Authentic Gumbo Recipes

Recipe: Best Ever Seafood Gumbo

Simmering andouille with the stock lends the base a tasty depth; adding the seafood at the last minute means it's perfectly cooked. This recipe is packed with fresh seafood—the ingredient list calls for a pound of fresh lump crabmeat and three pounds medium-size raw shrimp. Save prep time by buying frozen sliced okra and thawing before you add it to the gumbo. While the ingredient list is rather lengthy, we assure you, your effort will result in major payoff when you take your first bite. The recipe yields about 5 quarts. Freeze additional servings in freezer bags to pull out on busy weeknights.

Recipe: Chicken-Andouille Gumbo with Roasted Red Potatoes

You can't go wrong with this classic Southern dish to fill you up on chilly nights. We made it even heartier by serving roasted potatoes with the traditional soup of andouille sausage, chicken, Cajun seasonings, and veggies. To make the roasted potatoes, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Stir together three pounds baby red potatoes that have been quartered, one tablespoon peanut oil, and one teaspoon kosher salt. Bake on a jelly-roll pan for 40 to 45 minutes or until brown and crispy. Flip once halfway through cooking.

Recipe: Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo

This gumbo recipe is relatively quick to pull together compared to most traditional recipes. After preparing the roux, most of the time spent making gumbo is basically hands-free. You’ll just need to stir the pot occasionally to prevent sticking. This flavorful stew recipe is worth the effort. Serve your Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo over white rice for a complete meal. Garnish with additional fresh flat-leaf parsley if you like. This recipe makes eight servings, but don’t try to halve it for a family of four. Go ahead and make the full recipe and freeze the leftovers in gallon-size freezer bags.

Recipe: Chicken-Tasso-Andouille Sausage Gumbo, as pictured

Try it with shrimp! Recipe: Shrimp-Tasso-Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Tasso is a spicy smoked cut of pork or beef popular in many Cajun dishes. When gumbo is served in Louisiana, filé powder (ground, dried sassafras leaves) is as common on the table as salt and pepper. It thickens and flavors gumbos and other Creole dishes. Invite over a crowd to enjoy a big pot of Chicken-Tasso-Andouille Sausage Gumbo—our recipe makes about 20 servings! One reviewer suggests adding shrimp to the pot at the last minute. We certainly won’t object to that tasty addition.

Recipe: "Big Easy" Gumbo

Recipe: Hoppin' John

Adding flour to hot oil creates a fast and flavorful roux. After adding the shrimp, watch them closely. You’ll only want them to cook five minutes or just until they turn pink. Serve this party favorite with scoops of Hoppin' John and a fresh green salad tossed with a vinaigrette. We tested with Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning and Savoie’s Andouille Sausage, but feel free to use your favorite brands and varieties. Hoppin’ John is traditionally thought to bring good luck if served on New Year’s Day, but this recipe makes it easy enough to enjoy year round

Recipe: Chicken-Andouille Gumbo

Make Chicken-Andouille Gumbo the day ahead to save time. It will take about three hours and ten minutes to coo. Fresh andouille and crusty French bread are essential to this dish. Many traditionalists don’t think it’s gumbo unless it has sliced okra. Feel free to stir in thawed sliced okra from the freezer section of your grocery store. Once you’ve mastered the art of gumbo, you can really make it your own by adding your own set of spices and ingredients.  You can top each serving with chopped fresh parsley, cooked and crumbled bacon, and hot sauce.

Recipe: Grilled Shrimp Gumbo Salad

​​​​​​​This certainly is not a traditional gumbo recipe. Terrific flavors from the garden and grill come together in this summery twist on a New Orleans favorite. Served in smaller portions, it also makes a great first course. We love the grilled flavor of okra, onion, bell pepper, and shrimp paired with the zippy Fresh Corn Vinaigrette. Two packages of baby heirloom tomatoes bring even more seasonal flavor to this dish that’s seems straight from the farmers market. Toss all the ingredients together and serve in a large bowl for a family-style presentation.