I did my best to imitate the flavors I remember tasting but am not trying to claim this as an authentic recipe (except for the rice which is authentically U.S.-grown!) I wanted to design a gumbo recipe that is realistic enough for you to make for a weeknight dinner or for meal prep. I made a dark roux, added the chicken and sausage and I served it with U.S.-grown brown rice. I didn’t use any unique ingredients or include seafood or shellfish in this recipe. This post was sponsored by USA Rice in Feb. 2020 and was updated in Feb. 2022. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Kroll’s Korner running! If you want even more tasty meals featuring U.S.-grown rice, check out my Creamy Tuscan Chicken & Rice recipe or my Southwest Chicken Rice Bowls!
Ingredients you will need to make this Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe:
For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
U.S.-grown Rice: Traditionally gumbo is served with plain white rice. I chose to use brown rice! Chicken thighs: I think chicken thighs offer up the most flavor for gumbo, but depending on what you have on hand you can use chicken breasts too. Cajun seasoning: I have a recipe for you in the recipe card of this post or you can buy store bought Cajun seasoning. Olive oil: This is to drizzle on the chicken thighs before baking in the oven. Andouille sausage: I recommend buying the fully cooked, prepackaged smoked andouille sausage. All purpose flour: this is for your dark roux. Grapeseed oil: This is the best for making a dark roux because it has a high smoke point, meaning you can cook it hotter and for longer without burning the oil. Most roux’s are equal parts flour and a fat. Whatever you do not use butter to make this roux because it will burn, taste butter and ruin your gumbo! Celery: A staple vegetable for gumbo Jalapeño: optional, but delicious if you like spicy. You can also add in Tabasco or another favorite hot sauce. Yellow onion: I like to use yellow onions because they have a nice balance of flavor and actually become a bit sweeter as they cook. White onions have a more sharp and pungent flavor than the yellow. Green bell pepper: This is part of the “holy trinity” in Cajun and Creole dishes. Celery, onion and bell pepper combine to make a delicious aromatic trio. I use green bell peppers but you can also use red. (It’s up for debate!) Chicken broth: This gives more depth and complexity to your final dish. Fire-roasted tomatoes – In most Cajun versions of gumbo there is not any tomatoes, but I found I really enjoy the flavor with tomatoes added to it. Spices and seasonings: Dried parsley, minced garlic, Dried basil, Thyme, fresh, Pepper. Paprika, Bay leave, salt. *If you would like to add shrimp to your gumbo, add it at the very end when you’ve turned the heat off so the heat cooks the shrimp but not making it overcooked and tough.
Grapeseed oil is recommended because it has a high smoke point, meaning you can cook it hotter and for longer without burning the oil. You can use vegetable oil if you don’ have grapeseed.
How to Cook Brown Rice
