You will love this tasty gumbo recipe with it’s plethora of veggies, chicken, sausage, and shrimp in a spicy flavorful Cajun broth. It’s a great meal, no matter when you make it – and leftovers are just as great!
This gumbo recipe is thickened with Gumbo filé powder rather than a flour-based roux. It can be served over cauliflower rice or regular white rice – of you might just choose to eat it with no “rice”, as it makes a delicious soup on its own.
If you’ve never heard of gumbo filé powder, it’s a spicy herb made from the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree. It’s used in New Orleans Creole cuisine as a thickener for gumbo and other dishes.
» If you like Cajun food, give this Cajun Chicken “Pasta” a try.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The most difficult ingredient to find for this recipe is the gumbo filé powder. I had a hard time finding it at my grocery store, so I ordered it on Amazon. You can find it here. You can also buy the Creole seasoning on Amazon. I use the Zatarain’s brand.
Other ingredients you’ll need for this gumbo are:
- Chicken thighs – boneless chicken thighs (skin on or off per your preference) adds a great richness to the dish. You can use chicken breast in a pinch, but I really recommend thighs.
- Andouille sausage – if you can get andouille sausage, which is a smoked pork sausage, perfect! If not, you can go with a Kielbasa smoked sausage, or a smoked Vienna sausage. Chorizo is a good substitute as well, but it adds a lot of extra oily fat to the recipe.
- Shrimp – Use small shrimp that have been cleaned, peeled, and deveined. You want to be able to eat the shrimp in one bite, so don’t go with a large shrimp that would have to be cut into bites.
- Onion – White or yellow onion, chopped
- Bell pepper – Typically you’d use a green onion in gumbo, but I just use whatever I have on hand. Yellow or red peppers add a bit more sweetness than the more bitter green pepper.
- Celery
- Beef Broth – I use low sodium beef broth or bouillon cubes and water.
- Butter – Salted butter gives a little extra savory note.
- Pantry staples: Olive oil, garlic, salt, cayenne peppe, canned crushed tomatoes
Helpful Tips
- The longer you simmer the soup, the more flavor will develop, but always put the lid on if you simmer longer than 20 minutes so the soup doesn’t evaporate too much.
- The gumbo filé acts as a thickening agent for the soup. We don’t use a roux to thicken the soup to avoid the extra carbs, so the filé is necessary for thickening. If you can’t find it, you can also add chopped okra for thickening.
- Gumbo is often served over rice. We recommend serving it over cauliflower rice, if you want to limit the carbs. Or you don’t need to serve it over anything. It makes a great soup.
Keto Gumbo
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound boneless chicken thighs chopped (4 small chicken thighs)
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 pound Andouille sausage sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Gumbo filé
Instructions
- Cook the chicken thighs in a frying pan over medium heat until cooked through. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and salt to the pot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, crushed tomatoes, beef broth and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
- Add the andouille sausage and butter. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and chicken then simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes before adding the gumbo filé. Stir and simmer until the gumbo thickens slightly.
Notes
- The longer you simmer the soup, the more flavor will develop, but always put the lid on if you simmer longer than 20 minutes so the soup doesn’t evaporate too much.
- The gumbo filé acts as a thickening agent for the soup. We don’t use a roux to thicken the soup to avoid the extra carbs, so the filé is necessary for thickening. If you can’t find it, you can also add chopped okra for thickening.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can You Make It Ahead?
Yes, you can definitely make gumbo ahead of time. In fact, many people believe that gumbo tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together.
Go ahead and make the soup in the Instant Pot, then allow it to cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When you’re ready to get it out, you can put it back in the Instant Pot for 2 minutes on high pressure. Or warm it in on the stove top or in the microwave.
You can also freeze this soup after it has cooled to use later. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How To Store Leftover Gumbo
- Allow the leftover gumbo to cool down to room temperature.
- Transfer the gumbo to airtight containers. Glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids work well. Alternatively, you can use heavy-duty resealable plastic bags.
- Place the containers in the refrigerator. Gumbo can typically be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- If you have a large batch of gumbo, divide it into smaller portions before refrigerating. This allows for faster and more even cooling.
Can You Freeze Gumbo?
Yes, you can freeze gumbo. If you don’t plan on consuming the gumbo within a few days, consider freezing it for longer storage. Leave some space for expansion if using containers, or lay flat if using freezer bags.
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Laura is dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle after losing 52 pounds on the keto diet. As many of us do, she struggles with her weight and has found that one of the only diet lifestyles that allows her to maintain a healthy weight is a low-carb diet. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.
I like how quick and easy this recipe is.
you had me at keto!!
Assuming you add the chicken to the pot in step 5?
Yes, you are right Melanie. Sorry for the confusion.