Smoked Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

This smoked chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo is super delicious! It has layers of flavors that make for an amazing symphony in a bowl. Gumbo is considered a work of art to many and a comfort food staple to Cajun cooking. This recipe takes about around an hour and makes for a practical weeknight or weekend meal.

My recipe can be made with or without a pellet grill or smoker, however, if you have a smoker or pellet grill use it because you will get some amazing flavors from smoking the meat and peppers first.

Make this smoked chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo a day or two ahead if you have the time so the flavors get a chance to mingle and blend more. It’s always better on day 2 and even better on day 3. This is a dish that you will want leftovers of!

What you need to make smoked chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo:

Serves 6

• 3 chicken thighs – skins on

Season thighs with:

• seasoned salt
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• smoked paprika

• 1 pound shrimp – peeled and deveined

season shrimp with:

• seasoned salt
• onion powder
• smoked paprika

• 14 ounce smoked sausage – sliced into chunks

soup base:

• 1 1/2 cups onions – diced
• 1 cup celery- diced
• 1 cup roasted bell peppers – diced (I smoke these on my smoker but they can be used un-smoked if wanted)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 – 14.5 ounce cans chicken stock
• 1 – 14.5 ounce can beef stock
• 2 – 14.5 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons molasses – I use black strap
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• Optional – hot sauce to taste

• Rice – to serve gumbo over

Instructions

1. Season chicken thighs with seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika so each side is nicely coated.
2. Grill chicken thighs on 400 F. until they are cooked through.
3. When the chicken is about 80 percent cooked, add sausage and shrimp seasoned with salt, onion powder and smoked paprika to the grill and cook through. Don’t let shrimp over cook.
4. Set aside cooked meat and shrimp.
5. Roast peppers on the grill until skins are roasted then remove from grill. If skins are thick, allow them to sweat in a bag until the skins come off easily. If skins are thin leave them on.
6. Remove meat from grill and set aside.
7. In a stock pot, add onions, celery, bell peppers, butter and olive oil.
8. Cook until mix (called the holy trinity to some in Cajun cooking or a New Orleans mirepoix) starts to soften or “sweat”.
9. Sprinkle with flour and cook until butter and flour start to brown and almost look burnt. (this is called a roux and we want a dark roux for gumbo).
10. Add stocks, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, molasses, chili powder, smoked paprika and hot sauce if using.
11. Simmer mixture for 10- 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
12. Chop up the chicken thighs, remove the skins if wanted, If mine are aren’t crispy enough I remove them, if they are crispy I leave them on.
13. Add chopped smoked sausage chunks and reserve shrimp for the end so it doesn’t over cook.
14. taste and salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.
15. Serve over rice with shrimp on top.

Here are a few of my other gumbo recipes you may love:

• Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Harissa RECIPE HERE
• Pumpkin and Sausage Gumbo RECIPE HERE