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Colder temperatures and crunchy leaves always call for giant pots of hearty food, and our gluten free Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is the perfect meal to cook long and slow on the stove this winter season. We use a gluten-free flour based roux to thicken it, and load up with all the protein, veggies, and spices to create a gumbo just like mom used to make! Served as is, or over a bed of white or cauliflower rice, and you’ll have a meal that will absolutely leave you satiated and happy.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Okra
Gumbo is one of those foods that really has a rich history. This dish is actually a fascinating combination of several different types of cuisines ranging from French, Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Native American. It’s typically thought of as a Cajun or Creole dish (yes there are differences!), and there are usually three types of traditional gumbos – those thickened with a file’ powder, those thickened with okra, and those thickened with a roux. Our gluten free chicken and sausage gumbo happens to be of the third variety, and we are obsessed with it!
How to thicken Gumbo
For those of you not familiar with a roux, it’s a paste/gravy used to thicken soups, sauces, and other dishes that normally starts off with a fat/flour combo. For most soups and sauces, you’ll use just a few tablespoons of flour and butter to create a roux, but for gumbo you actually use a much larger amount of roux, and cook it for 15-20 minutes until it turns a deep brown color. This process cooks off some of the starch so you aren’t left with a gummy soup, and it deepens the flavor of the gumbo.
How to make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Now, here at Fed + Fit we are all about easy, fast, weeknight meals, but there is also something so valuable in a meal prepared traditionally that allows ALL of the flavors to marinate and come together for a really special dish. Gumbo can be a long, involved process. If you ask for a classic gumbo recipe, the type passed down through multiple generations, you’ll probably get a recipe that takes two full days to cook. With that in mind, we really thought long and hard about this recipe, wanting to make it faster and more approachable while still preserving the flavor. We took a few short-cuts to eliminate the need for homemade stock (though if you have some around this is a great use for it), and then we cook it slowly over low heat over time. You can’t quite get the same flavors otherwise, and let me tell you this gluten free chicken ad sausage gumbo is WORTH THE WAIT.
The prep process involves pre-cooking your proteins, sauteéing your veggies, and getting that perfect roux going. Once you’ve got all your elements prepped, you can combine them in a large pot and let the stove do the rest of the work! Don’t be intimidated by this dish, it’s bursting with flavor and cajun spice, and will be the perfect meal this weekend to simmer away on your stove while you sip homemade hot cocoa, watch Christmas movies, and decorate the tree – I promise you’ll love it!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons avocado oil or butter divided
- 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2, 12 ounce packages andouille sausage thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 5 stalks celery diced
- 2 bell peppers green or red both work here, diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt to taste*
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend
- 3 quarts chicken broth 12 cups
- 2 teaspoons Cajun spice blend
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 pound okra tops removed and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice about one lemon
- White rice for serving
Instructions
- Add two tablespoons avocado oil to a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken thighs dry and add to the pot (you may need to work in two batches) skin side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until skin is browned, then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until browned, then remove the chicken from the pot.
- Add the sliced sausage to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes, until browned, then flip the sausage and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, then remove the sausage from the pot.
- Drain off all but two tablespoons of oil from the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and salt to the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the celery and bell pepper have started to wilt. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside.
- Add 1 cup avocado oil or butter to the pot over medium heat. Once warmed through (about 1 minute), add the flour and whisk the two together to combine. Continue to stir the mixture for about 12-15 minutes, until the roux achieves a peanut butter color and nutty fragrance. (Note that the roux may immediately turn brown from picking up the browned bits in the pot, but it will continue to darken in color and become more fragrant as you cook).
- Stir the chicken broth into the roux, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Then, add in the chicken, sausage, vegetables, Cajun spice blend, leaves, black pepper, and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for one hour.
- Remove the chicken from the soup and shred with two forks, discarding the bones and skin, then return to the pot.
- Add the okra to the pot, then cover and cook an additional 30 minutes, until the okra is softened and no longer stringy.
- After 30 minutes, skim any excess fat off the top of the pot and stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt or Cajun seasoning as needed, then serve alongside white rice!
Nutrition Information
Recipe Notes
- *We recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, the total amount needed will vary depending on which Cajun spice blend and broth you use
- The better quality your broth is, the better the gumbo will taste! This is definitely a place to make your own stock (if you have time) or to splurge on one of your favorite brands!
Regan says
Ooh! I am going to have to try this one when I can really spend some time in the kitchen. With two littles, that’s hard to come by these days. We’ve been making a chicken and sausage ‘gumbo’ by Health-Bent (so sad she’s no longer blogging!) for years, but that one skips the roux. Thanks for taking the time to put together this recipe!
Amber Goulden says
Ah I loved her blog as well! I hope you find some time and enjoy this gumbo Regan!
Jessica says
Do you have a idea on the macro’s on this?
Dani says
FINALLY!!!! A GF gumbo that so very closely resembles my Grandmothers from my childhood! This was a huge win at our house and my kiddo couldn’t get enough. I did add some shrimp, but it would have been just as fabulous without it! Keep it up lady!!!! You rock 🙂
Amber Goulden says
As someone with a Cajun grandmother we take that as the HIGHEST complement! So glad y’all enjoyed it!!
Debbie says
What flour did you use? Did the flour mix with the water? When I use gluten free flour, it separates from the water. Help.
Linda says
I would be interested also in what the macros for this recipe or any of your recipes are. Do you ever post them?
Amber Goulden says
Hi Linda, right now we do not post macros but nutrition info is in the works for the future!
Krista L Heideman says
I came looking for the Macro’s as well. A lot of work but taste great!
Tara says
This was the most delicious gumbo! Yum.
Debbie says
I have been trying to make a roux using gluten free flour. But when I add it to the water to boil, it does not stay mixed together. When it cools or I stop stirring it the flour settles to the bottom. What am I doing wrong?
Missy says
I made this tonight and it was really good. I didn’t add the Cajun seasonings, Bay or Thyme leaves. I added 3 cups brown rice right into the Gumbo about 30 minutes before I served it and it turned out fantastic. It was time consuming to make but if you have an afternoon to spend it’s well worth it.
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad you enjoyed it, Missy! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Ashlynne says
Planning to make this tonight but all my local stores are out of fresh okra! Any ideas for a substitute?
Brandi Schilhab says
You can use zucchini if you want, but we’ve also made this gumbo without the okra (or a replacement) and it still turned out really great!
Bethany says
I’ll be using frozen okra!
Nancy says
I made this gumbo and it was so good
My mom’s family is from Lafayette, LA and my aunt would make a light colored gumbo and this one was as good as hers!!!
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s so great to hear, Nancy!! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Karen says
Can I make this ahead and take for tailgating the next day? I wasn’t sure since sometimes GF Flour doesn’t hold up well. It looks delicious!!
Brandi Schilhab says
I think that’s a great idea, Karen! Have fun!!
Sharon Hansen says
Looks delicious. However, I live in an area of the country where fresh okra just isn’t available. Can I use frozen? I do find frozen okra from time to time.
Melissa Guevara says
Hi Sharon! You can absolutely sub frozen okra in this recipe. You could also try subbing eggplant if you’re looking for a similar texture and can find it in your area. Enjoy! ~Melissa
Karen says
I made this recipe with okra for thickening. Next time I wound use both okra and the roux. I did not however use 1 entire cup of avocado oil as it seemed like a LOT. Is this a typo by chance?? Otherwise it turned out great!
Brandi Schilhab says
The 1 cup of avocado oil is correct, Karen! This is a really hearty soup!