Classic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (No Okra)

I fell in love with chicken and sausage gumbo and, honestly, all Cajun and Creole cuisine my freshman year of college. That was a long, long time ago, y’all!

During my freshman year of college one of my hall-mates was from the small town of Amite, Louisiana. She invited a group of us to come home with her during spring break.

We attended the Amite Oyster Festival, spent some time in southern Louisiana and New Orleans, and drove home through Baton Rouge.

As you can imagine it was a big party week for a group of college kids.

These days, though, what I remember most fondly about that trip is the food.

I’m fortunate that there is a strong Louisiana influence here in Arkansas, and we have several restaurants that specialize in Cajun cooking. It really is one of the most delicious cuisines on earth, in my opinion!

Classic Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (No Okra)

This recipe is a classic chicken and sausage gumbo made without okra. Some people say it isn’t gumbo without okra, but that simply isn’t true.

In fact, you might be surprised to learn that some traditional Cajun gumbos contain neither okra nor file powder!

As with many Cajun dishes, you will need to make a roux…

What is Gumbo?

Gumbo is a classic Louisiana stew that reflects the many cultures that have influenced the region’s cooking over the years.

Most gumbos begin with the “holy trinity” of Cajun and Creole cooking: onion, bell pepper, and celery.

If you look at a bunch of gumbo recipes you will quickly see that the dish can be thickened in several different ways, including with okra, file powder (ground sassafras leaves), or a dark roux made from flour and fat.

Cajun-style gumbo is often based on a rich dark roux, while the ingredients added to the pot can vary widely. Chicken, sausage, shrimp, crab, oysters, and other meats or seafood are all commonly used, which means there are countless variations of gumbo.

This chicken and sausage gumbo recipe is pretty common and classic. However, if you visit the state you will find that every region – and even every family – has its own gumbo recipe!

Best Pot for Gumbo:

A heavy pot or Dutch oven works best for gumbo because it distributes heat evenly while you are making the roux.

Thin pots tend to create hot spots and can cause the roux to burn.

Ingredients for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo:

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound andouille or Cajun-style sausage, sliced
• 2 pounds chicken thighs
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2–3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1–2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (see notes)
• salt, to taste
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

1. Brown the sausage
   Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Brown the chicken
   In the same pot, brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Add a little oil if needed to prevent sticking. The chicken does not need to be cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. Make the roux
   Turn the temperature on the stove to medium low. Add vegetable oil to the pot. Stir in the flour and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the roux turns a deep brown color similar to chocolate. This can take up to 30 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables
   Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 – 8 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
5. Add the garlic
   Stir in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
6. Add the broth
   Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Once smooth, stir in the remaining broth.
7. Season and simmer
   Return the chicken to the pot along with the bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook about 30 minutes.
8. Finish the gumbo
   Remove the chicken, shred the meat, and return it to the pot along with the sausage, Cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer another 10–15 minutes.
9. Taste and adjust
   Season with additional salt if needed.
10. Serve
    Remove bay leaves. Serve the gumbo over white rice and top with sliced green onions and parsley if desired.

Tips for Making a Good Gumbo:

What kind of Chicken to use:
I always use chicken thighs for this type of recipe and I usually use boneless chicken thighs because they are more convenient. Bone-in thighs work just as well and, to be honest, would add even more flavor to the broth.

What sausage to use:
This is a tough question! Everyone has different preferences. I actually don’t like andouille in gumbo because I find the flavor can be overpowering. But some people can’t imagine using anything else!

I also find that certain Cajun-style sausage can be a little too spicy for the gumbo.

I most often use Conecuh Sausage which is an excellent brand from Alabama. I would suggest trying some different varieties until you figure out what you like.

Prepare ahead of time:
Once you start making your roux you can’t walk away from it and once it is ready you want to add the vegetables immediately. For this reason, I always have my vegetables chopped and ready to go before I start the roux.

Making the roux:
Making a roux takes time and patience and attention.

Just keep stirring and you will see the flour and oil mixture go from golden to a peanut butter color to a milk chocolate color to a dark chocolate color. It will also get a particular nutty smell which you will learn to recognize when you make gumbo often.

I always use a roux whisk which I love and definitely recommend.

For this particular gumbo I like to bring the roux to a shade of brown that is slightly darker than milk chocolate.

And, I hate to break this to you, but if you burn the roux even slightly you will want to start over. A burnt roux will give the entire pot of gumbo a bitter flavor.

Adding the vegetables to the roux:
When you add the vegetables to your roux it will sizzle and become more of a dark chocolate color. Sometimes the mixture can even seem a little dry.

Don’t be tempted to add your broth at this point! Just keep stirring and the vegetables will release some water as they soften.

It is important not to rush this step. The vegetable and roux mixture will become nice and glossy as the vegetables soften.

Adding the chicken broth: Your broth should be room temperature when you add it to the roux. You don’t want to take it from the refrigerator. However, it is not necessary for it to be warmed.

The reason for this is that adding broth that is cold can cause your roux to “break” or to separate.

Adding the spices:
If you use a Cajun seasoning with salt I would suggest to be really careful. The gumbo can easily become too salty due to the salt from the broth.

My preference is to use my own cajun spice blend without salt and then add salt to taste at the end.

Also be aware that the spiciness of your sausage can influence how much of the Cajun seasoning that you need.

Resting the gumbo:
If you have time, let the gumbo sit for about 30 minutes before serving. This just lets all the flavors come together.

Gumbo is one of those dishes that keeps well and is often even better the next day.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve over white rice
• Sprinkle green onions or parsley over the top
• Serve with potato salad (very common in Louisiana)
• A good crusty French-style bread
• Saltines
• Fritos

I hope that y’all enjoy this Classic Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo as much as we do. It’s one of our favorite comfort food meals, especially when the weather turns cool.