This super simple Chicken and Sausage Gumbo recipe tastes like it was slowly simmered all day. It's actually made with shortcuts in just over 30 minutes so it's perfect for a weeknight family meal or a crowd of tailgaters for game day. Loaded with flavorful chicken, andouille (or smoked) sausage, rich broth and the holy trinity of veggies plus tomatoes and okra.
Since this easy gumbo uses a "light blonde" roux to thicken it, it may not be technically an "authentic" rich and dark Louisiana gumbo. I guess it is still a gumbo because it is made with okra which means gumbo, right?
So, maybe it's a cross between a gumbo and a delicious chicken and smoky sausage soup or stew with the New Orleans holy trinity of vegetables.
No matter what you call it, it's downright good and is a family favorite dinner at our house and hopefully yours, too! Another one of my favorite chicken soups is Shortcut White Bean Chicken Chili or my Instant Pot version of it.
Okay! Let's get on with the gumbo!
Shortcuts
- Using a bag of frozen vegetables containing all the veggies and aromatics you need for gumbo: okra, tomatoes, onion, celery and green peppers. If you can't find Pictsweet or other gumbo frozen vegetables, you could use portions of each one out of several bags. Onions, celery and green peppers are often sold frozen together and called "seasoning blend". This step alone is worth not having to chop onions!
- One of the biggest shortcuts is using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken and store-bought chicken broth instead of cooking an entire chicken. I always freeze any leftover baked chicken for later soups and casseroles for just such occasions.
- Creole or Cajun seasoning mix in place of a long list of spices and seasonings. Making a "light blonde" roux instead of going all the way to brown or dark roux saves time. Feel free to cook the flour and oil longer if you have the time and prefer to cook it longer.
Hint: There are four types of roux-white, blonde, brown, dark. A roux is basically all-purpose flour cooked in equal parts fat (oil/butter/bacon grease) to be used as a thickener for soups and sauces.
Ingredients
- Bacon
- Andouille or any smoked sausage
- Vegetable or olive oil
- All-Purpose flour
- Frozen Vegetables for Gumbo (I used Pictsweet) Okra, onion, tomato, celery, bell pepper
- Chicken broth or stock
- Cajun or Creole seasoning ( I used Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning)
- Chopped fresh or dried parsley
- Salt and pepper (if needed)
Scroll down to printable recipe for ingredient quantities.
How to make a blonde roux
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the detailed, printable recipe. Pictures below will help guide you as you read the recipe.
- First, cook sliced bacon and sliced sausage in a 12-quart pot over medium heat (at the same time to save time) just until done and remove to drain on paper towels.
- Add enough oil to the drippings in the pan to make 1/4 cup.
- Add the flour and stir well. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbly, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes, stirring constantly, with a whisk or silicone spatula until the color of the roux changes to light brown.
- Add the drained vegetables and sausage back to the pot. Stir until vegetables are coated with the roux.
- Stir in the chicken broth, seasonings, bacon and parsley.
- Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until desired thickness and doneness for the vegetables.
- Stir in cooked chicken before serving.
Hint: To thicken the gumbo a little more plus add traditional flavor, stir in file' powder while simmering or serve at the table.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken- I've mentioned using leftover chicken and rotisserie chicken. If you wanted to start with raw chicken, just cook 8 ounces of cubed raw chicken and cook it in the bacon and sausage drippings before making the roux.
- Shrimp- You can substitute the shrimp for the chicken or gild the lily and add all three. Cook the shrimp in the bacon drippings but don't add it back until right before serving. Or add raw shrimp the last 5 minutes of simmering.
- If you can't find the frozen mixture of these gumbo vegetables you can chop them fresh, use individual frozen vegetables, use canned tomatoes, or a combination of what you have on hand.
- Garlic- I love garlic in almost everything. While there is garlic powder in the Creole seasoning, you may want to add 1/4 teaspoon more if you love it, too! you could also stir in 1 teaspoon fresh garlic with the vegetable mixture.
Pro tip: What is the Creole holy trinity of vegetables?
It has nothing to do with religion. It's simply the main three aromatic vegetables most Creole and Cajun dishes start with. Garlic could easily be the fourth one. They add a tremendous amount of base flavor and some color.
You may have heard of its distant relative, mirepoix (mirh-pwah), the three vegetables most commonly used in French stews and dishes. Those three are onion, celery, and carrot.
What do I serve with gumbo?
White rice is the most common side to serve with gumbo. You can serve it in a bowl on the side, spoon it in the bottom of the bowl and pour the gumbo over it or spoon it on top of the bowl of gumbo.
How to store
To store in the refrigerator, let the gumbo cool completely first. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
To store in the freezer, let the gumbo cool completely first. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
I like to freeze soups like this and my Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup in individual serving size containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
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Other comfort food recipes you will love
Shortcut Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 8 ounces Andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced (I used my husbands homemade venison smoked sausage)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (This will combine with bacon & sausage drippings.)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen vegetables for Gumbo, thawed & drained (Onions, okra, tomato, celery, green pepper ( I used Pictsweet)
- 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken broth or stock 4 cups
- 2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
- Salt and pepper, if needed (I didn't add any)
- Parsley and green onions for garnish
- 8 ounces rotisserie chicken breast or other cooked chicken
Instructions
- Slice the bacon crosswise to create 1/4-inch wide strips. Place them along with the sausage slices in a cold 12-quart pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, 6 minutes or until bacon is slightly crispy.
- Remove the bacon and sausage from the pot and drain on a paper towel. To the drippings in the pan, add enough oil to make 1/4 cup. This will be about 2 tablespoons.
- To make the roux, add the flour to the drippings and oil and stir well. Turn the heat on medium and cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes, stirring constantly, with a whisk or silicone spatula until the color of the roux changes to light brown.
- Add the drained vegetables and sausage back to the pot. Stir until vegetables are coated with the roux. Stir in the chicken broth, seasonings, bacon and parsley.
- Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until desired thickness and doneness for the vegetables. Stir in chicken before serving to thoroughly heat it. Taste to see if you prefer a little salt at this point.
- Serve with rice and garnish with parsley and green onions, if you like.
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