Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo

596 Ratings
  • 5 143
  • 4 184
  • 3 173
  • 2 68
  • 1 28

Rely on rotisserie chicken, smoked spicy sausage, and frozen okra from the store to stack up flavors in our quick rendition of a classic Cajun stew.

Everyday Food, April 2008

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Recipe Summary test

prep:
30 mins
total:
30 mins
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Ingredients

Directions

  • In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

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  • Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; if desired, serve with cornbread.

Cook's Notes

Rotisserie chicken shaves many minutes from the total cooking time, and its slow-roasted goodness brings just as much to the mix as if you'd cooked your own.

Variations

Two of the 4 cups water can be replaced with 2 cups low-sodium store-bought chicken broth.

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Reviews (50)

596 Ratings
  • 5 143
  • 4 184
  • 3 173
  • 2 68
  • 1 28
Martha Stewart Member
04/20/2020
I forgot to say to add bay leaves, parsley, and green onions — all essential!
Martha Stewart Member
04/20/2020
I read enough of the comments to confirm my suspicions: (1) the roux needs to cook lots longer (~20 min.), til it gets to at least a caramel color, but the darker the better; (2) it needs chopped celery; (3) spices must be added — I don’t care for Cajun spice mixtures so I use a combination of smoked paprika, oregano, maybe dried thyme, cayenne pepper, Kosher salt, fresh-cracked pepper, and if I missed anything, c’est la vie; (4) I prefer chicken stock to water and maybe even an undrained can of diced tomatoes; and (5) gumbo is served over steamed rice — cornbread is never served with it because it would screw up the flavor profile. Maybe add some tasso, if you have any (I do).
Martha Stewart Member
02/13/2019
MINOUCHKA Quick, easy and delish! For extra taste and flavor I added more garlic, crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, Cajun seasoning, and used chicken broth and white wine au lieu of water. It turned out YUM, YUM!
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Martha Stewart Member
12/02/2018
Great recipe
Martha Stewart Member
08/22/2018
This was delicious and easy. I used Aidells Cajun style andouille sausage. I am gluten free so instead of flour, I added a can of creamed corn after cooking the garlic, onion, peppers and spices 10 minutes. Since that added liquid, I only added 2 cups chicken stock and no water. Everyone enjoyed the flavor. I served it with red beans and rice and gluten free corn bread muffins. Yum!
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2018
I don’t like celery very much but I think chicken and celery is a good combination so I added one cup of chopped celery excellent !!!!
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Martha Stewart Member
02/10/2017
Chicken broth was needed. And then added some tomatoes and red pepper flakes for more flavor.
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2017
I liked that this was a fast recipe, but did modify after comparing ingredients to other authentic gumbo recipes. The results were fantastic. With red peppers & onion I added 4 stalks celery, increased garlic to 12 cloves, plus 1 teaspoon thyme. Instead of water, added 1 large can crushed tomatoes and about 40 oz fat free chicken broth. Added 1 tablespoon each white wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, cajun seasoning (to taste). I had some small cooked shrimp, so it went in. GREAT results!
Martha Stewart Member
01/09/2017
I found it lacking taste therefore I added some vegetable bouillon to the broth.
Martha Stewart Member
05/10/2016
I have some really good andouille in the freezer that improved the dish over most of what is passed as andouille that's found outside of Louisiana. I also added celery to vegetable saute; it's essential. Without the additional of my homemade Creole spice blend, the flavor would have been lost. That said, it was a pretty good 45 minute gumbo.
Martha Stewart Member
07/13/2015
How many people does this serve? Thanks.
Martha Stewart Member
06/23/2014
I made this recipe last night. It's not bad. I'd give it a B+. But it's not a 30-minute recipe. It's only 30 minutes once all the ingredients are prepped. Allow at least an hour.
Martha Stewart Member
06/04/2014
Great quick gumbo recipe. I added one can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and one can of chicken stock. Served with rice.
Martha Stewart Member
10/31/2013
While I have to agree that this is not Southern gumbo, I'm sure this is the Connecticut version of it and serves as a reference for doing it quickly. Kind of like cornbread with sugar, if you know what I mean.
Martha Stewart Member
10/25/2013
I made this the other night, and while it's really good, it tastes sort of like chicken and dumplings for some reason. My south-LA-born husband agreed. It was easy to make though, especially considering that you can make it all ahead of time. I added some Tony's, to spice it up a bit more, and the next time, I'll add some shrimp. All-in-all, it was good! I'll make it again.
Martha Stewart Member
02/11/2013
I love Everyday Food and have gotten the magazine since the first issue, but this my friends isn't gumbo. It's too light, a gumbo roux must be at least caramel, your veggies look raw, and gumbo veggies are super soft, you have no Cajun spices in it, and really nobody serves gumbo with cornbread. It is served over a scoop of rice or potato salad. There are things you can do to speed up gumbo, but these ain't them folks.
Martha Stewart Member
01/29/2013
Worked like a voodoo charm on my boyfriend, who knows what it means to miss New Orleans. This gumbo greeted him after a cold and slushy drive home from work, and I found the way to his heart. Thank you Martha!!!
Martha Stewart Member
01/02/2013
This recipe was awesome! I am always looking for whole food recipes to pin and share and try with my 90/10 nutrition challenge groups (www.tribasetraining.com/nutrition). This fit perfectly and was a big hit. Highly recommended. I was a little scared of the okra but it was great. Super easy recipe.
Martha Stewart Member
09/18/2012
Hi, I am a born and raised Louisiana girl and I can tell you right now just by looking at this recipe that it is NOT real gumbo. If you want a real gumbo recipe go to Chef Paul Prudhomme's website and use his, this looks HORRIBLY bland and does not use any traditional cajun seasonings in it.
Martha Stewart Member
09/18/2012
Desperately needs spices, otherwise, it's mind numbingly bland. I added 1 tsp cayenne (depending on taste), 2 TBL paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp mustard. Otherwise, it's pretty bland.
Martha Stewart Member
07/23/2012
I thought this recipe was great, a real time-saver. I did add some celery with the onion and red pepper, and some Sriracha at the end for a bit more spice, but we really enjoyed it. Thanks, y'all!
Martha Stewart Member
06/27/2012
After using all of the ingredients it called for I also added about a 1/2 teaspoon of Creole seasoning. You could probably use more but it depends on your taste!
Martha Stewart Member
05/10/2011
I prepared this just as the recipe called and it worked out perfectly. Great consistency and very tasty after adequate salt and pepper added. As shared by others, very easy to substitute in other ingredients to mix it up.
Martha Stewart Member
03/26/2010
This will definitely become a regular for me! So quick and delicious. I used Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix instead of the wheat flour because I'm Gluten Intolerant and it worked brilliantly! Next time I will use chicken broth like others have suggested to make it a bit richer.
Martha Stewart Member
03/06/2010
This was really a great recipe. I followed some of the other suggestions and used half water and half low sodium chicken broth. I also used green, red and orange peppers to color it up a bit. So easy and really tasty.
Martha Stewart Member
03/03/2010
Mmmm! This was delicious! Lots of flavor! I forgot to get the red peppers for the recipe, but it tasted great without them. Instead I added some zuchini and squash that I had on hand. I also forgot to add the okra, and didn't even notice until I had eaten a few bites. This is so simple and delicious and tastes great even if you forget to put in several of the ingredients. haha
Martha Stewart Member
02/19/2010
1st time I added boxed Swanson Lowsodium chick broth in lieu of water; added 4 sliced celery branches, portabella mushroom, diced potatoes, 3 complete bunches green onions chopped in lieu of med. onion, frozen okra, (steamed separately frozen Green Giant green peas
Martha Stewart Member
02/16/2010
Very good. I used chicken broth in lieu of water. I tried to finish it off in the oven, but didn't get it quite hot enough that way, oops. Everyone liked it though!
Martha Stewart Member
02/16/2010
mbryan10, Penzys spices are only the best, freshest spices, besides fresh, that you can buy. They are all I use. You can find them at www.penzeys.com. I can't wait to try this recipe and use my spices.
Martha Stewart Member
01/13/2010
I added a fair amount of Tony Chachere's (a Southern staple in seasoning) to kick up the flavor a bit. My native New Orleanian boyfriend loved it, so that's saying something! Tony's can be found in most US grocery stores, especially Southern states.
Martha Stewart Member
01/08/2010
How about fish soup??? No recipes? it's low calorie, and very rich in minerals....
Martha Stewart Member
11/17/2009
oh my god does this look good! >
Martha Stewart Member
10/27/2009
I loved this, but after reading the comments I would probably add more spice too, I did add a bay leaf, and I used some chicken stock as well. I had such a hard time finding the okra (as it is not common in the UK) that I think next time I would do the zucchini as well.
Martha Stewart Member
10/06/2009
mbryan10 What are Penzey spices?
Martha Stewart Member
10/06/2009
Forgot to add that I also substituted chicken stock( I love the Better that Boullion) stuff for the water. These comments by other cooks are fantastic!
Martha Stewart Member
10/06/2009
This dish is delicious, but I made a few changes. First of all, no okra (never liked the stuff) added zucchini from the garden instead. Substituted polish sausage for the sausage. Also added some blackening cajun seasoning after reading the other comments. Turned out well, will probably serve this over jasmine rice. I know I have many nations and ethnic touches in this recipe. But I will call it my United States Gumbo!!
Martha Stewart Member
02/27/2009
I made a few changes and this was fabulous - sub'd chicken broth for water, added 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes and only put 1 red pepper. added lots of Penzey spices - excellent !
Martha Stewart Member
01/30/2009
Do you really need to use okra? Can you substitute green beans or something?
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2009
Basic recipe is a great start to a hearty dish. I replaced 2 cups of water with chicken broth and I added some poultry seasoning, paprika, white pepper and red pepper which would not length the time to prep the dish. This the recipe just a bit more body and I would use and share this recipe over and over.
Martha Stewart Member
01/20/2009
Basic recipe is a great start to a hearty dish. I replaced 2 cups of water with chicken broth and I added some poultry seasoning, paprika, white pepper and red pepper which would not length the time to prep the dish. This the recipe just a bit more body and I would use and share this recipe over and over.
Martha Stewart Member
01/18/2009
This is soo easy. I had some Smithfiled ham on hand so used it rather than the sausage, which is the way I make my 2-hour gumbo anyway. Tossed in about 1T. of Emeril's cajun seasoning, too. I may never make the 2-hour version again!
Martha Stewart Member
11/05/2008
While okra helps to give this recipe a Cajun flare, I think a green vegetable like green beans, zuchinni, broccoli, or even green peas could be used but the green color is essential for the look of this soup.
Martha Stewart Member
11/04/2008
Hi Julietat, Why don't you try green beans or mushrooms? Perhaps any vegetable that you enjoy the taste of with chicken. Hope that helped! Much luck. :)
Martha Stewart Member
11/04/2008
Hi Julietat, Why don't you try green beans or mushrooms? Perhaps any vegetable that you enjoy the taste of with chicken. Hope that helped! Much luck. :)
Martha Stewart Member
11/04/2008
What can I use instead of okra? I cann n n n t find it in my country... Thanks
Martha Stewart Member
11/04/2008
What can I use instead of okra? I cann n n n t find it in my country... Thanks
Martha Stewart Member
11/04/2008
What can I use instead of okra? I cann n n n t find it in my country... Thanks
Martha Stewart Member
05/03/2008
Gumbo requires a dark roux. Make the roux in a skillet, on high heat, with equal amounts of vegetable oil and flour, stirring constantly until very dark--rusty brown--toasted--5 min. That's where the unique flavor comes from. Saute the veggies in the roux, then transfer to a stock pot when adding the remaining ingredients. Lightly brown fresh chicken--5 min. to avoid undesirable flavors. We don't use garlic or oregano in our gumbos. Use long grain white rice
Martha Stewart Member
04/15/2008
I made this last night. I agree the recipe was a little bland. I added smoked paprika, garlic salt, corn, diced tomatoes and chopped spinach. I also simmered it for about 30 minutes and added a little milk to thicken it. Turned out fantastic!
Martha Stewart Member
04/09/2008
Agreed...a little bland but nothing that some spices can't take care of. A really hearty and delicious and EASY recipe! If you don't like your gumbo super thick, use less okra.
Martha Stewart Member
04/07/2008
We tried this tonight. I added a can of tomatoes and some hot sauce and it was delicious. The only problem. It does not fit into the 5qt Dutch oven. If you have a 6qt or larger it would fit much better.
Martha Stewart Member
04/01/2008
Kind of bland. On the reheat I added some hot sauce and made a difference.
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