Healthy Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe

If you’re looking for a healthy chicken and sausage gumbo recipe for National Gumbo Day (October 12), your search ends here. It may not be traditional, but it’s faster and still captures that gumbo soul.

Don’t believe us? See for yourself!

What Is a Gumbo Recipe?

Gumbo is a type of iconic stew that originated in the state of Louisiana. It’s famous as one of the state’s signature dishes.

The name of the dish is derived from the African word ‘ki ngombo’, which means ‘okra’. This suggests that okra was originally one of its main ingredients.

In the Native American Choctaw language, the word ‘kombo’, pronounced similarly to the name of the dish, translates to ‘filé’. Interestingly enough, filé powder is one of the ingredients used to make gumbo as well.

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In other words, with all the linguistic possibilities, the dish could easily have been named after its ingredients.

Now, as we all know, Louisiana cooking is strongly influenced by French cuisine, and gumbo is part of that. Many recipes use a ‘roux’ (a mixture of fat and flour) as a thickening agent.

To sum up: Gumbo is the result of many different cultures coming together. But origin aside, we can all agree gumbo is one of the most popular foods in the Deep South.

Is Our Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Healthy?

Our easy chicken and sausage gumbo recipe may not be low in calories, fat, or carbs, but it is healthy. Here’s why:

• It’s high protein. One serving of gumbo contains 40% of your protein DRI; it should keep you full for a long time.
• It has almost 15% of your fiber DRI. Fiber can also help you to feel full, and maintain healthy and regular bowel movements.
• It’s very low in sugar. Having a low-sugar diet can help you lose weight and maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

How Many Calories?

There are 498 calories in our easy gumbo recipe, including a side of cooked rice.

Although this amount of calories may seem high, it’s still within your recommended daily intake. And, it’s sufficient to fuel you for half a day.

If you love healthy, comforting chicken soup recipes like gumbo, be sure to check out our chicken tortilla soup recipe.

Main Ingredients

The beauty of gumbo is that you can make it with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This is also why no gumbo recipe is the same.

There are a few basic ingredients that really make a chicken and sausage gumbo recipe, and they are:

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• ‘Holy Trinity’ of vegetables: consisting of onion, celery, and green bell pepper. These vegetables will give your gumbo a hint of savory sweetness and lots of powerful flavors.
• Thickener: there are 3 main thickeners that you can choose to put in your gumbo: roux, filé powder, or okra. We’ll go into detail about them later.
• Protein: from poultry, to seafood, to sausages, to veal, you can put whatever you like into the gumbo. The main protein sources for today’s recipe are chicken and smoked sausages.
• Spices and herbs: dried thyme, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika.

Ideas for Seafood Gumbo

Although we’re only making chicken and sausage gumbo today, we’d like to talk a bit about seafood gumbo.

Seafood gumbo is one of many variants of gumbo recipe. Its main protein can be a mix of seafood, but the most common ones are shrimp and crabs.

Check out our seafood gumbo recipe.

1. Shrimp

If you want to make an amazing shrimp gumbo, we recommend buying fresh whole shrimp. You will have to put in some extra effort, but it will be worth it.

With fresh, head-on shrimp, you’ll have to remove their shells and devein them. And when you do, save the shells and use them to make a flavorful shrimp stock.

To make shrimp stock, you just need to sauté the shells in a bit of oil over high heat. Add chicken broth and wait for it to boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and leave it cooking for 15 minutes.

Then all you have to do is strain the stock to remove the shells.

As for the shrimp, sear them before adding them to the gumbo.

The seared shrimp and shrimp stock will give your gumbo an extra seafood flavor.

2. Crabs

Fresh crabs can be very hard to prepare. And depending on the varieties, they can be expensive as well.

Fortunately, you can easily find canned crab meat at a low price. Or if you can afford it, frozen, pre-cut crab is also available.

And since your crab is already prepped and cooked, you just have to add it to your gumbo.

Keep in mind that seafood is high in sodium. So we suggest saving the salt and seasoning your gumbo once it’s done cooking.

Apart from shrimp and crabs, you can also add mussels, squid, or scallops.

Gumbo really is a versatile dish; you can make it however you like.

That being said, there is one thing you have to make up your mind about before you start: the thickener.

If you want to include more chicken in your diet, this best delicious chicken roundup have a bunch of ideas.

Meal Plan

For today’s meal, we’re having gumbo with a side of zucchini fries.

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These fries are simply the best appetizer and finger food as they are easy to make, delicious, and healthy. Their crispy exterior adds a nice textural contrast to the thick, rich soup.

Into More Saucy Chicken Skillets?

Tomato chicken is one of the sauciest chicken breast skillets we’ve ever made. It serves easily with bread or pasta, and finishes in less than 30 minutes. We put some capers in it too, so the sharp tang it has is more prominent.

If you’re into something that errs on the sweet side, this honey butter chicken is what you need. It has golden chicken skin basted in the sweet, lemony glaze that looks nice and tastes awesome.

Into more saucy chicken pots and pans? Have a look at our Indian chicken!

FAQ

1. How to Store

If you have leftover gumbo, the first step is to wait and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Put the gumbo in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. It will stay good for 3 days.

2. Can You Freeze Gumbo?

Yes, you can freeze it.

Put gumbo in a heavy-duty ziploc freezer bag. Seal it tightly and put it in the freezer.

Frozen gumbo can last up to 1 month.

When you need it, put it in the fridge and allow it to thaw slowly overnight.

Alternatively, you can put the bag of frozen gumbo in a tub of water and let it thaw.

Check to see if the water is too cold; you’ll need to change the water a couple of times during the defrosting process.

3. How to Reheat Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

You can reheat your easy gumbo recipe over the stove or in the microwave.

To heat gumbo over the stove, put gumbo in a pot and cook over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, turn off the heat and serve.

If you’re using the microwave, be sure to use a microwavable container and lid.

Easy Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe

5 from 2 votes

An easy & healthy chicken and sausage gumbo recipe shouldn't take hours to cook. With our recipe, you'll have a hearty bowl of spicy gumbo to enjoy in just one hour.

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• cook TIME 50 mins
• prep TIME 10 mins
• total TIME 1 hr

• COURSE Main Course, Soup
• CUISINE American
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 498 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 6 oz skinless boneless chicken thighs (4 medium)
• 4.8 oz smoked sausage (2 links)
• 5 oz okra (cut into ½-inch slices)
• 4 oz tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1.5 oz yellow onion (diced)
• 1 oz celery (diced)
• 1.4 oz bell pepper (red and green, diced)
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt (divided)
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper (divided)
• 2 tsp garlic (minced)
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 3 cups cooked medium-grain rice

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

1

Heat up 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 6 oz chicken, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Sear for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it with aluminum foil. Allow it to cool slightly.

2

In the same pot, add 5 oz okra and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Once the okra is lightly browned, transfer it to a plate and set aside.

3

Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp butter, and 1/4 cup flour. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat or until the roux has reached a dark golden brown hue; stir occasionally. Meanwhile shred the cooked chicken with a pair of forks and set aside.

4

Add 2 tsp minced garlic, 1.5 oz diced onion, 1 oz celery, and 1.4 oz bell peppers to the pot. Sauté for 3 minutes over medium heat or until tender.

5

Return okra to the pot, along with 4 oz tomatoes, 1/4 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

6

Add 4 cups unsalted chicken broth, shredded chicken, 4.8 oz smoked sausages, and 1 bay leaf. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

7

Taste and check for seasoning if needed. Remove the pot from the heat. Garnish with 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley and serve with 3 cups cooked rice.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Easy Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 498Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g

34%

Saturated Fat 8g

50%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 79mg

26%

Sodium 546mg

24%

Potassium 515mg

15%

Carbohydrate 54g

18%

Fiber 3g

13%

Sugar 2g

2%

Protein 20g

40%

Vitamin A 962IU

19%

Vitamin C 27mg

33%

Calcium 57mg

6%

Iron 4mg

22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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