Gumbo

This easy Gumbo recipe is made with andouille sausage, chicken, the Cajun holy trinity, and a dark roux. It's fail-proof, flavor-packed, and delicious! The post Gumbo appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Mar 22, 2025 - 14:42

There are SO many ways to make a soul-warming, homemade Gumbo, but this recipe is the one I always make for my family. I use andouille sausage, chicken thighs, and the Cajun holy trinity of vegetables (onion, celery, and bell pepper) to build layers of deep flavor. It’s comforting and, best of all, budget-friendly! But the real heart of any good gumbo? The roux. It needs to be brown, like the color of dark milk chocolate, and just right…rush it, and you lose that signature flavor. Burn it, and you’ll have to start over. But don’t worry! I’ll walk you through exactly how to make the perfect roux every single time.

Overhead view of a bowl of gumbo and white rice.

Easy Gumbo Recipe

Gumbo is a seriously flavor-packed stew that originated in Louisiana and brings together all the different cultures and culinary influences of the region. I love making it when I want something rich, hearty, and made for sharing. And while there are many variations of this recipe out there, this easy and budget-friendly version is my go-to. I skip the okra and filé powder (ground sassafras leaves) to keep things simple and to my taste, but feel free to toss in some okra at the end if you’d like.

Gumbo Recipe

This easy Gumbo recipe is made with andouille sausage, chicken, the Cajun holy trinity, and a dark roux. It's fail-proof, flavor-packed, and delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost $17.20 recipe / $2.15 serving

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings servings

Calories 705kcal

Author Marsha McDougal

Equipment

Skillet
Dutch Oven or Large Pot

Ingredients

1 green bell pepper $0.86
3 ribs of celery $0.55
1 yellow onion $0.48
4 cloves of garlic $0.16
14 oz. package smoked Andouille sausage* $5.49
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs $4.99
1 Tbsp cooking oil $0.04
1 ½ Tbsp creole or cajun seasoning, divided** $0.50
¾ tsp garlic powder, divided $0.10
1 tsp dried thyme $0.10
¼ tsp salt $0.02
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.06
6 cups chicken broth $0.78
3 bay leaves $0.30
2 green onions $0.20
8 cups cooked rice, for serving*** $1.94

Roux

¾ cup cooking oil $0.48
¾ cup all-purpose flour $0.15

Instructions

Dice the bell pepper, celery, and onion. Mince the garlic cloves. Set the vegetables to the side.
Slice the sausage into ½-inch rounds. Set the sausage to the side. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size ½ inch pieces. Season the chicken with 1 ½ tsp creole seasoning and ¼ tsp garlic powder.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until the sausage is browned on both sides. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
In the same skillet add the chopped chicken thighs. Cook the chicken stirring frequently until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and place on the same plate as the sausage. Cover the plate with foil and set to the side.
Now it’s time to make the roux. Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium-low heat. Add ¾ cup cooking oil and ¾ cup all-purpose flour. Cook and stir the roux with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring constantly until the roux starts to change colors and resembles a dark milk chocolate. After about 20 minutes it will be a light brown color. Keep stirring. After another 10-20 minutes it will start to resemble the color of milk chocolate. The entire process takes about 30-40 minutes. Don’t walk away or it could burn. It’s truly a labor of love.
Once the roux is done, turn the heat up to medium and add the diced bell pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Stir to combine with the roux. Cook the veggies for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften.
Next, add 1 Tbsp creole seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Now, pour in the chicken broth. Give everything a good stir.
Add the browned sausage, cooked chicken, and bay leaves to the pot and stir to combine.
Bring the pot up to a gentle boil. As soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. I didn’t add any other seasoning. Top with sliced green onions or parsley and serve with cooked white rice. Enjoy!

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Notes

*Smoked Andouille sausage comes in different sizes. Any 12-14 oz. package is fine.

**Use any Creole or Cajun seasoning you like. I really like Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning. If you’ve already got a well stocked pantry, you could even try making your own homemade Cajun seasoning!

***I’d go for 1/2 cup-1 cup of cooked rice per serving (this recipe makes about 8 servings total. The amount in the recipe card is enough for 1 cup of cooked rice per serving.). You can, of course, serve your stew with as much or as little cooked rice as you like! See our guide on how to cook rice.

Feel free to add in some frozen okra towards the end of the cooking time if you want. I am not a huge fan of okra, so I chose to leave it out. Some recipes also use filé powder as a thickener in addition to the roux and/or okra. I’ve personally never used this because I don’t keep this ingredient on hand. If you like the tea-like flavor of filé powder and want to add it, try adding it at the end of the cooking time, just before serving. Start with a small about (1/2 tsp) and add more to taste.

Nutrition

how to make Gumbo step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Diced onion, celery, green bell pepper, and minced garlic on a wooden cutting board.

Prep your ingredients: Start by dicing 1 green bell pepper, 3 ribs of celery, and 1 yellow onion. You should also mince 4 cloves of garlic so it’s all ready to go. Set the vegetables to one side for now.

Sliced andouille sausage and diced chicken thigh on two cutting boards.

Slice the 14 oz. package Andouille sausage into ½-inch rounds and set it aside. Now, cut 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces (about ½-inch pieces). Season the diced chicken with 1 ½ tsp creole seasoning and ¼ tsp garlic powder. Set the chicken aside.

Brown the sausage and chicken: In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil and the sliced Andouille sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sausage is browned on all sides. Carefully transfer the browned sausage to a plate.

In the same skillet (with the fat from the sausage!), add the chopped and seasoned chicken thighs. Cook the chicken until browned and cooked all the way through, stirring often. This will take about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the same plate with the sausage and cover it with foil. Set the plate aside.

Flour and cooking oil in a skillet to make a roux.

Make the roux: Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-low heat and add ¾ cup cooking oil and ¾ cup all-purpose flour. Cook and stir the roux with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring constantly until the roux starts to change color. We eventually want it to resemble dark milk chocolate, but it will take time! This step is a labor of love.

After about 20 minutes, the roux will be a light brown color. Keep stirring it often, and don’t walk away or turn up the heat, or it could burn.

A brown roux in a skillet to make gumbo.

After another 10-20 minutes, the roux will start to resemble the color of milk chocolate, which is what we want. This entire process took me about 30-40 minutes total.

Diced onion, diced celery, and diced bell pepper added to a dark roux in a skillet.

Make the gumbo: When your roux is the correct color, turn the heat up to medium and add the diced bell pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Mix to combine them with the roux and cook for 4-5 minutes until the veggies start to soften.

Chicken broth and seasonings added to a roux and diced veggies in a skillet.

Add 1 Tbsp creole seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and 6 cups chicken broth to the pot. Stir to evenly combine the seasonings.

Homemade gumbo in a skillet before simmering.

Now, add your browned sausage slices, cooked chicken thighs, and 3 bay leaves to the pot. Stir to combine and bring it up to a gentle boil. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer (without a lid) for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir it occasionally.

Homemade gumbo after simmering in a skillet.

Finish and serve: Once it has simmered, taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. I personally didn’t add any other seasonings as I liked it how it is! Serve with sliced green onions on top and a serving of cooked white rice.

A hand holding a bowl of homemade gumbo and white rice, with a fork taking some.

The roux is a very important part of gumbo. I like to brown the sausage and cook the chicken in a skillet, then make the roux in a separate pot. This is because the browned bits that are left after cooking the meat can sometimes burn if cooked in the same pot as the roux. If the roux burns at all or has a burnt taste to it, it’ll ruin the whole dish.

Here are some more tips for success to help you out (even if it’s your first time making a dark roux!)

A roux is equal parts flour and fat. When you cook a roux, you’re essentially cooking the flour, and this process can go through a few different stages before it turns the dark milk chocolate brown color we’re looking for. A roux can be white, blonde, brown, and dark brown. To get a roux like the one in my photos above, you need to be patient and not rush the process. It took me about 30-40 minutes to achieve the correct color. Like I said earlier, it’s a labor of love!
Keep stirring often, and don’t walk away! Prep all your ingredients beforehand so you can give your roux the attention it needs.
Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to make the process go quicker. I know, it’s VERY tempting…but if it burns, there’s no going back. You’ll have to remake the roux to avoid an undesirable burnt taste in your stew.
You can make your roux ahead of time! Once cooled, store it in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. Let it come to room temperature before gently heating and continuing with the recipe.

What’s the Difference between Gumbo and Jambalaya?

I see this question pop up every so often, so I thought I’d give a brief explanation. Both dishes are staples of Cajun and Creole cuisine, but they’re quite different in how they’re prepared. Jambalaya is a one-pot rice dish where the rice cooks with the other ingredients, soaking up all the flavors. Gumbo, on the other hand, is a thick, stew-like dish made with a dark roux as a base and served over rice rather than cooking it all together. Both recipes feature the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, as well as different proteins, but it’s really their preparation and serving style that set them apart!

Serving Suggestions

Gumbo is traditionally served with white rice, just as I do in this recipe. I also sprinkle a few sliced green onions on top to finish my bowl off. It’s already very filling and hearty all on its own, so I don’t usually add any more sides. However, I know some people love to serve a creamy Cajun potato salad on the side. A slice of French bread or garlic bread would also be great for dipping into the broth!

Storage & Reheating

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Let them cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. This recipe also freezes well for longer storage and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and bring it to a gentle boil on the stovetop to ensure it’s heated thoroughly.