This Creole-style gumbo is a one-pot wonder loaded with chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, smoked sausage, and Creole spices in a tomato-based stew thickened with a roux, a bit different from Cajun-style gumbo. You will absolutely love the flavor.
Creole Style Gumbo Recipe
I'm a huge gumbo lover and I'm happy to share with you this delicious Creole-style Gumbo that I learned how to make in New Orleans.
Gumbo is the Official State Cuisine of Louisiana. You'll find many variations around the state, with a variety of different ingredients and different seasonings depending on the location and the cook.
The largest differences are typically boiled down to Cajun vs. Creole Style Gumbo. In general, Cajun Gumbo is more rustic with fewer seasonings and focusing on meats like chicken and sausage, though might also include game meats.
Creole Gumbo is generally characterized by the use of more seasonings and fresh herbs, other meats like seafood, as well as tomatoes. You might think of it as city gumbo, or New Orleans gumbo.
This is a Creole style gumbo made with a mix of meats and seafood, thickened with a roux. It's one of my favorites, and I hope you love it, too.
Let's talk about how to make Creole style gumbo, shall we?
Creole Style Gumbo Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements and full instructions are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Meats. Use chicken breast or chicken thighs and andouille sausage. You can use other smoked sausage, like Conecuh sausage.
- Seafood. Shrimp and crabmeat.
- Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil. You can also use butter.
- Flour. For the roux.
- Vegetables. Green bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic.
- Tomatoes. I am using crushed tomatoes, though you can use fire roasted or freshly chopped. You can also use tomato sauce (passata).
- Creole Seasonings. Plus salt and black pepper. Try my homemade Creole seasoning recipe. Much better than store bought.
- Cayenne Pepper. For additional heat. Optional.
- Chicken Broth. Or use seafood broth.
- Bay Leaf.
- Thyme.
- Chopped Parsley.
- Filé Powder. Optional. For thickening your gumbo for serving.
How to Make Creole Style Gumbo - the Recipe Method
Heat some oil in a large pot and cook the chicken and andouille a few minutes, just to brown the meats. Set aside.
Make the roux by adding peanut or vegetable oil to the same pot. Stir in the flour to form a slurry, and stir over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the roux browns to the color of peanut butter, about 15 to 20 minutes.
You can go lighter or darker if you’d like. I often enjoy a dark roux the color of chocolate.
See my post on How to Make a Roux for more information and a video tutorial, with a discussion on options.
Add the peppers, onion, celery and garlic, cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the chicken and andouille.
Add the tomatoes, Creole seasoning, cayenne, chicken or seafood stock, bay leaves and fresh thyme. Simmer 1 hour to thicken.
Stir in the shrimp and crab and tuck into the gumbo. Simmer 6-7 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through.
Boom! Done! Your Creole gumbo is ready to serve. Stir in fresh parsley and serve into bowls with filé powder on the side for thickening, if desired. Garnish with extra parsley. This is great over white rice.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Adjust the thickness of your gumbo with your roux. Use a lighter roux the color of peanut butter or a copper penny for a thicker stew. Use a darker roux the color of dark chocolate or mahogony for a thinner soup-like gumbo. Use a blonde roux for a very thick gumbo.
- Okra is a popular addition to gumbo, and also acts a thickener. If you include gumbo in the dish, consider skipping or using less roux.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover Creole gumbo will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Reheat it gently in a pot on the stove top to enjoy again.
You can also freeze gumbo for 3 months in freezer containers. It freezes quite well.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Creole style gumbo recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy Cajun and Creole cuisine, I recommend the following cookbooks. There are a lot of great recipes.
- Louisiana Real and Rustic, by Emeril Lagasse (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Complete Cajun Cookbook: 100 Home-Cooked Bayou Classics, by Ryan Boudreaux (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana, by Donald Link (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Also, check out MY cookbook - The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. 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.
Creole Gumbo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breast or thicken thighs, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound ounces andouille sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 3/4 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium celery stalk chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes (2 14-oz cans)
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for extra spicy
- 6 cups chicken stock or use seafood stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 pound crab meat
- 4 tablespoons chopped parsley + more for serving
- 1 tablespoon filé powder or to taste optional, for thickening
Instructions
- Heat a pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan along with the sliced andouille. Cook a couple minutes per side until browned. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add the peanut oil to a large pot and heat to medium heat. Add flour and stir. Cook for 15-20 minutes, constantly stirring, until the roux browns to the color of peanut butter. You can go lighter or darker (chocolate brown) if you’d like.
- Add peppers, onion, celery and garlic. Stir and cook about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and andouille. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes, Creole seasoning, cayenne, and chicken stock. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom.
- Add bay leaves and thyme and cook at medium-low heat for 1 hour to thicken.
- Stir in shrimp and crab and tuck into the gumbo. Simmer 6-7 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through.
- Stir in fresh parsley and serve into bowls with filé powder on the side for thickening, if desired. Garnish with extra parsley.
Notes
Paul:-) says
Hi Mike,
I’ll be cooking this later this weekend (many of your recipes are ideal for batch cooking for my Mother-in-Law!) and wondered if you use only white or brown Crab meat, or indeed both. If you could let me know that would be great.
Paul:-)
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Paul. I use the white parts primarily, though this is a super flexible recipe and you can use any that you enjoy. Cheers!!! I hope it is enjoyed by all.
Paul:-) says
Hi Mike,
Went down the White crabmeat route.
Now this one is a HUGE hit with the M-I-L. After the first mouthful she said emphatically “Now that’s got flavour!”, which I agree with her on entirely.
I would’ve like some Cayenne but as most of it is for her freezer I omitted it.
Just a shame her son, my other half will not eat fish or seafood. Just means there’s more for those who do. Gumbo is the way forward!
Cheers fella,
Paul:-)
Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear! Glad she enjoyed it, Paul. We need to get your other half to try a few more things.
TJ says
Impressive. Very straight forward preparation and unexpectedly good flavor profile. This is an absolute winner that I’ll be making for friends. Thanks.
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, TJ. Enjoy!
Jack Jackson says
Years ago it was said that you couldn't save leftover gumbo if it had filet powder. is that true?
Mike Hultquist says
Jack, I haven't heard that, but curious! I only use some in the bowl, though, not in the pot.
steve mcdonough says
I don't understand if it's one or two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes. Is it 56 ozs?
Mike Hultquist says
Steve, it is 28 ounces total. Enjoy!
Vaughn Burckard says
I made this the day after T'giving, using smoked turkey, white & dark, and andouille. Delicious, but okra is a must, In my mind!
Question Mike, I saw a short video here a Cajun dumped a bag of flour on a Blackstone and scraped it around until brown, then added oil to just the amount he needed, and bagged the rest for later use. Have you ever used this method? It seems way quicker than stirring for an hour! Thanks
Mike Hultquist says
I have not, Vaughn, but I've heard of people browning flour similarly for dishes like this. Great idea!
Ricky Prado says
For what it's worth, I grew up in south LA in the 70's and this is a very good representation of what a Cajun Mawmaw would cook. The vegetable oil is essential - can't be fancy and for my mom okra was NOT optional (it was her thickening agent). Also, along with chopped parsley chopped green onion was a garnish as well. We never used file. A lovely recipe - well done!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Ricky! I appreciate it!
Pat Nugent says
You nailed this one for sure! I cook and season the chicken, shrimp and crab separately and add at the last two minutes. That just adds another layer of flavoring.
Mike Hultquist says
Perfection! Thanks, Pat!