Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Hi everyone, I am the author of this recipe and from reading the reviews I thought I would add...the roux color is really dependent on how you would like it. I used milk chocolate as a reference as that's our family preference. If you would like it darker then you would just keep a stirrin until it's a color you would desire-it also intensifies the flavor. Also, if you do not like it thick then reduce the flour/oil ratio to maybe 1/2 c. flour to 1/2 c. oil. Thanks to everyone for trying the gumbo!! Jodi

Great "authentic" gumbo - I've lived on the bayou all my life and I just cringe when I read a recipe for gumbo that includes tomatoes - a true gumbo does not have tomatoes!!! This is very close to the gumbo I make.

Really delicious. I only used half the roux because I like my gumbo thicker. I needed about 3 pounds of meat (chicken and sausage)to make this a stew-type gumbo. I also added 1/2 lb of frozen okra during the last 30 min. I only cooked mine for about an hour, but sauteed the veggies and chicken for 15 min before adding to the roux. A few tips for those new at making a roux: careful when you add the vegetables to the roux, the roux will splatter like hot oil. at medium heat this took 30 min. to turn the color of chocolate milk. I would recommend medium high heat, but watch the roux.

This is the BEST gumbo! I've been making this for over 20 years from my mom's recipe that she got from a cajun neighbor when she lived in Lafayette LA in the early 60's. And this recipe is almost exactly like the one I make. The changes I made was I did not add bellpepper (personal preference) and I added 2 cans of okra (drained) and added 1 tbs of file (optional). Plus I boiled a chicken and deboned. I darkened my roux more like chocolate pudding. Otherwise, I was tickled to see this recipe posted. It truly is "THE BEST EVER GUMBO! Once in a while, I'll add some canned drained oysters too. Thanks YoYo!

I don't really measure my green peppers, onions, or celery when I make gumbo anymore, unless it is a really fancy recipe. I just eye it. For this recipe, I used 1 medium/large green bell pepper, 1 medium onion, and 3 celery stalks and chopped them up. I also used 1 pound of browned smoked turkey sausage, 1 pound of diced, cooked chicken breast, 1/2 pound of large shrimp, 1 can of clams, and 1 can of crabs. The only problem I had with this recipe is that it said "Creole seasoning to taste." A little vague, don't ya think? So, for my seasoning, I used 1/2 t. dried basil, 1/2 t. dried thyme, 1/2 t. dried oregano, 1 t. of ground black pepper, 1 t. of cayenne pepper, 3/4 to 1 t. of salt, 1 t. of paprika, some file powder (add according to your taste) and 1 t. of pepper sauce.

This recipe is fantastic! I had been looking for a tomato-free gumbo recipe for a while! A note to anyone who said that it turned out too greasy because of the full cup of oil: it probably needs to cook longer. A lot longer. I recently stumbled upon an easy oven roux recipe that changed my life (my gumbo-making life, that is). Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a cast iron dutch oven, heat 1 cup of oil. After heated, slowly add a cup of flour and whisk thoroughly and heat through. Then, just transfer the whole dutch oven into the pre-heated oven and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (your preference, I like my roux DARK). All you have to do is take it out every 20 minutes and whisk it a little. BEST roux I've ever made. Ever. And no standing over a hot stove all day! 8-10 minutes on the stove is just not enough, not even close. Everything else in this recipe is spot-on though. If the roux is cooked properly, you won't see any oil or grease floating to the top because it's been fully cooked and incorporated into the flour. Oh! And I added about 1 1/2 cups of frozen okra the last 10 minutes or so. Just a personal preference... I love okra!

I've made this twice in the last 6 weeks, the second time by request. I haven't even tasted it because it's gone so fast. I was asked to make again but I just passed on the recipe. I made it a day ahead, added shrimp when I rewarmed it. Roasted the bones from the chicken and the chells from the shrimp and added to chicken broth to make stock - I here it was the best gumbo ever! Thanks!

I've only eaten gumbo once in New Orleans, and this was so much better than I remember. I used corn oil and cooked the roux until closer to the color of milk chocolate rather than chocolate milk as recommended in other Gumbo recipes on this site. Used mild Italian sausage and 1 lb boneless chicken breast. Used 2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning I brought back from New Orleans which might make it a little spicy for kids. Chopped 1/3 red, 1/3 yellow, and 1/3 green peppers. Will remember next time to have all ingredients cooked, chopped and ready before starting my roux. I added the chicken the same time I added the other ingredients and only simmered uncovered for 1 hour, stirring often. Gumbo was even better the next day. Thanks so much for this recipe!

This recipe was fabulous! This was my first attempt at Gumbo and my husband LOVED it! I followed the recipe EXACTLY. Thanks!

I don't know where I went wrong but the 1 cup of oil just ruined this dish for me. It had a very oily feeling in my mouth that I did not care for. I used Canola oil and had no problem achieving the chocolate color that other reviewers said was a must after 25 minutes of cooking the roux. I followed the recipe exactly and it smelled delicious but I just could not stomach the oily feel and taste in my mouth when I ate it. Tried serving the leftovers with rice but that didn't help it. I will try using a recipe with less oil next time.

Topnotch recipe. I messed up the roux on the first go but got it right the 2nd time. My market had no andouille sausage so I used 1 lb of Hillshire Farms Hot Kielbasa. I added a handful of chopped parsley after the first half-hour of the roux simmering and then a 1/2 pound of shrimp, another handful of chopped parsley, and 1 lb of frozen, but thawed fist, cut okra during the last 5 minutes of cooking. You get this roux down and you are set for life. The writer didn't mention quantities for salt, pepper, or Cajun seasoning so we added them somewhat sparingly and it was enough, the sausage itself provides lots of seasoning/flavor. Wonderful stuff. We made this for 4 people last night who all enjoyed it immensley and we're having it again for dinner (2)and expect there still be some leftovers so it's not that expensive in the end.

This recipe was wonderful everyone loved this. I did make some additions I added okra and sauteed shrimp at the very end. Also added gumbo file to individual servings. Next time I will cook the roux longer.

This is basically my recipe for gumbo with a couple of changes.....I make a microwave roux. mix the oil and the flour in an 8 cup PYREX glass bowl..stir well.....cook for 7-10 minutes until dark as you would like. Be very careful,, burns easily... Use thighs in making my stock. Use Tony Chaceres Creole seasoning.....DO not add salt till after tasting. ..add 2 t. thyme, 1-3 t. cayenne pepper. Use chicken, andouille sausage.... add 1 pkg frozen okra (sliced) as soon as broth is added. Cook for 2-4 hours....When you can no longer see the okra, the gumbo is done....I may need to add more broth. Keep an eye on the thickness, Then add the peeled shrimp and turn off the heat....The shrimp doesn't need to boil....... I like to use a cast iron dutch oven for cooking this.....I learned this in NO, liven in LA for 35 years....LOVE MY GUMBO!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!

This is a new family favorite! Keep in mind though the recipe says feeds 10 - if you have teenagers, I would say this feeds eight. I serve it over rice (I'd suggest doubling your usual rice as a side dish serving). Also, it freezes really well. I've made it, frozen the left overs (just the gumbo, not the rice) and had a second dinner from it. I noticed a few people had challenges with the roux - you MUST be patient and pay attention. It does take at least eight minutes, keep stirring over that medium heat. I would suggest, unless you have a second pair of hands to stir while you dice other ingredients - be sure you have the other ingredients ready to go before you start the roux.

I am a true cajun and just have to throw in some good pointers. File' should be put on the table along w/ the salt, pepper, & butter (butter? read on) so each person can add it as they like it. File' is used as an "thickening agent" as well as a spice so if your gumbo is not thick enough for one then they can add file' to thicken it. Also, gumbo should be served w/ rice but it is a MUST that gumbo be served w/ a baked sweet potatoe as well. Serve the sweet potatoe on a saucer (with butter ;)) on it and each bite of gumbo should have a little piece of sweet potatoe in it. I just throw the potatoe in my gumbo when eating. I also like to add eggs in my chicken and sausage gumbo. While the gumbo is boiling just crack the raw eggs and drop in the gumbo or you can boil them first, peel and drop in. Also, chicken & sausage gumbo should not have seafood in it; if you want seafood in it then you should make a seafood gumbo. Cant beat true cajun food!

I have been making gumbo for a long time. This is a good recipe for a rustic gumbo.....but only use a half cup oil and flour. The same thickening effect will happen! One cup of oil will leave oil on your teeth. This recipe after simmering is for 4 servings....that much oil is disgusting. Try a half-cup, oil/flour roux and the rest is pretty dang on point. Simple, rustic gumbo. I have made plenty of gumbo for 8-10 people with just a half cup of oil and flour.

Yummy, but gives me a stomach ache. Use polish sausage instead.

I've been making this dish for years and it seriously doesn't get any better than this. Please take everyone's advice and follow the directions for the roux. I know it's a pain because it just takes so long, but that's where you'll be getting your true gumbo flavor. To help it along, you can brown your flour in the oven on a cookie sheet the day before but just make sure you watch it carefully. This method will help get you to that very rich and dark color a bit faster. My only addition to the recipe is the traditional okra for thickening purposes. This also works beautifully with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and if you have any turkey gravy left, don't be afraid to throw that in too! Served over rice this is total comfort food. Thank you so much!

Made this tonight; KEEPER!! I searched for a cajun/jambalaya/gumbo recipe without tomatoes; this was a little greasy, but tasty. Five stars, but use plain rice, because rice from a mix will be too salty.

This was really wonderful. I did make a few changes for the ingredients I had on hand and for preferences of my kids (hide the veges). I reduced the oil and flour to to 2/3 cup, I chopped 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery & 2 green peppers in my food processor until faily fine. After I cooked the oil/flour mixture, I added the vegetables & then the sausage, it was very thick and somewhat gooey - I was a little worried. I added the chicken stock and spices and let cook for about 45 min. I still wasn't wasn't thrilled with the way it looked, so I added paprika, a couple dashes of hot sauce and 1/2 cup white rice with chopped cooked chicken tenderlions. Toward the end of the hour I added crab meat and about a cup of cooked brown rice. Wow - it turned out great, the kids and husband loved it.

Traditional Cajun gumbo starts with raw chicken. It is browned, then the rue is made in the rendered chicken fat and added fat. The chicken pieces are left whole. Otherwise, it's great. Thanks for not making a Creole gumbo out of it by adding tomatoes and okra. That is also good, but it ain't CAJUN.

Finally a traditional southern gumbo! It just irritates me to see all the gumbo recipes with tomatoes! A REAL gumbo does not have a tomatoes!!!!! I also do not measure any ingredients. I boil 6 chicken thighs ,season the water with celery,onion, garlic(lots),salt and nature seasoning.remove chicken when done and debone. Add the meat back in the broth you just made. Cut up any sausage you like and add that also. Keep it warming. I make a really thick and dark roux but my family loves a strong tasting gumbo. I don't use a cup of oil and flour. I use about half a cup of oil and sprinkle flour while stiring until I have almost a paste consistency. Then I cook in a cast iron skillet on med-low and wisk constantly for quite a while. When it is the color I want(we do dark chocolate) and right before it burns I throw in the trinity! The onion will keep the roux from burning. I cook that for just a few minutes and add it to my slightly boiling stock pot of chicken and sausage. Stir it up to mix in the roux.After it simmers for a while grease may come to the top. I just keep skimming it off. Most times I make a second roux with bacon grease and add that to the simmering gumbo. It gives a really nice flavor. I usually add tony cachere's but that's the only heat type seasoning we use. We always serve ours OVER potato salad not rice. The flavors of the two together will knock your socks off!! And sometimes I boil extra eggs and throw those in the gumbo. And it freezes well too!

This is more like cream of gumbo...not for us. I have never made it before, so I just went with it as a rookie, but this is not southern LA gumbo. Too thick and oily. Recommend you keep searching recipes.

This gumbo is so yummy! I followed the advice of another reviewer and cooked the rue a little longer, until it was a reddish-brown color. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to a "T" and it was fabulous. Served it with crusty bread...yum, yum. Can't wait to make it again.

Whomever said they are from La, let alone SLa and love this because it is authentic are crazy. I looks nothing like gumbo, waaaay too thick. This came out more like jambalya.

This was my first time making gumbo and it turned out great! I followed the recipe exactly (I thought) until my roux didn't come out, but I got it right the second time - just needed higher heat! Originally I just threw some chicken in the slow cooker but realized I had all the ingredients for this recipe (I used Tony Chachere's spice) SO happy I tried it, will be a regular dish now!

Followed the recipe, had great results, I did add okra as suggested. Thanks

I love to try different gumbo's and this one is close to my mom's so I give this cajun girl (YOYO78) a 5 star! Making gumbo truly comes from the heart. All I changed was I added some Slap Ya Mamma seasoning and let it cook all day long.

Solid gumbo - good, but not great

This is the real deal darlin! But I don't make my own roux anymore. Makes your house smell for days & it's easier to buy. Look for Tony Chachere's products at your grocery store... you'll save yourself a ton of time!

As a former resident of the New Orleans area, I must say this is FANTASTIC! Love it, love it, love it! I did not add the bell pepper (personal preference) but because it was so thick, I did have to add a cup of water so it could simmer the amount of time stated. However, I just noticed a post by the author of this recipe suggesting to half the oil and flour if you like it thinner. Thanks for sharing such a superb recipe! I can't wait to make it again! Update: Just made this again tonight. This time I used only 1/2 cup oil (bacon grease) and 1/2 cup flour as the author later suggested in post. I also used 2 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and 1 tsp liquid Crab Boil and added frozen okra. Everything else was exactly as directed. Wow! This was the perfect blend of flavor, spice, and consistency. My husband who normally does not like spicy foods loved this amount of spice. This is spicy enough for me to enjoy and mild enough for him to enjoy as well. Excellent served over hot cooked rice. Thanks for an authentic and awesome recipe!! I highly recommend this recipe. Update #2: I have made this many times now. We still love it! However, taking the advice from a reviewer here (Forgot the name, sorry), I made the roux in the oven! I started in a cast iron Dutch oven on the stove as usual. I used 3/4 cup veg oil and 3/4 cup flour. Once blended, I set the pot into a preheated oven at 375 for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. It was perfect and so much easier

I have been making this dish for 15 years with a recipe from my dear friend Diane from Lafayette, Louisiana. I don't add extra garlic, because the flavor of the sausage with the chicken is both delicate and delicious. 4 comments: 1) potato salad & rice 2) Tony Chachere's creole seasoning (salted or unsalted available) the 4th member of the cajun quartet. 3) Get your broth from a backing hen or fryer. I cook till the bones are soft and you get the flavor from skin, bones, everything. 4) Since moving to Chicago, I found Johnsonville makes a quality andouille sausage. Hooooweeeee dat's good gumbo!

My husband made this tonight (perhaps that's where the problem started, haha!) and it didn't turn out very good at all. It tasted like bland gravy with mushy sausage in it. It didn't have very much flavor. Perhaps he needed to go heavy on the seasoning. Won't make again.

This is very, very good. I took other reviewer's advice and cooked the roux a little longer, letting it get darker (20 mins). Also, I used chicken drumsticks - didn't have a rotisserie chicken. I browned them in oil and put them in with the sausage & veggies. The meat fell off the bones! I understand creole seasoning or file is best, but being in Connecticut, it's not easy to find so I used the "Simple Cajun Seasoning" mix (1 tbsp) from this website. It reminds me of my mom's gumbo, which she learned from my Cajun dad's family in Welsh, LA

This was my first experience with Gumbo, and we were very satisfied. I followed the recipe exactly, but found that the gumbo turned out very very thick. I had to double the chicken broth to give it a stewy texture. I added leftover rice to it and stored it in the fridge, but when reheating I found that It was way to thick again. I added even more broth to it to thin it out again. Aside from that, the flavor was very good, and we will be eating it again and again.

Born and raised in New Iberia,LA....a TRUE Cajun,and let me tell you,this is how I've always made gumbo.always a crowd pleaser.we like our roux VERY dark,so be patient,don't touch the heat,and keep stirring your roux.good things come to those who wait:) we also use raw chicken,thrown into the pot once stock is at a rice rolling boil.the longer you cook,the better it gets:) thanks for sharing!

Excellent authentic cajun gumbo recipe. I used a smoked chicken (because I had one on hand) and it gave it a nice, faint smoky flavor. Be sure to cook the roux thoroughly and get it good and dark.

I tried this last night and it was a success! I wish I had cooked the roux longer. I was afraid that I might burn it, but the "chocolate milk" color was not long enough. I added some okra, which is a must for gumbo as far as I am concerned. I also threw in some shrimp at the end. A good authentic gumbo recipe!

OH MY!!! I am currently working in Iraq and I had the incrediants sent over to me. I only had one shot of getting this right....it was perfect. I followed to a T with the exception I added a little extra cajun seasoning just cause we like it a little extra spicey. Served over white rice with a glass of ice tea....can't go wrong!!! Thank you so much for sharing.

Great flavor! Probably the easiest gumbo recipe I've ever made, too! This was a great addition to the tailgating menu when we played The Saints.

Jodi, thank you so much - made it for a dinner party and everyone RAVED!! Truly a spectacular meal!

I have made this several times and have to now double the recipe because it goes so fast in my house. I made a few changes though: (remember this is for a doubles recipe) 3 Large white onions, 2 Large heads of garlic rough chopped, Olive oil instead of corn or vegetable oil, About a pound and a half of shrimp, HALF a cup of the creole seasoning! Just to let you know, if you want to try it with the olive oil it will have an awful smell at the start. I almost threw it out right then but it browned so nicely that my husband insisted we give it a try. I like my roux very dark like the color of melted chocolate, so after it darkened I added the rest and cooked it up. It was fantastic. Much better than I expected-with that horrible smell at the beginning and all.... Thank you for a fantastic recipe!!!!

I have been making this recipe for a long time and it is a huge hit at our house. My kids cheer when I say we're having gumbo for dinner! I make the recipe exactly as is except to add okra sometimes. It took a few times to really get the roux like we like it just because I was afraid to burn it. We serve it over rice and usually make a corn bread to go with it...Cajun/Texas style! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!!!!

This is the first attempt I've had at making a gumbo (or a roux for that matter!). After looking up recipe after recipe, this one looked simple, straight forward, and based on just ingrediants and reviews sounded flat out tasty. And wow, what a treat! The only real modifications I made to this was adding some Okra that I had chopped up and sauteed for a few minutes into the dish when I had about 20 min left to go on it (When I put on the rice). The auroma of the dish was just everywhere, and it was such a pleasant and authentic thing. My friend who I had invited over to help "Test" this recpie said he could smell something good cooking inside even outside my front door. Hours after it started, we finally ate...and you could tell that this was a "Food of love" kind of thing. It turned out just the right consistancy with loads of sausage and chicken, and a robust flavor that can only be associated with Lousiana. It's easy to do, and absolutely delicious! And those hours of waiting are worth it at the end when you have a bite and say to yourself "I'd pay top dollar at a restaurant for this"

I made this gumbo tonight, bu I made the roux this morning before work to speed things along. It took me about 30 min to achieve milk choc. color instead of 10. *TIP - after sitting in the fridge, the excess oil in my roux floated to the top and I was able to skim it off, so I think you could use less than 1 cup of oil to begin with! Other than that the only change was that I only cooked the whole thing 1 hr. instead of 2. I had a couple bottles of hot sauce at the table so we could adjust the heat to our individual tastes. Delish!

This is a good basic recipe. I cooked my roux for about 25 minutes and it was still too light. I will cook it longer or use the premade kind when I make this again. I used 4 chicken breasts I had boiled in cajun seasoning. The next time I make this I will add gumbo vegetables. This recipe was tasty, it was just missing something. Be careful with the salt as cajun and creole seasoning contains a good bit anyway.

great - the key is the roux. nice and dark is great flavor. If you drink one beer while stirring roux it should be perfect.

I agree with ggmom2. This came out WAY TOO THICK!! Gumbo is supposed to have a gravy consistency, so I'm not sure if I did something incorrectly, or the recipe calls for cooking it too long. I think if you add the sausage and chicken at the same time and then cook for one hour, you'll be good. I'm going to try this recipe again and try it that way. The flavor was awesome, but the texture/consistency was off.

The best Gumbo I have ever had was in - Germany. Stationed there, my room mate was from LA and his Cajun wife visited. That Gumbo she made was life altering. A few years later, I visited New Orleans and was utterly disappointed in the Gumbo there. In the 25 years since, I haven't had any good Gumbo. Until now. I am a total noob when it comes to cooking stuff like this and didn't even know what roux was, much less how to make it. YoYo's instructions were right on the money. After reading comments here, I followed the recipe closely. I used 3/4 cup canola oil and whole wheat flower for the roux. Instead of cutting the onions and bell peppers myself, I used a bag of frozen ones from Trader Joes. Otherwise, it was pretty much as Yoyo specified. When she says use low sodium broth, she means it. I used regular broth the first time and it came out way to salty. Pick a brand with less than 200mg sodium per cup.

Too much oil for us! There must be a healthier way of thickening.

While liking the ingredients for this soup, we wanted to cut some calories from the high amount of fat associated with making the roux. We also noted some reviewers felt the soup was too oily for their tastes. We decided to go w/ 1/3 cup safflower oil & 1/3 cup ap flour, saving about 1,575 calories from the dish or 158 calories per serving. The good instructions made the roux easy to make. Aidell’s Spicy Mango with Jalapeno Sausage was used. Otherwise, we followed the recipe. While our soup wasn’t as thick given less roux, it was packed with superb flavor and made a super delicious soup. We’ll be making this again!! Jodi, thanks a bunch for a fantastic recipe.

i have to say that after moving from Houston i missed cajun food, this gumbo was absolutely delicious !! i did add Okra towards the last 45 minutes of it but the flavor was fantastic !! a definite keeper !!

As most do, I made some changes per my own tastes. I did not use the bay leaf (I find them too strong in non-beef dishes) and added some crushed red pepper, cayenne and used Tony's as my creole seasoning. This dish turned out AMAZING. It is a very thick Gumbo (I wasn't expecting that, I am used to more a broth, light soup) and I loved it. I did have to add an extra 1.5 cups of water to allow it full simmer so will likely 1/2 the roux next time (and there WILL be a next time). Fabulous flavor, great texture and the leftovers today are awesome (reheats well).

This is a good meal, I always eat to much of it. you can save some time and effort by making microwave roux while you are chopping the vegetables.

People beg me for this gumbo thanks

We really enjoyed this! After reading all the other reviews I think I will add less oil next time. I used about 3/4 cup of vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of olive oil. I also added some okra near the end. We will make this again.

Fan-freaking-tastic!!!!!! Served it up with some rice & slivers of buttered french bed, oh so good!!! Oh, and added some okra & file of course ;)

I make this at least once a month. It's an excellent recipe and has genuine cultural flavor.

mm mm good!

Pretty good!! But why put Creole seasoning in a Cajun gumbo? Use Cajun seasoning!

Finally someone from the hometown who knows how to cook a roux! This was fantastic. The roux is the key to a good gumbo and you accomplished that with this recipe. This one is a keeper!

Made the roux according to directions, added ingredients we like..okra, and shrimp. This is a WONDERFUL RECIPE!

This was great stuff! Took an awfully long time, and my SO and I felt it was missing the addition of shrimp, which are the reasons I felt it just missed the 5 star mark. Having said that, it's even better the second day, when the flavors have gotten acquainted. We added some shrimp to the leftovers and we were not disappointed!

Tried this recipe today and this definitely hit the spot. I added jumbo shrimp in at the final 6 minutes and it was great.... Had to add more Cajun/old bay/cayenne along with the creole seasonings to kick this up a notch but the base is very well balanced.

This is an awesome recipe!! I have used it many times since I discovered it!

I juiced this up just a bit, I used some pork that I smoked on my smoker in place of chicken, I also used turkey drippings, from turkeys I smoked at thanksgiving, in place of chicken broth. Also added Okra, and a teaspoon of file powder. delicious!

This gumbo was surprisingly easy to make. My roux came out perfect the first time, I was patient with the stirring process! I did not put any sausage in the gumbo and it still came out great. I did however added a bag of frozen okra to the simmering pot and poured it over rice once it was done.

This turned out kind of slimy (even though I cooked the okra a long time - it never got unslimy) and had a odd texture. It also didn't have a great flavor - it was just alright. I won't make it again

It is as good as all the reviewers say! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

This is the best recipe I have found. I did change it a little. I left out the green bell pepper and celery stalks.I added 2 cans of Rotel. I also used the left over oil from cooking the sausage to complete the recommended 1 cup of oil for the roux.

This was such a fantstic dinner. I absolutely recommend this recipe. And it's great because you can add other veggies (such as Okra) to it because it's versatile. We didn't do anything different than the recipe called for and would make this again and again, no question!

Added chicken and shrimp to the recipe just to bulk it up a little more and my husband LOVES it. He probably requests it once a month, and it takes us three days to finish it off! The roux is actually quite easy - just stir constantly with a whisk and watch the color. Once it's roughly the color of milk chocolate, you're ready to move on.

Don't let the simplicity of this recipe fool you. My Louisianan friends love this. Everytime I make it, I get asked for the recipe. Just remember, the final outcome of your gumbo is dependent on your roux. So take your time with it, baby it, and let it get nice and dark. Now, I'm off to make this recipe for today's Superbowl.

Excellent, I added okra and shrimp the last 5 minutes, husband thought it was great! It is a keeper.

This was sooo good! first time making gumbo and i will def make this again!

UPDATE: MADE LUPE'S GUMBO ON HERE AND THIS ONE FAR SURPASSES IT! WITH A BIT OF TWEAKING, THIS CAN KICK BUTT!!! :) This was allright. A while back, my hubs made a FANTASTIC gumbo, but as with most things he makes, he forgets to save the recipe. :( We've both been craving Cajun food lately, so I decided to give this a try. While not terrible, this just doesn't compare. Contrary to some reviewer's comments about greasiness, I disagree. My gumbo wasn't oily at all but it did lack heat (apparently 1 T Cajun seasoning isn't enough for us...) and was quite thick. As YoYo suggested, I decreased my oil / flour mixture, but to to 3/4 c. rather than a 1/2 c. of each (we like our gumbo somewhat soupy). After the first hour of simmering, I had to add ANOTHER c. of broth (most of my liquid had evaporated!)!!! If I make this again, I'll DEFINITELY use less flour / oil and / or decrease the amount of chicken called for (it soaked up a LOT of juic!). NOTE: I was apprehensive aobut making my own roux, but it's really easy! Simply start by heating your oil on MEDIUM heat and then GRADUALLY add your flour, whisking well to incorporate. You can increase the heat to medium-high, but be sure to closely watch your roux (you don't want it to burn!). The darker the roux, the more intense the flavor will be. Served over rice with a side of macaroni salad and fresh baked French bread, this was a decent meal. I guess this will suit us until we find that darn Emeril recipe lol! Thanks, YoYo78! :-)

Luv this recipe!!! Taste great. I did add some cayenne pepper to make it spicier.

We loved it even my 1and 3 year olds ate it. thankyou for a great recipe!!Well we froze about half of what was made and relized once we thawed it out that if you freeze this recipe you ought to make twice the sauce becuase the meat will soak alot it up..Still very good though..

Excellent recipe. My family loved it. Instead of using the oil for the roux, I used butter.

Haven't actually eatten it yet, dunno if I will to tell you the truth. The directions are misleading. "Chocolate milk" is not that dark, at all! I waiting until it was the color of chocolate milk, and now it's way to thick.

It was good but not great. I would make it again since it wasn't too expensive but it's not something I would make regularly. Maybe next time I will make this in the crockpot.

This tastes SO GOOD!! I only gave it 4 stars because the recipe as stated has way too much oil in my opinion. I cut it down to 1/3 C oil and an equal amount of flour. It still had that wonderful roux taste without so much fat. The instructions are exactly right - if you start to burn the roux, start again. Otherwise it's like eating slightly burnt popcorn - it ruins the whole thing. I used chicken breast instead of a whole chicken to also significantly reduce the fat. Additionally, I browned the sausage and drained off the fat. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE a bit of grease in my food! Just not so much of it. I didn't feel like it was lacking anything the way I prepared it.

This was my first attempt to make gumbo and I thought it came out quite good! My only complaint was that it was a bit too oily, so next time for the roux I'll probably try clarified butter instead of vegetable oil. My only variations were to cook it all in my crock pot and I added a tsp of gumbo file at the end.

this is a wonderful recipe! I was born and raised in new orleans, this taste like the restaurant that doesnt use dark roux!!!! and the only thing I did differently was adding okra to the gumbo. Update: **** 6/2/15 okay so I made This gumbo a lot! And I made changes. When I feel like being a little healthy I use whole wheat flour! And I opt for frozen veggies Instead of fresh bc it's quicker! It's still good!!

Never made gumbo before but this is delicious. It was a last minute thing and we didn't have the bell pepper or the celery but it still was very tasty and so easy to make. I skimmed about 6oz of grease from the top while it was simmering but if I had left it in it would still have been delicious! This is a keeper!

I have been making this for the past few years and it is delicious. I do use chicken tenderloin and boneless skinless chicken thighs. I use a good brand of andouille sausage and I add medium shrimp. For an extra kick I add Thi Garlic Chili sauce. I season all my meat when browning with a good Creole seasoning. Enjoy

OMG'sh this was soo good. I added crushed tomatoes and cooked my own chicken with palmful of the creole seasoning and added okra. It turned out great!! Will make again.

This so VERY good. I used low sodium chicken broth and i gotten a rotisserie chicken from the deli and put that in it insteed of cooking chicken. This is a keeper forever!!!

This was A++ it was the hit of the Super Bowl party last night! I did add about a pound of shrimp, a pound of crab meat, and a pound of cut frozen okra but followed this basic recipe. Very good!

I followed the recipe exactly and it was great! My husband who is from Baton Rouge approved!!!

We LOVE this gumbo...made a couple additions, ceyene pepper,red pepper flakes,,and I took the roux idea from another recipe on sight...using the bacon grease and flour idea,,,,never commented befor, love the website and the magazine is my favorite,,,Thanks sooo much for this rich and smooth broth ,,,I love this recipe!!!!

I tweaked it a bit sorry, I cooked my seasoned chx, made my roux threw it all w/ jalepeno sausage in the crockpot on low for 6 hours! I did not put celery in it.... great stuff! Thanks for making Gimbo so simple! You really clarified this "thought to be" hard recipe!

This recipe was a hit, and easy to make! I could not find Andouille Sausage at my local grocery store but the butcher recommended Chorizo Sausage(spicy sausage)as an close second, excellent recommendation. No left overs with this one!

Absolutly wonderful. The only thing I changed was that I cooked my own chicken, and added a little more cajun spice since we like it spicy. I stirred in 1/2 lb raw, shelled, tail removed shrimp in the last 5 min of cooking time. Will make again. Thanks for a great recipe.

I adjusted by adding less oil and more flour. Also adding double the chicken stock to make it thinner and lots of seasoning. It was really good! Will make again.

I really did not like this dish. My husband and I threw the left overs away. Too be fair, I had never tried gumbo before and maybe it is that I don't like gumbo and not this specific recipe of gumbo.

This was fantastic! I have a friend that lives in LA and she made her gumbo when visiting with me...this recipe was very similar to hers. I used boneless chicken breasts that I sauteed in olive oil before adding to the gumbo and used a jalapeno sausage for extra spice. Thanks for a great recipe!

Very tasty! I added some carrot and okra in there because I just like it. It was a bit too oily so maybe I'll half the oil and flour in my roux next time. I also used Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage in place of the andouille sausage. Went easy on the salt but heavy on the cayenne pepper (I had to make my own Creole seasoning). Served it with rice. Taste even better the next day! Thanks for the recipe.

A whisk would have been helpful while making this dish. Even without one it turned out, although it was a little too rich for me.