Ready for some classic southern Louisiana food? This Gumbo recipe is cajun comfort food at it’s best. This stew (actually more of a soup) is full of spicy Andouille sausage and chicken served over rice. The best thing about this easy gumbo recipe is it’s made in a pressure cooker dramatically cutting cooking time. So now you can enjoy this classic cajun recipe is less time.
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Needing an Easy Gumbo Recipe
I’ll be honest with you. Before now, I’ve always been too afraid to make gumbo. It seemed too difficult to get the roux (mixture of browned/cooked flour and oil) right. I’d hear other people talk about how disastrous their gumbo was because they didn’t get the roux right. Unfortunately they didn’t know it until after hours of cooking. So I just left it alone and went out for Gumbo.
New Orleans Gumbo Secret
On a recent trip to New Orleans, I had my fill of gumbo. It was some of the BEST gumbo I’ve ever had. Even the airport restaurants served a mean bowl. If you haven’t been to New Orleans, you are truly missing out on some great food and a trip isn’t complete without beignets. I don’t think there was anything I didn’t like during my week there. You can see some of the highlights in this Eat Your Way Around New Orleans article. Another favorite was red beand and rice which by the way is an even easier recipe than this one.
You can’t go to NOLA and not have beignets.
During one of my meals, a group of food bloggers, restaurant staff, and locals started talking about New Orleans food and Cajun cuisine, especially gumbo. I was let in on a little secret that is the key to a successful gumbo. It’s all in the roux. That mixture of browned/cooked flour and oil needs to be just right. The type of oil isn’t that important. I used avocado oil for its high smoke point, but you can use olive oil, lard, butter, etc. The secret is you whisk constantly and then stir, stir, stir, until you get what looks like peanut butter.
Secret to Gumbo is this peanut butter color
It’s not really peanut butter, but you know it’s right when the roux is the color of peanut butter. After I returned home, I tried it and it WORKED!!! I successful made a great gumbo. I have since made this recipe several times and each time it comes out perfect.
Pressure Cooker Gumbo
Cooking this gumbo recipe is made a lot easier in a pressure cooker. I use this Instant Pot 6-in-1 Programmable 6 Quart Pressure cooker. I have this one instead of the Instant Pot 7-1 because I didn’t need a yogurt maker. That’s the only difference between the two. Using a pressure cooker allows me to make gumbo in less than an hour instead of 3-4 hours the traditional way. After the gumbo recipe, I’ll include a few more recipes for you to try too. .
Gumbo Recipe Variations
There are different gumbo recipes out there, each a little different. I used Andouille sausage from an Oklahoma butcher shop in Stillwater, 1907 Meat Company. It has a mild spice so I used a full tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. If you use a spicer sausage, adjust the seasoning to your liking. The smoked paprika gives it a nice flavor and balance. I didn’t add okra to my gumbo because it’s out of season and frozen just isn’t the same. If you want to add okra, reduce your natural release time by 5 minutes after cooking. Add the okra and return the gumbo to sauté for 5-8 minutes or until the okra is soft. This will give you a nice texture without the okra getting gummy.
If you want a gumbo that is more like a thicker stew, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a cup/bowl and stir until lumps are gone. Then add that to the Gumbo after it’s finished cooking. Stir until well combined and the broth thickens up.
Without a pressure cooker, this recipe can be easily modified for a dutch oven or stock pot. Create the roux over medium high heat, whisk constantly, and then slow simmer the gumbo. Easy Peasy!
Little Family Adventure
Yields 6-8
15 minPrep Time
45 minCook Time
1 hrTotal Time
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Ingredients
1 pound Andouille Sausage, cut into 1/2” slices
1 pound chicken thighs, cut into 1-2” pieces
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon avocado or olive oil
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Quarts Chicken Stock
2 cups Tomatoes, Diced
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
3 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Set pressure cooker to sauté and heat 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Once oil is hot, add the sausage and brown (without the lid) on both sides, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the sausage to a plate being sure to leave oil/drippings in the pan.
- Add the cut chicken thighs to the pot and brown on both sides, about 6 minutes.
- Remove chicken and add to the plate with the sausage.
- Add remaining 1/4 cup of oil, flour, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and smoked paprika to the pot.
- Stir constantly and cook until the roux is the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes.
- Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the darkened roux.
- Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Return the cooked Andouille sausage and chicken to the pressure cooker.
- Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes to the pressure cooker.
- Stir well to combine being sure to remove anything sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the pressure cooker lid and bring to pressure.
- Cook for 15 minute on manual setting and then allow to naturally release for 15 minutes.
- Release any remaining pressure and remove the lid from the pressure cooker
- Taste the gumbo and add, as needed, sea salt and black pepper.
- To serve: place a 1/2 cup of white rice in a bowl and top with gumbo.
If you want other Instant Pot recipes, take a look at these:
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Instant Pot Spiced Pomegranate Molasses Chicken
International Pressure Cooker Recipes (collection)
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