Classic chicken and sausage gumbo – smoked! Tender slow-smoked chicken thighs and spicy smoked Andouille sausage in an extra rich and flavorful Cajun gumbo. It’s next-level delicious! I hope you love it as much as I do. Here’s the recipe.
Smoked Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Smoked Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Equipment
- Smoker or BBQ Pit
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- large stock pot
- wooden spoon
- large lidded container
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs – smoked, chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 Andouille sausage links – smoked, chopped into ½ inch slices
- 2 onions – large, chopped
- 1 cup celery – chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper – chopped
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves – minced
- ½ tsp fresh basil leaves – minced
- ¼ tsp powdered cloves
- ¼ tsp powdered allspice
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ cup green onions – chopped
- 1 tbsp gumbo file powder
- 2 cups white rice
Instructions
- Smoke the chicken thighs and Andouille sausage until done. This can be done well in advance of making the gumbo. There is no need to add spices, salt, or pepper to the chicken before smoking.8 chicken thighs, 2 Andouille sausage links
- Remove the chicken and sausage, and set aside until ready to use.
- Chop the onions, celery, and bell pepper, then set aside.2 onions, 1 cup celery, 1 cup green bell pepper
- Add oil and flour to a large stock pot over medium heat.1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Stir to incorporate the flour and oil. Continuously stir the mixture to keep the flour from burning while you make a roux.
- Continue cooking the flour in the oil until the roux is dark, chocolate colored.
- Add the vegetables to the roux.
- Stir to incorporate, then cook until vegetables are soft.
- Add the chicken stock.2 quarts chicken stock
- Stir to incorporate.
- Add the chopped garlic, bay leaves, herbs and spices.3 cloves garlic, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, 1/2 tsp fresh basil leaves, 1/4 tsp powdered cloves, 1/4 tsp powdered allspice, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper
- Add the gumbo file. Stir together, then simmer for 40 minutes.1 tbsp gumbo file powder
- Chop the smoked chicken thighs into bite sized chunks, then add it to the gumbo.
- Chop the Andouille sausage into ½ inch slices, then add it to the gumbo.
- Stir it all together then simmer for another 10 minutes, or until chicken is soft. Don't cook for too long or the chicken will become stringy.
- Add the green onions. Allow the gumbo to cool completely, then add it to a lidded container. Keep it covered in the refrigerator overnight. Gumbo is always better the day after making it!1/2 cup green onions
- The following day, return the gumbo to the stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to simmer. Serve hot over cooked white rice. Add a dash of hot sauce, and a knob of buttered French bread.2 cups white rice
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
This recipe was an experiment to see if the more intense flavor of smoked chicken would overpower the other more subtle flavors of the gumbo. While I did need to adjust the spices to balance the flavors out, the results were excellent! I served a party of 12, and everyone loved it!
Smoking Meats
For tips on smoking chicken and sausage, see my post about Smoking Meats. Use a good quality oak lump charcoal or firewood. Maintain a low temperature of around 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a digital thermometer to monitor internal temperature. Smoke the chicken thighs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Keep your eye on the sausages, they will cook faster than the chicken. Remove the sausage when it starts getting too dark.
Secrets to Making Excellent Gumbos
Don’t get into a big hurry
It takes time to prepare a great gumbo. Don’t get into a rush. While standing over a hot stove making roux is admittedly not very fun, it does make your kitchen smell amazing. Know that as your gumbo simmers, your kitchen will be filled with an amazing aroma. As my site tagline states, great memories are made in the kitchen. The memory of the smells of cooking gumbo will stay with you, and fill you with nostalgic feelings of love, family, friends, and great food. Enjoy it!
Use chicken thighs
Use chicken thighs when making gumbo. It will make a big difference in the overall quality of the soup. Thighs have better texture and richer, more robust flavor. They are also more easily broken up into bite size pieces. Personally, I like to break up the thighs with the edge of my spoon when they are cooked and tender. Chopping or cubing the chicken meat will detract from its texture and presentation.
Make a rich, dark roux
Gumbos are always better when starting with a rich, dark roux. The good news is that if you make your roux using oil instead of butter, you can make it days in advance. Just keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Take your time when making the roux – the darker it is the better it is. But, the danger of burning it increases the longer you cook it. You will need to stand over it, constantly stirring the flour and oil until you achieve the right color. If you burn it, you will need to throw it out and start over. Burnt roux will ruin your gumbo. Think of the roux as the foundation of your gumbo. Everything else depends on it.
Don’t overcook the meat
Don’t make the mistake of simmering your meats too long. They will lose their texture and fall apart if over-cooked. Cook your meats separately, then add them to the gumbo toward the end. You want enough time to reheat the meat and meld some of the flavors, but most of the cooking time should be spent simmering the roux, stock and vegetables.
Make the gumbo the day before
Gumbo always tastes better the next day. After making the gumbo, if you have time allow it to cool completely then keep it overnight in the refrigerator. This will help the flavors to fully meld and will also help the gumbo to thicken. An added benefit is that any oils or grease captured in the gumbo will float to the top, where it can be easily scraped off the following day.
Reheating
To reheat, just add the gumbo back to a large stock pot over high heat. Stir it every few minutes until it comes to a low boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Allow it to simmer for about 10-15 minutes before serving it. This will allow you plenty of time to make the white rice.
Don’t skip the bread!
French bread is an almost must-have when serving gumbo. It tastes so good! The bread will help you to sop up every last drop of delicious gumbo.
Side Items
While gumbo with white rice and a knob of buttered bread is pretty much a complete meal, here are a couple of side items to consider:
Potato Salad
There is something about potato salad that pairs so well with gumbo. Try DaLynn’s Famous Potato Salad recipe. It’s amazingly delicious and will perfectly complement smoked chicken and sausage gumbo.
Deviled Eggs
It’s common for Cajuns to add boiled eggs into their chicken and sausage gumbo. Personally I find this to be a bit excessive in an already rich soup. Deviled Eggs are an excellent alternative that can be served on the side.
Related Recipes
Chicken Gumbo
Cajun Seafood Gumbo
Cajun Chicken Fricassee
Creole Jambalaya
Roux
French Baguettes
DaLynn’s Famous Potato Salad
Care to comment? I'd love to read it. Please be cool, respectful, relevant, positive or constructive, and leave an actual comment. Thanks!