Gumbo recipe
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Jar Roux
Chicken and sausage gumbo with jar roux gives you the body, color, and toasted flavor of a gumbo base without starting roux from scratch. The jar roux builds the foundation. Smoked sausage, chicken, the trinity, stock, Cajun seasoning, and a steady simmer bring the pot together. Make it for Sunday dinner, game day, holidays, or any night that calls for rice, roux, sausage, and deep Cajun flavor.
- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Cook
- 90 minutes
- Total
- 110 minutes
- Yield
- 6 to 8
Brown 1 pound smoked sausage and 1½ pounds chicken in a heavy pot, soften the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, then whisk ½ cup Acadian Kitchens All Natural Premium Roux 16 oz into 8 cups chicken stock until smooth. Return the meat and simmer until the chicken reaches 165°F and the gumbo has the body you want. Serve over rice and add filé only after the pot is off the heat.
Build the gumbo in four deliberate layers
Brown the chicken and sausage
Color the sausage and chicken in batches so the pot develops browned bits instead of trapped steam.
Soften the vegetables
Let onion, bell pepper, and celery pick up the flavor left in the pot before garlic goes in.
Whisk the roux smooth with stock
Combine stock and prepared roux without clumps before the proteins return.
Simmer until the chicken is cooked through
Use a controlled simmer until the chicken is safe and the broth tastes integrated.
Make chicken and sausage gumbo with jar roux
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
- 1½ pounds boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup Acadian Kitchens All Natural Premium Roux or Ragin' Cajun Authentic Roux, plus more only after simmering
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Ragin' Cajun “The ORIGINAL” Cajun Seasoning, plus more to taste
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- Cooked white rice, green onion or parsley, and Cajun's Choice Gumbo File, optional for serving
Method
- Brown the sausage in a heavy 5-quart or larger pot over medium heat. Transfer it to a plate.
- Season the chicken lightly. Brown it in the same pot in batches, then transfer it with the sausage.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until softened; stir in garlic for the final minute.
- Add the stock. Whisk in the prepared roux until the base is completely smooth.
- Return the sausage and chicken. Add bay leaves if using.
- Bring to a controlled simmer and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F and the gumbo develops body.
- Taste only after the pot has simmered, then adjust seasoning in small amounts.
- Serve over rice with green onion or parsley.
- Add Gumbo File at the table or after the pot is off the heat.
Jar roux shortens one step, not the whole flavor build
Prepared roux removes the need to cook flour and oil from pale to dark, but the rest of the pot still matters. Browning creates savory depth. The vegetables need time to soften. The roux must dissolve without clumps. A steady simmer integrates the base and cooks the chicken safely.
If you want a lighter or richer pot, use the ranges in How Much Roux Do You Need for Gumbo? rather than making a large blind adjustment.
Judge the gumbo by how it moves
A finished gumbo should flow around the spoon and settle into the rice; it should not behave like paste. If it is thin early, keep simmering. If it remains too loose after the vegetables are tender and the flavor is integrated, dissolve a small additional amount of roux with liquid, whisk it in, and simmer again. If it is too heavy, add hot stock in small increments.
Fix the four common gumbo problems
The roux clumped
Whisk a portion of the hot liquid and roux separately until smooth, then return it gradually to the pot.
The chicken is dry
Use thighs or larger breast pieces, keep the simmer controlled, and stop cooking once the chicken is safe and tender.
The sausage tastes boiled
Brown it first and return it after the base is built so the cut edges keep some texture.
The seasoning is too strong
Add unseasoned stock if the consistency allows. Taste packaged or prepared components before adding another full dose.
Common questions
Can I make gumbo with jar roux?
Yes. Prepared jar roux gives you a cooked flour-and-oil base ready to dissolve into water or stock.
How much jar roux should I use?
This recipe starts with ½ cup for 8 cups stock. Simmer before adjusting, and follow the product label or tested recipe when it differs.
Should I brown the sausage and chicken first?
Yes. Browning creates flavor in the pot and keeps the proteins from tasting simply boiled.
When should I add gumbo filé?
Add it after direct heat is off or at the table, a small amount at a time.
Can I freeze chicken and sausage gumbo?
Freeze the gumbo without rice in suitable containers after cooling promptly. Reheat to 165°F and make fresh rice for serving.
Keep cooking
