then let it sit off the heat for a few minutes before it goes anywhere near the slow cooker.

⇢ Want a thicker gumbo? Double the roux. A reader tried it and said the broth came out exactly the way she wanted.

Step 2: Layer Everything in the Slow Cooker

Transfer the cooled roux to the bottom of a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker.

Add the chicken, then top with the sausage, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, paprika, thyme, oregano, and broth. 

The chicken goes in raw, so there is no need to brown it first.

⇢ Adding okra? Stir it in here with the other vegetables, fresh or frozen. It thickens the broth and adds a classic Southern note.

⇢ Swap the proteins freely: Use equal weights of whatever you like: extra shrimp, crab meat, oysters, duck, or even turkey thighs. My mom always uses crab meat in her Virginia version.

⇢ About the tomatoes: Canned tomatoes put this on the Creole side of the family rather than the Cajun side. Leave them out if you prefer a darker, roux-forward pot.

Step 3: Cook Low and Slow

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. 

Longer is genuinely better here, so LOW is my recommendation if you have time. The flavors keep deepening the whole time.

Step 4: Add the Shrimp

Switch the slow cooker to HIGH if it is not already there, then stir in the shrimp.

Cover and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring once or twice, just until they turn pink and opaque. Pull the pot as soon as they do.

Step 5: Finish and Season

Discard the bay leaf. Lift the chicken out, chop or shred it, and return it to the pot. Stir in the green onions and parsley.

Now taste, because this is where a pot of gumbo is won! Start with salt, since a long simmer dulls seasoning more than most people expect. Then add Creole seasoning a half teaspoon at a time if it needs more depth, and finish with cayenne or hot sauce if it needs heat. 

Bland gumbo is almost always under-salted rather than under-spiced.

Step 6: Serve With Rice

Spoon warm white rice into each bowl and ladle the gumbo over top. Garnish with a little more fresh parsley.

How to Thicken Gumbo

Gumbo gets its hallmark thick, rich texture from one or more of three thickeners. This recipe uses a roux, but you can lean on the others too.

• Roux is a simple combination of fat and flour cooked until it browns. It thickens the gumbo and adds a nutty, toasted depth that nothing else quite replaces. Double it if you want a thicker pot.
• Okra produces a natural gel when heated, which thickens the stew while adding classic Southern flavor. Add it with the vegetables in step 2.
• Filé powder is made from ground, dried sassafras leaves and has a woodsy flavor a little like root beer. It works as both a thickener and a flavor enhancer. Stir it in at the end, around the same time the shrimp go in.

What to Serve with Gumbo

Warm white rice is the classic choice, and it is really all this needs. If you want something alongside, a pan of cornbread or biscuits is the natural partner for sopping up the broth, and a green vegetable rounds out the plate.

A few more of my favorites:

• Southern Cornbread
• Southern Corn Sticks
• Flaky Biscuits
• Southern Collard Greens
• Okra and Tomatoes

Storage

Gumbo is a great make-ahead meal, which makes it handy for busy weeknights, easy entertaining, or lunches throughout the week.

Store cooled gumbo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Freeze for up to 3 months. The shrimp texture softens slightly after thawing, but the flavor holds up beautifully.

Reheat in a pot over low heat just until warmed through. Individual portions warm in the microwave in 1 to 2 minutes. Keep the heat gentle so the shrimp do not overcook a second time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my gumbo taste bland, and how do I fix it?

Almost always salt. A long simmer flattens seasoning, so a pot that tasted right at hour two can taste dull at hour seven. Add salt first and taste again before you reach for anything else. 

If it still needs depth, stir in Creole seasoning a half teaspoon at a time, then finish with cayenne or hot sauce for heat rather than flavor. A splash of hot sauce at the table does more than another spoonful of spice in the pot.

Does gumbo get better the longer it cooks?

Up to a point, yes. The flavors keep melding through the full LOW cooking window, which is why LOW for 6 to 8 hours gives a better result than HIGH for 3 to 4. Once the shrimp go in, though, the clock changes. Hold the finished gumbo on WARM for an hour or so if you need to, but any longer and the shrimp turn rubbery and the chicken starts falling apart. 

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, but thaw them first. Frozen shrimp release water as they cook and will thin the broth, and they cook unevenly straight from the freezer. Thaw them in a colander under cool running water for a few minutes, pat them dry, and add them exactly as the recipe directs. 

Can I use a jarred roux instead of making my own?

You can, and a few readers do. Jarred roux saves the 10 minutes at the stove and takes the risk of burning off the table. Stir it into the slow cooker in place of the homemade roux, using roughly the amount the jar recommends for this volume of liquid. 

You give up a little of the toasted flavor that comes from browning your own, but on a busy day it is a fair trade.

More Cajun and Creole Dinners

• New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
• Shrimp Etouffee with Rice (Dump-and-Bake)
• Dump-and-Bake Jambalaya
• Baked New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo