Amazing Chicken and Okra Gumbo - Taste of The Kitchen (2024)

This chicken and okra gumbo recipe is a great choice for outdoor cooking if you are going to be hanging around the campsite for the day or for a rainy day stuck in the camper. It perfectly pairs cajun spices with chicken, sausage and my favorite, okra!

When making this chicken and okra gumbo, I use both my cast iron skillet and dutch oven for different elements of the dish, so a camp stove orcast iron safe hot platewould be helpful for this dish. You want to be able to control your heating temperature.

If doing it over an open fire, just make sure you can control the heat with adjusting the distance to the fire. You do have to make a roux without burning it! The trick is to constantly stir!

List of Contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

Chicken

I use chicken thighs when making this recipe. For ease, when camping, boneless skinless chicken thighs eliminate the need for removing the bones, but I will use bone in chicken thighs today for this recipe.

Smoked Sausage

You will need 1 lb of smoked sausage or andouille sausage for this chicken and okra gumbo. I am using hot smoked sausage today. I would recommend using sausage packaged well, as it will need to be stored in the cooler if you are not camping in a camper with a fridge.

To prepare the sausage, slice into small rings.

Okra

It’s Chicken and okra gumbo! Of course, you need okra. This is one of my favorite fresh ingredients to cook with living in South Carolina.

To prepare the okra, you will need to slice off the tops and slice into small rings.

Green Pepper, Celery and Jalepeno

These three ingredients are a must for gumbo! They add great flavor and taste to the recipe.

To prepare the celery, small dice. To prepare the green pepper and jalepeno, remove the seeds and small dice.

Garlic

Garlic is my favorite ingredient in gumbo. For this recipe, I use about 4 cloves of garlic. You can use as many cloves as you want, but don’t skimp on the garlic!

To prepare the garlic, mince it. You can use a fork to mince fresh garlic, by pressing the fork into the garlic and alternating vertical and horizontal when you press the tines into the garlic. Fresh garlic if in a whole clove, can be stored in a dry box. If you use pre-minced garlic, it does have to be refrigerated or kept in a cooler after opening.

Amazing Chicken and Okra Gumbo - Taste of The Kitchen (1)

Onion

For this chicken and okra gumbo, I use one sweet onion, Vidalia is my favorite choice.

To prepare the onion, small dice it.

Seasonings

For seasonings for the chicken and okra gumbo, I use Kinder’s “The Blend” Seasoning and Kinder’s “Red Garlic” Seasoning. I also use Cayenne pepper to taste if you like additional spice.

Beer

Yes, Beer! Use an Amber beer for this recipe. You will only need 1 cup of beer, so enjoy a few sips while you are cooking away.

Chicken Broth

You can either buy chicken broth in the container, or for ease of storing, I use chicken bouillon cubes and simply mix with warm water. To make 6 cups of broth, you will need 6 bouillon cubes and 6 cups of water.

Oil and Flour for the Roux

For the roux, you will need even amounts of flour and oil. I use canola oil, as I always have it on hand. You want to make sure that you use an oil that has a high heat temperature. Great alternatives are avocado or grapeseed oil.

Let’s Get Cooking the Chicken and Okra Gumbo

Start with prepping all of your ingredients. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Prepare all the ingredients as described above. It is so important to have everything ready to rock and roll before you start the roux for the Chicken and Okra Gumbo.

Brown the Chicken

In a cast iron skillet, heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.

Pat the chicken dry and season with Kinder’s “The Blend” seasoning.

Add the chicken to the cast iron skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.

Then, add in a splash of beer to carmalize the chicken.

Cook for an additional 2 minutes, flipping the chicken to ensure it is coated.

Start the Roux

Heat ½ cup of canola oil and whisk in ½ cup of flour.

Cook stirring constantly on medium heat.

Do not leave the roux unattended and stir constantly. You want a chocolate colored roux. It will take about 10 minutes to cook, but seriously think of the color of chocolate when judging if it’s done!

Add the Veggies

Once the roux is the desired color, add in the green pepper, celery, onion, jalepeno and okra. Gently mix and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add in the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes. The onions should be translucent and the veggies soft. Be careful not to mash while stirring.

Mix it All Together

Then, add in 1 cup of beer. Stir gently and cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Add in the sausage, chicken, chicken broth, Kinder’s The Blend, Kinder’s Red Garlic, and cayenne pepper. Stir gently to mix well. If your spices are limited, I’d recommend at least using salt, ground pepper, cayenne pepper and you can even throw in some cajun seasoning!

Heat the dutch oven until boiling, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. The longer it simmers the better. Most importantly, you want to make sure the beer has cooked off!

If you used bone in chicken thighs, be sure to remove all of the chicken bones from the gumbo and shred the chicken.

Serve the Chicken and Okra Gumbo Up!

Serve the finished Chicken and Okra Gumbo over rice. I typically serve over white rice, but you can use your rice of preference! If you can boil water, you can make rice!

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Amazing Chicken and Okra Gumbo - Taste of The Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good gumbo? ›

Great gumbo starts with roux, a flavorful thickening agent made from equal parts fat and flour. Once the roux is a deep golden color, add diced veggies and sausage to the mix. Then, incorporate beef bouillon, hot sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings to intensify the flavor.

How do I make my gumbo more flavorful? ›

For the most flavor, use stock or broth in your gumbo instead of water. Whether you use chicken or vegetable stock, homemade or boxed, the stock will give your gumbo more depth and complexity.

Is gumbo roux better with butter or oil? ›

Butter adds great flavor, but since it has a lower smoke point than other fat sources (like vegetable or canola oil), it's more likely to burn when used in a darker roux. “In a dark roux,” says New Orleans–based chef Justin Devillier, “I'll mix butter with a high-heat oil” to keep the fat from scorching.

What does adding vinegar to gumbo do? ›

Yea, the acid balances out the fatty flavors. Ill use vinegar with tabasco peppers usually.

Do you cook okra before adding to gumbo? ›

"You should add your okra towards the end of cooking, allowing it to steep and the okra slime to develop in the finished product," says Dickensauge. Mix in your okra about 30 minutes before the gumbo is finished.

What is the holy trinity for gumbo? ›

The "holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine is the base for several dishes in the regional cuisines of Louisiana and consists of onions, bell peppers and celery. The preparation of Cajun/Creole dishes such as crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya all start from this base.

What do Cajuns eat with gumbo? ›

Gumbo is almost always served with rice, but it was at the winery that I learned that some Cajuns serve potato salad with it. Some even put the potato salad in the bowl WITH the gumbo.

How do you boil okra so it's not slimy? ›

Add Acid. Lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, vinegar, or a splash of wine will not only add depth to your recipe, but it will also lower your slime quotient. A vinegar bath also does wonders to reduce the slimy consistency. Before cooking, soak the pods in vinegar for 30 minutes to help break up and dissolve the slime.

Is it OK to cook slimy okra? ›

Love it or hate it, there's no denying that okra can get slimy. The so-called slime is mucilage, which comes from sugar residue and is great for, say, thickening gumbo, but not great when you're biting into a piece of sautéed okra and averse to that viscous texture.

What makes gumbo taste so good? ›

Most cooks agree that gumbos must have the vegetable trinity of chopped bell pepper, onion and celery, and that they should be highly seasoned. Some gumbos do contain sausage, shrimp and chicken, but there are humbler ones that are made with only salt pork, onions and greens.

Does gumbo get better the longer it cooks? ›

Another old aphorism that speaks to good gumbo cookery is this: You can't rush perfection. Gumbo takes time, and that's because it's best cooked low and slow, namely slowly over low heat.

What is the thickening agent in gumbo? ›

Filé can provide thickening when okra is not in season, in types of gumbo that use okra or a roux as a thickener for gumbo instead of filé. Sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and a thickening agent, filé powder adds a distinctive, earthy flavor and texture.

What acid to add to gumbo? ›

Finishing the gumbo with vinegar rather than the usual hot sauce gives the rich dish some much-needed acidity.

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