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Seafood Gumbo

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Seafood gumbo with shrimp, lump crab, crawfish tails and andouille around long-grain white rice. this …

This seafood gumbo with shrimp, crab and sausage brings cooked crawfish tails into the pot, too. A medium-brown butter roux, smoky andouille, and the familiar trio of onion, green bell pepper and celery give the broth its depth. Serve it over white rice, with French bread nearby for the last spoonful.

A Pot Worth Taking Your Time With

Cajun food has long been a favorite in my kitchen, and this gumbo is one I like to share. Most of the hands-on attention goes into the roux; once the base is simmering, keep the seafood refrigerated until the very end. The full recipe makes approximately 12 servings in about 2 hours, using an 8-quart or larger heavy pot.

Seafood gumbo ingredients with quarter-cut andouille, finely diced vegetables, shrimp, crawfish tails and lump crab.

Ingredients You'll Need

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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Shrimp bouillon is one of the flavor builders in this gumbo; the original recipe used Knorr. You can also browse my Amazon shop for kitchen favorites. Cube sizes and salt levels vary, so check the package, particularly if your broth is already salted. If you omit the bouillon, use flavorful seafood stock and adjust salt after simmering. Another fully cooked smoked sausage makes a milder substitute for andouille, and an equal weight of additional shrimp can replace the crawfish. Seafood stock can replace chicken broth; vegetable broth gives a different flavor.

Tools That Make It Easier

  • 8-quart or larger heavy pot
  • Chef knife
  • Cutting board
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Heatproof flat-edged stirring spoon or spatula
  • Bowl for browned sausage
  • Ladle
  • Separate saucepan or rice cooker for cooking the rice
  • Shallow airtight containers for leftovers
  • Food thermometer for reheating leftovers to 165°F
  • Optional: white Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker, 6-quart model, half batch only
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Close view of seafood gumbo with long-grain rice, lump crab and crawfish tails.

How to Make Seafood Gumbo

Step 1 - Prep. Finely dice the onion, green bell pepper, and celery before starting the roux. Cut each sausage link in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise again to make four quarter links. Slice across the quarter links into ½-inch bite-sized chunks so everything is ready when needed. Drain the crawfish and gently check the crabmeat for shells, keeping larger pieces intact. Refrigerate all seafood until the gumbo base has finished simmering.

Finely diced onion, bell pepper and celery with minced garlic and bite-sized quarter-cut andouille.

Step 2 - Brown the sausage. Heat an 8-quart or larger heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the sausage in batches, turning the chunks as needed, about 6-8 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl. Leave approximately 2 tablespoons of sausage fat in the pot and discard any excess.

Quarter-cut andouille chunks browning unevenly in a heavy pot.

Step 3 - Make the roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter. Once it melts, stir in the flour. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring continuously across the bottom and into the corners, until evenly medium brown. Lower the heat if the mixture darkens too quickly.

Medium-brown butter-and-flour roux stirred with a wooden spoon.

Step 4 - Soften the vegetables. Carefully stir the finely diced onion, bell pepper, and celery into the hot roux. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.

Finely diced onion, bell pepper and celery softened in a medium-brown roux.

Step 5 - Simmer the gumbo base. Mix in the tomato sauce, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne, onion powder, and thyme. Slowly add the broth while stirring to incorporate the roux smoothly. Add the bouillon cubes and browned sausage. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to prevent sticking.

Sausage gumbo base gently simmering with finely diced vegetables.

Step 6 - Finish with the seafood. Add the shrimp and crawfish. Maintain a gentle simmer for 3 minutes, then carefully fold in the crabmeat. Cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque throughout and the crawfish and crab are heated through. Avoid a vigorous boil.

Shrimp, crawfish tails and lump crab gently folded into seafood gumbo.

Step 7 - Season and serve. Taste before adding salt; the sausage, broth, and bouillon may provide enough. Add kosher salt gradually as needed. Divide the rice among serving bowls and ladle the gumbo over it.

Seafood gumbo ladled around long-grain white rice in a white bowl.

The Roux Is Your Flavor Foundation

Stir continuously across the bottom and into the corners while the roux cooks. You're looking for an even medium-brown color; lower the heat if it darkens too quickly. Black specks or a burned smell mean the roux needs to be discarded and restarted before the vegetables go in.

Keep the Seafood at a Gentle Simmer

Raw shrimp need to cook through, while the crawfish and crab are already cooked and need to heat through. That is why the shrimp and crawfish go in first, followed 3 minutes later by gently folded crabmeat. Avoid a vigorous boil, and stop when the shrimp are opaque throughout and the remaining seafood is hot.

Beautiful 10-in-1 Multi-Cooker Option

Use half of every ingredient in the 6-quart white Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker, for approximately 6 servings, and cook the rice separately. The roux and early cooking stay on the stovetop. The following times are a suggested adaptation; use vegetable tenderness and seafood doneness as the final guides.

  • Prepare the half batch on the stovetop through browning the sausage, making the roux, softening the vegetables, and incorporating the seasonings, broth, and bouillon. Reserve approximately 1 tablespoon of sausage drippings for the half batch.
  • Transfer the hot gumbo base and sausage to the multi-cooker. Leave at least 2 inches between the food and the top of the pot, allowing room for the seafood.
  • Cover and select SLOW COOK. Set TEMP to LO and TIME to 4 hours, or TEMP to HI and TIME to 2 hours. Start the cooking cycle. Continue cooking if needed until the vegetables are tender.
  • End the slow cook cycle. Remove the lid, select SIMMER using MENU, and set TEMP to 2 and TIME to 15 minutes. Start the cycle and allow the base to reach a gentle simmer.
  • Stir in the shrimp and crawfish. After 3 minutes, fold in the crabmeat. Continue uncovered for approximately 2-4 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque throughout and the remaining seafood is hot. Adjust the simmer level if needed and stop the cycle once the seafood is done.
  • Taste, adjust the salt, and serve with the rice.

Keeping Leftovers Fresh

Divide gumbo into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep rice separate and use refrigerated gumbo within 3 days. Reheat only what you need over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until it reaches 165°F; loosen with a little broth if needed.

Freezing the Gumbo Base

For the best seafood texture, freeze the sausage and gumbo base before adding seafood, then add the seafood when preparing it to serve. Cooled finished gumbo can also be frozen in airtight freezer containers for up to 3 months, leaving expansion room. Freeze rice separately, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat gently without prolonged cooking.

Overhead view of seafood gumbo with white rice, shrimp, crawfish, crab and andouille.

What to Serve with Seafood Gumbo

French bread, a green salad, coleslaw, or a small side of potato salad all fit the meal. Set out sliced green onions, chopped parsley and hot sauce so everyone can finish their bowl to taste. A crisp Fresh Garden Salad or a small side of Southern Potato Salad rounds out a bowl. For a larger Louisiana-inspired spread, add Muffuletta Sandwich wedges.

Fresh Garden Salad

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Southern Potato Salad

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Muffuletta Sandwich

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A spoonful of seafood gumbo with shrimp and quarter-cut andouille beside white rice.

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Tell Me How It Turned Out

Leave a comment below and tell me how your gumbo turned out. If you made the recipe, please leave an honest rating and review. Your feedback helps other readers decide whether the recipe is right for them.

More Recipes You Might Like

Keep the crawfish cooking going with Creamy Crawfish Etouffee or Creamy Crawfish Pasta. For another gumbo variation, try Cajun Style Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo.

Recipe

Print

Seafood Gumbo

A spoonful of seafood gumbo with shrimp and quarter-cut andouille beside white rice.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

Tender shrimp, sweet crab, crawfish, and smoky andouille simmer in a savory brown roux broth for a hearty seafood gumbo that feeds a crowd. Serve over fluffy rice.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Cuisine: Cajun / Creole

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds shrimp (peeled & deveined)
  • 2 pounds sausage (sliced thick (used: Andouille))
  • 8 ounces lump crab meat (used: claw meat from ref. section in meat dept.)
  • 1 (12-ounce) package crawfish tails
  • 2 cups onions (chopped)
  • 2 cups bell pepper (chopped)
  • 2 cups celery (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 stick butter
  • ½ cup flour
  • 64 ounces chicken broth
  • 2 cubes Knorr shrimp bouillon (used: Knorr)
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 8 cups Cooked Parboiled White Rice (for serving)

Instructions

Cook the Sausage

  1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, lightly brown the sausage over medium heat.
  2. Remove the sausage and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the pot.

Make the Roux

  1. Add the butter to the pot and melt it with the sausage drippings over medium-low heat.
  2. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux turns a rich brown color similar to peanut butter or copper.
  3. This may take 20 to 25 minutes-avoid rushing, and do not allow the mixture to burn.

Sauté the Vegetables

  1. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery to the roux.
  2. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and wilted.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly, about 30 seconds.

Season and Simmer

  1. Stir in the white pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
  2. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for a few minutes, stirring often.
  3. Gradually stir in half of the chicken broth and the shrimp bouillon cubes.
  4. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to blend.
  5. Add the salt, onion powder, and thyme.

Combine and Cook

  1. Return the browned sausage to the pot.
  2. Add the remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add Seafood

  1. Stir in the shrimp, crawfish tails, and crab meat just before serving.
  2. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.

Serve

  1. Serve the gumbo hot over cooked white rice.

Equipment

Notes

Substitutions

  • Sausage: Smoked sausage or kielbasa may be used if Andouille is unavailable.
  • Seafood: Substitute scallops or additional shrimp for the crawfish or crab.
  • Broth: Seafood or vegetable broth can replace chicken broth for a stronger seafood flavor.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve with white rice, potato salad, or crusty French bread.
  • Add a side of coleslaw or a simple green salad for a balanced meal.
  • Garnish with sliced green onions or chopped parsley.

Storage and Freezing

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • To freeze, cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop until hot.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 746
  • Sugar: 5
  • Sodium: 2602
  • Fat: 32
  • Saturated Fat: 10
  • Carbohydrates: 59
  • Fiber: 3
  • Protein: 53
  • Cholesterol: 281

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About Jennifer

I’m Jennifer Locklin, author and owner of Jennifer Cooks. I am a trained chef and passionate about good food, cooking for family and friends, and creating recipes that form lasting memories from one generation to the next. I hope you find inspiration for cooking and creating here!

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  1. Gary says

    5 stars
    Made this over the weekend & even without the shrimp bouillon (which we couldn't find locally) we loved it. What flavor!

    Reply

    • Jennifer says

      That's great, I'm so glad you enjoyed it...it's one of my favorites!

      Reply