Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (Cajun Head Style)

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (Cajun Head Style)

Total Time:
1 hour 45 minutes

Course:
Dinner / Sunday Meal

Cuisine:
Louisiana Cajun

Servings:
6–8

Skill Level:
Intermediate

This Chicken & Sausage Gumbo is pure Louisiana comfort — a deep, dark roux, smoky sausage, tender chicken, and that slow-building Cajun Head flavor. This is the dish that raised me, warmed my home, and taught me patience in the kitchen. If you want REAL gumbo — not the watered-down version — you’re in the right place.

Ingredients

Protein

• 1 lb chicken thighs, cut into chunks

• 1 lb smoked sausage or andouille, sliced

• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (to season meat)

Roux

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

The Trinity

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• ½ cup celery, diced

• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced

Liquid & Seasoning

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tbsp Cajun Head seasoning (or your Cajun blend)

• Salt & black pepper to taste

• Optional: a splash of hot sauce

• Optional: green onion for topping

• Optional: a little filé powder at the end (1 tsp)

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage.

Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside.

2. Sear the chicken.

Season chicken with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Sear in sausage drippings until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

3. Make the roux.

Add oil to the pot, then whisk in flour.
Stir constantly over medium heat until it becomes:

• Peanut butter brown → keep going

• Caramel brown → still going

• Chocolate brown → perfect

Total time: 20–30 minutes.
Don’t stop stirring — this is the soul of the gumbo.

4. Add the trinity.

Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until soft and glossy. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

5. Build the gumbo.

Add chicken stock slowly while stirring so the roux dissolves. Add bay leaves, sausage, and chicken back into the pot.

6. Simmer.

Cover and let it simmer on low for 45–60 minutes.
Do NOT boil too hard — it will break the roux.

7. Finish & season.

Taste and add:

• Cajun seasoning

• Salt

• Pepper

• Hot sauce

• Optional: 1 tsp filé powder

8. Serve.

Ladle over white rice and garnish with green onion.

Cajun Head Tip

Your gumbo is only as good as your roux.
Take your time, don’t rush the color, and never walk away. A slow, dark roux gives gumbo that deep Baton Rouge flavor.

Notes & Substitutions

• Use andouille sausage for deeper smoke.

• You can replace chicken thighs with drumsticks or breast.

• Gumbo freezes extremely well — flavors get even deeper overnight.

• If gumbo tastes “thin,” simmer it uncovered for 10–15 minutes.

• Add shrimp only at the end (last 5 minutes) if you want to turn this into a seafood combo gumbo.