This Slow Cooker Chicken Shrimp Sausage Gumbo is a New Orleans inspired dish that’s full of flavor! It’s comfort food to the max, hearty, and best of all, it’s freezer friendly!
Crockpot Gumbo
Now, I realize this is not the normal fare you see around here on Countryside Cravings, but you know me — I am always willing to try out something new. I have made chicken shrimp sausage gumbo a handful of times, and we absolutely love how flavorful it is. The only thing I don’t care for is how time consuming it is to make. So, I wanted to make a crockpot gumbo version, and after a few trials and errors, I think I nailed it.
My chicken shrimp and sausage gumbo has tender meat, Cajun seasonings, fresh veggies, and herbs to create the ultimate dish!
A few other great slow cooker meals are: Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole, Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Chili Mac, and Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken.
Why You’ll Love Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo
- Only 20 minutes prep!
- Hearty and packed with flavor
- Inspired by New Orleans cuisine
- Comfort food
- Freezer friendly
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
I tried to make this recipe as easy as possible but found it absolutely necessary to keep the roux. It’s a crucial component, and after doing some research about gumbo, it’s what gives the dish so much flavor. So, that step cannot be deleted. However, using the slow cooker made this easier because you won’t have to stand at the pot stirring it so much.
This may not be an authentic shrimp and chicken gumbo, but I wanted to make it a little more manageable for the everyday cook. I have never been to New Orleans, so I can’t say for sure how close this compares to the real deal. And don’t be intimidated by the roux; it really isn’t that hard, and I took a picture (above), so you know what color to look for.
What is a roux?
A roux (pronounced roo) is a thickening agent made from flour and some form of fat (oil, butter, animal fat). The flour and fat are cooked together to get rid of the raw flour taste, and depending on how long you cook it, it will develop a nutty flavor.
There are four types of roux: white, blond, medium brown, and dark brown. For this recipe, we need either a medium brown or dark brown roux, and the picture towards the top of the post shows a medium brown.
Chicken Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Ingredients
- Butter or oil
- Flour
- Onion
- Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Garlic
- Cajun Seasoning
- Andouille Sausage
- Okra
- Bay Leaves
- Chicken Breast
- Shrimp
How to Make a Medium Brown Roux:
MEDIUM BROWN ROUX: Many gumbos use a dark brown roux, but the longer you cook a roux, the more it will start to lose its thickening power. I needed both flavor and thickening for this chicken shrimp and sausage gumbo recipe, and that’s why I decided on a medium brown roux.
MELT BUTTER: I chose butter for this recipe, but you can also use oil or even bacon fat. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Now, you will need to add in the same amount of flour as fat. So if you melted 2 tablespoons of fat, you will use 2 tablespoons of flour. For this recipe, we used 1/2 cup of butter, so we will need 1/2 cup of flour. Add that to the pan and whisk to combine.
KEEP WHISKING: Now, we will keep whisking almost constantly until we reach that medium brown color (about the color of peanut butter). This is key to making a good roux; whisking helps keep it smooth and silky, and helps prevent it from burning. If you see black spots, it means it has burned, and you will need to start over. Many will give suggested lengths of time it takes to achieve the different colored roux, but I prefer to go by color because everyone’s stove cooks differently. If you feel it is cooking way too fast, then lower the heat to a medium low.
How To Make Chicken Shrimp Sausage Gumbo
ADD VEGGIES AND SEASONINGS: Add the peppers, onions, celery, minced garlic, and Cajun seasoning to the roux. Turn up the heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes.
ADD CHICKEN BROTH: Pour in the chicken broth slowly and whisk until all lumps are gone.
SLOW COOKER: Pour the roux mixture into the slow cooker. Add in the sausage, okra, and bay leaves. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the slow cooker. Cook for 4-6 hours on low or until the chicken can be shredded easily.
SHRED CHICKEN: Take the chicken out of the slow cooker and shred it, then return it to the crockpot. Add shrimp and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, turn off the heat, and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove any fat that rises to the top. Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Gumbo is more of a soup/stew that is served with rice. Jambalaya is a rice dish where the rice is actually cooked with the rest of the ingredients.
Yes!! This does make a very large amount of food, and shrimp and sausage gumbo is freezer friendly!! You can freeze it in single portions or larger portions. Crockpot gumbo will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just let it thaw overnight and reheat as needed.
No, you can add only the meats you like. The combination of chicken, shrimp, and sausage is great together, but if you don’t like one of them, simply omit it.
Slow Cooker Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter or oil
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2″ rounds
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen okra, thawed, drained, and patted dry
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast or boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 1 pound raw large shrimp, deveined, peeled, and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and continue to whisk almost constantly until it reaches a medium brown color (like peanut butter) and has a nice toasty smell. If it is browning really fast turn down your heat so it doesn’t burn.
- Add the chopped onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic and cajun seasoning. Increase heat back up to medium if needed and cook for 3-5 minutes just to get the vegetables a little head start. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and continue to whisk until there are no lumps. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Stir in sausage, okra, and bay leaves. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken can be easily shredded.
- Remove chicken to cutting board and shred. Transfer back to slow cooker and stir in shrimp. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stew settle for 5 minutes. If any fat comes to the surface remove with a spoon if desired.
Notes
- Freezer Friendly– this can be frozen in single portions or larger portions for up to 6 months in a freezer safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as needed.
- Nutrition info calculated using butter and chicken breasts.
- Simple side salad
- Hot cooked rice of choice
Nutrition
Hi! This is my first time making gumbo and I didn’t see you picture of the roux color until after I had added everything. Mine looks very light, how does that effect the taste and is there a way to compensate for it?
Thanks!
It will affect the taste a little but don’t worry about it. Hope you enjoyed the gumbo!
I normally don’t leave comments but this recipe is the REAL DEAL! I’ve made this recipe a handful of times and my husband still says it’s better than restaurant gumbo. I haven’t actually done it in the crock pot- I prefer a slow boil in an iron pot- and it turns out great! In my opinion, using butter instead of oil gives it a richer taste. Either way, you WANT to try this recipe!
Your comment really made my day, Melissa!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing!!
This gumbo is the bomb! My boyfriend is going back for his 4th bowl.
Thank you SO MUCH!! I am so glad you both liked the gumbo!!
Oh my goodness! Great recipe! First time ever trying to make gumbo and my family loved this recipe.
Thank you so much!! I am so glad your family loved it!
I’m confused about the amout of cajun seasoning. 2tsp to 2tbs is quite a leap.
I gave a range of 2 tsp-2 tablespoons so you can adjust the heat level to suit your needs.
What is the serving size?
I don’t have an exact serving size, sorry!
Could you just make the roux once you’re home from work and all the other ingredients have been cooking all day? Like add it closer to eating time
I haven’t tried doing it that way so I can’t say for sure. My guess is it will change the flavor some because it isn’t cooking with the flavorful roux. Let me know if you try it that way and how it turns out! Hope you enjoy!
I’m making this for 135 people for my wedding could you please adjust the recipe for me to feed that many?
Hi! Congratulations! If you multiply everything by 17 that should make plenty of gumbo, especially if you plan on serving it with rice. Thanks for considering my recipe for your wedding, I am honored!
We love your recipe. We use it often, so I knew I wanted to use it for our big day but not good at math, so thank you so much for getting back to me.
Thank you so much!! And you are very welcome!
I was born and raised New Orleans and this looks good to me! I have wanted to try the slow cooker to make gumbo…but am not very adventurous. I will def try this soon and report back. Thanks!
Thank you Janet!! And yes please let me know how you like it!!
Can you use cooked salad shrimp in this recipe
I’m afraid they would become too tough unless you stirred them into the gumbo just before serving. Let me know how you like it!
It turn out awesome thanks so much for your help
No problem!! Happy to help!! And so glad you liked it!
I’ve never made gumbo. This recipe looks great but my boyfriend doesn’t want chicken or sausage in it. He just wants seafood. Do you suggest adding lump crab meat to the shrimp? Any other seafoods that would do well? Also, how would you adjust the cooking?
Hi Jen! So sorry I didn’t answer your question sooner!! Sure you can replace with more seafood. Lump crab meat would be great and you could also add any firm white fish. Just chop the fish to roughly the same size as the shrimp. Add the seafood at the same time you would the shrimp and continue with the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was excellent. The whole family loved it. I halved the recipe for 4 and it made plenty with one nice size serving leftover. I did everything as directed, only adding 2 tsp of Cajun seasoning b/c I was afraid of too much salt. I just added a little extra red pepper for more heat without the sodium. My husband said it tasted like restaurant quality and the kids both asked to make it again soon!
Thank yous so much for your wonderful comment!! I am so happy you all enjoyed it!
Amazing! I grew up in Texas and have always loved Cajun gumbo but was too scared to try it. I started the roux as this recipe called for and within 5 minutes began to see black specs. Dump. Second try, dumped again. Third try I saw black specs again and decided to just go for it. If anything,ordering pizza would only take 20 minutes. Followed the recipe to a tee except for adding tomato paste to try to cut the potential burnt roux taste and a little extra seasoning. Boom. As I right this my boyfriend is passed out on the couch in a food coma. Moral of the story is, I thought my gumbo was completely ruined but the fact is I’ll be eating it for lunch for the next few days. Many thanks for this recipe. Looking forward to making it again!
Thank you so much for sharing and I am so glad you didn’t give up!! I am so glad you liked it!
Very amazing recipe. I made a few modifications and it seem to turn out well. I first seared the smoke sausage and shrimp. Also for the rue, flour alone gives a very chalky taste, a slight seasoning to the flower or making a rue out of a gumbo starter flour makes a huge difference for those of us who like flavor. Great foundation for Gumbo!
Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad you liked it!
Can you use cooked rotisserie chicken?
I don’t recommend it since it is already cooked it can become too mushy. However, you could try stirring the rotisserie chicken in at the end with the shrimp.
My name is Melinda too and I love food too!
Hi! It’s great to meet you!!
I hate okra! Can I omit without changing the integrity of the dish?
The okra is what thickens the dish so if you leave it out you will need to add some cornstarch and cook a little longer to thicken it. Honestly, you don’t taste the okra at all. My family doesn’t care for okra either but don’t mind it in this dish.
This looks amazing and I want to try it, but I HATE okra! I know it’s traditional in Gumbo but I’m wondering if there is a more likable alternative someone has tried?
Hi Tammra! I don’t like okra on its own but I don’t mind it in gumbo at all. It’s necessary to help thicken the gumbo so I guess you could try thickening it at the end with a little cornstarch and water mixture.
I have never made gumbo before, but you are really making me want to try!
I have never had authentic cajun food and I have always wanted to try it. Several years ago I scoured the internet trying to figure out how to make gumbo. I tried a few recipes and made a mash-up of them and threw it into the slow cooker because I’m lazy, lol!
What an incredible looking dish!
Thank you!! 🙂
This looks AMAZING!!!!
Thank you Julie! 🙂
I made this for my boyfriend for an indoor date night when Covid first struck and now it’s one of our faves! This time he made the roux and was able to get it darker, so I’m excited to see the difference in flavor/depth. However, I forgot to thaw out the okra and pat it dry! What will happen to the gumbo?
Thank you very much Tiffany. I don’t think it will change the gumbo much. It might be a little watery if there was a lot of ice with the okra.