Classic chicken, andouille & shrimp gumbo with a dark roux and the holy trinity. Great over rice.
Cuisine: American · Dish Type: Main Dish · Prep: 25 min · Cook: 120 min · Servings: 6 · Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients
½ cup neutral oil, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, 12 oz andouille sausage (sliced), 1 lb raw shrimp (peeled, deveined), 1 large yellow onion (diced), 1 green bell pepper (diced), 2 ribs celery (diced), 6 cloves garlic (minced), 6 cups chicken stock, 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional), 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp cayenne, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2–3 tsp gumbo filé powder (optional), 4–6 scallions (sliced), cooked white rice for serving.
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Brown chicken 3–4 minutes per side in a Dutch oven; remove. Brown andouille 3–4 minutes; remove.
- Make a dark roux: add remaining oil, whisk in flour, cook 20–30 minutes stirring constantly until the color of dark chocolate.
- Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery to stop the roux; cook 6–8 minutes. Add garlic, cook 30–60 seconds.
- Whisk in stock gradually, then add tomato paste, remaining salt and pepper, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and Worcestershire.
- Add chicken back, simmer partially covered 45–60 minutes.
- Stir in andouille, simmer 15 minutes.
- Add shrimp, simmer 3–5 minutes until just opaque.
- Stir in scallions and filé powder to taste (off heat). Serve over rice.
Tips
- Dark roux = flavor; don't rush it.
- Cayenne varies by brand — start lighter for kids, add hot sauce at the table.
- Filé powder goes in off-heat only.
- Freezes well without the shrimp; add shrimp during reheat.