Today, October 12, is National Gumbo Day. I’m going to take you to Louisiana in my kitchen and show you how to make a really good Gumbo Filé with Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp. The word “gumbo” has a G, an M, and an O in it because OMG, it’s good!
Now, there are a lot of gumbos out there and that’s really what’s so special about it. You can twist it and tweak it and make it your own. There are a few things that make gumbo, “Gumbo,” though. So, you’ll want to take note.
Gumbo is a delicious and iconic Louisiana stew featuring a rich, flavorful broth, tender meats, and the Holy Trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery. A key ingredient in many classic gumbo recipes is shrimp, which provides a sweet, briny burst of seafood flavor. But knowing exactly when to add the frozen shrimp is crucial to prevent overcooking and achieve the perfect tender texture.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover:
- The basics of making gumbo
- How long various meats take to cook
- Shrimp preparation and cook times
- Step-by-step instructions for adding shrimp at the right time
- Expert tips to prevent rubbery shrimp
- Frequently asked questions about cooking shrimp in gumbo
Follow these guidelines to learn the ideal time to add frozen shrimp so they turn out plump, juicy, and delicious in your gumbo every time.
Gumbo Basics – Meats, Sauces, and Cooking Times
Before we get into the specifics of when to add shrimp, let’s quickly go over the basics of how gumbo is constructed.
Gumbo typically starts with a cooked roux – flour cooked into a fat like oil or lard to thicken the stew. After the dark brown roux, the aromatic vegetables go in to cook briefly before the broth is added.
Common meats in gumbo include:
- Andouille or smoked sausage – Sliced and browned in advance, takes about 10 minutes to heat through in the gumbo.
- Chicken – Cut into pieces and simmered in the gumbo for 30-60 minutes until cooked through.
- Ham or other smoked meats – Pre-cooked, just needs heating.
- Seafood like crab, crawfish, or oysters – Added at the end to gently heat through.
The meats cook in a seasoned broth along with herbs and spices like bay leaves, thyme, cayenne and file powder. Okra or filé powder also help thicken the stew.
So when preparing your gumbo, get the roux, veggies, and meats cooked first before moving on to the delicate shrimp.
Prepping and Cooking Shrimp for Gumbo
Shrimp add wonderful flavor, texture, and protein to gumbo. Here are some tips for preparing them:
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Buy frozen raw shrimp – Raw shrimp cook more evenly than pre-cooked. Choose large shrimp for the hearty stew.
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Use shells on or peeled – Shells add visual appeal and flavor but take longer to eat. Peel them for easier eating.
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No thawing needed – Shrimp can go straight from freezer to gumbo since they cook so quickly.
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Cook time: 5-7 minutes – Once added to the hot gumbo, shrimp need just 5-7 minutes to turn pink and opaque while retaining moisture.
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Don’t overcook – Shrimp overcooked beyond 7 minutes will become rubbery and tough.
Follow these rules of thumb for cooking shrimp properly in gumbo. Now let’s get into the ideal timing.
When to Add Frozen Shrimp to Gumbo
Here are the simple steps to ensure your shrimp cook perfectly in gumbo:
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Prepare roux, vegetables, and other meats first – Get the roux, Holy Trinity veggies, broth, and any sausage, chicken, or other meats cooked partially before moving on.
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Add shrimp towards end – When the gumbo has thickened and the flavors have mingled, after about 1 hour or more of simmering, it’s time to add the shrimp.
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Stir in frozen shrimp – No need to thaw, just add the peeled raw frozen shrimp directly to the hot gumbo and stir to submerge.
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Simmer 5-7 minutes – Allow the shrimp to cook gently for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. They will turn solid pink/white when ready.
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Check doneness – Cut into a shrimp to check it’s opaque inside. Remove from heat immediately if fully cooked to prevent overcooking.
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Adjust seasoning if needed – Taste and add more salt, pepper, or hot sauce if desired.
Follow this timeline and your shrimp will come out tender and delicious! Now for some extra tips to avoid pitfalls.
Expert Tips for Perfect Shrimp
Here are some troubleshooting tips from our chef experts for flawless shrimp texture and flavor:
- Don’t let roux or broth boil rapidly – Gentle simmering ensures even cooking.
- Stir shrimp occasionally as they cook to prevent sticking.
- For extra shrimp flavor, add shells to the simmering broth.
- For spicier kick, add hot sauce or cayenne when adding shrimp.
- For richer flavor, add a pat of butter along with the shrimp.
- If shrimp are already overcooked, remove immediately from the heat.
- Serve gumbo immediately for hot, juicy shrimp don’t wait or they’ll dry out.
Stirring the raw frozen shrimp into the simmering gumbo at just the right time is the key to perfectly cooked seafood.
FAQs About Adding Shrimp to Gumbo
Let’s wrap up with answers to some frequently asked questions:
Should I peel the shrimp first?
Either peel before cooking or leave shells on for visual appeal – your preference!
Can I cook the shrimp separately?
Yes but simmering them in the gumbo infuses more flavor.
What if my shrimp are pre-cooked?
Add just 1-2 minutes before serving to gently reheat.
Can I use other seafood too?
Yes, crab, crawfish, fish, scallops all work well. Follow same timing.
Can I prepare gumbo in advance?
Yes but add raw shrimp right before serving to prevent overcooking.
Should I use a lid while simmering?
Yes, leave lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape while cooking.
Achieve Shrimp Perfection in Your Gumbo
Hopefully this guide has shed light on the ideal timing and technique for adding frozen shrimp to gumbo. Follow our tips for tender, juicy shrimp bursting with sweet flavor in every spoonful of your gumbo.
Monitor cook times, stir shrimp gently as they simmer, and remove them as soon as they are opaque. Serve your shrimp gumbo immediately for the best results.
Let us know any other gumbo cooking questions you may have! Cajun cooking is a delicious art form, and with the right guidance you can master restaurant-quality gumbo in your own kitchen.
How to Serve Gumbo Filé with Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp
Serve your gumbo hot, ladled over white rice, with corn bread or hush puppies on the side.
Sometimes, a really good gumbo is all you need to make the world feel right. Even on rainy days, this Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo Filé will make you feel like you’re in the south with its thick, dark sauce, spicy sausage, and juicy shrimp.
- Proteins
- 1 pound roasted, fried, or stewed chicken meat
- 1 pound Andouille sausage
- 1 pound frozen, cooked shrimp
- Vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 1 green pepper, diced small
- 1 red pepper, diced small
- 1 cup celery, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions; put half in the pot and use the other half to decorate.
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- Liquids
- 5 – 6 cups chicken stock
- Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon basil, crushed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1 – 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 Tablespoon Gumbo Filé Powder (add towards end of cooking)
- For the Roux
- 1 cup flour (4.25 ounces)
- 2/3 cup lard or shortening (about 4.8 ounces)
- To cook the Andouille sausage, cut it into 1/2-inch medallions and brown both sides in a pan.
- Chicken should be cut or torn into cubes or pieces about 1 inch thick.
- Dice all vegetables and mince garlic. Throw them all into a large bowl.
- Measure spices and mix in a small bowl.
- Making the Roux
- Melt the shortening or lard in a heavy pot, like a Dutch oven, over low to low/medium heat. When you add the flour, stir it in right away to make sure there are no lumps. This makes a roux. After that, don’t stop stirring the roux for 35 to 45 minutes, until it turns a dark chocolate brown color. Keep a close eye on your roux and keep stirring it. If the heat needs to be changed, do so. If it burns, you must start over.
- Assembling the Gumbo
- Put shrimp that are frozen in a bowl of cold water to thaw.
- Add the vegetables and garlic to the roux once it has reached the color you want. Cook them until they are just tender.
- Add chicken stock to the pot and stir to make sure it mixes with everything else.
- Add chicken, sausage, and spices, (excluding gumbo filé) to pot. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
- When shrimp have thawed add them to the pot. Keep cooking for about 10 minutes more, until the shrimp are hot.
- Remove from fire and stir in gumbo filé.
- Gumbo should be served with rice. Green onions and paprika can be added for color if you want.
- Gumbo tastes even better the next day. It can be kept in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for up to six months. It is best to freeze it in single servings with rice.
There’s Something About Gumbo
The main thing about gumbo is the roux. You can call stew with chicken, turkey, shrimp, ham, crab legs, crawfish, oysters, and/or sausage, vegetables, stock, and spices, but it won’t be gumbo without the roux.
Another thing about gumbo is that it has garlic, onions, celery, and bell peppers, which are known as the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun food. Lastly, it’s commonly served with a side of rice. Though, back in the day, it was often served with a side of corn meal mush.
The first time I ever made roux was in the Army. We all thought making it was torture because, well, it was military training, if you think about it. Like cooking at 3 a.m. m. or crawling under razor wire, has a tendency to be tortuous. Now, that I’m older and very much wiser, I know making roux is not tortuous, at all. It’s meditative and it’s worth it.
Roux is a thickener for sauces, stews, and gravies. It is made by cooking flour and oil or fat together. I call it fried flour, but “roux” sounds much more appetizing. Unless, you say “farine frit” which means “fried flour” and is a very old term for roux. Then it sounds good. French words for food always sound good. Actually, French words sound good in general, don’t they?.
To make a roux, you combine equal parts of flour and fat by weight, and cook it over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until it gets to the level of brownness desired. For this gumbo recipe you’ll want it as brown as you can get it. Chocolate brown. That means you need to stir it for about 35 – 45 minutes. So, grab a drink and your phone and park yourself in front of the stove, relax, and… stir. Just don’t get all into watching “The Great British Baking Show” on PBS or Netflix and burn your roux. If you burn it, you have to start over. Probably better to just watch the roux, instead of British bakers. Wax on, wax off. Woosah… there you got it.
Also, you can make roux with any fat you want, but if you use butter, it won’t turn dark brown.
The great thing about gumbo is it’s so American. It’s a melting pot. Gumbo embodies the culture and foods from the people from west Africa to Native Americans to the French. Everybody’s in there. Well, not everybody. But, maybe we could invent an Everybody Gumbo that has a lot more stuff in it. Like, say… Shrimp Taco Gumbo with Curry Powder and Red Wine Sauce? Hey! They say fusion cooking is the new thing. But, obviously, it’s not that new. Gumbo proves that.
Ok. Let’s quit the brainstorming and get back to reality. Maybe, a Master Chef could make my idea work. I don’t know. There are some limitations when it comes to food.
Anyway, gumbo filé powder is made from ground sassafras tree leaves and is at least one thing that Native Americans brought to this kind of gumbo. On its own, it smells like eucalyptus and sugar and tastes like rootbeer. It acts as a thickener and when added to a savory sauce it tastes like thyme. Do you mean that roux doesn’t make the sauce thicker? Yes, it does. But the darker the roux, the thinner the sauce. So, it needs a little help. Other types of gumbo use okra as a thickener. We’re sticking with the sassafras leaves because, honestly, I’m not really that into okra.
Just FYI – There was no gumbo filé powder to be found in the stores near me. They blamed the lack of it on COVID. I ordered a big, ol’ jar of it from Amazon and now have enough to last me 20 years.
Here we go with the French words again. “Mise en place” (pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs) is a French phrase meaning “everything in place. Before you start putting this dish together, make sure your pots, pans, and tools are ready, your vegetables are peeled and cut, your spices, grease, and flour are measured out, your chicken and sausage are cooked, and your stock is ready.
This can be done in stages. Along those lines, I stewed, cut up, and made the chicken stock the day before. Of course, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken and commercially-prepared chicken broth, if you like. Nobody will give you demerits. Unless you’re in a cooking competition or something. You just need some cooked chicken. How you get it is up to you.
Life will be much easier if you have everything ready before you make the roux, though. More so the vegetables, since you’ll be adding them to the roux to cook as soon as it’s done. So, please, read through the entire recipe and do what you can ahead of time. Then building your gumbo will be a breeze.
I use pre-cooked, frozen shrimp in this recipe. You use what you like and have access to. Put frozen shrimp that has already been cooked in a bowl of cool water to thaw. Then, add the shrimp to the gumbo when it’s almost done cooking. This will heat up the shrimp and keep it from turning to mush.