Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

This is a straightforward, real-deal Cajun gumbo that everyone loved. The kids ate leftover gumbo for two days afterward. It really kept getting better.

I like that the author labels this Cajun-style as opposed to Creole. Creole cooking is lighter, probably more refined, and possibly might include tomato. This one is a hearty stew that is rustic and utterly delicious.

The most time-consuming step is making the roux. It took an hour or so for me to get it to deep brown without burning it. Be careful with the hot roux, it burns like crazy so don’t splatter it around.

The cooking time can actually be mitigated in a couple of ways. It could be done way ahead of time and left in the pot with the heat off once it reaches the appropriate color. Just bring it back to temperature of “scalding hot” before proceeding.

Another method that I use almost exclusively for making roux is the Alton Brown oven method. Just mix the fat and flour and put the uncovered pot in the oven set to 350°F. It takes about 2 hours for it to get to the almost dark brown stage and don’t require constant attention. Just give it a stir maybe every 30 minutes. This frees you up to get everything else prepared and have a couple beers, too.

I wanted to cut the level of spiciness in the gumbo for my kiddos, so I used sweet paprika and subbed hot paprika for the cayenne. I added healthy doses of Tabasco to my bowl, though.

When the raw chicken is added, make sure to skim all the usual gunk that comes to the surface. The chicken was ready in about an hour since I used the thighs and legs from a large free-range chicken. Smaller hens may take less time.

I followed this Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo recipe to the letter, and it turned out unbelievably great. The smell in the house as this was cooking was out of this world! I made this, let it rest in the refrigerator for a day, and enjoyed it with the suggested rice.

This is a recipe that is worth the effort…your family will think you’re AMAZING! Definitely will have this again and again.

The paprika I used was hot, not sweet. I used store-bought chicken stock, and it seemed to be just fine. The roux did not take long (15 minutes tops) to reach a “coffee with creamer” brown. I had to adjust the heat quite often so it wouldn’t smoke but no problems at all on the browning of the roux. The chicken actually took a little over an hour, just because I like it fall-off-the-bone tender.

Ohio doesn’t know gumbo; I don’t pretend to. What I do know is that we’re on board with this spicy, richly flavored, meal-in-a-bowl chicken-and-sausage gumbo.

If you have a helper in the kitchen with you, pass them a beer and put them on roux-stirring duty so you can do all the chopping while you chat. It took 30 minutes for our flour mixture to look like café au lait. From that point, there’s about 15 minutes of activity until you, too, can relax with a beer while the chicken stews away.

Pulling the meat away from the bones and skin was the only grumbly part; as I did so, I had to wonder if using boneless, skinless thighs would affect the final product.

Adding the andouille sausage is truly transformative—the entire pot is changed by the smoky, savory sausage. Fistfuls of scallions and parsley and a scoop of bright white rice gives each bowl a photo finish.

The perfectionist in me will tinker a bit more, as the stew was a tad greasy for me at the end, bringing me back to the skinless thighs idea…but a rest in the fridge, then scooping the solids off could do as well. Don’t forget the hot sauce—Tabasco, Crystal, or any vinegar-and-cayenne-style hot sauce is perfect. I used sweet paprika.

We simply can’t wait to enjoy this again! Great recipe!

I love gumbo—any kind—and I really liked this one. It’s very easy, straightforward, and affordable. A very satisfying dish.

Since I had just made roasted chicken stock, I had lots of chicken fat left and used that for this dish. It worked very well. I used some smoked paprika, which is slightly hot already, so I omitted the cayenne.

Since I’m still not used to my new stove, my roux was done in just 16 minutes. Next time I’ll do the roux on a very low flame.

After adding the veggies, then the stock, and then the chicken, I let the gumbo simmer for about 1 hour. The chicken was done but not quite falling off the bone. Exactly what I wanted.

After adding back the shredded chicken and the andouille, I let the stew simmer for another 1/2 hour to blend the flavor. I added a bit more salt, and then I was done.

Served with white rice and a bit of chopped cilantro and scallions, it’s a keeper! I made it ahead of time and let the flavors mingle in the fridge. The fat separated a bit, but a rigorous short boil brought it back together.

If you’re expecting a spicy-hot gumbo, then this Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo recipe isn’t for you. If you want a gumbo with layers of flavor, then this is the perfect recipe for you.

I was concerned about the amount of cayenne pepper, so I used the sweet paprika. Next time I’ll opt for the hot because I thought it could use just a little extra kick—not enough where it will sear your mouth but enough to make you sit up and take notice of the flavors.

I also used andouille sausage because I just love it.

The directions are very easy to follow, and the timing for me was perfect. It took 20 minutes in my enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven to get that beautiful deep brown coloring.

When making a roux, you need to remember, the lighter the roux, the thicker it will be. The darker the roux, the more flavorful it is, yet the flour will have lost a lot of its thickening power.

It took only 45 minutes for my chicken to cook through. Then, 30 minutes later, I had a very good pot of gumbo ready to eat. This does make a huge batch of gumbo but could very easily be cut in half for a smaller batch.

My husband and I LOVED this gumbo dish. I’ve tried gumbos before and was never particularly impressed. Apparently, Creole versus Cajun spices makes all the difference!

My dish wasn’t as dark as the picture of the recipe, but I think that’s because I wasn’t patient enough to let the butter brown fully. I’ll make the effort next time.

I also think that, with this spice blend, you could make a quick “cheaters” version and still have a tasty meal. Subbing boneless chicken cut into cubes would really cut down cooking time although you would lose a bit of the flavor from cooking bone-in.

This chicken and sausage gumbo is a rather more complicated recipe than I usually use, but the end result was perfect. The flavors all come together to make an outstanding full-bodied gumbo.

When making gumbo, the above measurements are usually just a guide. That is the nature of gumbo. Use what you have.

You can’t get a sear on the chicken when you are putting it into the pot with the roux. I have always seen either the chicken just put in raw or either browned before you start the roux. It wasn’t seared but was cooked a bit and it was perfect by the end of the cooking time.

I didn’t find that putting the pot half off the burner accomplished much. The trick is to not raise the whole thing a boil over high heat. It takes longer to do it on a low flame, but it works, in that you have no grunge on top that way.

The best part about gumbo is that it gets better and better the longer it simmers and/or sits in the fridge. And it freezes really well. If you have any left. So put a pot on the stove, cook it until you are ready to eat it, and it will be good to go.

I am not sure if the special blend of spices was the secret, but it will be good on fried chicken to use up what’s left!

And if you want to really eat like down-home, put potato salad in that bowl instead of the rice. Either way, this one is a winner.

Gumbo is good with everything from iced tea to longnecks to Prosecco to a good oaky Chardonnay. Or maybe that’s just the way we are used to doing things down here around NOLA!