Name: Creole Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 pound chicken breast (chopped); Salt and pepper (to taste); 12 ounces andouille (sliced into ¼ inch slices); ½ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil; ½ cup flour; 1 medium bell pepper (chopped); 1 medium onion (chopped); 1 medium celery stalk (chopped); 3 cloves garlic (chopped); 1 14- ounce can crushed tomatoes; 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 6 cups chicken stock; 3 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon thyme; 4 tablespoons chopped parsley ( + more for serving); 1 tablespoon filé powder (or to taste); For Serving: Cooked white rice (if desired)

The ultimate Creole chicken and sausage gumbo recipe made with a rich and creamy dark roux, bell peppers and other vegetables, seared chicken, smoked andouille, tomato, and plenty of Creole seasoning. When you're done with a bowl, you'll beg for more.

This is one of those recipes you can't get enough of. If you've ever had a really good gumbo, you'll know what I'm talking about. I don't think there is anything quite like a good gumbo.

It's pure Louisiana in a bowl, basically the epitome of the region, a beautiful representation of the great melting pot of cuisines that comprises the state.

In Louisiana, you have influences from southern cooking, French, African, Spanish, Irish, Italian, even American Indian. That is what makes Cajun and Creole cooking so fantastic.

Check out my post about my New Orleans foodie experience. So awesome!

What Is Gumbo? What Makes Gumbo a Gumbo?

Gumbo is a conglomeration of different cultures and cuisines. It is essentially a stew, and it the official state cuisine of Louisiana. It is made from stock that is thickened with a roux and sometimes includes okra and/or filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves) as additional thickeners.

Flat out, Gumbo is AWESOME. HUGE on flavor.

What Are the Ingredients in a Gumbo?

More traditional gumbos start with a roux - a mixture of fat and flour - then add the Cajun Holy Trinity of vegetables, which is bell peppers, onion and celery. Stock is added along with a variety of meats and seafood, such as smoked andouille sausage, chicken, gator, crawfish, shrimp and more.

It is highly seasoned with a blend of Cajun seasonings - see our Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend Recipe - or my Creole seasoning recipe.

More traditional gumbos include okra as a thickener, and can also be thickened with filé powder which is dried and ground sassafras leaves.

From there, the recipe interpretation is open to the cook.

What is the Cajun Holy Trinity?

The French have the mirepoix - carrots, onion and celery - and French cuisine has heavily influenced Cajun cooking. When the French landed in Louisiana, they quickly found that carrots do not grow well in the Louisiana soil, so replaced them with bell peppers.

So, the Cajun Holy Trinity consists of bell peppers, onion and celery.

The Art of the Gumbo

The KEY to making a good gumbo, and I cannot emphasize this enough, is in the roux. You absolutely MUST master a proper roux if you're going to achieve a good gumbo. Luckily it isn't difficult.

It is essentially an equal mixture of oil and flour that is stirred slowly, continually, in a pot over low heat. You CAN use butter instead of oil, but oil is traditional, particularly peanut oil, though I've used different oils and everything worked out just fine.

How to Make a Good Roux

Essentially, stir together the oil and flour in a large pot and bring up the heat. Keep it fairly low. Start stirring. The oil and flour will meld quickly and you'll have a sort of liquid slurry that comforms to the bottom of the pot. If you don't keep stirring, the roux will start to burn and you'll have to start over, so do not stop stirring.

Stirring is a must!

You can smell it when the roux burns. It's acrid, unpleasant, a bit like burnt popcorn. If that happens, forget it. Toss it and start over. It will ruin the flavor of the gumbo. So be careful, and don't bring up the heat too high. Keep it low and slow.

What you're looking for is the color of the roux. It starts out the color of flour, very light, batter-ish, but as it heats while you're stirring, it will begin to brown, going from a light brown to the color of peanut butter or copper, and eventually to a rich chocolate brown. This can take anywhere from 20-45 minutes, depending on your desired color. Personally, I take 20-30 minutes for my roux.

You can stop when you achieve a copper or peanut butter color. The roux is great then, coaxed of outstanding flavor. You'll have a thicker gumbo with this color of roux. If you continue to a darker chocolate color, you'll have a thinner gumbo with a slightly deeper flavor, so feel free to experiment to discover which shade of roux produces the best gumbo for your taste buds.

Learn more about How to Make a Roux.

Adjusting the Heat Factor

Cajun and Creole cuisine, particularly gumbo, aren't meant to be HOT. It is SPICY for sure, which means it includes a lot of spice and seasonings, but as a chilihead, I like to bring in a little bit of heat to please my own palate.

So, when working with the ingredients - bell peppers, onion, and celery are traditional with Cajun and Creole cooking - I like to include jalapeno peppers as well, or some other hotter peppers, depending on my mood. Here is a great example of a very hot and spicy gumbo that I love - Mike's Spicy Gumbo, made with ghost peppers.

I hope you enjoy it! People ask me for this recipe all the time, so here you go. It's finally on the web site. Let me know how it turns out for you!

Patty's Perspective

Gumbo is a force of its own. It is so unique and tasty, and totally worth the time and effort to make a big batch. I can eat this every day. I love it with potato salad on the side.

Check Out Some Other Gumbo and Other Recipes

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.