Chicken And Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Make the roux

In a heavy-bottomed 5–6 quart Dutch oven or pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add all-purpose flour and whisk constantly. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom, adjusting heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook the roux until it reaches a deep chocolate-brown color (about 25–35 minutes). Be patient — whisk or stir frequently to prevent burning. If it looks like it will burn, reduce heat slightly.

Once roux is a deep brown, immediately stir in the unsalted butter to enrich and loosen it. Cook 1 minute more.

Gradually whisk in 2 cups of the chicken stock to the roux to temper it; it will thicken. Then whisk in the remaining stock and 1 cup water until smooth. Stir in tomato paste to deepen color and flavor. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

While making the roux or in a separate skillet, pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown chicken thighs skin-side down in 1 tablespoon oil (or rendered fat) until skin is golden, 5–7 minutes. Flip and brown other side 3–4 minutes. Remove to a plate. (They do not need to be cooked through.)

In the same skillet, sear the Andouille sausage slices until edges are browned, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer sausage to the plate with chicken. If using boneless breast, season and quickly brown 1–2 minutes per side; set aside.

When the gumbo base (roux + stock) is simmering, add the browned chicken thighs (and optional breast) and sausage to the pot. Reduce heat to low–medium; simmer gently, partially covered, for 35–40 minutes until chicken is tender and reaches 165°F (if bone-in, meat should pull from bone).

About 15 minutes before the gumbo finishes simmering, heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, bell pepper and celery (the holy trinity) and cook until softened, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Add the softened vegetables to the gumbo pot along with thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Continue simmering the gumbo so vegetables finish cooking and flavors meld.

After the gumbo has simmered and chicken is tender (about total 40–50 minutes), remove chicken thighs to a cutting board. Strip meat from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces; discard bones and skin. Return chicken meat to the pot.

Stir in Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, remaining 1 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste), remaining 1/2 tsp black pepper, and hot sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more Cajun seasoning or salt as needed. If using, stir in up to 1/2 tsp file powder off heat (file thickens slightly and adds flavor).

Simmer the gumbo an additional 5–10 minutes to allow flavors to marry after seasoning adjustments. If gumbo becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup water or stock to reach desired consistency. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

Ladle gumbo over cooked white rice. Garnish with chopped parsley and sliced green onions. Serve with lemon wedges and additional hot sauce at the table.