How to Make Louisiana Seafood Gumbo with Okra

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Learn  how to make this awesome louisiana seafood gumbo with okra – it’s a lot quicker and easier than you think!

This post contains affiliate links.

Gumbo might just be my most favorite thing ever.

I know I’ve said that a lot on here, but this Louisiana seafood gumbo with okra is the ULTIMATE comfort food.

If you’ve never had gumbo before, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!?!

It’s really the best. I can feel the drool starting to form in the corners of my mouth just thinking about it. And I’m even eating lunch as I write this (my lunch is NOT gumbo…).

It’s that good.

And contrary to what you might believe, gumbo is not difficult.

The key is to have a good dark roux. Follow my step by step instructions on making roux in this post and you’ll be golden. I’m not going to lie, making a dark roux can be a little time consuming, but I swear it’s totally worth it. I make mine ahead of time and freeze it in batches so it’s ready when I need to make a recipe. While I recommend making your own roux, you can also buy it. I included a link below to buy, but I have never tried the store bought kind so can’t tell you whether it’s any good. People seem to like it.

As far as the seafood goes, you can really use anything you’d like. The ingredients I’ve included are my favorite, but go ahead, try something different!

I really have a deep love for crawfish that goes back to my early years. I have made an effort to hunt down places to buy crawfish in San Diego. There is this little shop/restaurant called the Mardi Gras Cafe that has all my Cajun food needs. They sell packages of crawfish tail meat, andouille sausage, alligator sausage, and so much more. I love it there.

And I can’t seem to make anything Cajun without andouille sausage. It’s my go-to flavoring agent. I love what it adds to the gumbo.

We can’t forget the okra. The okra is key. It helps to thicken the gumbo and adds a wonderful texture.

Let me reiterate. The okra is a must. If you don’t like okra, I don’t know what to tell you. You can omit it, but beware, your gumbo will not be the same!

As far as the seafood broth, any kind will work. I actually use fish broth from Better Than Bouillon because I never have homemade fish broth. If you don’t have homemade broth, this is a great option.

You could also substitute chicken broth, but you won’t get quite the same flavor.

If we were making a meaty gumbo, a nice duck broth would be amazing…

But we’re making a seafood gumbo today.

If you’re ready to get started buying some ingredients, here are some Amazon affiliate links. I made a small commission at no charge to you for purchases made using these links. Those commissions help me keep this site up and running guys.

• Dark roux
• Better Than Bouillon Fish Base
• Cajun seasoning
• Gumbo file
• Canned tomatoes
• Bay leaf
• Worcestershire sauce
• Andouille sausage

If you’re thinking this Louisiana seafood gumbo with okra must takes hours to make, you are so WRONG!

It takes less than 1 hour.

And it makes a crap ton so you’ll have plenty for leftovers (this is a good thing guys). That is, unless you plan on serving it at a party.

If you’re a fan of Cajun food, check out these other delicious easy-to-make recipes:

15 Minute New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

Crispy Cajun Style Chicken Wings

Homemade Crawfish Pie

Jalapeno Cheese Hushpuppies

New Orleans Creole (Red) Gravy

Spicy Cajun Remoulade Sauce

New Orleans Gumbo Recipe

This New Orleans Gumbo recipe is made with spicy smoked andouille sausage, crab, shrimp, oysters, okra and vegetables, all served over steamed white rice.

4.48 from 17 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course, Soup/Stew

Cuisine: Cajun/Creole

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 356kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• 1 lbs. crawfish or shrimp
• 1/2 lbs. andouille sausage sliced
• 8 oz. fresh oysters
• 1/2 lbs. crab claws or small whole crabs
• 1 cup dark roux
• 4 cups seafood broth (fish, shrimp, crab, etc.)
• 1 green pepper diced
• 16 oz. okra sliced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning to taste
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. gumbo file (optional)
• Green onions for garnish
• White rice for serving

Instructions

• Heat the roux in a dutch oven over medium high heat.
• Add the diced green pepper and onion; cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the andouille sausage, seafood broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, bay leaf, sugar  and Cajun seasoning and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the okra and crab claws and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the shrimp/crawfish, oysters and gumbo file and simmer for 5 minutes, or until seafood is cooked through.
• Garnish with green onion and serve over rice.

Expert Tips:

1. Stir your roux constantly while making it to ensure it doesn't burn;
2. Add the seafood broth slowly while stirring - this helps keep lumps from forming and aids in a uniform, rich soup/stew;
3. Crawfish or shrimp can be used in this recipe - a mixture of both works incredibly well;
4. I buy cut up crabs, but any crab pieces will work, as long as it is crab in the shell. The juices from the shelled crab is what adds flavor to the gumbo;
5. I highly recommend only using fresh oysters. Canned oysters do not impart the same flavor. If you can't get fresh, I would just leave the oysters out;
6. If you absolutely can't find Andouille sausage, any spicy smoked sausage can be substituted.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 205mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1952IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 3mg

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