Louisiana Seafood Gumbo

White bowl of gumbo with rice, green onions and seafood

4.94 from 16 votes

Louisiana gumbo done right! Shrimp, crab meat and/or crawfish with okra in a savory blend of spices, served over white rice.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Entree, Soup, Stew

Cuisine: Cajun, Creole, French

Servings: cups

Calories: 184kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

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 aside
2 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 top
salt and pepper, 1 bunch green onions, ground gumbo file

Notes

Roux

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.

Crabmeat

I've made this with lump crabmeat and dark crabmeat from claws. Dark crabmeat from claws is stronger, so if you want a mild crabmeat flavor, I recommemd using lump crabmeat.

Seasonings

If you don't have cayenne pepper or garlic powder, substitute with Tony Chachere's (or any brand) of Cajun seasoning mix. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more if you like. If you want a spicy gumbo, use Creole seasoning (Creole seasoning has more cayenne pepper than Cajun seasoning.)

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

Season the shrimp: optional

I sprinkle a few teaspoons of Cajun or Creole seasoning over the shrimp for extra flavor. This is optional.

Nutrition