East Texas-Style Chicken
Sausage Gumbo
This hearty East Texas chicken and sausage gumbo features a rich broth, smoky andouille, and tender chicken, served classic style with a scoop of potato salad.
While gumbo is deeply rooted in Louisiana, it has a celebrated place across the border in East Texas. This approachable version uses a robust jarred roux for convenience without sacrificing deep flavor, building upon the traditional holy trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery. A finishing touch of green onions and a generous scoop of creamy potato salad right in the bowl make this a distinctly comforting Southern staple.
Ingredients
- 1 lb andouille sausage
- 1 tbsp oil or beef tallow
- 1 lb bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- to taste onion powder
- to taste garlic powder
- to taste Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 4 tbsp dark roux (jarred)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz bone broth
- 24 oz water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 handful green onions, chopped (optional)
- to serve cooked white rice
- to serve potato salad
- to serve gumbo filé (optional)
Instructions
- 1Slice the Andouille Sausage
Place a pound of andouille sausage on a wooden cutting board and slice it into evenly sized pieces using a knife.
Tip: Cut the slices to a uniform thickness so they brown evenly in the pot. - 2Brown the Sausage
Transfer the sliced andouille sausage into a pot with hot oil or beef tallow, cooking until nice and crispy.
Tip: Let the sausage develop a good crust to build deeper flavor in the base of the pot. - 3Sear the Chicken Thighs
Add bone-in skin-on chicken thighs to the pot, season them with onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoning blend, then brown them down.
Tip: Brown the chicken on both sides to lock in the juices before setting them aside. - 4Sauté the Trinity
Add diced onions, bell peppers, and celery into the same pot, cooking until tender and scraping the bottom to release the browned bits.
Tip: Scraping the bottom of the pot incorporates all the savory fond left behind from the meat. - 5Add the Roux
Stir about two tablespoons of jarred roux into the sautéed vegetables and let it cook for a few minutes to activate the flavors, then stir in your desired amount of minced garlic.
Tip: Cook the roux briefly with the vegetables to activate the flavors before adding liquids. - 6Pour in Broth and Water
Pour the bone broth and water into the pot, season generously with your preferred spice blends, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in an additional two tablespoons of roux to reach your desired thickness.
Tip: Combine the broth and water evenly to achieve the ideal base consistency for the gumbo. - 7Simmer the Gumbo
Add the previously browned andouille sausage and chicken thighs back into the simmering pot along with the bay leaves. Let the gumbo cook for at least an hour. Toward the very end of cooking, stir in a handful of chopped green onions if desired.
Tip: Simmering the meats in the broth helps tenderize the chicken and infuses the soup with the smoky flavor of the sausage.
