Authentic New Orleans Gumbo

Folks from New Orleans (and all around the country!) love gumbo. Louisianians grew up eating authentic New Orleans gumbo, and seafood gumbo is a staple in the state of Louisiana. Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras, trying to use up a mess of shrimp, or just craving some New Orleans flavor, a big old pot of gumbo (with or without okra!) is sure to satisfy your friends and family.

The trick to making the best authentic gumbo recipe is in the roux, and the perfect roux takes a bit of time. You want the roux to come out a dark chocolate-type color, and that could take up to 40 minutes. It’s taken me an hour to create a nice dark roux. It’s a labor of love, but it’s worth it.

You have to watch over the roux while constantly stirring it so that it doesn’t burn. If you see black specks in it, it burned, and you have to toss it out and start over after sobbing into a pillow while in a fetal position on the kitchen floor sucking your thumb. 🙁

The History of Gumbo

The history of gumbo is an interesting and complicated one to tell. The Choctaws contributed to the use of filé in a gumbo recipe. Gumbo is derived from the South African word “gombo.” Gomba translates to “okra” in that language.

So, gumbo was not first created in Louisiana, even though the state is famous for it. They even have songs about filé gumbo. The city also has gumbo festivals, so even though gumbo didn’t originate in New Orleans, the city has embraced it.

Where Did the First Gumbo Recipe Originate?

Gumbo appears to have originated in Africa, but there were other influences on the popular dish. Honestly, you’ll get different answers from different sources on where gumbo first originated. South Africa, West Africa, etc.

The French-influenced the New Orleans gumbo recipe, specifically the roux. The roux, or the flour and oil mixture that’s considered the base of the recipe, was first employed by French cooks around the 14th century.

And some say that the French seafood soup bouillabaisse is a descendant of gumbo.

Wherever it originated, it’s clear that different areas of the world would like to claim it. I don’t blame them. it is that good.

One thing is clear — we love our gumbo recipes in New Orleans.

What Is Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo?

The thing about authentic New Orleans gumbo is that I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like it.

You don’t have to be from the South to appreciate homemade gumbo. But you do have to be a fool to not enjoy it. Hey, it takes time, and love to make a good gumbo, so I’m not going to apologize for that remark. You can’t intimidate me.

Everybody likes to claim that they make THE BEST gumbo, but they’re lying because I do. And I’m going to share my simple gumbo recipe with you. I’m sort of joking, but then I’m not. We’re all family here, so let’s make a nice hearty gumbo. And after you do this gumbo recipe, you can say you make the best gumbo ever because you can. I’m nothing if not humble:)

So, roll your sleeves up, and let’s get to work because tonight is gumbo night! Gumbo night is my favorite night because gumbo is everything.

In middle school and high school in New Orleans, we moaned when they served gumbo, but we learned to appreciate this staple in the state when we got older. After moving out of New Orleans to various other countries and states for quite a few years, I started to crave gumbo.

Where Can You Find Authentic Louisiana Gumbo?

I don’t care where you live; you can’t find good authentic gumbo in a restaurant or gumbo shop that’s not in the deep South. There, I said it. I said what I said!

After living overseas, I moved to New York City. You’d think they would have a decent New Orleans restaurant. But no, they did not.

In New York City, you can find excellent Chinese food restaurants, Indian food restaurants, and a list of other countries, but not good New Orleans food, Creole food, or Cajun food.

Well, now I live in Raleigh, North Carolina. I moved here from Roanoke, Virginia. And while both states have delicious food, they haven’t mastered New Orleans food. But you can!

How Do You Make Roux for New Orleans Gumbo?

The best New Orleans gumbo is all about the roux.

You want the roux to come out a dark chocolate-type color, and that could take up to 40 minutes.

You have to watch over your roux while constantly stirring it so that it doesn’t burn. If you see black specks in it, it burned, and you have to toss it out and start over after sobbing into a pillow while in a fetal position on the kitchen floor, sucking your thumb:(

Here is a video to show you how to make the perfect roux.

Veggies in Authentic Louisiana Gumbo

Which veggies should you use in your New Orleans gumbo recipe? Well, you can use okra, of course. Most gumbo recipes call for okra, although our Louisiana gumbo recipe is without okra.

However, the three veggies you need for sure in gumbo are what are called, when used together, the trinity: Onions, celery, and bell pepper, all diced.

You can also experiment with different types of veggies, including green onion, red bell pepper, and more.

You can also experiment with various seasonings, including a bay leaf, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and more. Old Bay Seasoning can work in a pinch.

What Type of Seafood and Meat Do You Use in New Orleans Gumbo?

You can serve gumbo with all types of meat and even with just chicken thighs (or chicken breasts) and andouille sausage in it. Chicken, andouille sausage, smoked sausage, and seafood, such as shrimp, crawfish, and crab legs or crab meat. I threw some scallops in with today’s gumbo.

Louisiana gumbo is an incredibly versatile dish. Just be sure you serve it with rice!

Steps for Making Authentic New Orleans Gumbo

Are you ready to cook your big pot of New Orleans gumbo? Let’s do this!

Step 1

Season and brown the chicken with salt and pepper in oil over medium heat in a large pot. Slice up the Andouille sausage, then throw that in the pot and saute it with the chicken. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked. Set aside.

Step 2

Get your roux going. The roux is made of flour and oil.

Get out a large pot to cook your roux. Combine the flour and the oil in the pot to create the roux, constantly stirring on medium-low heat.

When your roux has a rich dark color, remove the roux from the heat. Even after your remove the pan of roux from the heat, continue stirring until the roux stops cooking.

Now that the roux is made, cooking the gumbo will go faster. Thank you, baby Jesus.

Step 3

Chop up your veggies, or what Louisiana peeps call the trinity: celery, green bell peppers, and onions while the roux is cooling.

Step 4

Return the pot to the stove and add crab boil, the trinity, and garlic. Stir.

Step 5

Toss in the chicken and sausage because we are making a mixed seafood gumbo.

Step 6

Add Cajun seasoning (or Creole seasoning) to your taste, thyme, bay leaves, and paprika.

Step 7

Add the chicken broth to the pot, and stir well. Let simmer for 45 – 50 minutes.

Step 8

Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot.

Step 9

Add your shrimp, and crab legs, and any other seafood you want to throw in the pot for about 10 minutes before the gumbo is finished.

Step 10

Add filé powder, green onions, and chopped parsley. Stir.

Get as Creative as You Want with Your Seafood Gumbo

This is your chicken gumbo. Make it how you want. Some people like diced tomatoes in there. Some like gumbo with okra in it. I do not, but you can make it your way.

No two Cajun gumbo or Creole gumbo recipes are alike. There is no right or wrong way to make gumbo, but there are a lot of Karen-type gumbo aficionados that will judge you for adding tomatoes, etc… Ignore them. They have no lives. It’s very sad 🙂

Freezing, Storing, and Make-Ahead Seafood Gumbo

Can you freeze gumbo? Yes, you can!

When folks make Creole gumbo, they usually make a lot, and it’s great having it in your freezer to eat whenever you like. Just be sure that it’s cooled down first before putting it in the freezer.

Put your cooled gumbo in an air-tight container, and place it in the freezer. It will be good for two to three months.

Jambalaya vs. Gumbo

Gumbo is a stew or a soupy kind of dish. Gumbo is served over rice. In contrast, Jambalaya has rice cooked in it, and it is not a stew.

Jambalaya consists of andouille sausage, chicken, onion, green pepper, celery (the trinity), crushed tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, and seasonings.

We’ll be sure to publish a Louisiana jambalaya recipe soon, specifically a seafood jambalaya recipe. Later we’ll do a chicken and sausage jambalaya recipe.

Our Tips for Making Sure Your Gumbo is the Best Gumbo

• Take your time. There are a lot of veggies and meat to cut up, but you can do part of that ahead of time.
• Have patience with the roux. The darker it is, the more flavor is in your gumbo. It seems intimidating at first, but once you try it, you’ll see that it really isn’t difficult to make.
• You can make the gumbo on your terms. Some folks like to add okra to thicken it. I don’t, but this is your gumbo. Some like tomatoes. Do your thing!

• Have fun with it. Making gumbo isn’t a punishment. It’s the opposite of that.
• Be flexible if you want. Serve your gumbo with hot sauce for folks who like some extra spicy flavor.

Sausage Gumbo and Other Gumbo Variations

Can you make a simple sausage gumbo recipe with Worcestershire sauce? Sure you can!

Remember, the best gumbo is all about what you and your family enjoy. You can make sausage gumbo, andouille gumbo, chicken gumbo, Cajun gumbo, Creole gumbo, and even vegetarian gumbo.

What Goes With New Orleans Gumbo?

You want to serve your authentic gumbo with fluffy white rice, basmati rice, or brown rice, but what else goes with seafood gumbo?

Try some of these side dishes to serve your gumbo dinner.

Cornbread is the perfect pairing with gumbo. We are partial to Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.

French bread is always good to soak up the juices. Throw some butter on your french bread and soak up that gravy.

Want a side dish? You can serve gumbo with traditional maque choux.

Also, keep in mind that gumbo itself makes an excellent side dish when served with something like a shrimp boil (seafood boil).

This is going to sound weird if you’re not from New Orleans. A lot of folks like to put a portion of potato salad right into the bowl of gumbo to the side. Others like hardboiled eggs in their gumbo.

Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t make it up. And it is actually delicious because they slow cook in the gumbo.

Weight Watcher Gumbo Recipe

Is there a good WW gumbo recipe? If you’re following the Weight Watchers diet and tracking your points, you can easily adapt my authentic New Orleans gumbo recipe for your new healthy way of eating.

Depending on which zero points food you have in Weight Watchers Personal Points, most of the veggies in our Cajun gumbo recipe should be zero points foods (or very low in points if you don’t have all of the veggies as zero points foods).

Most Weight Watchers members have chicken breasts as a zero points food, but even if you could your chicken breast points, white meat chicken is a food that’s low in points.

The only two ingredients in our gumbo that have significant points are the flour (for the roux), the oil (or bacon drippings), and the andouille sausage. Although a cup of all-purpose flour has 13 points, keep in mind that it’s for a huge pot of gumbo, so the Smart Points from your flour will not hurt this recipe much.

You’ll also need to count the points in whatever oil you use. For 3/4 cup of olive oil, you need 52 points. Alternatively, 3/4 cup of bacon drippings has 65 points. Of course, in Weight Watchers, every point counts and even a few points can bring down the overall point value of a recipe.

Low-Fat Gumbo Ingredients

In terms of the andouille sausage, we recommend substituting turkey smoked sausage in this gumbo. Another option is to just keep the gumbo a chicken and/or seafood gumbo.

Also, be sure you choose a fat-free chicken broth or chicken stock.

Weight Watchers Roux for Gumbo (Flour Only)

We found a YouTube video that shows how to make darkened flour (in the oven) without any fat. We haven’t tried this, but it’s an interesting idea. Here are the instructions.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add the all-purpose flour to a cookie sheet or baking pan and spread it out evenly.
3. Bake in 15-minute increments and stir after each 15-minute increment.
4. When your flour is the color you want it to be, remove it from the oven.
5. Store your darkened flour in a dry, cool place.
6. To use it, mix the flour with equal parts water and you have a nice solution to add to stews and soup for color and thickening.

A tablespoon of this low-fat Weight Watchers roux has just 1 Smart Point. Here’s the video on how to make it

What Makes Our Gumbo Recipe the Best Gumbo?

You can just make a chicken and sausage gumbo, but this is a seafood gumbo recipe, but feel free to tweak it to your liking. And as we noted previously, it’s all about the roux. We don’t take shortcuts.

Serve your authentic gumbo over a cup of rice. And here’s the most important part: enjoy! That won’t be hard at all.

Let’s do this.

Conover’s Authentic New Orleans Gumbo Recipe

Gumbo Roux Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cooking oil.

Seafood Gumbo Ingredients

• One pound chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• One pound Andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of cooking oil
• 5 drops crab boil
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• 6-8 cups of chicken broth or chicken stock
• 1 pound of shrimp
• 1 pound lump crab meat or crab legs
• 2 teaspoons filé
• Green onions (1 bunch)
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
• Cooked white rice for serving

Instructions for Making Seafood Gumbo

1. Brown the seasoned chicken in ¼ cup of oil, then add sausage to the pot and saute with the chicken. Set aside when browned.
2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the flour and oil, and stir until smooth.
3. While cooking on medium heat, be sure you stir the roux continuously for between 30 to 40 minutes, possibly up to an hour, until it turns a rich dark brown chocolate color, but be prepared to watch the roux carefully.
4. When you have achieved your desired color, remove it from the stove, and continue stirring until it stops cooking, then let it cool.
5. Return the pot to the stove. Add crab boil, onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery, and cook for 8- 10 minutes -frequently stirring until cooked.
6. Add chicken, sausage, cajun seasoning, chicken broth, paprika, thyme, and bay leaves. Add the chick broth, stir, and let that simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes.
7. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, and then add the shredded chicken back into the pot.
8. Then add the shrimp, crab legs, and crab meat, then simmer for 10 or 15 more minutes.
9. Stir in file powder, green onions, and chopped parsley.
10. Serve over a cup of cooked white rice. You can also serve this with extra gumbo filé or hot sauce at the table for each guest to add to their liking. Let’s eat!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Printable Gumbo Recipe

Authentic New Orleans Gumbo

Conover

Delicious and savory Gumbo just like you enjoy when you visit New Orleans, Louisiana.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 55 mins

Cook Time 55 mins

Total Time 1 hr 50 mins

Cuisine Southern

Servings 10 people

Calories 951 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound Chicken
• 1 pound Andouille sausage sliced
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 5 drops crab boil
• 2 stalks Celery diced
• 1 large Yellow onion diced
• 1 large Green bell pepper diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 4 Bay leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon Paprika
• 8 cups Chicken broth
• 1 pound Shrimp
• 1 pound crab meat Lump crab meat and/or crab legs
• 2 teaspoons Filé
• 1 bunch Green onions sliced
• 1 bunch parsley finely chopped
• 6 cups white rice for serving

Instructions

 

• Brown the seasoned chicken in ¼ cup of oil, then add sausage to the pot and saute with the chicken. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the flour and oil, and stir until smooth.
• While cooking on medium heat, be sure you stir the roux continuously for between 30 and 40 minutes, possibly up to an hour, until it turns a rich dark brown chocolate color, but be prepared to watch the roux carefully.
• When you have achieved your desired color, remove it from the stove, and continue stirring until it stops cooking, then let it cool.
• Return the pot to the stove. Add crab boil, onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery, and cook for 8- 10 minutes -frequently stirring until cooked.
• Add chicken, sausage, cajun seasoning, chicken broth, paprika, thyme, and bay leaves. Add the chick broth, stir, and let that simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, and then add the shredded chicken back into the pot.
• Then add the shrimp, crab legs, and crab meat, then simmer for 10 or 15 more minutes.
• Stir in filé powder, green onions, and chopped parsley.
• Serve over a cup of cooked white rice. You can also serve this with extra gumbo filé or hot sauce at the table for each guest to add to their liking.
• Let’s eat!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 951kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 41gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 1533mgPotassium: 734mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1394IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Cajun cuisine, Creole cooking, Gumbo, Louisiana cooking, New Orleans

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Image: Robert Terrell