Andouille Sausage-Chicken Gumbo

This authentic andouille sausage-chicken gumbo is made with a traditional roux and full of rich, flavorful spices that you can customize to your own heat preference. Plus, this recipe makes a huge batch of gumbo that freezes beautifully.

Given my Houston roots, I grew up eating lots of gumbo. Houston is so close to Louisiana that Cajun cooking hugely influences the food scene. Plus, my college years were filled with plenty of weekend trips to New Orleans, which is full of amazing gumbo. With all that gumbo-eating experience, I know a good gumbo, and I promise you this andouille sausage-chicken gumbo is legit.

Matt, however, did not grow up in gumbo land. I still feel sad that he missed out on so many years of enjoying gumbo, but I remember how excited I was to introduce him to this delicious dish. My gumbo instantly hooked Matt --- so much so that when he eventually visited New Orleans for a work trip, he made a point to try as much gumbo as possible to see how it compared.

The verdict? This andouille sausage-chicken gumbo recipe is every bit as good as what you'll get in New Orleans. I know you might think, "Well, he's your husband. Of course, he'd say that." But Matt is a terrible liar. I didn't know he put himself on this self-imposed mission, and if he didn't think this gumbo was just as tasty as the New Orleans fare, he wouldn't have brought it up. True, true.

Seriously, Matt gets downright giddy when I make a batch of gumbo. This andouille sausage-chicken gumbo recipe is one of our absolute favorite recipes, so I'm extra excited to share it. Let's get to it.

Bonus: If you love this recipe, I have no doubt you'll also adore my duck gumbo with andouille sausage and crawfish gumbo!

How Long Does It Take to Make Gumbo?

Before we get started, I want to be clear that making an authentic roux-based gumbo is a time-consuming process. The flavor basis of a good gumbo is all in the roux, which is a cooked mixture of fat and flour. While we can cook a roux to many different color stages, we want a dark roux for the best flavor and complexity. Turning a roux into a deep, chocolate-like color simply takes time.

But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. We're all in such a rush these days, and there's nothing more relaxing than leisurely making a home-cooked meal. Take a little time for yourself and enjoy the process. Plus, this recipe makes a huge batch of gumbo, and it freezes beautifully.

Oven Roux Versus Traditional Roux

OK, now that you cleared your schedule, let's make some gumbo. To make the roux, you have two options. One is to stand over the stove and whisk the fat and flour constantly for about an hour. That's the traditional stove-top roux method.

The other is the oven roux method. With the oven roux method, you let the roux cook uncovered and whisk every 20 minutes. Although the oven roux method takes longer --- about an hour and a half to two hours --- you're free to brown the meat, chop vegetables or hang out on the couch with a little Netflix. Both methods result in a delicious gumbo, but I much prefer the oven roux method. Even if it takes longer, I like the freedom the oven roux method gives me.

As far as the fat for the roux, I like to use a combination of bacon fat and canola oil. Whenever I cook bacon, I always pour off the fat into a storage container and keep it refrigerated. Bacon fat is delicious for cooking, so it's nice to have some on hand. If you don't have bacon fat, you could always fry up some bacon or replace it with more oil, but I love the depth of flavor it gives.

How to Make Andouille Sausage-Chicken Gumbo

Along with the roux, we remove the skin from bone-in chicken thighs, dust them with Cajun seasoning and brown. I definitely recommend using bone-in thighs as opposed to boneless. The bones add great flavor to the broth, and shredding the meat off the bone only takes about five minutes or so. If we're already spending the time to make a proper roux, we might as well spend an extra few minutes to create the best broth flavor, right? Right.

If you'd like, you can also brown the andouille sausage. Browning the sausage gives it a crust for a nice texture contrast while skipping the browning makes for a more tender bite. I do it both ways, depending on how the mood strikes. This step is ultimately up to you.

Once we make our roux and brown the meat, we're ready to cook our onion, celery and green bell pepper --- also known as the Cajun Holy Trinity. Now we add some garlic, chicken stock, more Cajun seasoning, some bay leaves, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

If you have a homemade chicken stock, great. You're on top of it — you could even make your own chicken bouillon powder and create stock from that for a quick and easy option.

However, if you don't have any stock, I highly recommend using Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base for your stock. I use Better Than Bouillon in a lot in my cooking, and it's by far the most flavorful stock you can get at the store if you don't have a homemade stock on hand.

For the Cajun seasoning, you can use your favorite store-bought brand, but I highly recommend making your own and have just the recipe. You most likely already have the ingredients in your pantry, it only takes a few minutes to mix together, the flavor is much richer, and you don't have to worry about any weird additives. I think I made my case.

Oh, and if you need a good hot sauce recommendation, I love Louisiana Hot Sauce with Cajun food. This hot sauce has a vinegary bite, and I love how the acidity adds a touch of brightness.

What's File Powder?

We now let our gumbo simmer for about an hour. After the gumbo simmers, we shred the chicken as mentioned earlier and finish the gumbo with plenty of fresh parsley and file powder, which are ground leaves from sassafras trees. File powder is an essential ingredient that gives this gumbo a distinctive taste and mouthfeel, so don't skip this. Your gumbo will not be the same without file powder.

Fortunately, I've seen file powder make its way onto more shelves these days --- even in Denver, which isn't exactly known for Cajun cooking. And if you can't find it, that's why we have Amazon, so I included a link below. Please, please, please don't skip the file powder. I beg of you.

Our gumbo is now done! I like to refrigerate it overnight to give the flavors time to meld, but it's still plenty delicious fresh off the pot. Serve it with fluffy white rice and get ready for one incredible meal.

Perfect Pairing

Beer is my favorite gumbo pairing, and I have two recommendations: a crisp pilsner or a bold doppelbock. With a pilsner, you get the ultimate palate cleanser, which I always love with spicy food. To me, a pilsner really allows the deep, rich flavors and spice to shine because each bite hits like a new experience. A doppelbock is also great because its body is big enough to hold up to the thick gumbo, and the subtle sweetness from the malt contrasts the spices nicely.

If you're hankering for a glass of wine, a pinot noir is a perfect option. We want something low in tannins, and the fruit offers a nice contrast against the spice. Plus, those herbal, earthy flavors are straight-up delightful with the file powder.

I hope you carve out some time for yourself to make this incredible andouille sausage-chicken gumbo. Trust me. You'll love taking the time for yourself to make a leisurely meal, and you'll be rewarded with a seriously delicious gumbo.

Cheers!

In Need of More Cajun and Creole Dishes?

• Summer shrimp etouffee
• Shrimp and crab gumbo
• Instant Pot red beans and rice

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📖 Recipe

Andouille Sausage-Chicken Gumbo

This authentic andouille sausage-chicken gumbo is made with a traditional roux and full of rich, flavorful spices that you can customize to your own heat preference. Plus, this recipe makes a huge batch of gumbo that freezes beautifully.

5 from 41 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soups and Stews

Cuisine: Cajun

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 286kcal

Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

• ▢
  Large Dutch oven or stock pot

Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup canola oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• ▢ ¼ cup bacon grease
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 12 ounces andouille sausage sliced
• ▢ 5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, plus more for sprinkling on chicken preferably homemade
• ▢ 3 celery ribs chopped
• ▢ 2 green bell peppers chopped
• ▢ 1 yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves minced or grated
• ▢ 9 cups chicken stock or water with 2 heaping tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• ▢ 3 dried bay leaves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon filé powder
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ Cayenne pepper to taste optional
• ▢ Rice for serving

Instructions

Oven Roux Method

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the ¼ cup canola oil and bacon grease with flour in a Dutch oven or deep cast-iron skillet. Place uncovered in the oven and whisk every 20 minutes until the roux turns the color of melted chocolate. This should take about an hour and a half to two hours. Be careful not to touch the roux. It will be very hot. 
• As the roux cooks, remove the skin from the chicken thighs and sprinkle the meat with Cajun seasoning until it's mostly coated. In a large stock pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken, about four minutes on each side. You'll likely have to do this in batches because you don't want to overcrowd the pan, which will prevent browning. Once the chicken browns, you can brown the sausage for a couple minutes on each side if you'd like. Put the chicken and sausage on a plate as they finish cooking.
• Once the roux is ready, pour the roux into the stock pot. Stir in the celery, green bell pepper and onion and cook for about five minutes. Stir frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. If your Dutch oven is very large and can hold everything,  you can put it on the stove and use that instead of pouring it into a large stock pot. I use a 7-quart Dutch oven and still pour the roux into a large stock pot to be safe. 
• Slowly stir in the chicken stock or water with Better Than Bouillon. Add in the 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chicken thighs and sausage. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for about an hour and stir occasionally. 
• Discard the bay leaves and remove the chicken thighs using a slotted spoon and allow to cool until you can handle. Shred the chicken meat from the bones and stir the meat back into the gumbo along with the file powder and parsley. Taste the gumbo. If it needs more Cajun seasoning, add a little at a time until it suits your taste. If you'd like more heat, you can add cayenne pepper to your desired heat level. Keep in mind the flavors will bolden if you refrigerate it overnight. Serve over rice and with additional hot sauce if desired. Enjoy! 

Stove-Top Roux Method

• Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and sprinkle the chicken with Cajun seasoning until it's mostly coated. In a large stock pot, heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken, about four minutes on each side. You'll likely have to do this in batches because you don't want to overcrowd the pan, which will prevent browning. Once the chicken browns, you can brown the sausage for a couple minutes on each side if you'd like. Put the chicken and sausage on a plate as they finish cooking.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add ¼ cup canola oil and bacon grease. After it heats, whisk in flour. Whisk continuously until the roux turns the color of melted chocolate. This should take about an hour, depending on your heat. As it cooks, you may need to reduce the heat to medium-low if it starts to smoke and get too hot. You don't want the heat too high to make the roux cook faster because it could burn.
• Once the roux is ready, stir in the celery, green pepper and onion and cook for about five minutes. Stir the vegetables often. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. 
• Slowly stir in the chicken stock or water with Better Than Bouillon. Add in the 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chicken thighs and sausage. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for about an hour and stir occasionally. 
• Discard the bay leaves and remove the chicken thighs using a slotted spoon and allow to cool until you can handle. Shred the chicken meat from the bones and stir the meat back into the gumbo along with the file powder and parsley. Taste the gumbo. If it needs more Cajun seasoning, add a little at a time until it suits your taste. If you'd like more heat, you can add cayenne pepper to your desired heat level. Keep in mind the flavors will bolden if you refrigerate it overnight. Serve over rice and with additional hot sauce if desired. Enjoy! 

Notes

• You can substitute another ¼ cup canola oil for the bacon grease, but I like the smoky depth the bacon grease adds.
• If using the stove top roux method, be sure to chop your vegetables before starting the roux.
• Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 431mg | Sugar: 3g

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