Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

5 from 3 votes

This easy one-pot chicken and sausage gumbo is made with shredded chicken, sausage, and packed with flavorful vegetables like onions, celery, bell peppers, and okra.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, creole, Southern

Keyword chicken and sausage gumbo, easy gumbo recipe, gumbo

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 20

Servings people

Calories 605kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

Dutch oven

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
12 ounces andouille, kielbasa, or other smoked sausage, cut into ¼-inch-thick pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, not drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (such as from a rotisserie chicken)
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
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 and sausage; 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 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 ½ lbs. of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Shred the meat and use in the recipe as instructed.

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