The Best Seafood Gumbo

May 14, 2025

Written by Danielle Dunn

Enjoy rich, authentic seafood gumbo made with dark roux, Cajun spices, sausage, shrimp, and crab. A bold Southern classic in every bite.

What is gumbo?

Gumbo is a rich, slow-cooked stew that starts with a smoky roux and includes bold seasonings, vegetables, and sausage. Traditionally, most people use okra, but it depends on personal preference. Shrimp, crab and oysters are typically the seafood of choice. However, you can use any seafood you like.

How to make seafood gumbo?

I can do an entire book on how to prepare seafood gumbo. It’s not only one of my favorite things to eat, but also a favorite to cook as well. It is something about the smell of fresh aromatics and sausage, simmering in a rich broth, that warms my heart.

Seafood Gumbo Ingredients:

Andouille sausage – Adds flavor, enhances aroma and adds textural context. As it cooks, it releases flavorful fat into the roux, and binds the other ingredients together.
Fat/Oil – Oil or fat to create the roux, which is also considered the heart of the dish, I recommend bacon fat, duck fat, or vegetable oil for this.
All-purpose flour – Thickening agent that is crucial for making the roux. It is combined with oil or fat and cooked, forming the roux. It also serves as a flavor builder, by developing a deep nutty and toasted flavor.
The “holy trinity” (onion, bell pepper and celery) – These three vegetables make up your aromatic base. They add sweetness, bright color and herbal notes. Brings a very balanced flavor. Also, I add these ingredients to a food processor to get the veggies finely chopped. If no food process is available, you can finely chop the veggies on your own.
Water – A part of the base liquid that helps build a unified stew.
Diced tomatoes – Adds acidity, sweetness and tanginess. As they cook down, the tomatoes add a subtle sweetness that can enhance the complexity of the gumbo.
Garlic cloves – Plays a major part in the aromatic depth and flavor intensity of the gumbo.
Beef broth – Enhances richness, umami, and depth. Also it serves a flavor boost that complements the Andouille sausage and the dark roux.
Thyme sprigs – I add thyme for earthiness and herbal depth. It helps complement the savory ingredients like the broth, and the sausage.
Old Bay – A staple for creole and Cajun dishes. It is a briny and spicy seasoning that enhances the overall flavor, and contains a mix of celery salt, paprika, black pepper, and herbs like bay leaves, cloves and thyme. It also serves as a seafood flavor boost.
Dried oregano – Like the thyme, oregano is added to bring earthiness and herbal notes. However, although slightly bitter, it deepens the flavor profile.
Hot sauce – Adds spice and heat the complements the sausage, roux and seafood. It is also tangy and has vinegar the helps cut through the richness of the gumbo, by balancing the fat and deep flavors.
Sugar – I know some people would opt to leave sugar out of this recipe, with the expectation that it will make your gumbo sweet. However, I recommend to not leave out the sugar. I don’t add sugar for sweetness. The sugar is added to balance the acidity from tomatoes and vinegar. It also softens the sharpness of the heat.
Cayenne pepper – Added in addition to the hot sauce for an extra layer of heat. Both are used because cayenne pepper has the spice, without the vinegary heat of hot sauce. The cayenne with infuse the entire pot with warmth. It has control the spice level, and is more consistent throughout the entire cooking process.
Oyster sauce – Now this is an optional ingredient. While most traditional gumbo recipes do not have oyster sauce, I add it for a deep, savory flavor that enhances the taste of the shrimp and crab. It also have the perfect amount of sweetness and saltiness.
Okra – Okra is also is also a natural thickener. Although we reduce the level of sliminess with the apple vinegar, it still serves as an thickening agent. It also plays a crucial role in the dish’s texture. Not to mention, it is a traditional gumbo ingredient.
Apple cider vinegar – The acidity in apple cider vinegar reduces the slimy texture that okra releases. Also, this will assist with giving your gumbo and smoother texture.
Shrimp – Shrimp is classic ingredient that is found in most gumbo recipes. Shrimp is sweet and ocean flavored, and enhances the seafood profile of the gumbo. Can’t prepare seafood gumbo without it.
Crab – Like the shrimp, crab has a natural sweetness and oceanic taste that works for very well with the shrimp to enhance the seafood profile.

Simple steps for seafood gumbo:

Start by slicing the andouille sausage into 1/8 – 1/4 inch rounds, depending on your preference. Heat a Dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. There is no need to add oil, as sausage has its own fat, and produces its own oil. Ensure you are not overcrowding the pan. This will not give a good sear. Let it sear for 2 – 3 minutes until the edges are deep brown in color. Remove and set aside.

Next up is the roux, which is the heart of any great gumbo recipe. The roux is created by mixing flour and the oil/fat. It is then slow-cooked until it reaches a deep, nutty brown texture. The color should resemble milk chocolate. It is imperative to whisk or stir consistently to keep the roux from sticking. The entire process should take about 20 – 25 minutes.

Stir the finely chopped “holy trinity” into the roux mixture. I used a food processor finely chop my veggies. Add the vegetables all at once. Be careful during this process because it will sizzle and release a lot of steam. Sauté in the roux, stirring constantly, ensuring all the veggies are coated in the roux. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and mixture has softened. Adding the trinity into the roux, also helps slightly cool the roux, preventing it from burning after darkening.

Pour the tomatoes into the pot along with the roux and holy trinity. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add sausage back to the pot, and stir in the garlic. Stir for about 3 minutes to allow the access moisture to reduce.

Pour in beef broth. Stir or whisk until the broth is thoroughly blended with the roux, sausage and veggies. Then, add the thyme sprigs, Old Bay, oregano, hot sauce, sugar, cayenne pepper, oyster sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to low and cover, to ensure a slow and steady simmer.

After the gumbo has been simmering for an hour, heat a small skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add the okra and apple cider vinegar. Stirring frequently, cook for 8 – 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to add okra to the gumbo pot. Continue to simmer for about another hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in shrimp and crab meat. Cook for 5 additional minutes until shrimp is pink in color. Taste and add salt if needed.

What to serve with seafood gumbo?

White rice – the best and most traditional thing to eat with gumbo. Some people also like to add rice to the pot at the end. Personally, I do not prefer this method, as the rice has the ability to soak in liquids from the gumbo. So, I prefer to add the rice to my bowl. However, as always, it is your preference

Cornbread – One of my absolute favorites for a gumbo side dish. The sweetness and the texture of cornbread pairs so well with gumbo.

Potato salad – It may not be a popular side dish for gumbo everywhere, but it definitely is in Louisiana. In fact, some Louisiana natives will dump it in the bowl, just as they would with rice.

Bread – French bread or garlic bread are perfect choices to eat with gumbo. However, a simple yeast roll or biscuit will work just fine.

Tips & substitutions:

Use a food processor to finely chop vegetables.
Beef base or beef bouillon can be used instead of beef broth. If using this method, use 6 cups water, instead of 4 cups of beef broth and 2 cups of water. The beef base or bouillon can be added to the water, and dissolved before adding it to the pot.

Try these creole-style recipes by me:

If you are interested in more history behind creole and Cajun cuisine, click here to read a great article from The Cook Shop. Happy Cooking!