Slow Cooker Gumbo (Red Creole Style Gumbo)

Soon to be a new family favorite this flavor packed Slow Cooker Gumbo recipe is an easy ‘dump and go’ meal. This Gumbo is easy to assemble in the crockpot with an optional roux for an authentic Creole taste!

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Crockpot Gumbo Recipe

I am a little hesitant to post this recipe because I don’t want people with Cajun and Creole roots to yell at me…

I am a complete northern girl so because I don’t have a family recipe for Gumbo or Jambalaya passed down to me I had to make my own up.

I stuck to tradition for most of this dish but also wanted to make it delicious and easy, so hopefully you will find this Gumbo fits all of that

What is the difference between Jambalaya and Gumbo?

Both come from Creole and Cajun roots and have vast similarities but the main difference is how the rice is cooked.

Gumbo is a stew served along with rice cooked separate, and depending on Creole or Cajun it is either brown with no tomatoes (Cajun) or with tomatoes (Creole).

Jambalaya is cooked with the rice, think of it as a distant cousin of the Spanish paella, with the rice in the pot.

Both typically use a roux, the ‘holy trinity’ of vegetables (bell pepper, onions, celery), and proteins such as chicken, shrimp, and sausage.

Now I will point out that both Gumbo and Jambalaya have a lot to do with how each family prepared it, so these recipes might look quite different to everyone.

But in the spirit of being a huge fan this northern girl has made her own crockpot gumbo…

I have heard it said many time Cajun and Creole cuisine, they say “start with a roux”.

When I went to work on this Slow Cooker Gumbo Recipe I didn’t want to stray too far from its Creole roots, so in this spirit I put a roux in my crockpot.

STOP, before you leave because that sounds complicated don’t.

First off, the roux I put in this recipe is very simple and only adds about 5 minutes. Second, you don’t have to do the roux, so much so that I wrote it as ‘optional’ in the instructions.

BUT you should totally put the roux in. Not only does it add flavor to the dish but it also adds as a thickening agent.

AND at this point if you still aren’t sure what a roux is, a roux is a mixture of fat (in this case butter) and flour used in making sauces.

Beyond the roux this recipe is a great ‘dump and go’ option. Besides making the rice and throwing in the shrimp during the last 15 minutes you really just dump and stir everything into the crock and let it works its magic.

So here is what you need…

Supplies

• Crockpot/Slow Cooker
• Cutting Board & Knife
• typical Kitchen Accessories such as measuring cups/spoons, can opener, and large spoons
• for the Roux, a Skillet and Whisk

Ingredients

You will need:

• Red Bell Pepper – diced into small pieces
• Onion – yellow or white onion works, the onion will be diced
• Celery Stalks – chopped up
• Diced Tomatoes (the big can) – a large can of diced tomatoes (or 2 of the regular size), if you aren’t a fan of chunky tomatoes you can use crushed tomatoes
• Chicken Thighs – Boneless and Skinless, try to not to substitute for chicken breasts here as they probably will get mushy and not hold up to the rest of the ingredients
• Andouille Sausage – you can find them in a package usually somewhere near the package meats, sizes will probably vary slightly but anything around 12 to 16 ounces should work
• Shrimp – a pound of medium sized RAW shrimp, I suggest leaving the shells in tact during cooking because it will add more flavor to the final dish, you can simply peel the shrimp during eating (also heads up I took a little artistic liberty and took the photo of the shrimp in the crockpot with everything else, the shrimp will get added during the last few minutes)
• Cajun Seasoning – or Creole Seasoning, I have a hard time finding anything called Creole Seasoning where I live but have an easy time finding Cajun, I figured this might ring true to others as well
• Kosher Salt – or sea salt, if using table salt, use half the amount
• Dried Thyme – if using fresh use twice the amount
• Chicken Broth
• Minced Garlic
• Cooked Rice for Serving – I recommenced checking out my post of How to Make Rice on the Stovetop, you will make the rice as you add the shrimp
• Butter + Flour – if you are making to roux

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

NOTE – In a lot of traditional Gumbo recipes you will see Okra, it is not easy to find fresh okra where I live, keeping in step with the Cajun/Creole seasoning above I did not use it in this recipe. If you have okra plentiful use some!

Instructions for Making Gumbo in the Crockpot

First up the ‘optional’ roux. To make the roux for this dish add a skillet to the stovetop and add the butter bring to medium heat.

Once the butter is fully melted and starting to bubble add the flour. Whisk to combine, it might seem hard and chunky at first but just keep whisking. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes smooth, keep whisking slowly until the roux becomes a dark brown color about 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat, set aside until you are ready to add the the crockpot. 

To make the Gumbo add the diced red bell pepper, onion, celery, diced tomatoes, chicken thighs, sliced andouille, cajun seasoning, salt, thyme, broth, and minced garlic to the crock. And if you made a roux add that in. Do NOT add the shrimp yet. 

Stir together to combine and cook on LOW 6-7 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking stir in the shrimp. I recommend leaving the shells on for maximum flavor but it isn’t absolutely necessary.

When you add the shrimp make sure you also make your rice for serving!

Please note:

ADD THE SHRIMP AT THE END, for artistic purposes I took the ingredients photo with them in the crockpot, they will turn out better if you add them at the end. 

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