Cajun Chicken Gumbo

Chicken Gumbo with a scoop of rice in a white bowl.

5 from 6 votes

Chicken Gumbo with shredded chicken, okra, onions, celery, bell peppers served over white rice; rich in flavor, tastes like its been cooking all day!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Entree, Soup, Stew

Cuisine: Cajun, French, French-American

Servings: cups

Calories: 503kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken (white, dark or mixed) , bone-in, with skin
1 cup yellow onion , medium onion
1 cup green bell pepper , medium to large bell pepper
1 cup celery , chopped (about 3-4 stalks)
½ cup Kary's Roux (about half a jar); or Bootsie's roux
6 cups chicken stock , divided
12 oz. okra , frozen, cut
½ - 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4-6 cups prepared white rice
salt and pepper to taste
Cajun or Creole seasoning to taste
green onions chopped (for garnish)
1 teaspoon ground gumbo file , garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF
Place chicken in baking dish; lightly salt and pepper; cover with foil and bake until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. (While the chicken is baking, cut the vegetables and start the roux.)
2 pounds chicken (white, dark or mixed)
Remove skin and bone from chicken (if applicable); shred meat; set aside (if you have any leftover broth from the baked chicken, add it to the gumbo later)
Pour out any excess oil from the jar of roux. In a large stockpot, on low heat, add half of the chicken stock and the roux, the Holy Trinity (onion, celery & bell peppers), and garlic powder. Cook uncovered on medium low heat until the vegetables are tender (about 6-10 minutes)
1 cup yellow onion, 1 cup green bell pepper, 1 cup celery, ½ cup Kary's Roux, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Add shredded chicken and cayenne pepper(optional) to stockpot; (add cayenne pepper in ½ teaspoon increments until you get it as hot as you like)
2 pounds chicken (white, dark or mixed), ½ - 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper to taste
Allow gumbo to cook uncovered, on medium heat for 5 minutes: add okra; cook covered for 20 minutes covered, or until the okra is tender; salt and pepper to taste
12 oz. okra, salt and pepper to taste
Check consistency of gumbo; if it is too thick, add more chicken broth (See Recipe Notes: Gumbo Too Thin?). If it's too thin, add more roux.
Taste for seasonings: add more garlic powder, Cajun or Creole or more cayenne
Cajun or Creole seasoning to taste, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Plate rice, pour gumbo over rice, sprinkle a little gumbo file powder over dish; garnish with green onions
green onions, 1 teaspoon ground gumbo file, 4-6 cups prepared white rice
Serve with warm French bread

Notes

Roux: pre made roux is a big timesaver! It comes in a 16 oz. jar. The oil and cooked roux naturally separate in the jar. Pour out the excess oil in the jar. You'll use about 1/2 of the jar of the roux. The roux is hard to get out of the jar. I use a knife and slice a big X into the roux, then scoop it out with a spoon. Also, use a wooden spoon to break apart the roux once you've added it to the pan. It will begin to liquify as it heats, but I use the spoon to make sure there are no clumps of roux in the gumbo.
Chicken: If you have any broth leftover from the chicken, you can add it to the gumbo for extra flavor
Gumbo Too Thin? If your gumbo turns out too thin, either add more roux, or make a water/flour slurry (3 tablespoons flour in 1 cup of warm water); add the slurry to the gumbo to thicken it.
Gumbo Too Thick? Add more chicken broth or water (you may have to adjust the seasonings after adding more liquid.
Keep in mind, it will thicken upon refrigeration so....
Freeze up to 3 months in freezer-safe container
Seasonings: I add 1/2 a tablespoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning to my Gumbo, but I like it a little spicy. If you like it spicy, too, start with 1/2 tablespoon of the seasoning; let the gumbo simmer a few minutes, taste and add more if you want!

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