Chicken Gumbo Recipe

Add some zest to your weeknight dinner with Chicken Gumbo: a stovetop dinner full of flavor and warmth!

Bringing together elements of West African, French, Spanish, and Native American Choctaw cuisine, gumbo is so beloved by Louisianans that it’s their state dish. It’s easy to see why: the roux (a cooked mixture of flour and butter to thicken a soup or sauce), the “holy trinity” of onions, green pepper, and celery, and the zesty spices all merge into a delicious, comforting bowl of yum. Depending on whose recipe you’re using, there may be chicken, Andouille sausage, shellfish, file powder, okra, or even other ingredients in there as well. Every home cook has their own twist on this Creole and Cajun classic.

Whether you need a stovetop dinner to take the chill off a cold winter’s night or are celebrating Mardi Gras, this easy Chicken Gumbo recipe is a great choice. Even George Washington apparently loved a bowl of gumbo!

When you take your first spoonful of Chicken Gumbo, get ready for flavor! The incredible flavors of the veggies, chicken, and Creole seasoning make for a tasty first bite. And leave you wanting more. Thanks to the roux as the base of the gumbo, the texture is hearty without being heavy, and gumbo is a dish that sticks to your ribs. The fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and Creole seasoning bring the spice, but the level is totally up to you – make it as spicy (or not) as you like!

Creole seasoning vs Cajun seasoning

If you’re from Louisiana or the region surrounding, keep scrolling. For the rest of us, a quick primer on the difference between Creole and Cajun seasoning. Creole seasoning contains black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, a bit of cayenne, and then a blend of aromatic herbs, such as basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Cajun seasoning is usually a mix of a bunch of ground peppers: black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika plus onion powder and garlic powder. So Creole seasoning is more herb-based while Cajun is more pepper-based and tends to be hotter. Geographically, Creole seasoning originated in New Orleans, while Cajun in Acadia.

Ingredients

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 large Sticks celery sliced
1 green pepper deseeded and chopped
2 14 oz crushed tomatoes fire-roasted
2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp Creole seasoning
4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
Salt and pepper
2 green onions sliced

How to Make Chicken Gumbo Recipe

Step 1: In a large pot over a medium heat melt the butter and add in the flour. Cook the roux over a medium heat stirring consistently until it turns to a beautiful caramel color.

Step 2: Add the onion, garlic, celery, and green pepper into the roux and saute for 5 minutes until the vegetables are beautifully fragrant.

Step 3: Pour the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, and creole seasoning into the pot. Stir then cover and cook for 20 minutes, until thickens. Be sure to stir it every now and again.

Step 4: Cut the chicken breasts into cubes and then add it to the pot once the stew has thickened. Stir the whole thing and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Remove the bay leaves and sprinkle over the green onions before serving.

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Chicken Gumbo is a dream to make ahead. On a variety of levels! You can get everything chopped ahead of time and have it ready to throw in the pot. Or, you can definitely make it ahead to completion (hold off on the green onions), let it cool and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. After serving, leftovers are even better the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to mingle. Leftovers can keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months, in an airtight container.

What kind of pot works best?

Cast iron works best if you have it. The way cast iron distributes heat is perfect for the roux, which is the foundation for the whole gumbo. If not, any heavy-bottomed stock pot works fine too.

Doesn’t gumbo have okra and Andouille sausage in it?

Often, yes. But like any good regional recipe, there are a ton of variations on gumbo. If you’d like to add diced okra, add it when you add the onion mixture. Or add frozen okra in Step 4. Andouille sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces, can be added when you add the onion mixture.

Love the flavor, but not the fire?

If you need to dial down the spice level, just use plain crushed tomatoes instead of the fire-roasted ones. You can also decrease the Creole seasoning, but go easy, as the seasoning blend is not normally super spicy. You still want those herbs in there for flavor. Of course, if you want more spice, kick it up! Add some additional Creole seasoning and feel free to top your own bowl with your favorite hot sauce.

Don’t forget to take out the bay leaves!

Bay leaves add a woodsy, herby flavor, but if left in the gumbo can taste bitter. And gumbo is a warm, comforting, zesty dish – no room for bitterness here! Just skim them out with your spoon before adding the green onions.

Serving Suggestions

Hot rice is a must – super easy if you have a countertop rice cooker. Just have it cooking your rice while you assemble the gumbo. Cornbread or beer bread also go really well with Chicken gumbo – and are perfect for swiping your bowl to get any broth your spoon couldn’t get when you’re finished!