Shortcut Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Jillian Blair
Oct 26, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Feb 5, 2024

Hear me out! This gumbo is faster than usual and perfect for a weeknight, a beginner or homesick college student.

I love cooking from scratch. I think we should cook more things from scratch, when possible. BUT, I also know that we are all busy people, and if there's a shortcut that I feel is as great or close to the real thing, I'll take it.

Everyone knows the best gumbo in the state is the one you ate growing up. Nothing else is really going to come close (at least, if you grew up in my house ;) ). So when I came to LSU, I missed homemade Cajun dishes that you really can't get in a restaurant in Baton Rouge.

That's where jarred roux comes in. Look, I promise I know how to make my own. I have the burns to prove it! When I make a full-blown pot of gumbo with every step, I'll make it from scratch. I just think the jarred stuff is pretty good.

SHORTCUT CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Ingredients

As always, feel free to mix it up and cook with your heart!

2-3 links of Louisiana sausage, sliced
4 chicken thighs (optionally cut into chunks)
2 tablespoons of a neutral oil
1/2 of a container of chopped seasoning mix (Trinity veggies [onions, bell pepper and celery, usually with garlic and green onions]) like Guidry's or Rouses brand
1/4 to 1/2 a cup of dark jarred roux, I like Savoie's
64 oz of chicken stock (broth or bullion will work, but stock will give the most flavor)
Season to taste (garlic powder, onion powder, cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, etc.)

Directions

Slice sausage and season the chicken thighs. You might need to cut them into chunks, depending on how long you'll simmer it and how small you like your chicken.
Brown the sausage in a couple of tablespoons of oil. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat.
Brown the chicken and remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat.
Add in your chopped veggies and soften them for 5-10 minutes.
Add in your roux. I started with 1/3 a cup because I like a dark, thick gumbo. Use less (like 1/4) for thinner, and add more if needed. Remember, you can always add more later if it's not thick enough. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes in the veggies.
Add in 64 oz of stock, mix, and then add the meats back in. Season to taste. I used about a teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, 2 of cajun seasoning, and a few pinches of salt and pepper.
Simmer for as long as you can, but at least 30 minutes.