It’s a labor of love, but when it’s done, all that time spent at the stove is worth every second.

Have you ever had a steaming pot of gumbo with some rice in your bowl? It’s a Louisiana staple and for good reason, too. It’s not expensive to make at all and can feed an entire family for days, even with this recipe which only makes around 8-10 servings. Every ingredient in a gumbo is extremely important, but the most important thing in a gumbo is one thing and one thing alone. The roux.

Traditional gumbos come in two ways: Creole or Cajun. There are a few differences between Creole and Cajun. Creole tends to be spicier, with cayenne peppers added in, and also okra added in as a thickener. Some Creole gumbos even have tomatoes in them, but Cajun tends to have more earthy flavors. It’s meatier, not as spicy and more savory.

The one you’ll be making today if you decide to make this recipe is a traditional Cajun gumbo. Cajun gumbo has a lot of flavor and so much going for it that you wouldn’t believe that the ingredients you might already have in your pantry. Such as butter and flour or oil and flour.

This recipe uses oil and flour, so that’s what you’ll need for the dark-brown roux — and that is definitely the most important part of the gumbo. It’s said everywhere in Louisiana, if it ain’t dark-brown, it ain’t real gumbo.

The Holy Trinity is what makes the gumbo heartier than just having meat. You’ll need onion, a green bell pepper (any color of pepper is actually okay if you don’t have green), and celery. These three things help the dish to taste incredible and bring some vegetables in.

Sausage, typically andouille, is what goes into the Cajun gumbo along with one pound of skinless chicken thighs. This is going to be the bulk of your protein. You can also add bacon if you’d like to, but the sausage has plenty of delicious smoky flavor that the bacon will just be extra!

Also, you’ll need chicken broth or stock, depending on what you choose. You can go either regular or low-sodium, depending on your health needs. If you choose to go low sodium, the dish won’t be as salty, and that’s perfectly fine.

Also – pro tip: If you don’t want to make your own roux, you can definitely use a jar roux like Savoie’s dark brown roux which is popular among Cajun communities. Just keep in mind the availability in your community. If the store carries it, it’ll be close to the rice section since gumbo is frequently served with rice. Sometimes, you just don’t have the time to make a roux, but if you can’t find it, it might be easier to make it from scratch. So just in case, this recipe is made with dark brown roux.

To get started, this is what you will need:

• All purpose flour

• Oil

• The Trinity, AKA Green bell pepper, onion, and celery

• Chicken broth or stock

• Chicken thighs 1-2 pound (s)

• Andouille sausage (1 package)

• Salt

• Pepper

• Paprika (smoked is recommended)

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

• Oregano

• Rice (for serving)

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First, prepare all your spices which will be used for the chicken thighs, (minus the bay leaves which will go into the gumbo), and then also in the next steps, slice the sausage and chop all your vegetables.

Second, cook your sausage in the same pot you’ll make your gumbo until they are browned on both sides.

Third, you’ll want to add your chicken to the same pan. Do not drain the excess fat that came from the sausage. It’ll help to flavor the chicken, but also help to add more oomph to the gumbo as well. Gumbo is very forgiving as long as you don’t burn your roux!

And fourth, take all the chicken out and its oil too for your gumbo base. For the roux, you’re going to want to add 1 cup of a high smoke point oil (e.g., avocado) and 1 cup of flour and mix until the base dark brown. Do not let it get beyond dark brown, it can happen in a second. But if the unfortunate circumstance does arise that it does get a little darker than pictured, don’t worry too much. Gumbo is definitely forgiving. As long as it smells like coffee and nuts, you’re still good.

If you choose to buy jar roux, make sure you follow package instructions! The process is a lot different as they have already done this step in advance and jarred it up for your convenience. It’ll still be really good, I promise!

Fifth, add your trinity now into the roux. Make sure to turn off the heat as the roux can certainly burn at this point, but turn it back on when you add the liquid.

Mix well until combined and then add your broth mixture, your meats, and simmer at medium-low heat for one hour, and the result will be a delicious gumbo! Feel free to add salt and whatever seasoning you would like to each bowl you prefer before you serve your gumbo. As individual tastes vary, you don’t want to overload the gumbo with salt. Don’t forget your bay leaves at this point, as they help a lot with adding an earthy flavor profile.