This post has been sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. all thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you like gumbo you are going to LOVE this Slow Cooker Gumbo recipe! So easy to throw together, and it feeds a crowd!
I love gumbo, but I always associate it with special occasions because it can be more time intensive to prepare. At least, it used to be before I created this slow cooker gumbo masterpiece!
Slow Cooker Gumbo
I was walking through Albertsons and saw Hillshire Farm® Tajin® Chili Lime Smoked Sausage with Mango and I thought, “that would be so delicious in gumbo.” Guess what? It is. The sausage takes this recipe over the top and this recipe is so easy that you can make it whenever you want!
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How to Make Gumbo
I worried whether slow cooker gumbo would taste as good as regular, but the results were fantastic! Making the roux is the only additional step, and you can even make that the night before and store it in the fridge if you want to save time.
Gumbo Ingredients
The first step to making gumbo is gathering the ingredients!
A traditional gumbo consists of these elements:
- A Roux
- Chicken broth
- Sausage
- Chicken
- Shrimp
- Peppers
- Onion
- Cajun or Creole Seasoning
How to Make Gumbo Roux
Making a roux is really simple, just time consuming! Here is a photo tutorial of all the steps.
Top Left – Add flour and oil into a small saucepan.
Top Right – Whisk together over medium heat stirring constantly. Do not let burn, turn down heat if necessary.
Bottom Left – When your roux is done it will be chocolate brown in color and a peanut butter-like consistency. It will take about 20 minutes.
Bottom Right – After your roux is finished, add celery, onions, peppers and garlic. Stir constantly for about five minutes to soften.
Slow Cooker Gumbo Instructions
Dump contents of saucepan into your crockpot. Add all remaining ingredients besides shrimp and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. When 30 minutes out from serving add in shrimp.
It is traditional to use Andouille sausage in gumbo, but I opted for this Hillshire Farm® Tajin® Chili Lime Smoked Sausage variety because we love it so much! It is SO good in this recipe, but if you prefer Andouille sausage, Hillshire Farms has a great option for that as well!
Pro Tips
- If you want to save on time, use the Hillshire Farm® Tajin® Chili Lime Lit’l Smokies® Smoked Sausage so no cutting is involved. You can also by pre-cut veggies and diced chicken which basically makes this recipe just dump and go besides the Roux!
- You can make the roux the night before if you want to save on time! Keep it in the refrigerator until ready to put in the slow cooker.
- The recipe makes a ton! If you won’t eat it all at once, pour half into afreezer-safe gallon-sized bag. Simply defrost in the fridge and re-heat when ready to serve. You can freeze before or after cooking.
If you make this recipe and like it we would love for you to leave us a positive comment or review, they mean so much to us!
Slow Cooker Gumbo
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 2/3 cup oil
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 bell pepper (any color) chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tbsp cajun or creole seasoning
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs cut to bite sized
- 1 pkg Hillshire Farms Sausage sliced
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- fresh parsley chopped
- rice
Instructions
- Begin by making your roux. Add flour and oil in a small saucepan and whisk together over medium heat. Stir consistently to ensure that mixture does not burn, turn down heat if necessary. If done correctly roux should thicken to a peanut butter like consistency and turn a chocolate brown in color, typically takes about 20 minutes.
- Stir in your chopped celery, pepper, onion and garlic and stir mixture for about five minutes for veggies to begin to soften. Then add mixture to your slow cooker.
- Add in chicken broth, tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, chicken, sausage, and parsley to the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 6-8 hours.
- Add shrimp to slow cooker for the last 30 minutes of cook time, or until just cooked through.
- Serve over rice and enjoy!
Notes
Pro Tips
- If you want to save on time, use the Tajin little smokies so no cutting is involved. You can also by pre-cut veggies and diced chicken which basically makes this recipe just dump and go besides the Roux!
- You can make the roux the night before if you want to save on time! Keep in the refrigerator until ready to put in the crock-pot!
- The recipe makes a ton! If you won't eat it all at once pour half into a freezer safe gallon sized bag and simply defrost in the fridge and re-heat when ready to serve. You can freeze before or after cooking.
Nutrition
Don’t forget to try the Hillshire Farm® Tajin® Chili Lime Smoked Sausage products at Albertsons and let me know what you think! I hope you love this recipe!
xo,
Had this cooking all day and the smell is out of this world good. I snuck a couple bites already and it is soooo good. Might not be any left by the time dinner rolls around ;)
This was such a delicious and hearty recipe; a new family favorite dish, indeed!
This gumbo turned out absolutely fantastic! I will be making it again soon!
Using a slow cooker can be so handy on a busy cold day. This sounds super flavorful, I think my husband would really enjoy it.