Easy Slow Cooker Crockpot Gumbo
This Easy Slow Cooker Crockpot Gumbo is the best authentic Creole Cajun recipe with chicken, andouille sausage, seafood (shrimp and/or crab), and okra. This healthy dish is loaded with spices and can be served mild or spicy.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 389kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 oz andouille sausage Sliced into pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped green peppers
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion I use white onion.
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 cups frozen chopped okra
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes Optional
- 24 oz chicken broth
- 1 pound skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound raw shrimp
Spices
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Optional for spicy.
- salt and pepper to taste I save this for the end and when the dish is fully cooked. Taste repeatedly and adjust as necessary.
Instructions
- Add the sliced sausage to a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter and olive oil to the pan on medium heat. While it melts add the flour in 3 phases. Add the first phase and whisk. Add the second phase, and so on.
- Continue to stir until the roux turns deep brown. It should turn brown within several minutes of stirring. This is the most important step of the recipe and it requires patience. If you stop stirring before it reaches deep brown, it will cake up and/or burn.
- Add the green peppers, celery, and onions to the roux. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the veggies are soft.
- Add all of the spices, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the roux and stir.
- Add the roux and vegetables to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and okra. Stir.
- Place the chicken breasts and cooked sausage in the slow cooker.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook for 3-4 hours on High or 7-8 hours on Low.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred.
- Add the raw shrimp and shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Cook for a few minutes until the shrimp turns bright pink.
- Serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have a slow cooker with a removable stovetop safe base, then you will have to make the roux and saute the vegetables on the stove and add them to the slow cooker.
- You can also skip making a roux (omit the butter, flour, and olive oil) and dump all of your ingredients into the Crockpot and cook the dish following the same instructions. This wouldn’t be authentic gumbo and the dish won’t be as thick and rich as true Southern gumbo.
- If you dump the ingredients and cook it that way, you can thicken the gumbo like you would a soup, by creating a slurry. Combine 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Add the mixture to gumbo and stir until thick. Make another slurry if it doesn’t thicken up enough.
- For mild gumbo omit the cayenne pepper.
- You can substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs with no change to the cooking time. Chicken thighs are a lot juicier than breasts and will work great in this recipe. You can also use a cooked rotisserie chicken. Chop your chicken into cubes and a little time is saved.
- Seafood cooks fast. You never want to add it in during the slow cooking process. Wait until the dish has finished cooking. Toss it in at the end and give it a few minutes to cook.
- The shade of brown the roux needs to be is always a source of debate. Many prefer a lighter, peanut butter brown hue. A lot of people prefer a really dark brown hue. When making gumbo and etouffée, I have made it both ways.
- Prepare it based on what you like. A peanut butter brown roux will take 5-6 minutes of stirring. A deep brown roux (as shown in the photos of this recipe) will take you 10 minutes or more.
- I have no suggestions for okra substitutions because okra is essential to the dish and a must for authentic gumbo. It adds flavor, but it’s mostly praised for being a thickener. Okra will give the gumbo a rich and thick texture. A lot of people don’t like okra because of its slimy texture. When you cook it for a long time in a recipe like this one, it isn’t slimy anymore.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 16g