After a four-state trip to The Scintillating South (Mobile, AL; Biloxi, MS; New Orleans, LA and Pensacola, FL), you can guess that I ate VERY well.
The Great American South has not only some of the best cuisine in the U.S., but in the world. It combines the flavors of the French, Cajun, Creole and Soul and the results are always worthy enough to put the brass in the best of jazz bands.
And so it would be foolish of me if I returned from a trip to the Gulf without cooking up one of the greatest Southern Creole dishes of all time: GUMBO!
Not only is this Gumbo going to be even better (and quicker) to make in the Instant Pot, but it’s going to be one of the finest your lips & mouth ever danced with! PERFECT for a frigid night or a summer’s day!
Here’s How I Made It!:
“Gumbo” literally means “okra.” So we’ll be wanting to use some. Take a frozen box of it (even better if it’s pre-cut)…
…and because it’s as frozen as I am at the time of writing this recipe, you’re gonna wanna thaw it out.
Place it in a strainer and run under hot water until room temperature and the pieces become individual and set aside for later (they will be slimy, but that’s how okra is).
Now let’s chop up some veggies. Finely dice a green bell pepper…
…a yellow onion…
…and a few stalks/ribs of celery (and keep their leafy tops).
Take a bunch of scallions and slice them up and divide them into two halves: the whiter, crunchier bottom part and the softer, greener top part. Set the veggies aside.
Now take some chicken tenders (or boneless, skinless thighs or breasts). But when I say chicken tenders, I’m not talking the kind that’s already breaded and/or fried! Just the raw chicken tenders ;)…
…and cut them into small chunks.
Then grab some andouille (or any smoked, pre-cooked) sausage…
…and chop it up into little pieces.
Now go to the Instant Pot and toss in some butter.
Once it melts and sizzles…
…take all the veggies (except the okra and softer, greener top half of the scallions).
…and add it to the pot.
Allow it to cook in the butter for a few minutes until they soften.
Then add in the chicken and sausage…
…and cook for a few minutes more until the sausage is lightly browned and the chicken is lightly whitened.
Once done, transfer EVERYTHING in the pot to a bowl…
…and set aside.
It’s okay if there’s a few remnants of onion and such in the pot. Now it’s time to make the Cajun roux. Add some vegetable oil…
…and some flour.
Whisk together constantly for a few so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot…
…until you have achieved this color (note the onion remnants from previously in the pot that are now charred from the roux? That’s gonna give it some nice flava!)
Now comes a little trick that some people are going to attack me for (love you too). Because a Cajun-style roux isn’t the EASIEST thing to make in a stainless steel pot (which the Instant Pot comes with), add just a little Gravy Master.
The color and flavor is going to really make it sing.
We’ll also add in some lemon juice…
…and Worcestershire sauce.
Whisk immediately. You’ll see that the roux will now bubble up and become a little fluffy. Good. Very, very good.
Now add in just a little of that incredible Zatarain’s concentrated Shrimp & Crab Boil…
…some crushed garlic…
…while stirring very well and deglazing (scraping) the bottom of the pot.
Now take some ham base to create some ham broth…
…and pour it into the pot.
And take some chicken base to create some chicken broth…
…and pour it in the pot too.
Toss in a can of diced tomatoes while you’re at it…
…and give it a good stir, deglazing once again (we really don’t want anything sticking to the bottom of the pot – get any roux up that may have stuck there and make sure your mixing spoon easily glides along the bottom of the pot).
Now let’s season this Gumbo up! Use some brown sugar…
…black pepper…
…white pepper…
…cayenne pepper…
…dried thyme…
…cumin…
…paprika…
…and that Creole/Cajun seasoning. Stir together to combine.
Allow the pot to bubble, and when it does, add the chicken, sausage and veggies back into the pot.
Give it all a great stir with a final deglaze, secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
When done, it’s going to smell like a N’awlins kitchen in your house!
Heat the pot back up on “Sauté” so it comes to a bubble and add in that thawed okra…
…and the softer, greener top half of the scallions.
While the pot’s heating to bubble, take some cornstarch…
…and some water and mix together well to form a cornstarch slurry.
When the pot’s bubbling add the cornstarch slurry…
…and stir immediately. This is going to thicken that incredible gumbo up a a little.
While the pot’s bubbling, take some raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (tail on or off)…
…season it with more of that Creole/Cajun seasoning…
…(toss with your clean hands)…
…so the shrimp is lightly coated…
…and then add it to the pot and allow it to cook for just a few minutes until done (keep an eye on it as shrimp cooks fast!). It will be pinkish-white and will have curled up a bit when done.
Now comes another ingredient I may get poo-poo’d over. And that’s fine – just remember, I don’t mess around when it comes to food and know what I’m doing when I play with ingredients 😉
Add some of that All-American goodness in there. (The reason we add this now and not before pressure cooking is because the ketchup will separate too much when under pressure, which is ideal for a sauce but not for a Gumbo!). Stir it in as the shrimp cooks
Speaking of which, when the shrimp looks like this, it’s done!
Take a bowl and put some rice in it (you can make my super easy white rice recipe here and make the rice ahead of time).
And then top it off with some Gumbo…
…and some more Gumbo! Clearly I don’t mess around – this Gumbo is PACKED full of creole goodness and flavor!
And then mix it up with the rice and BOOM! Some of the BEST Gumbo you’ve ever had! Transported right back to New Orleans!
Enjoy with some buttery crackers like Club or Lance Captain’s Wafers!
Instant Pot Gumbo
Gumbo is just one of those things that unless it's made the exact way your Gran Gran did it, we're severly biased. Put a blindfold on and try this one out and Gran Gran never needs to know my controversial secret ingredient that's made this Gumbo receive raves from many a Nola dweller.
Ingredients
- 10 oz box of frozen cut okra
- 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) of salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 stalks/ribs of celery, finely diced with leafy tops
- 1 bunch of scallions, sliced and divided in half (crunchy white bottoms in one half and softer green tops in the other)
- 1 lb of chicken tenders (the cut of chicken, not the breaded kind), cut into small chunks. (You can also use boneless, skinless thighs or breast)
- 1 lb (or a 12 oz pack) of andouille sausage (or any smoked cajun-style sausage you wish to use), diced or cut into 1/4 inch – 1 inch slices depending on your preference
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 tbsp of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (or you can use any Louisiana Cajun/Creole Seasoning if you can’t find this), divided
- 4 cups of Chicken Broth (I used 4 tsp of Chicken Better Than Bouillon + 4 cups of water)
- 4 cups of Ham Broth (I used 4 tsp of Ham Better Than Bouillon + 4 cups of water – you can totally use 8 cups of chicken broth instead if you don’t have the ham, but I assure you, this makes it so much more special)
- 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes (you can add a second can if you wish or leave them out completely if tomatoes in a Gumbo isn’t your thing and you prefer it Cajun style over Creole)
- 1/4 tsp of Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet
- 1 tsp of Zatarain’s Crab Boil concentrate
- 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice (juice of half a fresh lemon)
- 2 tbsp of garlic, minced/crushed
- 2 tsp of light brown sugar
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of white pepper
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper (use more or less to taste)
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 2 tsp of paprika
- 2 tsp of dried thyme
- 3 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp of water to form a slurry
- 1 lb of raw (or frozen raw) shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail on or off), lightly rubbed in some more Tony Chachere’s seasoning
- 1/3 cup of ketchup (yes, you read that right. And quit your hollerin’)
- White rice, to add in each finished bowl (see separate recipe)
- Lance Captain’s Wafers, Oyster Crackers or Club crackers, for crumbling
Instructions
- Thaw the frozen okra by placing it in a strainer and running hot water over it until it becomes room temperature and breaks apart. Set aside
- Add the butter to the InstaInstant Pott Pot, hit “Sauté” and Adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Once the butter’s melted and bubbling, add in the onions, bell pepper, celery and white part of the scallions. Cook for 5 minutes until softened
- Now add in the sausage and chicken and cook for another 3-5 minutes in the butter with the vegetables and cook until the sausage is lightly cooked and the chicken is white (it shouldn’t be fully cooked). When done, remove the liner pot and dump the veggies, chicken and sausage in a large bowl and set aside (it’s okay if a few stragglers remain in the pot)
- Next, create the Cajun roux (which is a thickening base and gives a Gumbo its color) by adding in the vegetable oil, flour and 1 tsp of the Tony Chachere’s Creole/Cajun seasoning. Whisk/stir often for a solid 5 minutes until it becomes a nicely browned roux (the color should look like peanut butter) Note: Make sure you whisk often/constantly or it will want to burn onto the pot. Deglaze (scrape the bottom of the pot) often with a wooden spatula or spoon
- After about 5 minutes of stirring and once the roux is beginning to darken, add the Gravy Master, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Zatarain’s crab boil. The roux will puff up now! Add the garlic and stir for another minute
- Now, add in the ham broth, chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Deglaze the bottom of the pot again to make sure none of the roux is sticking to it. Then add in the other 1.5 tbsp of Tony Chachere’s Creole/Cajun seasoning, light brown sugar, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin and dried thyme. Stir well and add back in the chicken and sausage
- Secure the lid, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 10 minutes (it will take 10-20 mins to come to pressure considering how much is in the pot so just be a little patient). When done cooking, allow a 10 minute natural release (meaning you do nothing for 10 minutes) followed by a quick release
- When the lid comes off, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Sauté” and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Stir in the okra and the softer, greener half of the scallions. Once bubbling, add in the cornstarch slurry and ketchup and let bubble for 2 minutes
- Lightly rub the shrimp in some Cajun/Creole seasoning, add them to the pot and cook for about 3-5 minutes (depending on their size and if raw or frozen), stirring occasionally and checking on the shrimp so they don’t overcook (they cook fast)! They should be a pinkish-white color and curled up when done
- When ready to serve, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” until the pot is on low heat and keeping the Gumbo warm and the bubbles die down
- Serve with some white rice scooped into the bowl and some buttery crackers (like Oyster Crackers, Lance Captain’s Wafers or Club) on the side
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
The darker the Cajun roux, the darker the Gumbo! So don’t skimp on that step and make sure you keep on whisking it up until it’s a nice toasty-brown color!
People may get cranky and say there’s no filé in this recipe, which the Gumbo they’re used to usually has. Well, that’s great! Now they can have one that gives their taste buds a slight change of scene and make them equally as happy. I have some uncommon specialities in this special Gumbo that make it sing. (Oh – and if you don’t care and still want filé, by all means, add filé ?)
Want to top it off with some hot sauce? Go for it!
Add double the cornstarch slurry if you want it much thicker.
On a scale of 1-5, the spice level here is a solid 3. If you want it spicier, use more cayenne and another tsp of the Zatarain’s. If you want it less spicy, use less cayenne or omit it completely.
This makes a LOT and can easily feed 8 people…or 2 with plenty of leftovers! Like so many soups, chilis and stews, Gumbo tastes even better once the flavors have cooled and melded in the fridge and then reheated!
Don’t like shrimp or sausage? No problem! Leave ’em out! (But I strongly suggest you give ’em a try if you want the true ultimate Gumbo!)
Gary Kaetzel
I just made this tonight and I like it a lot! I went to 1/2 tsp. of cayenne but that’s ok! I had a few things to use up that I think complimented it, like some canned corn and since I didn’t have quite the 1 lb. of shrimp I got a bag of scallops. I also added in the last few pieces of turkey from Christmas and I think it turned out very good! Sorry to change a few things but I did use up some stuff that might not have gotten used until it went bad! Thank you for another great one!
Jeffrey
Love this! And don’t apologize! I LOVE you took things you had lying around and added it 😉
Tom W.
I’ve been saving this recipe for New Years Eve (2 days from now).
From my favorite butcher I’ve acquired 1 lb of alligator meat, bison sausage, andouille sausage and chorizo. Okra has been hard to find here in the northeast but Whole Foods may come through (I’ll know tomorrow). I acquired a stash of the Zatarains Crab and Shrimp Boil Concentrate from Amazon for a prior recipe of yours. The ham version of Better than Bouillon can’t be acquired locally and Amazon wants $26 (minimum) to send a supply so I ended up going with Orrington Farms Ham Broth Base (via Amazon). I’ve got a 1 lb bag of tails on frozen shrimp. The rest I have on hand.
C’mon… 5 mins prep? Are you freakin’ kidding me? I’ve been planning this thing for 2 months and I still don’t think I’m ready. I formatted your recipe into my standard 1 page format and I had to go down to 8 pt fonts to get it to fit. 5 mins… whoo, boy.
I can not WAIT to cook this thing. It’s like Christmas, the anticipation.
More to come
Tom W.
This recipe is awesome. The alligator gumbo came out great!
For the record, the prep time took me 90 minutes with the shrimp thawing and peeling, okra thawing and prep, vegetable washing and dicing, spice measuring, sausage chopping, lemon juice squeezing, ingredients organizing. 14 separate ingredients require touching and preparation (not counting the spices), I’m a little slow so I think I could shave off 15 minutes but that’s still 75 minutes of prep. And it’s totally worth it.
I used two cans of diced tomatoes and added some liquid smoke.
Other than the flavor, my favorite part was the consistency. It had the thickness I would expect a gumbo to have.
Two thumbs up. My son, a finicky eater, also liked it. It was a fun way to bring in the new year.
Sue Worsham
Impressive, sir! Sounds like you had an amazing New Year’s Eve.
Jim
I’m not sure why there is so much hate for the ketchup, but I don’t know why you didn’t just replace the ketchup with some tomato paste, extra brown sugar, a little vinegar (the lemon juice is probably sufficient) and maybe a little onion and garlic powder, even though there is plenty of onion and garlic in it. Really a few TBSP of tomato paste could be substituted for the ketchup without causing so much panic. The extra spices in the ketchup are minimal. But then even adding diced tomatoes gets some people’s panties in a bunch.
Jeffrey
Because this is how I choose to make it 😉
Ariel
I want to make this buy also have some king crab legs, do you have any tips how to incorporate them?
Melissa
Can this recipe be cut in half? Has anyone tried to do that. I LOVE this recipe and I have made it over and over and just don’t want a ton of leftovers this time 🙂
Karen
I love you Jeff and I love your orange cook book….but, after living in Louisiana the past 21 years I have to say…This might be a delicious gumbo style soup, but Louisiana style gumbo it def is not. It just makes me so sad to see the glorious roux short circuited in this way. 😭
Jeffrey
Thanks for loving the book, Karen! You may say you aren’t into the gumbo from the ingredients and instructions, but I can assure you if it was placed in front of you with a spoon, you would very likely say it was amongst the best of them 😉
Dig Baddy
My gumbo recipe is as follows–
1/2 jar of premade roux and 2 quarts of premade chicken stock plus enough water to mostly fill the pot. Cook until it is about 1/3 reduced. Brown frozen bag of onion. add to the pot (at any point). do not brown but toss in 2 bags of frozen green peppers (no real benefit to browning them) and a big bag of frozen okra (still frozen is fine since the pot is boiling) and add BIG heaping tablespoon of garlic (jarred pre-minced kind). Brown a pack of cajun sausage and toss that in with drippings. Brown 2 packs of pancetta. Toss that in with drippings. Chop up rotisserie chicken. Toss that in with the drippings that accumulated in little tray and on the cutting board. Season with Tony Chachere’s (as you do). Done.
Takes about 1 hour to cook down stock/Roux. The rest requires limited intervention except browing the frozen onions/pancetta/sausage and chopping the chicken.
Susan
I sure hope non- Instant Pot/Jeffrey-loving readers of YOUR cookbook will enjoy your recipe. 😄
Melissa
Delicious! I’ve made it twice, and my kids love it!
Ron
Sauté the okra before adding it to the gumbo. Okra is a kind of slimy vegetable.
Glenda Chipman
I have made this several times & absolutely love it. I have made a few changes, as I despise cooked sweet green bell peppers I instead have substituted a smaller amount of Anaheim instead.
Sorry Jeffery I couldn’t do the ketchup…. But just love this gumbo. I spent several months at different times in Nola as a traveling nurse & have a few distant relatives from Louisiana & this is the BEST.
Lissa
My Louisiana family and I absolutely love this recipe!!! It’s perfect and very tasty 😋 I’ve made it at least 10 times for different people, and everyone raves about it! Thanks Jeffery!!!
James H
I had a problem with my InstaPot. Can’t make roux in it because it gets too hot and shuts down. I would recommend making a small roux in a separate pot on the stove.
Scot Millar
Hello,
I can’t eat Tony C’s salt in round box. I do always have Zattarain’s crab and shrimp boil along with Old Bay for peel and eat shrimp but, no filet gumbo? This baffles me. I am extremely sensitive to salt. I add it a tiny bit at a time. I spent time in Mandeville, LA and learned the group of neighbors various recipes for gumbo. I also lived in Maryland for a few years. Some mighty great food in both places. And, I live in the land of pizza, wings, subs, amazing Italian food and Beef on Weck. Lots of ethnic foods here too. It’s pretty amazing. But no file? Unless I missed it in the list of ingredients.
Susan
I sure hope non- Instant Pot/Jeffrey-loving readers of YOUR cookbook will enjoy your recipe. 😄
Karen M.
Enjoyed this and all your recipes Jeffery. The catsup was an interesting addition and it works. I love Tony’s and I find it very light on the salt, (for this recipe I used the more spice variety) but if the sodium level is bothering people they do have a no salt variety.
Thank you for making this newbies adventure with the Instant Pot a delicious one.
Sarah
I want to try this this recipe but can I omit the Zatarain’s crab broil? will it hurt the recipe?
husband is allergic to seafood so i figure I would try this but just add the chicken thighs and sausage.
Jeffrey
Sure you can!
Kevin Ross
Hey Jeffrey. I finally tried your gumbo and followed the directions to a T – except I found I didn’t have any ketchup SO, I substituted with Trader Joe’s Sriracha BarBQue sauce. I figured it would be a good add since it’s tomato-based, has some smoke and it really added the kick I was hoping for. Eat it with rice – Amazing! or not – Amazing!
Jeffrey
I’m so glad!
Sharon Fernald
Perfection!!! Made as per recipe. No changes. Used 2 cans of tomatoes giving more delious broth!!! Thank you!!!
James
Tried this one out, and husband would not eat it. Too many weird spice ingredients that don’t belong in gumbo like brown sugar, cumin, crab boil, and worcesteshire sauce. My husband said this dish “tastes like dirt” (his exact quote) because of the thyme.
Jeffrey
I fully disagree that these things “don’t belong in gumbo” and I will swear by this gumbo forever. I am a bit curious though – if you saw the ingredients ahead of time and thought “gee, my husband won’t enjoy these ingredients” or you were skeptical about it from the start, why even bother making it?
Meegan
I made this recipe and my surrogate mother refuses to eat anyone else’s.
Making it again Saturday.
You’re awesome as well as your Gumbo.
Galveston Texas, here. Close enough in hopes that others may believe my sincere recommendation to try this Gumbo. Superb!
Jeffrey
I am so flattered you enjoy it!
Carl
I’ve made this gumbo 6-7 times over the years. Once, I fed it to a stuck up (about gumbo) Cajun. He said it was awesome and challenged me to a gumbo cook off.
Jeffrey
Now THAT’S what I like to hear!