A good pot of Southern Gumbo feeds more than hunger. It gathers people. The rich roux, the tender seafood, the smoky sausage, the bowl of rice on the table.
If you have been unsure about making a dark roux or how to layer the flavors, this Southern Gumbo Recipe will walk you through it in clear, simple steps. It is flexible, forgiving, and built for family life.
- What Makes This Southern Gumbo Work So Well
- Ingredients for Southern Gumbo
- Make the Roux: The Heart of Southern Gumbo
- Build the Pot: Southern Gumbo Recipe Steps
- Simple Tips for Southern Gumbo Recipes
- Make-Ahead, Leftovers, and Freezer Notes
- Southern Gumbo Recipe – Seafood and Sausage
- FAQs: Southern Gumbo Recipe Seafood and Sausage
- Why Southern Gumbo For Your Homestead Kitchen?
What Makes This Southern Gumbo Work So Well
We start with a deep, chocolate-colored roux that sets the base for flavor. Then we build with the “trinity” of onion, celery, and bell pepper, a solid chicken bone broth, and a mix of seafood with smoked sausage. The spice blend is a starting point. Taste as it simmers and adjust for your people. This recipe is a framework you can make your own. (Want to make your own bone broth? You can use the directions for making How to Make Turkey Bone Broth here.)
Ingredients for Southern Gumbo
Roux
- 1 cup flour
- 2⁄3 to 1 cup avocado oil (or your preferred oil)
Gumbo Base
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- Real salt to taste
To Serve
- Hot cooked rice
Use what you have and swap as needed. Want chicken instead of crawfish? Add it. Want less heat? Cut the cayenne. This is a living family recipe, ours changes from time to time with our tastes. What are some of your family’s favorite flavors? Homestyle cooking is just that, all about your home, so don’t be afraid to experiment once you have the base recipe in hand.
Make the Roux: The Heart of Southern Gumbo
Roux asks for patience. Don’t attempt any other task while you are making the Roux! Learn from my mistake on this one and save yourself from starting over. Plan for 30 to 45 minutes at the stove with steady, constant stirring at the last stage. It is worth it.
- Set a heavy stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the oil, then the flour. Cook it as if you were making flour gravy.
- Stir and scrape constantly with a flat wooden spoon or whisk. Do not walk away especially at the last stages, you will have to stir it continuously. Watch it carefully, at this stage it will burn if you don’t keep it stirred.
- The roux will move from blonde to peanut to brown to dark chocolate. Stop at dark chocolate. You want the texture of moist, soft cookie dough.
- Adjust with a splash of oil or a sprinkle of flour to get the right consistency.
- Once you have the consistency, remove from heat.
- Whisk in 11 cups of the chicken broth, holding back 1 cup for deglazing the skillet. Whisk until silky with no lumps.
Tip: The darker the roux, the deeper the flavor. If it smells scorched, toss it and start again. Burnt roux will make the whole pot bitter.
Build the Pot: Southern Gumbo Recipe Steps
- Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sliced sausage 3–4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
- Sauté the trinity. In the same skillet, add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until tender but not browned. Be sure not to let your garlic brown, just get them good and hot.
- Deglaze. Pour in the reserved 1 cup chicken broth, to the skillet and scrape the bottom it well to get all the bits and pieces from the sausage incorporated.
- Then slide everything into the roux pot.
- Add all the other ingredients to the pot. Stir in bell pepper, okra, clams, crab, crawfish, and shrimp. Return the sausage to the pot.
- Now for the seasonings! Add paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, cayenne, and Real Salt. Note: The amounts of these seasonings can be adjusted to suit your tastes. I tweak them to our taste after the gumbo has simmered for a while. These are just the starting points.
- Simmer. Bring just to a gentle simmer. Cook 30–45 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust salt and heat.
- Cook the Rice. While you wait for the gumbo to simmer, cook your rice. You can use whichever rice you prefer, we tend to use brown rice as a health choice and use Lundberg brand.
- Serve your finished Southern Gumbo over hot rice and enjoy!
Simple Tips for Southern Gumbo Recipes
- Keep the roux moving. Slow and steady heat prevents scorching and gives the pot its deep color.
- Okra matters. Okra helps with body. If you prefer less thickness, reduce okra or add it later.
- Seafood timing. Add shrimp near the end if using smaller sizes so they stay tender.
- Spice to taste. Start with the listed spice blend, then add more cayenne or black pepper if you like it bolder.
Learn a new tip or have a question as you try this recipe? Please add to the comments below to share with others; we all learn from one another at The Farmers Lamp!
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, and Freezer Notes
- Make-ahead roux: Cook the roux up to 5 days in advance. Store it in a glass bowl with a tight lid in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Heat it up and follow the above instructions.
- Ready-made seasonings: You can use a ready-made Cajun Seasoning mix if you prefer.
- Next-day flavor: Gumbo tastes even better on day two as the flavors settle.
- Modifications: Remember, you can add or remove the meat or other seasoning to make it the way your family will enjoy.
- Fridge: Store up to 4 days in a covered container. I make it one day, and we eat a bowl for lupper (our second meal of the day between lunch and supper since we only eat two meals a day). On day three, I divide the remaining gumbo into meal portions in freezer-safe containers and freeze for later use.
- Freezer: Portion into meal-size containers and freeze 3 to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on the stove
Soft and Simple Spelt Flour Tortillas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups spelt flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon real salt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter or lard
- 1 cup hot water as hot as your hands can take.
- 1 tsp Fairchild’s Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Before you measure the flour, sift or stir it to break up any clumps for accurate measuring. For the most accurate measurement, spoon flour into your measuring cup instead of scooping it in.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. If you don’t have a sifter, you can whisk them together.
- Add the butter or lard, or a combo of the two, to the flour mixture and combine until the pieces of fat are small. You can use a fork or pastry blender; I use my fingers.
- Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar over the flour.
- Gradually add the hot water while stirring. I use my hands, but you could use a spoon. The dough will be wet and sticky.
- Knead the dough in the bowl for 3 minutes. It will be sticky and cling to your fingers at first, but that’s totally normal with spelt flour.Don’t add extra flour; if it’s still really hard to handle, wet your hands a little instead. After a couple of minutes, it’ll get smoother, less gluey, and start to stick less to your fingers.
- Depending on the size of tortillas you need, divide the dough into 8 (for larger burritos), 10 (medium-size), or 12 (small) evenly sized balls.
- Place the balls back into the bowl and cover it with a damp towel or put it in a proofing bag. I love using the bag because I can see what’s happening in the bowl.
- Let the dough balls rest for 10 minutes. This step is crucial.
- While the dough balls rest, preheat your cast iron griddle, skillet, or other pan. Use medium to medium-high heat, depending on your stove.
- You’ll know it’s hot enough when drops of water dance across it and evaporate. It should take about 3-5 minutes to fully preheat.
- Lightly flour your rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough balls into circles until they are translucent when held up to the light (I never get perfect circles).
Cooking Spelt Flour Tortillas
- Place a tortilla on the ungreased, preheated griddle. When it puffs up, turn it over and wait for the other side to puff up. This takes approximately 30-45 seconds on each side – it happens quickly, so keep your eyes peeled. They’ll burn quickly.
- Stack and wrap cooked tortillas on a kitchen towel placed on a cooling rack until you have cooked them all. I use my tortilla bag.
- Once they are all cooked, use them or store them.
Notes
1. Measure Your Flour the Right Way
Spelt flour is light and fluffy. If you scoop it straight from the bag, you may end up packing in too much. Stir or sift it first, then spoon it into your measuring cup. That keeps your dough balanced—not dry and crumbly.2. Don’t Skip the Rest
After kneading and dividing your dough, let those dough balls rest for 10 minutes under a damp towel or in a proofing bag (I love my proofing bag). This step is crucial. It relaxes the gluten in your spelt flour tortillas, so they roll out more easily and cook up tender instead of tough. Your pan should be hot enough that drops of water dance and disappear. Too cool, and the tortillas turn dry. Too hot, and they burn fast. Medium to medium-high heat is usually right. I’ve rushed this step before. The difference is real. Patience pays off.3. Use Very Hot Water
Hot water, as hot as your hands can handle, helps bring the dough together and improves flexibility by melting the fat. The dough will be sticky at first—that’s just spelt being spelt. Wet your hands lightly instead of adding extra flour if it feels hard to handle.4. Cook on a Properly Heated Surface
A cast iron skillet or griddle works best. If you’re new to cast iron cooking, you might enjoy our guide on caring for cast iron cookware. Your pan should be hot enough that drops of water dance and disappear. Too cool, and the tortillas turn dry. Too hot, and they burn fast. Medium to medium-high heat is usually right.Nutrition
FAQs: Southern Gumbo Recipe Seafood and Sausage
Why Southern Gumbo For Your Homestead Kitchen?
It stretches to feed a crowd, uses bone broth you may already make, and welcomes swaps based on what is in season or on hand. You can scale it up for gatherings or down for a small family supper. The base skills of being patient with the roux, a steady simmer, and adjusting taste carry into many soups and stews you will make all year.
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