Cajun Gumbo with Chorizo, Chicken & Shrimp (One Pot)
This is real-deal gumbo. The dark roux alone runs twenty to twenty-five minutes of constant attention — low-medium heat, never step away, stir the whole time until that flour and oil turn the color of dark chocolate. After that, trust me, it's a smooth sail from here. Plan for eighty to ninety minutes start to finish; this is not a Tuesday rush, it is a Sunday project. Chorizo, chicken thighs, and shrimp in one pot, served over rice with sweet cornbread on the side — every minute of the roux is paid back in the bowl.
Before a drop of oil hits that pot, though, I do what I always do — if you've been following me for a while, you know I like to get the prep out the way first. Here that means the celery, bell pepper, onion, and tomatoes diced and set to the side, the garlic minced, the chorizo cut into little circles — yes, in the video I say "circles" for my immature people — and the chicken thighs cut up before the heat comes on. Do it that way and when the cooking starts, you get straight to it. And keep your area clean at all times — do that and you won't have any issues.
My favorite moment in the video comes when those fresh tomatoes hit the pot and I catch myself telling the camera I wish y'all could smell what I'm smelling. That's when a long cook stops feeling like work. And I mean what I say at the end: if I could've done anything better, let me know in the comments.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Cajun Gumbo with Chorizo, Chicken & Shrimp (One Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 celery stalk (diced into 1/4-to-1/8-inch cubes)
- 1/2 green bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1/2 pound chorizo
- 1/2 pound boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- sweet cornbread, for serving
How to Make It
- Dice the celery stalk and set aside.
- Dice the green bell pepper and set aside.
- Dice the onion and set aside.
- Dice the tomatoes and set aside.
- Mince the garlic and set aside.
- Slice the chorizo into rounds.
- Cut the chicken thighs into small pieces and set aside.
- Combine the oil and flour in a heavy enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over low-medium heat.
- Stir constantly for 20–25 minutes, until the roux turns dark brown.
- Turn off the flame as soon as the roux reaches dark brown.
- Stir in the celery, bell pepper, onion, and garlic.
- Turn the heat back up and cook the vegetables for 5–7 minutes, until soft.
- Add the chicken and chorizo.
- Cook for about 5–7 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes.
- Pour in 2 cups chicken broth.
- Add the Cajun seasoning, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper, and stir to combine.
- Cover with a lid and simmer on low for about 45 minutes, until thickened.
- Add the shrimp and cook uncovered for about 5–7 minutes, until pink — keep an eye on them so they stay succulent, not dry.
- Remove the bay leaf. Place the lid back on ("and voila").
- Serve over steamed white rice with sweet cornbread on the side.
Curtis's Tips
- Do all the prep first and set everything aside — it makes the cooking go much smoother.
- Keep your work area clean as you go and "you won't have any issues."
- Fresh tomatoes give the best, most flavorful result, but canned tomatoes work fine too.
- Chorizo can be swapped for chicken sausage or any sausage you like (mentioned as an option for those avoiding pork).
- I go thighs over breasts here — more tender.
- Use avocado oil or any high-smoke-point oil so the roux doesn't burn fast.
- The roux is the most complicated part of the dish — stand over it on low-medium heat and keep stirring the whole 20–25 minutes; get it right and "it's a smooth sail from here."
- Turn off the flame the moment the roux hits dark brown, because the hot oil can pop and "gets a little crazy."
- Remember to turn the heat back up after the vegetables go in.
- Keep an eye on the shrimp at the end — you want them succulent, not dried out.
Why this works
Start with the oil: I go avocado, or anything with a high smoke point, because the roux lives on the heat for 20 to 25 minutes and you need something that won't burn fast. One reminder I make a point of on camera: after the vegetables go into the roux, turn the heat back up — they need five to seven minutes to get soft before the proteins join. The proteins themselves are a choice too: I build this on chicken thighs, because even though most people make it with breasts, thighs are more tender — my favorite, honestly. And I went with fresh tomatoes over canned because fresh just gives you the best, most flavorful taste.
FAQ
Do I have to use chorizo?
No. Right there in the video I say you can use chicken sausage or honestly whatever sausage you want — I call it out for anyone keeping pork off the menu. Whichever one you pick, slice it into rounds, and it cooks in with the chicken until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, about five to seven minutes.
How do I know when the roux is done?
Go by the color, not the clock. Keep the heat at low to medium and keep stirring until the flour and oil turn dark brown — about 20 to 25 minutes of standing over the pot. The second you see that dark brown, turn off the flame: the oil gets a little crazy at that point and it will pop you. It's the most complicated part of the whole dish, but get it right and the rest is easy going.
What about okra or filé?
This version doesn't use either — the comments on this video have a friendly okra-versus-filé debate going, and I enjoy reading it, but here the pot thickens up on its own during that covered simmer: lid on, heat on low, about 45 minutes, and when you open it back up you'll see it's thickened up really nicely.
How do I keep the shrimp from overcooking?
They go in last, after the 45-minute simmer, and they only need about five to seven minutes — just until they turn pink. Keep an eye on the pot for that stretch, because the goal is shrimp that stay succulent, not dried out. Then the lid goes back on, and voila.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~639 calories · 41 g protein · 39 g fat · 30 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
