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Healthy Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo

This Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo is rich, hearty, and packed with classic Cajun flavor. Made with a homemade dark roux, tender chicken, smoky sausage, and plenty of vegetables, it is the ultimate comfort food served over fluffy rice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Roux
  • ⅓ cup avocado oil
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Gumbo
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 12 oz smoked turkey sausage or andouille sausage sliced
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (optional but adds great flavor)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp hot sauce optional
  • 1½ cups sliced frozen okra
For Serving
  • Cooked white rice
  • Sliced green onions
  • Fresh parsley
  • Hot sauce

Method
 

Make the Roux
  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.
  2. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 20–30 minutes, until the roux reaches a deep peanut butter to dark chocolate color. Be patient—this is what gives gumbo its signature flavor.
Brown the Meat
  1. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 3–4 minutes until lightly browned.
  2. Add the chicken and Cajun seasoning. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned (it doesn't need to be fully cooked).
Cook the Vegetables
  1. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.
  2. Cook for 6–8 minutes until softened.
Simmer
  1. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, pepper, and okra.
  2. Bring to a gentle boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve
  1. Remove the bay leaves.
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  3. Serve over cooked rice with green onions, parsley, and hot sauce.

Notes

Chicken thighs stay especially tender during the long simmer, but chicken breasts work well if you prefer leaner meat.
Frozen sliced okra is convenient and helps naturally thicken the gumbo.
For a lighter version, use smoked turkey sausage instead of pork andouille.
If you enjoy a little extra heat, finish each bowl with a few dashes of your favorite Louisiana-style hot sauce.