Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is hearty, flavorful, and great for making when it’s cold outside! Smoky sausage, tender chicken, and a medley of fresh veggies are savory and satisfying as can be. It’s a NOLA classic in the comfort of your own home!
What’s in This Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe?
For this recipe, a dark brown roux is made with butter and flour to give richness and a deep toasted flavor. It’s easy to make but adds so much body to this delicious gumbo!
- Roux: We make the rich roux by combining unsalted butter, olive oil, and all-purpose flour. It’s a simple recipe, but it does take some time to get nice and dark.
- Chicken: We like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but thighs will also work.
- Seasonings: Bay leaves season the chicken as it cooks, while cumin, salt, and thyme enhance the flavor of the gumbo.
- Sausage: Andouille sausage is the traditional choice. If you can’t find it, chorizo or Polish kielbasa will also work.
- Veggies: Red bell peppers, onion, celery, and canned diced tomatoes add body and bulk to the gumbo.
Variations on Sausage and Chicken Gumbo
You can always get creative and toss in some more proteins! Crawfish tails, shrimp, chicken thigh meat, and even alligator are all traditionally found in gumbo recipes. Just make sure all of this meat is cooked prior to stirring it in with the andouille sausage and shredded chicken right at the end.
How to Store and Reheat
Let the chicken gumbo cool to room temperature prior to storing in an airtight container in the fridge. Properly stored, it’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days. Reheat for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through.
How to Freeze
You can freeze sausage and chicken gumbo for up to 3 months. Let it fully cool, then transfer the gumbo to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Lay the bag flat on a baking sheet and pop it in the freezer so the gumbo freezes flat – this makes for easier storage. Let it thaw in the fridge prior to reheating in the microwave or back in a pot over medium-low heat.
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Notes from the Test Kitchen
This is a true stick-to-your-ribs recipe that never fails to hit the spot. It’s so warm, cozy, and super filling. Perfect for cold nights when you need a bowl of something comforting!
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Roux:
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
For the Gumbo:
- 6 cups water
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces Andouille sausage sliced
- 1 cup red bell peppers chopped
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
For the Roux:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine butter, extra virgin olive oil, and flour.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Cook on medium heat while continuously whisking for 30 minutes. Whisking every 15-20 seconds is important to avoid burning the roux. The roux will turn from a light blonde to a dark brown color.
- Set aside to cool.
For the Gumbo:
- To a large pot, add the water, chicken breasts, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes. Remove chicken from water, but keep the broth for later use.6 cups water, 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 bay leaves
- Let the chicken cool, shred, then set aside.
- In a small nonstick pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and add the Andouille sausage. Cook for 8 minutes on each side until browned.12 ounces Andouille sausage, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Remove Andouille sausage from the pan. In the same pan, add the bell peppers, onion, and celery. Sauté the veggies in the fat from the sausage for 10 minutes on medium heat.1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup red bell peppers, 1 cup diced onion
- Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of broth from boiled chicken, then set aside.
- Add the veggies, ground cumin, ground thyme, salt, diced tomatoes, and 2½ cups of broth from the boiled chicken to the roux, and let simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.15 ounces diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Add Andouille sausage and shredded chicken, and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with boiled rice on the side.2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
Notes
How To Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Step by Step
Start the roux: In a pot over medium heat, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.
Cook the roux: Whisk continuously and don’t let the roux burn! The goal is to have it turn a light brown color. This should take you about 30 minutes.
Boil the chicken: Add 6 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add your 3 chicken breasts and 2 bay leaves to the pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the water, move to a separate bowl and shred with two forks. Save the water it was boiled in for later use.
Cook the sausage: Slice the 12 ounces of Andouille sausage, then toss it in a skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook until browned on both sides.
Sauté: Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. To that same pan, add 1 cup of celery, 1 cup of red bell peppers and 1 cup of onions. Sauté until for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
Deglaze: Deglaze the pan with the veggies with 1 cup of the water the chicken was cooked in earlier.
Combine all ingredients except for meat: Add the veggies, seasonings (1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground thyme), 1 can of diced tomatoes and 2 1/2 cups of the chicken cooking water to the roux and stir to combine it all.
Add the meats: Stir the cooked chicken and andouille sausage into the gumbo.
The secret to good gumbo is the rich, dark roux. Cooking it low and slow for a long time imparts a rich color and flavor that permeates the whole dish!
We prefer to cook our chicken completely and add it at the end to prevent overcooking.
We like to simmer with the lid off to help the gumbo thicken!
Gumbo should be thicker and more viscous than a traditional soup thanks to the roux!
Philip says
I had a problem with the gumbo it comes out very thick any suggestions to help me with creating the gumbo so as it’s not too thick
Becky Hardin says
Maybe some more water until you get the right consistency?
David Godsey says
I really enjoyed this. I did add okra and cayenne pepper. Turned out great.