Crock Pot Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 10/7/22
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Crock Pot chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo with plain white rice in bowls

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 9 hrs 32 mins
Total: 9 hrs 57 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
465 Calories
20g Fat
41g Carbs
31g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 465
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 152mg 51%
Sodium 761mg 33%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 20mg 98%
Calcium 75mg 6%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 604mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A Louisiana gumbo is a time-honored dish that may seem as though it takes a long time to prepare because it has so many ingredients. But for this slow cooker gumbo, it's a hearty stew that comes together quickly once the foundation has been laid. It then cooks unattended for hours, filling your home with its enticing aroma.

As with almost all gumbos, this crock pot chicken and sausage version ​starts with a roux, which is the most intensive, hands-on part of the process. You'll find all of the classic ingredients here in this gumbo, including the "holy trinity" of onion, bell pepper, and celery, along with sliced okra, chicken, shrimp, spicy sausage, and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Chicken thighs offer more flavor than chicken breasts but feel free to use boneless chicken breasts if you prefer. Use andouille sausage or another kind of spicy smoked sausage, and add the tomatoes for a Creole-style gumbo or omit them for a more Cajun-like gumbo. This recipe is designed to prevent the shrimp from becoming rubbery by cooking it first in a skillet, setting them aside, and then adding them back in toward the very end of the slow cooking process, to mix in with the other ingredients.

"This recipe makes gumbo an easy weeknight meal. I made the roux, cooked the shrimp, and prepped the ingredients the night before and refrigerated. The next day I just had to dump it all in a crockpot. The aromatics don't even need to be sauteed. I was skeptical but the finished dish was still very flavorful." —Danielle Centoni

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Ingredients

For the Gumbo:

  • 1/2 pound medium shrimp

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

  • 1 1/2 cups sliced frozen okra

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped onion

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 cups unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained, optional

For the Rice:

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Crock Pot chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. With the tip of a sharp knife, make a shallow cut down the back of each shrimp. Peel the shrimp, remove the dark veins.

    Raw shrimp being deveined with a sharp pairing knife

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water.

    Raw shrimp in a metal strainer

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they are pink and opaque.

    Cooked shrimp covered with water in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Drain and transfer the shrimp to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

    Cooked drained shrimp in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga


  6. To make the roux, wipe the saucepan out with a paper towel and add the flour and oil, mixing well. Place the saucepan over medium heat.

    Tan-colored roux being stirred with a wooden spoon in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture turns a light reddish-brown. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. If the roux is turning dark too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low.

    Reddish-brown roux being stirred with a wooden spoon in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Transfer the roux to the crock pot.

    Roux added to slow cooker

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Add all the gumbo ingredients but the shrimp to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

    Chicken, sausage, vegetables, and condiments added to slow cooker

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  10. Add the cooked shrimp to the gumbo and mix well. Cover and continue to cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes.

    Shrimp added to slow cooker

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  11. Meanwhile, cook the rice in the chicken stock or water, following the package directions.

    Cooked white rice in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  12. Serve the gumbo over the hot cooked rice along with crusty French baguettes, cornbread, or biscuits.

    Crock Pot chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo with plain white rice in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • Keep an eye on the roux as it cooks so that it does not burn. You want it to be the consistency of maple syrup.
  • With traditional gumbo, the rice cooks in the broth, so if you prefer, add the rice to the gumbo just before serving. Just don't add it too early or the rice may soak up the liquid.
  • The roux can be prepared the night before and refrigerated. In the morning, combine it with the remaining gumbo ingredients, and proceed as the recipe indicates.

How to Store Gumbo

This is one of those dishes that can taste better the next day. If you make this recipe as indicated, with the shrimp, sausage, and chicken, it will be good for 2 days. If your gumbo has chicken and/or sausage, it will keep for up to 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator. You can freeze gumbo for up to six months.


What Is the Difference Between Gumbo and Jambalaya?

It's really easy to confuse these two classic Louisiana dishes. After all, they both contain some permutations of chicken, sausage, shrimp, and a roux. They're both adaptable, historically speaking, to whatever the cook has on hand, and contain the "holy trinity" as the base. However, the main difference pertains to how the rice is cooked.

  • Gumbo is served with long-grain white rice that is cooked separately. It's more like a thickened stew.
  • With jambalaya, which can be thought of as a distant culinary relative of Spanish paella (or even a casserole), rice goes directly in the pot.
  • Creole, or red jambalaya, contains tomatoes; Cajun (or brown jambalaya) versions typically do not.
  • With jambalaya, it's not uncommon for people to add hot sauce, but gumbo cooks might take offense to such a gesture.