Make the best seafood gumbo at home! Since we’re in New Orleans, we thought we’d make a big pot of seafood gumbo with shrimp, fish, and crab –and of course a little fresh okra! It takes a little time to make a great gumbo, but maybe not as long as you think, and it’s not complicated, so give this gumbo recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Ingredients for Seafood Gumbo Recipe
¾ cup oil VEGETABLE OIL …don’t substitute butter because it burns easily, but we’ll add a little butter eventually.
1½ cup FLOUR
2 Tbsp BUTTER
2 cup ONIONS, finely chopped
2 cups GREEN BELL PEPPER, chopped
1 cup RED BELL PEPPER, chopped
1 cup CELERY, chopped
12-16oz FRESH OKRA, cut into ¼” discs (frozen then thawed okra can be used, but fresh is better)
3-5 cloves GARLIC, minced
14.5 oz can undrained petite DICED TOMATOES
8oz can TOMATO SAUCE
2-3 BAY LEAVES
2 Tbsp SMOKED PAPRIKA (1 Tbsp to start, another Tbsp later in the recipe)
1 tsp dried THYME
4 Tbsp CREOLE SEASONING (2 Tbsp to start, another 2 Tbsp later in the recipe)
1 tsp SALT
4 cups of chicken or veggie STOCK (sub 8 oz clam juice for 1 of the cups, if desired)
1 tsp WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
4 lbs seafood:
2 lb firm white FISH like cod, catfish, tilapia, etc. cut into ½” cubes
1 lb peeled and deveined SHRIMP
1 lb LUMP CRAB MEAT, or use less and substitute more fish or shrimp
Toss in a few hard shell GUMBO CRABS if you like, but that’s optional!
If you don’t use a pre-prepared GUMBO SEASONING MIX, you can make your own creole seasoning with a simple mix of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Here’s the GEAUX CREOLE SEASONING we used in the recipe video; price it on Amazon.
How to Make Seafood Gumbo
- Chop, dice, mince your veggies.
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat for a few minutes until heated through. Check prices for Big Gumbo Cooking Pots on amazon.
- Mix in flour and stir until smooth and then continue to stir constantly. You are making a “sort of roux”. A roux is equal parts fat and flour, but we’re using a little more flour in this recipe. Keep the heat on low to medium low and stir until the mixture slowly browns into a dark, rich, ice cream coffee coor. This might take 40-50 minutes, but don’t rush the process or your mixture will scorch.
- When the roux is a rich, medium brown color, immediately add onions, green pepper, celery, garlic, and okra and stir well.
- Add the first round of seasonings: 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 2 Tbsp Creole seasoning, 1 Tsp dried crushed thyme, and bay leaves.
- Add petite tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 4 cups of water/stock, and also include hard-shell gumbo crabs (optional). Mix everything together well.
- Turn up the heat to bring the pot to a soft boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, add Worcestershire sauce and chopped fish and let the pot continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add additional seasoning to finish: 2 Tbsp Creole seasoning, 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried crushed thyme.
- Add shrimp and crab and cook for a final 5-10 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning and stock/water as desired.
Serve seafood gumbo with WHITE RICE and top with chopped GREEN ONION or PARSLEY.
If you’d like to try a fish stew that tastes great, is very inexpensive, and super easy to make, then a take a look at this Canned Mackerel Fish Stew Recipe.
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