This Cajun shrimp gumbo recipe is perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras. It's a delicious seafood dish made with authentic New Orleans flavor. Made in one pot for an easy meal that feeds a crowd.
Mardi Gras, the celebration of food before the Lenten season, conjures up all kinds of delicious dishes. I've shared a delicious seafood jambalaya already and today I'm sharing my version of Cajun shrimp gumbo.
Ingredients
- butter
- all-purpose flour
- onion
- celery ribs
- green bell pepper
- garlic clove
- bay leaf
- diced tomatoes
- thyme
- hot paprika
- black pepper
- salt
- chicken or vegetable broth
- okra
- raw shrimp
Making Cajun Shrimp Gumbo
This yummy gumbo recipe is made with a traditional Cajun Holy Trinity, (onions, bell peppers, and celery), but it's not made with filé powder. Filé powder is hard to find and though it does give some flavor it's mostly used as a thickening agent.
However, I did make a nice medium colored roux. Using roux in a gumbo will also make the broth thicker and is something that my husband always does when making gravy at Thanksgiving.
This roux has a nice caramel color and took me about 5 minutes to make. However, some people like to make it even darker which takes even longer to make.
I also used okra (traditionally in gumbo) in my recipe. Okra has a natural thickening ability and I really like the way it tastes.
Shrimp is the main protein in this gumbo. Many people use andouille sausage in their gumbo and/or chicken but I wanted to make this more of a seafood dish. This way you can eat it during Lent too.
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Can You Use Frozen Shrimp in Gumbo?
Yes. I do it all the time. Just make sure that it's frozen raw shrimp, not pre-cooked frozen shrimp.
Do You Cook the Shrimp before Adding it to Gumbo?
Definitely not. You want to add your shrimp in just a few minutes before you are ready to serve. It will cook and turn pink in about 3 minutes or so. Cooking shrimp too long will make it tough.
What's the Difference Between Gumbo and Jambalaya?
To me, jambalaya is more of a rice-based dish or stew with little liquid, whereas gumbo is more like a thick soup.
Try this yummy shrimp gumbo soup for your Mardi Gras celebration or any time of year. It's a nice savory, hearty dish the whole family will love.
More Shrimp Recipes
Cajun Shrimp Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup 1/2 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 large celery ribs diced 1 cup
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 quart 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 12 oz bag of cut okra
- 1.5 pounds raw shrimp
Instructions
- Make a roux by melting 1/4 cup of butter in a large pot or dutch oven on low-medium heat.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour on top and use a high heat spatula to stir well.
- Continue to stir the roux until it cooks the flour and turns a nice light brown color. This will take about 5 minutes or more. Make sure to keep stirring so that the mixture does not burn.
- Next add the onions, celery and green pepper and saute for a few minutes.
- Add the spices, stock, okra, and tomatoes next.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Serve with white rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Marie Holmes
My Grandma was a transplanted Michigander to Mississippi. She made awesome gumbo. Just seeing this recipe makes my mouth water. I really need to try to make this.
Patti Estep
Thanks Marie, I hope you like and make it your own.