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Putting a Virginia spin on classic chicken gumbo with the addition of ham and oysters! Top each bowl of stew with a scoop of rice for a hearty, flavorful, and satisfying Southern meal.
Table of Contents
Gumbo is a staple in creole cuisine, and is a beautiful dish that represents the coming together of several cultures — including West African, French, German, and Choctaw. This flavorful, zesty stew combines various meats or seafood in a thick sauce or gravy. Gumbo is typically seasoned with parsley and “the holy trinity” of vegetables: onion, bell pepper, and celery, as well as garlic and tomatoes (on occasion).
Chicken Gumbo with a Virginia Twist
The stew originated in Louisiana, but also dates back to colonial Virginia, where Chesapeake oysters or crab were used alongside sausage and other meats. My mom always used crab meat in her Virginia version, but I’ve used chicken, ham, and oysters here. These three ingredients are representative of our state’s culture, and also pair beautifully together in this dish. The tender chicken, smoky ham, and briny oysters provide great balance and depth of flavor. If you prefer, you can adapt this recipe to incorporate your favorite proteins, such as shrimp, crab, sausage, duck, or rabbit.
The Difference Between Gumbo and Jambalaya
While gumbo and jambalaya both originated in Louisiana and have similar flavor profiles, there are a couple of significant differences between these two dishes:
- Gumbo is a hearty soup or stew inspired by the French bouillabaisse and named after the West African word for okra “guingombo.” It’s served with a small amount of rice that’s cooked in a separate pan.
- Jambalaya is a thicker rice-based meal, in which the rice is cooked in the same pot as the meat and vegetables.
The Secret Ingredient in Gumbo
Gumbo broth or gravy gets its hallmark thick, rich texture from one (or more) of three primary thickeners: okra, filé powder, and roux. In this recipe, we’re using all three of these classic gumbo ingredients!
- Okra: the seed pods of the okra plant produce “mucilage” when heated, which has a gooey consistency and includes soluble fiber that helps to naturally thicken the stew. Fresh or frozen okra is fine — whichever you have available.
- Filé powder: another traditional gumbo ingredient, this powder is made from the ground, dried leaves of the sassafras tree. It has a woodsy flavor reminiscent of root beer or tea, and is used as both a thickener and as a flavor enhancer in this dish.
- Roux: a simple combination of fat (like vegetable oil, canola oil, or butter) and flour that helps to thicken the gumbo and also adds a rich flavor to the dish. In this case, we’re cooking the roux until it has a golden color, which requires about 10 minutes of stirring. Be careful not to let it burn!
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make a big pot of this traditional chicken gumbo recipe. As always, the specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Salted butter: used in conjunction with flour to make the roux.
- All-purpose flour: to make the roux and thicken the broth.
- Onions, green bell pepper, and celery: The Holy Trinity of vegetables that traditionally flavors gumbo.
- Garlic: for more savory flavor.
- Chicken broth: the liquid base of the gumbo. Store-bought or homemade broth will both work well.
- Petite diced tomatoes: make sure that you get a big 28-ounce can, not the smaller can.
- Thyme, oregano, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne: classic Cajun seasonings that add great flavor to the stew. Use more cayenne for a spicier gumbo!
- Chicken: you’ll need cooked, shredded chicken for this recipe. I often use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, but you can also cook your own chicken at home.
- Ham: use leftover ham from a holiday meal, or purchase a ham steak or diced ham at the grocery store.
- Oysters: a pint of fresh oysters in their liquor goes straight into the pot. I always get our Virginia oysters at a local country market. If you can’t find them near you, try an equal amount of sausage (such as andouille or kielbasa), crab, shrimp, or just add extra ham and chicken to the stew.
- Okra: use fresh if you can find it, or sub with frozen cut okra when necessary.
- Green onions and fresh parsley: add more bright, fresh flavor to the stew towards the end of cooking.
- Filé powder: dried, ground sassafras leaves. Find this on the spice aisle of most grocery stores, or order it online. It’s an important thickener and flavor enhancer.
- Kosher salt: to enhance the other flavors in the gumbo.
- Cooked rice: for serving.
How to Make Chicken Gumbo
This relatively easy chicken gumbo recipe is made with a golden roux, which only takes about 10 minutes to cook (rather than a traditional chocolate color roux, which can easily take an hour or more). The full step-by-step instructions are provided in the printable recipe box at the bottom of this post, but here’s the quick summary:
- Make the roux.
- Saute the veggies.
- Whisk in the broth, and then the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, stir in the seasoning, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the chicken, ham, oysters, and okra. Cook for about 10 more minutes.
- Stir in the green onions, parsley, and file powder.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with warm rice!
What goes with chicken gumbo?
Serve the healthy chicken gumbo recipe with fluffy white rice, and any of these other delicious sides:
- House Salad with Candied Pecans, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, a Classic Caesar Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or a Wedge Salad
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits with Bacon and Chives, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, or Honey Cornbread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Bread or Cranberry Muffins
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread (No Yeast, No Knead) or Honey Beer Bread
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- A loaf of crusty Dutch Oven Bread, No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread, or French Baguette (just like you get with your soup at Panera!)
Storage
Gumbo is a great make-ahead meal, so it’s convenient for busy weeknights, suitable for entertaining, or even a nice option to reheat for lunches. Allow cooked gumbo to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat the chicken gumbo in a pot over low heat just until warmed through. You can also warm individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Use other proteins in equal weights — for instance, swap out the chicken for about 1 lb. of shrimp, replace the ham with andouille sausage, kielbasa, or other smoked sausage, or swap out the oysters and use crab instead.
- If you can’t find fresh okra, sliced frozen okra is a good substitute.
- Add more cayenne (or serve the bowls with a side of hot sauce) to kick up the heat!
- Stir in a dash of Worcestershire sauce for great umami flavor.
Tips for the Best Chicken Gumbo Recipe
- Okra and filé powder are both traditionally used as thickeners along with the roux in gumbo. You can omit one of these ingredients, but I do not recommend omitting both (or the texture and flavor of your gumbo will not be right).
- Keep a close eye on the roux, stirring almost constantly while it cooks. Roux can burn quickly, and if that happens you’ll have to start over.
- Use the meat from a rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. Leftover chicken or turkey from a previous meal is also a great way to eliminate prep work. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, you can boil about 1 lb. of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Shred or dice the meat into bite-size pieces and use in the recipe as instructed.
More Creole Recipes to Try
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Crockpot Jambalaya {or Instant Pot Jambalaya}
5 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Crockpot Gumbo with Chicken, Sausage, & Shrimp
4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Virginia Chicken Gumbo with Ham and Oysters
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- ½ cup finely diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with their juices (not drained)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more, to taste
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (about 8-9 ounces)
- 8 ounces diced ham
- 1 pint oysters with their liquor
- 1 cup cut okra
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons filé powder
- Kosher salt, to taste
- For serving: 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Sprinkle flour over top; cook, stirring constantly, until dark caramel colored, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the roux burn.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and celery, increase the heat to medium or medium-high, and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 more minute.
- Whisk in the chicken broth. Increase the heat to high and whisk until smooth.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), whisk, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the thyme, oregano, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the shredded chicken, ham, oysters, and okra to the pot. Return to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove bay leaf.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the green onions, parsley, and filé powder. Taste and season with salt and more cayenne, if necessary. Serve with warm rice.
Notes
- Okra and filé powder are both traditionally used as thickeners along with the roux in gumbo. You can omit one of these ingredients, but I do not recommend omitting both (or the texture and flavor of your gumbo will not be right).
- Keep a close eye on the roux, stirring almost constantly while it cooks. Roux can burn quickly, and if that happens you’ll have to start over.
- Use the meat from a rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. Leftover chicken or turkey from a previous meal is also a great way to eliminate prep work. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, you can boil about 1 lb. of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Shred or dice the meat into bite-size pieces and use in the recipe as instructed.
- Use other proteins in equal weights — for instance, swap out the chicken for about 1 lb. of shrimp, replace the ham with andouille sausage, kielbasa, or other smoked sausage, or swap out the oysters and use crab instead.
- If you can’t find fresh okra, sliced frozen okra is a good substitute.
- Add more cayenne (or serve the bowls with a side of hot sauce) to kick up the heat!
- Stir in a dash of Worcestershire sauce for great umami flavor.
i loved this and spiced it up a bit- used shrimp but the ads that are glommed onto your recipes are really obnoxious! 7 just for cremation, more for makeup and lots of others! just letting you know-
Thank you for letting us know! We will look into it and appreciate you being here and trying out our recipes!
Truth is, I had all the ingredients, so I was hoping this recipe would be good.
I know, it’s not winter, but it’s a cool summer day, and this tasted so yummy!
I’ll have a lot of leftovers as this pot can feed 4 or 5 easy! Thank you for sharing this twist on a family favorite.
There’s never a bad time for this recipe! We’re so glad you tried it out and enjoyed it, Liz!