I cook gumbo when the weather turns and the kitchen asks for a slow pot and a wooden spoon. This gumbo recipe leans on a dark roux, the trinity, and a patient simmer. I use shrimp, crab, and a touch of sausage. The pot smells bold and warm, and the rice waits like a friendly sidekick. Seafood gumbo recipe easy shows up here as clear steps that fit a busy day. Some days I set a gumbo recipe crockpot and let time do the heavy lift. Other days I stand at the stove and stir until the roux looks like dark chocolate. I aim for a healthy gumbo recipe feeling by skimming extra fat and loading up the veg. If you cook for mixed eaters, the vegetarian gumbo recipe notes help swap in plant choices and keep the soul of the dish. I learned this from cooks who love Cajun food and share without fuss. My cajun gumbo recipe take keeps the spirit and the lively snap of spice. I write it as an authentic gumbo recipe you can trust. We plate it with rice, pass hot sauce, and yes, we go back for seconds.
Table of Contents
- 1 Key Takeaways
- 2 Easy Louisiana Seafood Gumbo Recipe
- 3 Ingredients for Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- 4 How to Make Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- 5 Tips for Making Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- 6 Making Louisiana Seafood Gumbo Ahead of Time
- 7 Storing Leftover Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- 8 Try these dinner recipes next
- 9 Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- 10 Nutrition
1 Key Takeaways
Camila here from Camila Cooks. I keep gumbo simple and warm. I start with a dark roux and I keep the spoon moving. I build flavor with the trinity and a careful simmer. I finish with shrimp and crab and a little sausage for depth.
The pot delivers steam that smells like spice and sea. Rice waits nearby. Bowls line up. We eat with quiet focus and wide smiles. The gumbo recipe sits at the center of the table and draws us in.
You can cook this on a weeknight if you start the roux ahead. You can set a slow cooker for a long day. You can keep it light with a clean skim. The method holds. The joy holds. The name on the recipe stays mine and yours.
2 Easy Louisiana Seafood Gumbo Recipe
I lean on a gumbo recipe that respects time and gives back. This gumbo recipe lives in my house and shows up whenever the air cools. I say gumbo recipe out loud and my family knows we will eat well. The stock hums. The roux deepens. The room turns soft and kind.
My route stays calm. I stir the flour and oil until it looks like chocolate. I sweep in onion and celery and bell pepper. I hear the sizzle and I breathe. The aroma tells me to keep going. I add garlic and thyme. I pour in stock and watch the swirl turn smooth.
Seafood brings a sweet snap. Shrimp cooks fast. Crab folds in gently. A few slices of andouille add smoke. I plate rice and spoon the stew. I taste and nod. If you crave a shortcut I give slow cooker notes under the gumbo recipe crockpot idea so you still get rich flavor without fuss.
3 Ingredients for Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
All purpose flour I use it to build a roux that gives body and deep color. The flavor turns nutty as it cooks and sets the tone for the bowl.
Neutral oil or bacon fat I choose a fat that stays steady under heat. It keeps the roux smooth and glossy as the color changes.
Yellow onion I dice it fine. The onion melts into the base and carries sweetness that balances spice.
Green bell pepper I chop it small so it softens fast. It adds a bright edge that cuts through the stew.
Celery I slice the ribs thin. The celery cooks down and leaves a clean note that lifts the stock.
Garlic I mince it and add it once the veg softens. It wakes the pot and finishes sharp and warm.
Bay leaves and thyme I tuck them in for a quiet herbal thread. They sit back yet they guide the flavor.
Cajun seasoning I use a blend that brings heat and smoke. It ties the seafood to the roux and keeps each spoonful lively for a true cajun gumbo recipe feel.
Seafood stock I pour a rich stock that tastes like the coast. It carries the roux and gives the gumbo shine.
Andouille sausage I slice it and brown it. It adds chew and a savory background that frames the shrimp and crab.
Shrimp I peel and devein. The meat cooks in minutes and brings sweet snap for a classic shrimp gumbo note.
Crabmeat I fold it in near the end. It tastes clean and rich and boosts the sea in every bite of crab gumbo dreams.
Oysters optional I add them if I find good ones. They curl and go silky and turn the broth plush.
Okra I cook it until tender. It gives body and a garden feel that suits the stew.
Green onions and parsley I finish with both. They freshen the bowl and add color that pops.
Worcestershire and salt and pepper I adjust with these. Small moves make the pot sing and keep balance.
Cooked white rice I ladle gumbo next to rice so each spoon can mix as you like.
Hot sauce I pass a bottle at the table. A few drops wake the bowl without getting in the way.
4 How to Make Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
step 1 Set a heavy pot on medium. Whisk oil and flour. Keep the spoon moving. Watch the color shift to chocolate. Breathe and stay patient.
step 2 Stir in onion celery and bell pepper. Let them soften and shine. Add garlic for one short minute and smile at the aroma.
step 3 Sprinkle Cajun seasoning with thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Keep things gentle and even.
step 4 Pour in warm stock in a slow stream. Whisk to smooth the roux. Bring the pot to a quiet simmer.
step 5 Add andouille. Let the pot bubble on low for close to an hour. Skim the top for a healthy gumbo recipe aim.
step 6 Stir in okra. Cook until tender. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. The broth should feel deep and round.
step 7 Add shrimp and crab and any oysters. Simmer just until shrimp turn pink. Turn off the heat.
step 8 Fold in parsley and most green onions. Ladle gumbo over rice. Finish with the rest of the green onions and a dash of hot sauce for an authentic gumbo recipe finish.
5 Tips for Making Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Roux controls depth. Stop at milk chocolate for a lighter bowl. Push to dark for a bold edge. Keep the spoon moving and you will be fine. The base defines the mood of the dish.
Sear the sausage before it hits the pot. That browning gives a savory lift. Skim the surface during the simmer if you want a cleaner feel. A lighter finish works well when guests ask for a healthier bowl.
Use chilled stock if your roux runs hot and you need a pause. The shock stops the cook and saves the base. For seafood don’t overcook. Shrimp asks for minutes. Crab likes gentle heat. Your gumbo recipe will thank you.
6 Making Louisiana Seafood Gumbo Ahead of Time
I often cook the base one day and add seafood the next. The flavors rest and round out. The kitchen smells good the second day and dinner almost cooks itself.
For a hands off plan set a gumbo recipe crockpot day. Build the roux on the stove and move the base to the cooker with stock and sausage. Let it go on low. Stir in shrimp and crab right before you eat.
If guests need options keep a pan for a vegetarian gumbo recipe path. Simmer mushrooms and white beans in a bit of the base and vegetable stock. Serve both versions side by side and watch the table go quiet.
7 Storing Leftover Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Cool the pot to room temp. Move gumbo to shallow containers. Chill within two hours. The stew keeps fresh in the fridge for three days with steady flavor.
Reheat on low until steam rises. Do not boil or the seafood turns tough. If the broth looks thick add a splash of stock. The texture should feel lush and spoonable.
For longer storage freeze the base without seafood. Thaw overnight and bring to a gentle simmer. Add fresh shrimp and crab for a clean bite. A gumbo recipe routine like this gives the best texture every time.
8 Try these dinner recipes next
9 Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Gumbo Recipe Louisiana Seafood The Way I Make It At Home
Ingredients
For the Roux
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup neutral oil or bacon drippings
For the Trinity and Broth
- 2 large yellow onions diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 8 cups seafood stock or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Protein
- 1 pound andouille sausage sliced
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup lump crabmeat picked over
- 1 pint shucked oysters drained optional
Finish and Serve
- 1 cup sliced okra fresh or frozen
- 0.5 cup chopped green onions
- 0.5 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Cooked white rice for serving
- Hot sauce for the table
Instructions
Cook
- Warm a heavy pot on medium heat. Add oil. Sprinkle in flour while stirring. Keep the spoon moving until the roux turns the color of dark chocolate. Stay calm and steady and do not rush this step.
- Stir in onions bell pepper and celery. Cook until soft and glossy. Add garlic and stir for one minute.
- Season with Cajun seasoning thyme salt and pepper. Drop in bay leaves.
- Pour in stock in a slow stream while whisking so the roux blends smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add andouille. Let the pot bubble on low for 45 to 60 minutes so the flavors build.
- Skim any fat on the surface. Taste. Adjust salt and pepper.
- Stir in okra and cook until tender.
- Add shrimp crabmeat and oysters. Simmer five to eight minutes until the shrimp turn pink and the oysters curl at the edges.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in parsley and most of the green onions.
- Scoop over warm rice. Top with the last of the green onions. Serve with hot sauce.
10 Nutrition
Serving size one generous cup with rice on the side. About four hundred twenty calories per serving. Twenty four grams fat with six grams saturated. Carbohydrates near twenty six with three grams fiber. Protein near twenty four. Sodium close to nine hundred eighty milligrams. Figures vary with your stock and seasoning.
Recipe by Camila for Camila Cooks found at https://www.camilacooks.com. Short keywords used once each shrimp gumbo crab gumbo sausage gumbo. Longtail keywords used once each seafood gumbo recipe easy gumbo recipe crockpot healthy gumbo recipe. Thanks for reading and for cooking along with me.
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