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    Home » Our latest posts » Soups and Stews

    Cajun Gumbo: "Big Easy" Comfort in About an Hour

    October 12, 2015 Filed Under: Soups and Stews

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Cajun Gumbo. Simple Cajun stew with chicken and or shrimp and okra in a thick gravy like base.

    Gumbo is quintessential Cajun or Creole comfort food. A hearty stew made with shrimp or chicken and okra. My parents developed this easy Cajun Gumbo recipe that can be ready in under an hour.

    bowl of gumbo with bottle of hot sauce and text overlay "homemade cajun gumbo"

    Cajun Creole versus Creole Gumbo

    Cajun Gumbo uses a roux, while Creole uses file (pronounced fee-lay) powder as a thickener and also adds tomatoes. This recipe is Cajun.

    Browned Flour Roux

    My mom uses Paul Prudhomme's browned flour recipe, which begins by literally browning the dry flour in a skillet to a nice toasty brown color before beginning. It takes about 10 minutes to do it properly (low and slow!) but it takes a lot of the guess work out of making the dark roux you need for Gumbo.

    A word of warning

    Mom's only caution for this recipe is to constantly monitor the heat when browning the flour and vegetables. When in doubt, turn the heat down a little and cook a bit longer.

    This recipe is a little on the mild side as Cajun recipes go for a reason. Dad didn't like spicy foods. So we would make things mild and then add our own hot sauce and file at the end to suit our own tastes.

    Cajun Gumbo

    bowl of gumbo with bottle of hot sauce and text overlay "homemade cajun gumbo"
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients
     

    • ¾ cups flour
    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 1 pound chicken breasts and/or thighs (cut in ½ inch pieces)
    • 1 cup celery (chopped)
    • 1 cup onion (chopped)
    • 1 cup bell pepper (chopped)
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
    • 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
    • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves (chopped)
    • black and cayenne pepper (to taste)
    • 3 ½ cups chicken stock
    • ½ teaspoon Worstershire sauce
    • 1 pound fresh or frozen okra (cut into ½ inch rings)
    • 4 cups cooked rice or penne pasta
    • hot sauce and file powder (for serving)

    Instructions
     

    • Use medium heat and a dry, small skillet. Brown flour stirring constantly with a fork until medium brown, about the color of walnut shells. Watch carefully, to prevent burning. If it does burn, throw it out and begin again with fresh flour.
    • Heat a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Test the temperature of the pan by lightly gently tapping the top edge of the pan with the tip of your index finger. Heat the oil in the hot pan until it begins to sizzle and turn heat down to medium. Add the chicken cubes or shrimp, vegetables, garlic, herbs and pepper and stir until lightly browned.
    • Add the browned flour and stir until all ingredients are evenly coated with the flour. Reduce the burner temperature as required to keep from burning ingredients.
    • Add the chicken broth and Worchester sauce; turn the burner heat up to medium-high and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked. Add okra and cook until it is done to your liking. Frozen okra requires less cooking time.
    • Correct the seasoning. Add salt if needed.
    • Serve over cooked rice or pasta with bread on the side. Place bottles of hot sauce and file' on the table so diners can add to suit their tastes--mild, medium hot or native Cajun Wow!

    More Cajun Recipes

    bowl of cajun dirty rice
    Dirty Rice
    spices and herbs on a plate with text overlay "cajun seasoning mix"
    Cajun Seasoning Mix
    Cajun Potato Salad in a bowl
    Cajun Potato Salad

    Until next time, happy eating.
    ~Audrey

    Save

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elaine Hodges

      October 15, 2015 at 8:04 am

      Sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party.

      Reply
    2. Anne

      October 15, 2015 at 1:59 pm

      I love gumbo, thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link party

      Reply
    3. Anne

      October 15, 2015 at 2:01 pm

      Now i know what the difference is between Gumbo and Creole. I love them both! Thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party!

      Reply
    4. Jamie

      October 16, 2015 at 7:41 pm

      Looks delicious...AND easy to make - my favorite!! Pinned it to try one night! #HomeMattersParty

      Reply
    5. Vickie @Vickie's Kitchen and Garden

      October 17, 2015 at 1:28 am

      I have never tried Gumbo before -it sounds and looks delicious! It's great co-hosting with you at the #HomeMattersParty

      Reply
    6. Melissa Vera

      October 18, 2015 at 8:24 am

      I have never tried gumbo before this looks absolutely yummy. Can't wait to make it for my family.Thanks for being an awesome cohost on #HomeMattersParty

      Reply
    7. Chelsea @ The Johnsons Plus Dog

      October 18, 2015 at 8:36 pm

      This sounds really good!! Thanks for sharing. #HomeMattersParty

      Reply
    8. Denise

      October 19, 2015 at 6:31 am

      Who knew there was a gumbo day! Looks delicious. We're enjoying co-hosting the Home Matters Party with you! #HomeMattersParty

      Reply
    9. Easy Peasy Life Matters

      October 19, 2015 at 9:40 am

      What a run recipe! We have been looking for ways to use up our okra so this is great. Thanks so much for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party 🙂

      Reply
    10. Alayna @AlaynasCreations

      October 19, 2015 at 9:40 am

      What a great family recipe. I'm not a patient cook, so I'm not sure I'd get the rou right. LOL
      It's been another fun weekend co-hosting the #HomeMattersParty

      Reply
    11. Sahana

      October 20, 2015 at 9:56 am

      Ha!! I love Okra 🙂 This is the first time I am seeing a recipe calling for okra. Sounds interesting, Audrey. Thanks for sharing with us. #HomeMattersParty

      Reply
      • Audrey

        October 20, 2015 at 6:42 pm

        It is a Southern staple, particularly in Louisiana.

    12. Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai

      October 22, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      Oh yeah, I will be trying this recipe! It looks delicious. I had know idea what the difference between Cajun and Creole was. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and co-hosting at the #HomeMattersParty - we appreciate you! 🙂

      ~Lorelai
      Life With Lorelai

      Reply
      • Audrey

        October 22, 2015 at 6:02 pm

        Baby brother was a chef in New Orleans and he explained the difference between the two. Truthfully I still look it up every time I post a recipe, ha ha.

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