A rich and flavorful Louisiana staple meal-in-a-bowl, perfect to throw in the slow cooker for a hearty weeknight meal.
Gumbo is a hearty soup or stew that is one of the most famous dishes to result from Louisiana’s shared Creole-Cajun heritage. It combines elements from French, West African, and Native American cuisines and ingredients. The origins of Louisiana gumbo can be traced to West Africa, during a time when enslaved Africans brought okra (or gombo, as it is known in certain regional tongues) with them to the Caribbean and the US South, including the port city of New Orleans.
Although ingredients might vary greatly from one cook to the next, and from one part of the state to another, the gumbos most familiar to people are seafood gumbo and chicken and sausage gumbo. However, there are recipes that use ingredients such as ham, bacon, oysters, crab, shrimp, and beef, among others. Gumbo is traditionally thickened with a dark roux, okra, or with filé — dried and ground sassafras leaves — a contribution of the Choctaws and other local tribes.
This Slow Cooker Gumbo recipe is a hearty dish that combines sausage, chicken, and shrimp, seasoned with Cajun spices, thyme, bay leaves, oregano, and smoky and spicy Andouille sausage to give it tons of hearty and savory flavor. A traditional gumbo will include okra, but as it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, this recipe leaves it out. If you are a fan, feel free to add some!
It is super easy to make in the slow cooker, allowing ingredients to be thrown in, then set it and forget it. This is practical because it frees up your time to do other things, and is convenient for weeknights and easy entertaining, since you can set it up in advance and keep warm for everyone to help themselves. Plus, slow cooking allows the flavors to marry and prevents the gumbo from burning or reducing too much.
Serve it with plain cooked rice and crusty bread for a complete meal.
What Is The Key To Making Gumbo In The Slow Cooker?
The key to this recipe is the roux, which not only thickens the Gumbo but gives it a lovely, velvety texture that also binds the flavors together. A roux is made with flour that’s cooked in butter or oil, stirred constantly until it thickens and changes to a darker color. In Louisiana, the roux is cooked until it becomes dark brown, and knowing how to do this is the mark of an accomplished cook.
For this recipe, you will cook the sausage and vegetables in a pan on the stove top first, then use the same pan to make the roux, which will be infused with the juices left from the sausage and veg for extra flavor. Heat the flour and butter over medium heat, whisking constantly so your roux doesn’t burn. To make preparation faster and easier for beginners, this recipe requires to cook the roux to a golden color, so if it starts to get too dark too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low. If you are a more experienced cook, feel free to let it get darker, remember to stir constantly and keep a watchful eye.
Transfer the roux to your slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients, and go on to do whatever else is on your to-do list. You can even do this the night before and set it before heading out to wherever you need to be. You’ll come back to a home filled with delicious smells and a mouthwatering dinner ready to serve. Some people say that gumbo tastes even better the following day!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 200 g Andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 14 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 chicken breasts (about 1 pound), deboned
- 1 pound shrimp
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Green onions sliced
How to Make Slow Cooker Gumbo
Step 1: In a skillet drizzle in the olive oil and then sauté the sausage, onion, garlic, peppers, and celery together for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the vegetables from the pan and then add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the flour and keep stirring while you cook it over a medium heat. The mix will turn a beautiful caramel color. Then you can take it off the heat.
Step 3: Pour the butter and flour mix into the slow cooker along with the cooked vegetables and sausage, can of tomatoes, chicken stock, Creole seasoning, oregano, bay leaves, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Mix it together.
Step 4: Add the chicken breasts in and submerge them under the liquid. Then place the lid on and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Step 5: Take the chicken breast out of the pot and use two forks to shred, it should pull apart really easily (cook a bit longer if it doesn’t). While you do that, pop the shrimp in and give it a stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add the shredded chicken back into the pot and mix it all together. Sprinkle the green onions over the top and serve.
FAQs & Tips
To make ahead, follow instructions to Step 3 and store in the refrigerator. Heat it up in the slow cooker before adding the chicken, then proceed with the recipe as instructed.
Let the gumbo cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Leftovers will last 3-4 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat your gumbo on the stove top, stirring occasionally or microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring once or twice. If needed, you can add a little water to loosen up the gumbo before heating. If frozen, be sure to defrost before heating for best results.
Typical commercially available Cajun seasoning is a blend of spices including black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Some may also contain salt, mustard powder, chile peppers, or cumin. A popular brand is Tony Chachere’s which is available in most supermarkets.
Andouille is a Cajun sausage that’s made from pork that’s chopped or sliced rather than ground, which gives it a chunkier texture. The flavor is also sharper and smokier than other sausage varieties.
Sure. You can use different types of smoked sausage if Andouille is not available. If you like things spicy, try a jalapeño sausage for an extra kick.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the gumbo with warm and fluffy white rice, which is the traditional way, alongside a slice of crusty bread to soak up all that delicious sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and if you like things spicy as they do in Louisiana, add cayenne or hot sauce to taste. Be sure to discard the bay leaves before serving. Add a lemon wedge to each bowl, if desired.
While this is a pretty complete and filling meal all by itself, you can complement it with a couple of side dishes such as braised Swiss Chard or any other slow-cooked greens such as collards or turnip greens, which are especially awesome when laden with bacon. Garlic bread, Cornbread or Buttermilk Biscuits would make perfect accompaniments, too.
Slow Cooker Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 200 g Andouille Sausage sliced
- 1 Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 Red Pepper deseeded and chopped
- 1 Green Pepper deseeded and chopped
- 2 Sticks Celery chopped
- ¼ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Flour
- 14 oz can Fire Roasted crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups Chicken Stock
- 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
- 1 tsp dried Oregano
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 Chicken breasts 1 pound, deboned
- 1 pound Shrimp
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Green onions sliced
Instructions
- In a skillet drizzle in the olive oil and then sauté the sausage, onion, garlic, peppers, and celery together for 5 minutes.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan and then add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the flour and keep stirring while you cook it over a medium heat. The mix will turn a beautiful caramel colour. Then you can take it off the heat.
- Pour the butter and flour mix into the slow cooker along with the cooked vegetables and sausage, can of tomatoes, chicken stock, creole seasoning, oregano, bay leaves, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Mix it together.
- Add the chicken breasts in and submerge them under the liquid. Then place the lid on and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
- Take the chicken breast out of the pot and use two forks to shred, it should pull apart really easily (cook a bit longer if it doesn't). While you do that, pop the shrimp in and give it a stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken back into the pot and mix it all together. Sprinkle the green onions over the top and serve.
Nutrition
