Gather all of your ingredients.<\/p>\nPrep your ingredients: <\/strong>Start by dicing 1 green bell pepper, 3 ribs of celery, and 1 yellow onion. You should also mince 4 cloves of garlic so it\u2019s all ready to go. Set the vegetables to one side for now.<\/p>\nSlice the 14\u00a0oz.\u00a0package Andouille sausage into \u00bd-inch rounds and set it aside. Now, cut 1\u00a0lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces (about \u00bd-inch pieces). Season the diced chicken with 1 \u00bd tsp creole seasoning and \u00bc tsp garlic powder. Set the chicken aside.<\/p>\n\n
Brown the sausage and chicken: <\/strong>In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil and the sliced Andouille sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sausage is browned on all sides. Carefully transfer the browned sausage to a plate.<\/p>\nIn the same skillet (with the fat from the sausage!), add the chopped and seasoned chicken thighs. Cook the chicken until browned and cooked all the way through, stirring often. This will take about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the same plate with the sausage and cover it with foil. Set the plate aside.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nMake the roux: <\/strong>Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-low heat and add \u00be cup cooking oil and \u00be cup all-purpose flour. Cook and stir the roux with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring constantly until the roux starts to change color. We eventually want it to resemble dark milk chocolate, but it will take time! This step is a labor of love.<\/p>\nAfter about 20 minutes, the roux will be a light brown color. Keep stirring it often, and don\u2019t walk away or turn up the heat, or it could burn.<\/p>\nAfter another 10-20 minutes, the roux will start to resemble the color of milk chocolate, which is what we want. This entire process took me about 30-40 minutes total.<\/p>\nMake the gumbo: <\/strong>When your roux is the correct color, turn the heat up to medium and add the diced bell pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Mix to combine them with the roux and cook for 4-5 minutes until the veggies start to soften.<\/p>\nAdd 1 Tbsp creole seasoning, \u00bd tsp garlic powder, 1\u00a0tsp dried thyme, \u00bc\u00a0tsp salt, \u00bc\u00a0tsp black pepper, and 6\u00a0cups chicken broth to the pot. Stir to evenly combine the seasonings.<\/p>\nNow, add your browned sausage slices, cooked chicken thighs, and 3 bay leaves to the pot. Stir to combine and bring it up to a gentle boil. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer (without a lid) for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir it occasionally.<\/p>\nFinish and serve: <\/strong>Once it has simmered, taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. I personally didn\u2019t add any other seasonings as I liked it how it is! Serve with sliced green onions on top and a serving of cooked white rice.<\/p>\n\n
\n
The roux is a very important part of gumbo. I like to brown the sausage and cook the chicken in a skillet, then make the roux in a separate pot. This is because the browned bits that are left after cooking the meat can sometimes burn if cooked in the same pot as the roux. If the roux burns at all or has a burnt taste to it, it\u2019ll ruin the whole dish.<\/p>\n
Here are some more tips for success to help you out (even if it\u2019s your first time making a dark roux!)<\/p>\n
\nA roux is equal parts flour and fat. When you cook a roux, you\u2019re essentially cooking the flour, and this process can go through a few different stages before it turns the dark milk chocolate brown color we\u2019re looking for. A roux can be white, blonde, brown, and dark brown. To get a roux like the one in my photos above, you need to be patient and not rush the process. It took me about 30-40 minutes to achieve the correct color. Like I said earlier, it\u2019s a labor of love!<\/li>\n Keep stirring often, and don\u2019t walk away! Prep all your ingredients beforehand so you can give your roux the attention it needs.<\/li>\n Don\u2019t be tempted to turn the heat up to make the process go quicker. I know, it\u2019s VERY tempting\u2026but if it burns, there\u2019s no going back. You\u2019ll have to remake the roux to avoid an undesirable burnt taste in your stew.<\/li>\n You can make your roux ahead of time! Once cooled, store it in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. Let it come to room temperature before gently heating and continuing with the recipe.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/svg><\/span><\/div>\nWhat\u2019s the Difference between Gumbo and Jambalaya?<\/h2>\n I see this question pop up every so often, so I thought I\u2019d give a brief explanation. Both dishes are staples of Cajun and Creole cuisine, but they\u2019re quite different in how they\u2019re prepared. Jambalaya<\/a> is a one-pot rice dish where the rice cooks with the other ingredients, soaking up all the flavors. Gumbo, on the other hand, is a thick, stew-like dish made with a dark roux as a base and served over<\/em> rice rather than cooking it all together. Both recipes feature the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, as well as different proteins, but it\u2019s really their preparation and serving style that set them apart!<\/p>\nServing Suggestions<\/h2>\n \u200bGumbo is traditionally served with white rice, just as I do in this recipe. I also sprinkle a few sliced green onions on top to finish my bowl off. It\u2019s already very filling and hearty all on its own, so I don\u2019t usually add any more sides. However, I know some people love to serve a creamy Cajun potato salad<\/a> on the side. A slice of French bread or garlic bread<\/a> would also be great for dipping into the broth!<\/p>\n
![\"Gumbo](\"https:\/\/www.budgetbytes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gumbo-PIN2.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.budgetbytes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gumbo-PIN1.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"Overhead](\"https:\/\/www.budgetbytes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gumbo-V3.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Overhead](\"https:\/\/www.budgetbytes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gumbo-Bowl-500x500.jpg\"\/)
![\"Overhead](\"https:\/\/www.budgetbytes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gumbo-Bowl-500x500.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n