Easy Seafood Gumbo Recipe

This Seafood Gumbo is packed with the mouthwatering flavors of chicken, smoked sausage, shrimp, crab, and aromatic vegetables, all simmered together in a savory, rich roux and served over fluffy rice.

This dish is a true celebration staple in my family—we make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, and other special occasions. It’s 100% a crowd-pleaser and something we all look forward to throughout the year.

Use this as your ultimate guide to making the best gumbo, with step-by-step instructions and tips to help you create a flavorful dish.

Ingredients

Making a truly unforgettable seafood gumbo is all about layering flavors. Each ingredient adds something special, from the onion, bell pepper, and celery to savory smoked sausage to fresh shrimp and crab. You'll need:

• Dungeness Crab
• Large shrimp or pawns
• Smoked chicken and/or beef sausage
• Chicken drummettes or party wings
• Onion
• Green bell pepper
• Celery
• Kosher salt
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Cajun seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
• Gumbo file
• Tomato sauce
• All-purpose flour
• Low sodium chicken broth
• Cooking oil

Ingredient Notes

• Use fresh seafood and it's IMPORTANT to clean your seafood thoroughly that means completely deveining your shrimp (removing the digestive tract from the top of the shrimp and the underbelly) even if the packaging indicates clean. Learn how to clean shrimp here.
• Clean your crab thoroughly and remove all dirt, hair, and other debris.
• After frying the chicken, do not get rid of the brown bits, called fond. This has so much flavor and will begin the base for your roux. The roux adds a deep rich flavor to the gumbo while also acting as a thickener.
• Use raw shrimp and not pre-cooked shrimp

How to Make Seafood Gumbo

Seafood gumbo is a deliciously rewarding, multi-step process, and prepping your ingredients a day ahead can make things much easier. I even recommend making the roux (the rich gravy base) in advance because slow cooking really brings out the best flavor. With a little planning, you’ll have flavorful gumbo that’s well worth the wait.

Prepare the Ingredients

Cleaning Shrimp:

1. First, remove the outer shell and legs of each shrimp. 
2. Use a steak knife or paring knife to cut along the outer surface of the shrimp's back and its underbelly remove the black, white, or pink vein and discard. 
3. Place the de-veined shrimp in a bowl of cold water and move on to the next shrimp until all shrimp have been de-veined.
4. Rinse them really well with cold water. 
5. Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture then place extra paper towels on top and pat dry.
6. Put the cleaned shrimp in a large ziploc bag and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Cleaning Crab:

1. Start by removing all the legs from the crab's body and set them aside.
2. Break off the top shell from the body and discard it.
3. Remove and discard the gills from each side of the crab’s body.
4. Flip the crab over, remove the underside layer, and discard it.
5. Cut off the crab's tail and mouth, then discard those as well.
6. Scoop out any visible "gunk" inside the body and discard.
7. Rinse the crab thoroughly, removing any remaining gunk.
8. Using a clean, stiff, chemical-free scrub brush, scrub away any hair or debris on the shell. You may also use a butter or paring knife to get into grooves for hard-to-reach areas.
9. Give the crab parts a final rinse under cool water, then place them in a large ziploc bag and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tip: If you can find crab that’s already been prepped, it can save you time.

Vegetables: 

1. Chop the onion, bell pepper, celery, and minced garlic. 
2. Put the chopped veggies in a ziploc bag or bowl with a tight-fitting lid and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Sausage: 

1. Slice the sausage on a bias or diagonal about a ¼ to ½ inch thick. 
2. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.

Chicken:

1. If frozen, first thaw the drumettes in a large bowl of cold water.
2. Once completely thawed, place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture then place extra paper towels on top and pat dry.
3. When they're dry, season them generously with Cajun seasoning and kosher salt.

Cook the Meat

Sausage

• Place cut sausage in a 400-degree preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the fat has rendered. Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess grease.

Chicken

• Dredge each drumette in all-purpose flour and place in a frying pan with cooking oil preheated to 350 degrees. 
• Fry until the drumettes are crispy golden brown and are cooked through.
• Allow the drumettes to cool then place in a large ziploc bag and into the fridge until ready to use.

Make the Roux:

This step is very important and is the base for a really delicious gumbo.  Roux is a mixture of fat, flour, and liquid.  As a rule of thumb, I think of it this way... 1 part fat, 1 part flour, 2 parts liquid. I tend to add a little bit more liquid to thin out the roux if necessary. 

1. Place a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add a combination of butter and some of the oil used to fry the drumettes, making sure to include the flavorful browned bits from the oil.
3. Once the oil is shimmering, add a couple of tablespoons of chopped veggies and sauté until they begin to soften.
4. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring continuously, and cook until the flour turns golden brown. Be careful not to let it burn—catch it just as it reaches a golden color.
5. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, whisking vigorously until the roux thickens and reaches a smooth consistency.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, starting with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a dash of black pepper.
7. Let the roux cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble the Gumbo: 

1. In a very large soup pot, fill it a little more than halfway with water—this will help prevent overflow when you add all the ingredients.
2. Add the chopped veggies, seasonings, kosher salt, gumbo file, tomato sauce, and crab to the pot.
3. When the water is hot, add the sausage and roux, then let everything cook together for a few hours, allowing the flavors to develop.
4. Around the 3 to 4-hour mark, add the chicken to the pot. (Adding it later keeps the chicken from overcooking and falling apart) and continue to cook for 1 to 2 more hours.
5. As it cooks, keep tasting and adjusting: add more kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, gumbo file, or roux as needed until you reach the perfect flavor.
6. About 30 minutes before the gumbo is done, add the shrimp—they cook quickly, so adding them last ensures they stay tender.
7. Once the shrimp are cooked, give it one final taste test and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
8. Serve your gumbo over a bed of rice, with a few dashes of hot sauce if you like.

FAQs

Top Tips

1. In case you didn’t know, the brown bits left from frying the drumettes are full of flavor and really enhance the roux.
2. I recommend prepping all your ingredients the day before since gumbo takes a while to cook. Having everything ready in advance saves you so much time and keeps things running smoothly.
3. The total cook time is about 5 to 6 hours. During this time, be sure to taste and adjust the seasoning—adding kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and gumbo file as you go to develop that perfect gumbo flavor.
4. Add the shrimp (or prawns) at the very last minute since they cook super quickly. You can use a mix of shrimp sizes, but I prefer large shrimp or jumbo prawns for the best texture and flavor.
5. When buying crab, ask your butcher to remove the inedible parts so you’re left with only the good stuff. This makes cleaning a lot easier.
6. Some markets also offer crab claws, like Jonah crab claws, which make a great addition to gumbo.
7. If you like, you can add stewed tomatoes or okra, though I personally don’t care for them—especially okra, so I leave them out. But if you do enjoy them, feel free to add them in!
8. To thicken the gumbo, simply add more roux and let it cook until the liquid reduces to your desired consistency.
9. Lobster tails are also a great addition—add them in the last few minutes, just like the shrimp, for a luxurious touch.
10. While gumbo is relatively easy to prepare, getting that perfect flavor takes time. That’s why I recommend a long cook time—patience is key to developing the richest flavors.
11. In my opinion, gumbo can’t reach its full potential in less than 3 hours. For optimum flavor, 5 to 6 hours is best.
12. Similar to most soups or stews, gumbo is even better the second day, so if you have leftovers, enjoy it! 

NOTE: Depending on your family’s traditions and how you make gumbo, your version might differ from mine. But if you’re new to making gumbo, you’re in the right place. This recipe is one I stand by, and it’s a true favorite. If you love okra, feel free to add it—many people do! But if you’re like me and not a fan, it’s totally fine to leave it out. 

Other seafood recipes you may enjoy

If you’re a fan of seafood, there are plenty more delicious recipes to choose from- check out some of my other favorite seafood recipes below.

📖 Recipe

Easy Seafood Gumbo Recipe

By Cree

This Seafood Gumbo is packed with the mouthwatering flavors of chicken, smoked sausage, shrimp, crab, and aromatic vegetables, all simmered together in a savory, rich roux and served over fluffy rice.

4.12 from 9 votes

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Calories: 973kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Large boiling pot with a wide mouth or soup pot
• ▢
  Cutting board for slicing and dicing
• ▢
  Whisk for whisking roux
• ▢
  measuring cup for measuring low-sodium chicken broth for roux
• ▢
  Chef's knife for slicing sausage
• ▢
  Paring knife for de-veining shrimp and scraping hair from crab
• ▢
  Chemical-free scrub brush for cleaning crab
• ▢
  Ziploc bags for prepped ingredients
• ▢
  Baking sheet to place chicken and shrimp on after washing
• ▢
  Paper towels to pat dry shrimp and chicken before cooking

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 small onion (or 1 medium sized or large onion chopped (plus reserve 1 tablespoon for roux))
• ▢ 1 large green bell pepper (chopped (plus reserve 1 tablespoon for roux))
• ▢ 5 stalks celery (chopped (plus reserve 1 tablespoon for roux))
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic (minced fresh garlic)
• ▢ 5 packs smoked sausage (any combination of beef smoked sausage, beef kielbasa, turkey smoked sausage, turkey kielbasa, pork smoked sausage )
• ▢ 6 lbs shrimp/prawns (large, jumbo, prawns)
• ▢ 12 lbs Dungeness crab (about 6 whole grab)
• ▢ 5 tablespoon kosher salt or seasoned salt (start with 5 tablespoons more will be needed)
• ▢ 5 tablespoon pure ground gumbo file (start with 5 tablespoons more will be needed)
• ▢ 5 tablespoon garlic powder (start with 5 tablespoons more will be needed)
• ▢ 5 tablespoon onion powder (start with 5 tablespoons more will be needed)
• ▢ 15 oz tomato sauce

Frying the chicken drumettes

• ▢ 1 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• ▢ 1 cup all purpose flour (for dredging (coating) drumettes)
• ▢ 6 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• ▢ 8 lbs chicken drumettes
• ▢ 2 tablespoon kosher salt (to taste)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon black pepper

Making the roux

• ▢ 2 tablespoon oil (reserved from fried chicken + THE BROWN BITS)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon butter
• ▢ ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 4 cups chicken broth or stock (plus ¼ cup extra if roux is too thick)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon onion (chopped - noted above)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon bell pepper (chopped - noted above)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon celery (chopped - noted above)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)

Instructions

• Chop the onion, bell pepper, celery, and minced garlic.  Put the chopped veggies in an airtight container or ziploc bag and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Cleaning the shrimp and prawns

• First, remove the outer shell and legs if attached and discard.
• Use a steak knife or paring knife to cut along the outer surface of the shrimp's back and sometimes its underbelly and remove the black vein that runs lengthwise and discard.
• Place the de-veined shrimp in a bowl of cold water and move on to the next shrimp until all shrimp have been de-veined.
• When all the shrimp have been de-veined, rinse them really well with cold water. Put the cleaned shrimp in a large ziploc bag and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Cleaning the crab

• Remove all the legs from the crab's body and set aside.
• Break the top shell and remove it from the body.  Discard the top shell.
• Remove the gills from the crab's body.  Discard the gills. 
• Turn the crab over and remove the other layer from the crab's body. Discard that layer. 
• Remove the crab's tail and mouth.  Discard the tail and mouth. 
• Dig out all of the gunk that you see.  Discard the gunk. Rinse and remove more of the gunk and discard. Using a clean stiff chemical-free scrub brush, brush, away any hair and debris on the crab. 
• Rinse the edible crab parts well.  Put into a large ziploc bag and place in fridge until ready to use.

Browning the sausage

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice the sausages on a bias or diagonal about a ¼ to ½ inch thick.  Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Line with foil paper and a mist of cooking spray to prevent them from sticking. NOTE: Use 2 baking sheets if necessary. Bake until the fat has rendered about 20 to 25 minutes. Place sausage on a plate lined with layers of paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Frying the chicken drumettes

• If frozen, first thaw the drumettes. After thawing, place chicken on a baking sheet lined with layers of paper towels to absorb the excess liquid. Add more paper towels on top of the chicken and pat dry. Season with Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper.
• Add oil to a frying skillet. The size and depth of the skillet will determine how much cooking oil to use. The oil should be a couple of inches high in the skillet coming about halfway up the drumettes. The cooking oil should reach a temperature of 350 degrees F before adding chicken to the skillet.
• Add flour to shallow dish and dredge each drumette in the flour gently shaking off any excess flour and place in skillet to fry until the drumettes are crispy golden brown and are cooked through. NOTE: fry the chicken drumettes in batches to prevent over-crowding in the skillet.
• Remove drumettes from hot oil and place on a baking sheet lined with layers of paper towels to absorb the oil.

Make the roux

• Place a skillet on the stove-top over medium heat. Add a mixture of butter and the oil (the oil that was used for frying the drumettes being sure to get those brown bits from the oil that's where the flavor lies).
• When the butter/oil is hot, add in a couple tablespoons of the chopped veggies and saute until the veggies begin to soften, add in the flour and cook until the flour turns brown but catch it before it becomes burnt.
• Slowing pour in the chicken broth while whisking vigorously until the roux begins to thicken. Lower the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Start with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a dash of black pepper. 
• Allow the roux to cool. Pour into an airtight container and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Assemble the Gumbo

• Remove all ingredients from the fridge.
• Fill the pot a little more than ½ full of water this will prevent the gumbo from overflowing when all the ingredients are added. Add the chopped veggies, kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, minced garlic, tomato sauce, gumbo file, and crab. Place on stove-top over medium high heat and stir. When the pot comes to a boil, add the sausage and continue to cook.
• Meanwhile, heat up the roux in a small pot. After it's heated through, pour the roux into the larger pot with the other ingredients and allow it to continue cooking.
• At about the 3 to 4 hour mark, add the fried drumettes to the pot and continue to cook. During this time, taste test and add more kosher salt, gumbo file, and Cajun seasoning to continue to develop the perfect gumbo flavor. This should be done throughout the cooking process.
• Cook for about 5 to 6 hours. Add the shrimp to the pot at the very last minute as shrimp cooks really fast. This is also the time to add lobster if you'd like.
• When done, serve over a bed of white rice and enjoy while hot.

Notes

The size of my pot: 12-½ inches in diameter and 9 inches in height.

 

1. In case you didn’t know, the brown bits left from frying the drumettes are full of flavor and really enhance the roux.
2. I recommend prepping all your ingredients the day before since gumbo takes a while to cook. Having everything ready in advance saves you so much time and keeps things running smoothly.
3. The total cook time is about 5 to 6 hours. During this time, be sure to taste and adjust the seasoning—adding kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and gumbo file as you go to develop that perfect gumbo flavor.
4. Add the shrimp (or prawns) at the very last minute since they cook super quickly. You can use a mix of shrimp sizes, but I prefer large shrimp or jumbo prawns for the best texture and flavor.
5. When buying crab, ask your butcher to remove the inedible parts so you’re left with only the good stuff. This makes cleaning a lot easier.
6. Some markets also offer crab claws, like Jonah crab claws, which make a great addition to gumbo.
7. If you like, you can add stewed tomatoes or okra, though I personally don’t care for them—especially okra, so I leave them out. But if you do enjoy them, feel free to add them in!
8. To thicken the gumbo, simply add more roux and let it cook until the liquid reduces to your desired consistency.
9. Lobster tails are also a great addition—add them in the last few minutes, just like the shrimp, for a luxurious touch.
10. While gumbo is relatively easy to prepare, getting that perfect flavor takes time. That’s why I recommend a long cook time—patience is key to developing the richest flavors.
11. In my opinion, gumbo can’t reach its full potential in less than 3 hours. For optimum flavor, 5 to 6 hours is best.
12. Similar to most soups or stews, gumbo is even better the second day, so if you have leftovers, enjoy it! 

Nutrition

Calories: 973kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 120g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 728mg | Sodium: 5656mg | Potassium: 1864mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2014IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 454mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.

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