Granny’s “Gulf” Gumbo

This recipe for Granny’s “Gulf” Gumbo is an easy gumbo recipe loaded with shrimp, crab, oysters, and your choice of sausage, chicken or alligator! It’s the perfect filling recipe for a comforting family dinner. 

If you enjoy this soup recipe you should also try my Rosemary Ham Bean Soup or my Roasted Poblano Chicken Cauliflower Soup.

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Granny’s Gumbo

This recipe is for my Granny’s gumbo. My grandmother was born and raised in Louisiana and this is her famous gumbo recipe. I followed her around the kitchen the last time I visited writing down and measuring everything as she added it it to her gumbo pot!

This recipe does require a roux. If you have never made a roux, I promise it is easy to make. It is equal parts of fat and flour, that you cook on the stove until nice and brown. Just follow the directions and you will be fine!

This Easy Gumbo Recipe Has Been In My Family Forever

My Granny has been making this recipe forever. Ok, so maybe not forever, but for as long as I can remember…and as long as my Mom can remember…so a long time 😉

5 from 2 votes

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Yield: 12 servings

Granny's "Gulf" Gumbo

This recipe for Granny's "Gulf" Gumbo is an easy gumbo recipe loaded with shrimp, crab, oysters, and your choice of sausage, chicken or alligator! It's the perfect filling recipe for a comforting family dinner. 

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 ½ cups celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 to 10 cups seafood or chicken broth, or water
• 16 oz frozen sliced okra
• 3 lbs shrimp, deveined, heads and tails removed
• 2 lbs andouille or smoked sausage, chicken or alligator, pre-cooked, roughly chopped
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, do not drain
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 4 to 5 tablespoons cajun seasoning, we use Slap Ya Mama
• Tabasco sauce, to taste
• 1 lb crab meat
• 8 oz oysters

For Serving

• white rice
• green onions, sliced
• Tabasco sauce
• crackers

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Instructions 

• In a 12 qt heavy bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat, add the flour and oil. Cook the roux, continuously stirring with a whisk, until it reaches a dark reddish brown color, about 12 minutes. You cannot stop stirring, otherwise the roux will burn and you will have to start over again.
• After you have gotten your roux to the desired color, add the “Holy Trinity”, a.k.a. the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until wilted about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Turn the heat down to low and add 8 to 10 cups water to the roux, 2 cups at a time. You can decide how much water you would like to add. A traditional gumbo should be a little less thick than a bisque style soup, but if you prefer it to be thinner, add more water. Bring gumbo to a very low simmer, but not a boil.
• Now, in a separate pan, sauté the okra with oil until it is soft. (If you are worried about "okra slime" you can add the sautéed okra on to a serving plate lined with napkins. Place more napkins on top and lightly press with your hand to remove majority of the oil). Add the okra to the gumbo.
• Next add the shrimp and the additional meats (sausage, chicken, or alligator) you have chosen. Also add the tomatoes, garlic powder, Slap Ya Mama, and about 3 tablespoons Tabasco (add more later to taste). Bring the gumbo back up to a low simmer. At this time you can add more water if your rue is too thick. Place the lid on the stock pot and cook for an hour (or up to 2 hours), over low heat, stirring occasionally. (The longer you let your gumbo simmer, the richer and deeper in flavor it becomes.)
• Turn off the heat and add both the crab meat and oysters and place the lid back on the pot. Let the gumbo sit until the oysters and crab meat are cooked (about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your Oysters).
• Check your seasonings and adjust as needed. Serve gumbo over white rice, as desired, with sliced green onions on top.

Notes

Notes on this recipe: The hardest part of a good gumbo is the roux. After that, it should be pretty easy. Make sure you have everything chopped and ready to go before starting so you do not risk a ruined roux and having to start all over again.

The great thing about Gumbo is that it can be anything you want it to be. Shrimp, Oysters, Sausage, Crab Meat, Chicken, or Alligator...or any other meat you can get your hands on. In the recipe it states that things like Sausage, Chicken, and Alligator should be slightly pre-cooked. Meaning that you should have it cooked partly before adding it, and let it finish cooking in the Gumbo. Things like crab meat or oysters should be added at the very end, since they cook fast and are easy to over cook. You can also adjust any seasonings to your liking. We like it hot, but below I have left it at what we consider to be mild. Season along the way so you do not end up with too spicy of a Gumbo.

You can make your roux weeks or even months in advanced. Just make sure your roux is stored in a jar or airtight container. That way you can use it whenever you’re ready to make your gumbo.

And lastly, this makes a very large batch of Gumbo....probably enough for 8-10 people (depending on if someone eats 3 bowls like my Dad did). You can size down the recipe, or like my Granny does, just freeze it! It freezes wonderfully in a Ziplock freezer bag. And whenever you are ready for gumbo, just let thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bowl, Calories: 661kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 256mg, Sodium: 1692mg, Potassium: 838mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1541IU, Vitamin C: 24mg, Calcium: 155mg, Iron: 3mg

© Jessica - The Novice Chef

Cuisine: American

Category: Soup

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