Sausage & Chicken Gumbo Recipe

Chef Dan Catanio , On January 20, 2024

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe Card

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe Description

Chicken and sausage gumbo is a flavorful and hearty stew that originates from Louisiana Creole cuisine. It’s a rich and comforting dish known for its unique combination of ingredients and complex flavors. Gumbo is typically served over rice, allowing the savory stew to soak into the grains, creating a delicious and satisfying meal.

Recipe Ingredients for Making Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

If you’d like, add some okra to this recipe for a traditional flair.

Kitchen Tools Needed for this Gumbo Recipe

You’ll need these tools to make this gumbo recipe.

Step-by-Step Cooking Directions for Sausage and Chicken Gumbo

1. Chicken and sausage gumbo is a recipe with three (3) distinct components: 1) the meat, in this case, chicken thigh and andouille sausage, 2) the Cajun Holy Trinity, and 3) the brown roux. Begin the recipe by fully cooking the meat. An important part of this step is retaining the fat drippings from the chicken and sausage. Preheat your oven to 350º, and place your chicken and sausage on a baking sheet, then into the oven. Safety tip: this recipe uses raw meat and precautions should be taken to eliminate potential cross contamination by adhering to standard kitchen safe measures. Wash your hands after handling the meat, and cook the for 35 minutes.

   

   If your sausage is pre-cooked, it should still be heated to release fat for the roux.

   
   

2. While the chicken and sausage are cooking, prepare the Cajun Holy Trinity (CHT), comprised of equal parts diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Wash the vegetables, then chop into a medium dice and combine the ingredients. Additionally, mince 3 cloves of garlic, but set aside, not in the CHT. Heat your 10-12″ pan, and add 1Tbsp olive oil. Sauté the CHT until the vegetables soften, and the onions turn a translucent color. Then add the minced garlic, and turn off the heat. Stir in the garlic; once it begins to turn golden-brown, add the CHT and garlic to your 8-12qt stockpot.

   

   Traditional Cajun Holy Trinity calls for green pepper, but red and yellows are great too.

   

   Cook your Cajun Holy Trinity, an set aside.

   
   

3. Wipe your pan out, as you will add the meat drippings in to make the roux. Once the chicken and sausage are cooked, remove from the oven with oven mitts, and set on a trivet. With tongs, transfer the sausages and chicken to a cutting board, and pour the drippings into a measuring cup. Chop the sausage into ¼” slices, and the chicken into ½” cubes, then transfer to your stockpot. At this point you can add 2 bay leaves, 2tsp creole seasoning, and 12oz of chicken stock to the stockpot, and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate the ingredients. Then simmer on Low heat.

   

   Chop up your cooked meats, and add to your stockpot.

   
   

4. Now, with your wiped pan, prepare the roux. A roux is made by cooking equal parts oil and flour until it develops the desired color. For this gumbo recipe, you will be making a brown roux. You will use ⅓C flour and so will add butter or oil to the meat drippings to make ⅓C. If you are using a liquid oil, you may simply add both the oil, drippings and ⅓C flour to your heated pan, and begin whisking. If you are using butter, measure how much you will need, and melt the butter in the pan before adding the drippings and flour. As the roux cooks, the ingredients turn progressively more brown. For this recipe, you are cooking the roux to a milk chocolate brown color. Continuously whisk the roux to incorporate the flour and butter. It is easy to burn a roux, so take special care. If you are using butter, you can turn the pan to a Low heat to complete the roux.

   

   Your gumbo roux should be milk chocolate brown.

   
   

5. Once the roux is complete, you may freely add it to your stockpot, and fully incorporate all the ingredients with your wooden spoon. With a tasting spoon, taste a bit of the gumbo and determine if it needs salt, pepper, or more creole seasoning. You may add more chicken stock if you prefer, or if the gumbo begins to evaporate. Simmer for 45 minutes on Medium Low heat, ladling out any oil deposits which may coalesce on the surface. For a thicker gumbo, you can add a few okra fruits while cooking, or 1tsp ground sassafras while simmering.

   

   Your chicken and sausage gumbo is ready to serve after about 45 minutes of simmering.

   
   

6. To enjoy your gumbo, serve over cooked rice. The dish is very rich, and contains a menagerie of flavors and textures. It is filling and stands on its own as an entire meal.

   

   Serve this chicken and sausage gumbo over cooked white rice.

   
   

Suggestions for Servings and Sides

Serve this chicken and sausage gumbo with a much lighter dish such as coleslaw, potato salad, or roasted corn.

Chef Dan Catanio

A Culinary Institute of America graduate from the 1990s, Chef Dan began his career as a saucier at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan under the Hilton Corporation. Over the years, he has held key positions such as Corporate Executive Chef Director at 5-star restaurants, country clubs, and Indian Casino Resorts.