Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
You’ll love this savory Louisiana Seafood Gumbo recipe! If you can’t get to New Orleans fast enough, this will take you there! I’ve made this Cajun gumbo recipe a million times over the years, with both homemade and jarred roux. Use either of these in this gumbo recipe and enjoy!
WAIT A MINUTE! If you’ve got negative thoughts about using a jarred roux, please bear with me. I’ve been making gumbo for years the old fashioned way….these Louisiana brands of roux bring it to the table… trust me…I’m a Gumbo Snob.
This is a great recipe to serve for your Mardi Gras party!
Ingredients
If you want to make authentic Louisiana seafood gumbo, then you’ll need a dark roux. To make homemade roux from scratch, use equal parts of oil (vegetable or canola oil) and all-purpose flour. You’ll also need a heavy bottom skillet or stockpot and a wooden spoon.
A dark roux takes about 40-60 minutes to make. If you’re short on time, use a high quality prepared roux. I recommend Kary’s™ or Bootsie’s™ roux – both are from Louisiana and work as a great shortcut for homemade roux. You’ll find these in a jar on the “international” aisle or Louisiana section of your grocer. Pour off any excess oil in the jarred roux.
Other ingredients include: The Holy Trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery), seafood stock, chicken stock (or chicken broth), fresh shrimp (I like fresh Gulf shrimp), fresh lump crab meat, crawfish meat, cayenne pepper, garlic, bay leaves, okra, prepared white rice, green onions, gumbo file, salt and black pepper. Note: this is a Cajun seafood gumbo recipe – not Creole – that’s why you won’t find any tomatoes in this recipe
How to make Cajun gumbo
Once you’ve got the roux just right, toss in the Holy Trinity and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat or until the vegetables get tendr. Then put in the remaining chicken broth, seafood broth, garlic, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, a little salt and ground black pepper.
Let this cook on low, uncovered, for a minimum of at least 30 minutes. Really good gumbo cooks for at least an hour and is often much better the next day.
Recipe Tips
Whether you plan on making roux from scratch or using a jarred roux, gumbo takes time for the flavors to develop. Be patient – this takes a little time
- If you make a homemade roux and it’s not dark enough, start over. The roux will not deepen in color once you incorporate a liquid into it.
- If you burn the roux, start over
- Fresh seafood is best
- Gumbo always tastes better the next day, so if you’re serving this for guests, I recommend making it a day in advance.
- Note, this is a Cajun seafood gumbo recipe, so it does not contain any tomatoes; Creole gumbo typically includes diced tomatoes.
How to make gumbo roux from scratch
Louisiana seafood gumbo tastes best when it’s made with a deep, dark brown roux. Here’s how to make this savory gumbo base:
In a large stockpot on low heat, heat oil: (vegetable oil or canola oil – not olive oil); once the oil gets hot, sprinkle in an equal amount of flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring the mixture on low heat until it turns a dark brown – darker than peanut butter.
Keep the heat on low, no matter how tempting it is to turn up the heat! Homemade roux made from scratch takes about 30 minutes, so be patient and keep stirring.
How to make gumbo using a prepared roux
I discovered these high-quality Louisiana pre-made roux’s and they work just as good as making roux from scratch. Trust me…I would not lie to you.I have no vested interest in promoting these products other than they work and they’re a huge time saver. There’s no difference in the flavor or in the texture. The only difference is time…and these jarred roux’s are a timesaver!
Drain off the oil of the jarred roux and spoon about 1/2 cup of the roux into a stockpot on low heat; add a little chicken stock to a stockpot to thin it, then add the Holy Trinity, saute for 5 minutes and resume recipe.
Once the broth is done, add in the okra. Let that cook for a few minutes, then add the fresh shrimp (peeled and deveined) and fresh lump crab meat. Let that simmer for another 10 minutes, then your gumbo is ready!
Remove bay leaves and taste for seasonings. Adjust seasonings to your taste (more salt, black pepper or cayenne pepper). Serve over prepared white rice, garnish with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of gumbo file!
Recipe FAQ
Roux, pronounced “roo”, is a French term and refers to the combination of equal parts of fat and flour that are cooked to form a thickening agent.
It is the base of most sauces and gravies. The fat can be butter, oil, pan or bacon drippings and the flour is basic all-purpose white flour.
The Holy Trinity is a French-American, or in Louisiana term that refers to chopped onions, celery and green bell peppers. These vegetables serve as the base of many Louisiana recipes, thus, “The Holy Trinity.”
Typically, Cajun gumbo does not contain tomatoes, as opposed to Creole cuisine, which often contains tomatoes. It’s one of the differences between Cajun and Creole in culinary circles.
Ground Gumbo filé, pronounced “fee-lay,” is dried sassafras leaves which offer a truly unique flavor to the gumbo and serves as an additional thickener, as well as flavorant.
NEVER add ground gumbo filé directly to the Gumbo while it’s on the stove.
Gumbo filé is sprinkled on the finished, plated bowl of gumbo.
Serving suggestions
Gumbo is traditionally served over white rice and garnished with filé and a little green onion. Some folks in Louisiana add potato salad to theirs – I’ve never done that so…
Generally, this hearty stew is served as an appetizer or main dish with a slice of warm French bread. If serving as an appetizer, you might consider pairing this with fried catfish, Natchitoches meat pie or crab puffs.
If you’re serving buffet style, include both a ladle and slotted spoon for serving! This allows guests to get an ample amount of seafood and then ladle a little of the broth over the rice.
Make ahead and storage
You can make Louisiana Seafood Gumbo in advance, just don’t add the okra and seafood until about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve. Keep in mind, it will thicken upon refrigeration and you might have to incorporate a little more water or broth upon reheating. You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but I don’t like the texture of the shrimp after its been frozen.
Variations
If seafood isn’t your thing, you can make a delicious Louisiana Cajun Gumbo with andouille sausage or chicken.
In France, I had “soupe de poisson” that was quite similar to gumbo and made with redfish…it was delicious, but redfish is expensive and hard to fine.
Serve homemade Louisiana Seafood Gumbo as an appetizer or main dish!
More Louisiana recipes
- Natchitoches Meat Pie
- Creole Shrimp Pasta
- Shrimp Etouffee
- Smothered Okra and Tomatoes
- How to Fix Over Salted Foods
- Blackened Shrimp and Gouda Grits
- New Orleans Remoulade Sauce
- Louisiana Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
- Red Beans and Rice
- Mardi Gras Muffaletta Dip
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating. I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shrimp , peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole dry seasoning
- 15 ounces fresh lump crab meat and/or crawfish , do not drain (See recipe notes)
- ½ cup prepared roux – or homemade roux see Recipe Notes (about Roux)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1½ cups seafood stock , (12 oz.)
- 2 dried bay leaves or 1 teaspoon of ground bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see recipe notes) , or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (see recipe notes)
- 12 ounce bag of frozen, cut okra
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 6 cups prepared long grain white rice
- 1 bunch green onions chopped (for garnish)
- ground gumbo file , to taste and as garnish
Homemade Roux
- oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- flour (all-purpose)
Instructions
- Get your shrimp prepped: buy fresh, raw shrimp, peel, devein, and season with a sprinkle of Cajun or Creole seasonings; set aside. Chop the vegetables and set aside (this is The Holy Trinity) and set aside2 lbs shrimp, 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole dry seasoning, 1 cup chopped yellow onion, ½ cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- If you're making roux from scratch, get a large stockpot and add 1 cup of oil; heat on low to medium heat; sprinkle in 1 cup of flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon; turn heat to low and continue stirring the mixture until it is is darker than peanut butter. (45-60 minutes)oil (vegetable or canola oil), flour (all-purpose)
- If you're using a prepared roux, pour off the excess oil and add 1/2 cup of prepared roux to the stockpot. Add in half of the chicken broth on medium low heat; allow it to warm and soften a bit; add the Holy Trinity to the roux and cook on medium low heat uncovered, until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes)½ cup prepared roux – or homemade roux, 1 cup chopped yellow onion, ½ cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- Add remaining chicken stock, seafood stock, and seasonings to stockpot; allow to cook and combine until all lumps of roux are dissolved; cook on low, uncovered for at least 30 minutes(Gumbo tastes better if it simmers for a long time – like two hours, but if time isn't on your side, let it simmer a minimum of 30 minutes.)1½ cups seafood stock, 2 dried bay leaves or 1 teaspoon of ground bay leaves, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see recipe notes), 1 teaspoon garlic powder (see recipe notes)
- Add cut okra to stockpot, turn the heat up a little and cook for 10 minutes or so, until the okra is tender; add seafood (shrimp, crawfish or crabmeat). Include any crabmeat juice, too. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until all the seasonings have married and the shrimp is pink. Season to taste with salt and pepper.2 lbs shrimp, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see recipe notes), 12 ounce bag of frozen, cut okra, salt and pepper, 15 ounces fresh lump crab meat and/or crawfish
- Make the rice according to package directions.6 cups prepared long grain white rice
- Once rice is done, place a heaping scoop of rice in a bowl, remove the bay leaves from the gumbo; top the rice with gumbo, garnish with green onions and sprinkle a little ground gumbo filé on topsalt and pepper, 1 bunch green onions, ground gumbo file
Notes
- Dark brown roux is the base of the gumbo. You can make your own or buy a jar pre-made. I use either Kary’s or Bootsie’s Roux–both from Louisiana. This cuts down on the preparation time immensely. Pour off the oil that accumulates in the jarred roux.
- If you choose to make your own roux, you’ll need equal parts of oil and flour. Start with 1/2 cup each and increase if needed.
- Homemade dark roux takes about 40-60 minutes to make, so if time isn’t on your side, get the jarred version.
- Fresh crab meat is usually in the seafood section in a plastic container. If there’s any liquid in the container, don’t drain it. Add it to the gumbo, too!
- Do not add gumbo filé powder until after you’ve poured the gumbo in a bowl
- Gumbo tastes best after it has rested awhile:) Have a glass of wine and let it simmer on the stove before serving; add more seasonings if you prefer
Hi. Just made this recipe for the recent “sneax” day.
I really cheated and used prepared trinity and carton of seafood stock. 😉 It was delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe that tastes very authentic. Louisiana born
Good recipe. I’ve tried the recipe with okra before and just didn’t like it so didn’t use it. I made a homemade roux and just used shrimp and crab. I think the next time I will use more vegetables. They seem to kind of disappear. This is the best gumbo recipe I’ve ever made
We can inhale gumbo like nobody’s business around here.
This one did not disappoint at all. Not that I expected it to but gumbo is nothing to play with emotions over. This one is set apart by using seafood stock. If you can’t find it, make it and freeze the leftover.
By far a keeper in the arsenal. 😘
Now…it’s time for another bowl of gumbo. 🫠
Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed the seafood gumbo recipe!
Absolutely the best recipe! My family loved every bite. Tonight are leftovers. So good thank you!
Great Recipe and I used Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour. It was easy and I prepared while getting everything else ready. OMGosh, it was one of my best-ever gumbos in my 40-year history of making gumbos. Now I have discovered an alternative that really brings back the rich, dark, nutty flavor to my gumbos! YEA!!
I always gotta have a jar or two of roux with me for emergency purposes. ‘Cause don’t nobody wanna sit around stirring
I haven’t attempted the recipe yet but it’s going to be my go to this Christmas. You were hands down the most thorough instructions ever! Thanks a bunch!
I’ll circle back with the feedback I get from the family.
Oh I like it a little spicy.. do you think adding jalapeños and using white onion instead of yellow makes a huge difference🤔
Thanks, Dee! If you want it spicier, add cayenne pepper. Not jalapenos. And yes, white onions are stronger than yellow, so you can substitute with white if you prefer! Merry Christmas!
Can I use vegetable stock instead of chicken?
You can, but it won’t taste the same. Seafood stock would be a better substitute!
I add a teaspoon of minced garlic to my gumbo! Add it later in the cooking process, rather than with the onions, celery, and bell pepper.
Sounds good! Thank you for sharing your tip!
Hi Anecia,
Can I freeze this even with the rice in it? Also, would you recommend adding whole tomatoes and/or tomato paste to this recipe?
I have never frozen the gumbo with rice because I serve the rice topped with gumbo in individual bowls – I don’t add rice to the pot of gumbo… I suppose you could freeze it, but the texture might change a bit. As for tomatoes, my gumbo recipe is more Cajun than Creole and that’s why I don’t use tomatoes. If you want to add tomatoes, you could use stewed canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes. I would not recommend tomato paste for an authentic gumbo recipe.