Sweet Daddy D's Seafood Gumbo is a rich and flavorful dish rooted in the culinary traditions of South Louisiana. It starts with a thick, dark roux—the foundation of many classic Louisiana dishes—combined with the "Holy Trinity" of onions, bell peppers, and celery. A touch of okra is included to enhance the gumbo's texture and flavor, but it doesn't overpower the delicate seafood. A deep, savory seafood stock brings out the best in the dish, while crabs, oysters, and shrimp are added towards the end, ensuring they stay tender and burst with fresh, Gulf Coast flavor.
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What is Gumbo?
Gumbo is a rich and hearty soup-like dish from South Louisiana that blends local ingredients with deep cultural influences. It's a signature part of the region's cuisine, first recorded as early as 1803. It transcends economic and cultural boundaries, appearing on the tables of both the wealthy and the working class. Gumbo is a comforting and hearty dish that captures the soul of South Louisiana cuisine—at once familiar and unique, especially for those who call this region home.
Gumbo comes in many varieties, usually including a combination of seafood, chicken, and smoked meats, even though there is no single recipe for it. Each version is uniquely shaped by local ingredients and cultural traditions, reflecting the diverse cultures of South Louisiana. Some Gumbos do not contain meat or seafood proteins and some do not include a roux. Because of this, there’s no universal consensus on what belongs in a gumbo. Cajun gumbo, for example, tends to be thicker and heartier, typically made with chicken and sausage. Creole gumbo, on the other hand, often features a wider range of ingredients, including seafood alongside meats.
Ultimately, each bowl of gumbo is a unique expression of the cook or community that made it, capturing the spirit and flavors of South Louisiana.
Gumbo Basics
One thing to understand is that there are no hard and fast rules, but there are some basics:
- Start with a roux. Take your time. Make sure you don’t undercook it but don’t burn it either.
- Use the Trinity to help build the base. These are Cajun and Creole foundation vegetables of yellow onions, bell peppers, and celery.
- Use stock instead of water as you want to layer in the flavors with every step. Water doesn’t contribute anything.
- It's okay if you add tomatoes to your Gumbo. After all, it is your Gumbo and many great Creole Gumbos contain tomatoes.
- If you are using meats, brown them first to intensify the flavors and share the flavorful rendered fat will all the other ingredients. Add them towards the beginning of the process.
- Add the seafood at the end of the process. Seafood will be influenced by the other flavors and add their unique dimension, but most seafood cooks very quickly and only needs a short time.
All this being said, I remind you that there are no rules, these are just basics. If you think politics are heated, try to tell a Cajun or Creole cook what she should put in her gumbo. Tomatoes? Thick dark roux or light thin roux? Okra? File’? Mix seafood with meat? These are just a few of the variables you will encounter.
Here’s What You Need
A complete list of ingredients with quantities can be found on the recipe card at the end of this article.
Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp: You can use fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. If you have heads and shells to remove, make sure to save them to make a wonderful stock. You will also need to buy about 25 to 35% more than you need to account for the weight of the shells. I recommend using lots of small to medium-sized shrimp (check out my short article What You Need to Know about Shrimp to learn about shrimp size and more).
- Crab: You can use lump, backfin, clawmeat, or jumbo lump crab. Check carefully to make sure there are no shell pieces in the crab meat.
- “Gumbo crabs” are used for seasoning in stock and gumbo and are an essential ingredient in Seafood Gumbo. They are hard-shell crabs with the top shell removed and the cavity with the gills cleaned out with legs and claws still attached. They are sold frozen in seafood markets. Check out Cajungrocer.com for some (I am not an affiliate of Cajungrocer.com but I know they provide quality products and services.
- Oysters: Make sure to use all the oyster liquor (juice) that comes with the oysters.
- Okra: Fresh or frozen okra is good for this recipe. You will cook the okra for a long time which will soften it and cook off any potential slim.
- Creole Seasoning: This recipe was developed using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, a no-salt, no-msg all-purpose Creole and Cajun Seasoning. If you use a seasoning that contains salt, you should taste the gumbo before adding more salt.
- Stock: I developed this recipe using my recipe for Shrimp Stock, which is salt-free. You can substitute commercial seafood, shrimp, or chicken stock, but if those contain salt, you should taste the gumbo before adding more salt.
Cookware
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You probably have all the equipment you need to make gumbo. This is a two-pot method, using a Cast Iron Dutch Oven to cook the foundation roux and Trinity, and an 8-quart stockpot to simmer the gumbo. Ingredient preparation can be accomplished with your usual prep equipment.
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Hints and Tips (FAQ)
If you haven’t been raised eating gumbo, you may have some questions about how to serve it. Gumbo is akin to soup, it's not like rice and gravy. Don’t pile up a bunch of rice and dribble a little gumbo over it. Eat it like soup, in a bowl. Gumbo is generally served with cooked, white rice. How much rice is a matter of personal preference, but the rice is either placed in the bowl and gumbo ladled on top, or the gumbo goes in first and the rice is scooped on top. Some restaurants (and this is a good way to do it) serve the rice on the side so you can spoon in as much as you want or not include it at all. Make sure you have a nice bottle of Tabasco Hot Sauce. To me, a few dashes of Tabasco on this Seafood Gumbo is the perfect finisher!
A roux is a thickening agent used in many South Louisana dishes made with equal parts flour and fat. In South Louisiana, in addition to thickening, Cajun and Creole cooks use it to promote a beautiful dark color to their dishes. A roux can be light or dark, or anywhere in between, and use various fats, from butter to lard to vegetable oil and beyond.
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. Preparing to make gumbo can be fun, especially when you’re organized! The key is to have everything ready before you start cooking, including yourself. This is called "mise en place," a French term that means preparing all your ingredients and getting yourself ready. Grab a beer and read through the whole recipe from start to finish. This will help you understand what ingredients you need and how they’re used. Before you start cooking chop, measure, and organize everything into bowls or containers so it’s ready to go when you need it. This will make cooking seamless and no-angst.
Mise en place
- Peel, devein, and rinse the shrimp in cold water. Pat them dry, sprinkle with Creole seasoning, and set them aside.
- Cut the gumbo crabs in half (leave the claws and legs attached to each half), sprinkle with creole seasonings, and set them aside.
- Chop and measure all the remaining ingredients: place the Trinity in one prep bowl together; in separate prep bowls or measuring cups place the garlic, green onions, parsley, okra, stock, vegetable oil, and the flour. Mix the Herb and Spice Blend and set that aside.
Set up for a two-pot process
- Place the seafood stock in a large stockpot and set over low heat to warm while you cook the roux and vegetables. Set a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Make a Dark Roux
What happens in this step? A dark roux will set the color you want in a good gumbo and serve as a thickener.
- Add the vegetable oil to the Dutch oven over medium heat (See the Lagniappe Tip below). When the oil starts to shimmer, sprinkle in the AP flour.
- Whisk constantly while the flour cooks in the oil and begins to brown. About midway, the roux will resemble the color of peanut butter.
- Continue whisking while the roux becomes smooth and darkens. You want something like dark chocolate. Depending on your heat level this could take from 10 to 30 minutes.
Lagniappe Tip: Unless you are experienced in making a roux, I recommend starting with the heat on medium. Stir or whisk constantly. As you get more comfortable, you can decide to increase the heat. There is no set time that it takes to make a roux. It's done when it reaches the color you want.
Cook All the Vegetables and Seasonings in the Roux
What happens in this step? The vegetables will cook in the rich roux, creating a flavorful base for your gumbo.
- When the roux is the color you want, remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Add the Trinity and stir continuously for about 5 minutes, then place it back over medium heat.
- Stir almost continuously until the Trinity begins to caramelize, which should take another 10 to 15 minutes.
Lagniappe Tip: The roux will continue to cook after you add the vegetables so it's always a good idea to remove the roux from the heat at that time to slow the process. Once everything is incorporated and the temperature has diminished, return the pan to medium heat and continue. Make sure you taste the roux as you go. If it tastes burned throw it out. A burned roux will ruin your recipe, so have another beer and start over.
- Mix the okra into the roux mixture and continue to stir and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, about half of the Herb and Spice Blend, and the bay leaves. Mix everything well until you can smell the garlic, about 2 minutes.
- To the roux mixture, add the green onions; saute another 5 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat while you bring the stock to a heavy boil in the stockpot.
- Turn the heat to high under the stock and bring it to a full boil.
Combine the Veggie-Roux Mix with the Stock
What happens in this step? We will slowly dissolve the veggie-roux mixture into the stock.
- Once you have the stock to a rolling boil, use a slotted spoon to combine the roux mixture with the boiling stock, one spoonful at a time. Stir each spoonful until it is fully incorporated into the stock before repeating the process. Don’t rush, this will take between 5 and 10 minutes.
- Once all of the roux mixture has been incorporated into the stock, reduce the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer for about 10 minutes, uncovered. This lets all the flavors introduce themselves. After 10 minutes, lower the heat to a low simmer. Cover the stockpot and maintain that low simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Add the seafood
What happens in this step? We will take a few minutes to add the seafood separately, making sure each is incorporated into the Gumbo.
- After an hour, remove the lid, add the gumbo crabs, and stir well. Replace the cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and slowly add the oysters with their juice. Stir the pot in between each addition and let the gumbo return to a boil before adding more.
Lagniappe Tip: increase the heat to a medium boil before adding the seafood,. Adding the seafood will lower the temperature in the stockpot considerably.
- Next, slowly add the lump crabmeat a little at a time. Stir the pot in between each addition and let the gumbo return to a boil before adding more.
- The shrimp are added by hand, a few at a time. Stir the pot in between each addition and let the gumbo return to a boil before adding more. Adding all the seafood in this manner will take about 10 minutes.
- Once all the seafood has been added, throw in the parsley and more Herbs and Spices. Stir well, lower the heat, and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, covered.
- Remove the gumbo from the heat. Serve with cooked white rice.
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Serving Suggestions
Seafood Gumbo is the ultimate main dish, but also a popular starter or appetizer served in many South Louisiana restaurants and home kitchens.
To serve, place a scoop of white rice in a bowl and ladle the Seafood Gumbo all around. Alternatively, you can fill the bowl and then scoop the rice on top. Either way, sprinkle some chopped parsley on top and go for it. Have a bottle of Tabasco or Crystal Hot Sauce handy for those who want an extra kick. It is also common to have a small jar or bowl of filé powder for seasoning the gumbo. Want to give it a try? Amazon has Zatarain's Pure Ground Gumbo Filé and Cajun Chef Filé.
Lagniappe Tip: Filé powder is ground sassafras leaves and is used as a thickener in gumbos as well as a flavor enhancer. Filé powder can be added to the finished gumbo or added as an ingredient while cooking. It is a contribution of the Indigenous People that resided in colonial Louisiana when it was founded.
Seafood Gumbo is great paired with a green salad, like a Sensation Salad. Potato Salad is also a common side dish served with gumbo and some folks in the Acadiana area of South Louisiana serve a scoop of potato salad in the gumbo, or alongside, dipping a spoon of potato salad with each bite of gumbo. Sweet Daddy D's Cajun Potato Salad is a perfect companion for Seafood Gumbo. If you want to try it in your bowl of gumbo, consider leaving out the sweet relish as the flavors may compete. Sweet Daddy D's Potato Salad with Marinated Purple Onions is also a great accompaniment for Seafood Gumbo.
Try these other Gumbo Recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
Leftover Tips
Leftover Seafood Gumbo is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day than it did when you cooked it. Here are the keys to maintaining quality in your leftover Gumbo:
- Allow your leftover Gumbo to cool to room temperature before storing.
- Place leftovers in the fridge or freezer within two hours of cooking.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers. If freezing, make sure your container is freezer-safe.
- You can refrigerate leftover gumbo for about 3 or 4 days and freeze it for 4 to 6 months.
- Freeze the leftovers in small quantities or serving-size portions so you can reheat only the amount you want.
- Reheat in a saucepan or the microwave to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- For best quality, avoid reheating leftovers numerous times.
- I do not recommend refreezing once it has been defrosted.
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Yeah You Right!
Publisher's Note: This recipe and article were originally published in November 2020. I am republishing it now with improved step-by-step instructions and photos, an easier search profile, and more recipe tips.
Recipe
Seafood Gumbo
Here's What You Need
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup AP flour
- 2 cups yellow onions chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup okra chopped
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 8 cups seafood stock
Seafood
- 2 pounds shrimp
- 1 pound lump crabmeat
- 3 gumbo crabs
- 1 pint oysters
Herb and Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoon dry oregano
- 2 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning plus some for the seafood
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
Here's What You Do
- Peel, devein, and rinse the shrimp. Pat dry, and sprinkle with Creole seasoning; set aside. Cut the gumbo crabs in half (head to toe) and sprinkle with creole seasonings, set aside. Chop and measure the remaining ingredients before you start cooking.
- Place the seafood stock in a large stockpot and set the heat to low.
- Place a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil and allow it to become very hot.
- Sprinkle the AP flour into the oil and whisk constantly to make a smooth dark roux. About 10 minutes
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and add the trinity (yellow onions, bell peppers and celery) to the roux and stir to combine. Once combined, return the Dutch oven to medium heat and stir regualrly until it starts to caramelize about 15 minutes.
- Add the okra and saute another 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and about half of the Herb and Spice Blend, mix well until you can smell the garlic, about 3 minutes,
- Add the green onions and saute another 5 minutes.
- While that is simmering, bring the stock to a heavy boil in the stockpot.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat.
- Using a slotted spoon, desolve the roux mixture into the rapidly boiling stock, one spoonful at a time. Stir each spoonful until it is fully incorporated into the stock before repeating the process.
- When all of the roux-mixture has been incorporated into the stock, reduce the heat slightly to maintain a steady, low boil for about 10 minutes.
- Lower the heat to a low simmer. Cover the stockpot and maintain a low simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the cover and add the gumbo crabs and stir well. Replace the cover and simmer another 15 minutes.
- Increase the heat to a medium boil. Add the oysters with their juice, the lump crab meat and the shrimp. These should all be added by hand, a little at a time allowing the gumbo to return to a boil between additions.
- Once all the seafood has been added, continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the gumbo from the heat. Serve with cooked white rice.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
read the "It's Me" page to find out more about me and this website…
Pat Nugent
Just before it was finished, I added 1 tbl. of liquid Gravy Master to give it a really dark rich brown color. If it was just family I would have skipped the GM. Wanted to make a statement for our guests. It worked and the Gumbo was perfect.
Sweet Daddy D
Hey, Pat. I'm glad it turned out the way you wanted it. I would have thought a dark chocolate roux would give you the color you're looking for, but that sounds like a good move on your part. Sometimes getting that roux really dark can be tricky!
Pat Nugent
My visual guide is a minds picture of a Hershey's chocolate bar. I just never want to start the roux over again as I have in the past. haha
Sweet Daddy D
Haven't we all! That is a little disheartening, but I just have another beer and get back to it. Keep cooking, it will all fall into place!
Pat Nugent
Your recipe should include having a beer iced down prior to starting the roux. haha
Sweet Daddy D
Whatever it takes, Pat. All of my recipes start out with First...you have a beer! Enjoy the process.
C Nolan
I love your detailed instructions and photos every step of the way. Thank you!
Haven't made it yet, but plan to do so very soon.
Sweet Daddy D
Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me that. It means a lot. I hope you get a chance to make the gumbo...its a labor of love!
J &S Busby
This was ABSOLUTELY the best flavored with just the right amount of heat (I cut the cayenne pepper in half) gumbo I have ever eaten. I will be making this again. We prepared it for New years day
Absolutely delicious. We hummed through the whole pot..I didn't have my beer until after all my ingredients were preped. Lol
Sweet Daddy D
Thank you, @J&SBusby! I appreciate you giving the recipe a try and am so glad you liked it! Cheers!
sharon felt
How do you make seafood stock?
Sweet Daddy D
Hey Sharon. Here is a link to my article on making seafood stock.
Maryann Brooklyn
Good Evening Sweet Daddy D!
I have a question regarding the roux...
Can a store bought "Dry Roux" be used in place of the A/P flour?
If so, is the ratio the same?
Thank You! ~ Your recipes are SUPERB!!!
Be Well!
Sweet Daddy D
Hey Maryann! Yes, you can use a commercial roux. Read the instructions, I think with most commercial roux you don't add the oil (if that's what you mean by "ratio"!). For most homemade roux's it's a 1:1 ratio but I think the commercial ones have the oil incorporated. Enjoy, and thanks for the compliment!
Marina
Hi there, this looks like a great recipe as me I appreciate your site. I was looking for prejeans seafood gumbo (and even got the cookbook) but it was omitted so I plan to make a combo of one of theirs with this recipe as well. My question is about the file. I heard you mention it a few times but I did not see it used in the recipe. Is it needed/will it add anything to the final product, or does the roux and okra do its job essentially?
Sweet Daddy D
Hi Marina, thanks for the question. For this recipe (and most of my gumbo recipes) thickening comes from the roux and okra (if I'm using it) so filé (as a thickener) isn't required. I usually don't include it in the ingredient list, but sometimes I will sprinkle some filé on my bowl of gumbo right before I eat for its unique flavor. So, bottom line, if you are using a roux with or without okra, filé is not necessary or required but does add a unique flavor. If you want to use filé as an ingredient, that's fine. In that case, I would recommend adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of filé into the roux mixture right before you mix it into the stock. Thanks again, I'd love to hear how it turns out.
Marina
Awesome, thank you! I’ll let you know how it goes. I made the stock this past weekend and froze it and I’ll be doing the gumbo here soon. (Stock per this site as well and it came out nicely.)
Sweet Daddy D
Yeah you right, Marina!
Marina
Well I forgot to write my review but it came out fantastic!! I made a few changes but this was the basis of the recipe. My dad said it’s definitely Nola quality! Thank you!
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Marina. I'm so glad you liked it and tell your Dad, thanks for the compliment!
Sky
Hey sweet daddy d, this recipe sounds amazing and I'm excited to make it for my relatives coming in for the holidays! Question about the gumbo crabs, if I made your homemade seafood stock already do I still need to add the gumbo crabs to this recipe?
Sweet Daddy D
Hey, Sky. I'm glad to hear you're going to make the Gumbo, hope you love it. If you're using the seafood stock you can get by the without putting gumbo crabs in the gumbo. I always use them if I can get them, but its fine to skip them, particularly if you're putting crab meat in the gumbo. Let me know how it turns out!