Kate’s Best Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Made from fork-tender chicken thighs, peppery smoked sausage, and a dark, caramelized roux, this chicken and smoked sausage gumbo recipe is the soul-warming dish you’ve been looking for to celebrate Mardi Gras or any time you need something rich and comforting.
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To say this chicken and smoked sausage gumbo recipe is delicious is a gigantic understatement, especially when you have a caramelized roux and smoked meat involved. This Cajun gumbo is chock full of succulent goodies like moist chicken, savory smoked sausage, the holy trinity of vegetables, and a warming rich broth. Simmer until it is deeply flavored and as close to a warm hug in a pot as you can get.
Does any other food even need to be eaten on Mardi Gras? Not in this house. I’ll indulge in several bowls of chicken gumbo and pretend I’m in New Orleans, thankyouverymuch. Well, maybe these cajun shrimp deviled eggs too.
A Dark Roux Gumbo Recipe
The real character of a good gumbo is all in the dark brown roux; a combination of flour and fat cooked until brown and toasty. The roux does not only add tons of flavor but acts as a thickening agent to make a hearty broth.
It takes some practice to get it toasted without becoming burnt. You have to be gutsy enough to keep cooking until the flour is browned within an inch of insanity, when you are certain that you killed it—but no—perfect.
This is a good base recipe, you can add shrimp or chopped okra with the other vegetables and a dash of gumbo filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves) at the end if you can get your hands on some.
There is enough stew here to serve a crowd for a casual holiday get-together. Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep in the refrigerator (it gets better as it sits), then all you have to do is heat and serve.
Let’s Make This Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo Recipe!
Read the recipe all the way through before you begin. Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Brown the chicken. Just like my braised chicken thighs with sausage and chicken cacciatore recipes, we start this gumbo by browning the chicken. Generously season chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or large Dutch oven. Add chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook until both sides are dark golden brown. Remove the chicken pieces.
- Add the flour and cook the roux. Sprinkle all purpose flour over the fat left in pot from browning the chicken and cook the roux mixture until it has reached a dark brown color, the color of dark chocolate. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot.
- Sauté the veggies: Add the onion, green bell peppers, and celery and cook until tender.
- Simmer: Stir in the chicken broth, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce. Lower heat so it is barely simmering. Along with the sausage and chicken and cook until it has thickened and formed a rich broth, about 2 hours.
- Serve. Ladle gumbo into bowls with steamed rice and garnish with more chopped green onions.
How long can you freeze gumbo? Gumbo will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. To freeze, ladle cooled gumbo into an airtight container or freezer bags and seal tightly. Place bags flat in the freezer until frozen then store upright. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.
Quick Video Tutorial
What To Serve With Gumbo
Steamed white rice is essential to serve with this delicious gumbo recipe but potato salad is also a favorite. I always put out a bottle of hot sauce too.
Although not traditional, my crock pot brown rice would be great with this gumbo as would my favorite rosemary-cheddar cornbread. How about some dippers to soak up all the tasty broth? You could try my whole wheat green olive bread or rosemary-fennel focaccia.
Maybe a green vegetable is more your speed? Try my easy blanched broccoli with garlic, kale salad with maple-tahini dressing, broccolini with red onions, or roasted Brussels sprouts.
So You Like Stick-To-Your-Ribs Food?
Join the club! Here are some more favorites:
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Delicata Squash Pizza with Burrata
- Lemon-Thyme Twice Baked Potatoes
- Sausage Pesto Stuffed Peppers
- Mediterranean Sautéed Vegetables with Cheesy Polenta
- The Best Fried Chicken
- One-Pot Red Wine Braised Beef
- One-Pot Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes
- Spanish Pork Meatballs in Saffron Tomato Sauce
Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 large white onions, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium green bell peppers, diced
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 12 ounces smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, sliced
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- Steamed rice and hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Season the 2 pounds chicken thighs on all sides with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat the 1/2 cup oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, place chicken pieces in the hot oil. Cook, undisturbed, until dark golden brown on one side, flip and repeat on other side. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower heat to medium-low and add the 1/2 cup flour. Cook, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking until flour is toasted and turns a dark caramel color. Be patient this will take about 10 minutes but it is worth it. This is where all the flavor is developed.
- Add the 2 diced onions, 4 stalks chopped celery, and the 2 diced green bell peppers. Season with remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, coating in the roux until tender, about 8 minutes. Add 3/4 of the scallions and the clove of minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in the 4 cups chicken stock (or broth), 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get any stuck on bits. Finally add the 12 ounces of sliced sausage and return chicken to pot along with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through and stew has thickened, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom.
- Make the steamed rice while the gumbo is cooking. When it is nice and thick and the chicken is fall apart tender, taste the broth and add more salt and pepper if needed. You can remove the chicken pieces and shred the meat if you'd like or leave them whole.
- Serve over steamed rice and garnish with remaining scallions and pass hot sauce at the table.
Notes
- Serving suggestions: I highly recommend enjoying this gumbo with a splash or two of hot sauce. It not only adds a touch of heat but also vinegar that is essential for balancing out the richness of the broth.
- Roux: Stir the roux constantly with a wooden spoon to cook it evenly and prevent the flour from burning on the bottom of the pot.
- Make-ahead/Freezing: The gumbo can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the fridge or transfer to an airtight container and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Chicken: Keep the chicken thighs whole or remove and shred the meat.
