Crock Pot Gumbo
An authentic gumbo easily made in a crock pot. I make this every time I go camping. A small investment of time, then let the crock pot work all day while enjoying nature. Nice to come back to the camper and have a hearty gumbo waiting.
An authentic gumbo easily made in a crock pot. I make this every time I go camping. A small investment of time, then let the crock pot work all day while enjoying nature. Nice to come back to the camper and have a hearty gumbo waiting.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cups beef stock
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces andouille sausage
- 3 each celery stalks diced
- 1 pound shrimp shelled and deveined
- 2 cup okra sliced
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes canned
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1/4 cups scallions thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon file powder
- Carbohydrate 44.3398416920874 g
- Cholesterol 213.188413852 mg
- Fat 27.6391545834578 g
- Fiber 3.71153503445939 g
- Protein 52.3051360624249 g
- Saturated Fat 7.95454135294178 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (600g)
- Sodium 904.908161903498 mg
- Sugar 40.628306657628 g
- Trans Fat 2.76051636716037 g
- Calories 647 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and add sausage. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage lightly browns; spoon into slow cooker. In same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and celery. Cook until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally; add to slow cooker. In same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oin and chopped chicken. Cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally, about 7-10 minutes; add to slow cooker. In same skilet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and shrimp. Cook until shrimp is no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes; add to slow cooker. Add okra to slow cooker.
- In same skillet, add 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-low heat. Using whisk, beat in flour; add Cajun seasoning and thyme. Continue to beat and cook 15 to 20 minutes, making roux that is brown and smells very nutty. Add beef stock, and beat well with whisk. Heat to boiling, beating constantly. Cook until thickened; add to slow cooker.
- Add diced tomatoes to slow cooker; stir well. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 hours. Just before service, sprinkle file powder on top of gumbo.
- Serve gumbo with rice. Garnish with green onions before serving.
Brown the flour and oil over medium-low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes, whisking constantly until the mixture turns brown and yields a distinct nutty aroma. This stovetop step builds the foundational thickness for the slow cooker environment. Skipping this phase or rushing the heat will result in raw starch flavors that the slow cooker cannot correct over six hours on low heat. A heavy cast iron skillet distributes heat evenly, preventing the flour from burning during the extended whisking process.
Budget management in gumbos relies heavily on protein swaps. Andouille sausage provides dense smoke and spice, but standard smoked pork sausage combined with a pinch of cayenne pepper serves as a lower-cost alternative without sacrificing depth. Similarly, frozen okra functions identically to fresh pods when slicing is not an option, though frozen varieties require a thorough thaw and press to remove excess moisture before hitting the pot. Chicken thighs substitute seamlessly for breasts, offering higher fat content that resists drying out during long simmering phases.
Scaling this recipe requires attention to liquid ratios rather than linear multiplication. Doubling the batch does not require doubling the thickener at the same exact rate, as slow cookers trap steam and restrict evaporation. Retain half a cup of warm beef stock on the side to adjust viscosity during the final hour if the starch binds too tightly. Conversely, reducing the yield by half means monitoring the cooker closely to prevent scorching along the ceramic perimeter.
File powder acts strictly as a finishing thickener and seasoning agent, never as a boiling ingredient. Stirring filé into simmering liquid creates a stringy, mucilaginous texture due to the ground sassafras leaves reacting with heat. Sprinkle the powder over individual bowls just before serving alongside white rice to impart its distinct earthy aroma properly.
