Instant Pot Gumbo is one of the best ways to cook chicken! But why stop with just chicken? You'll also add in fresh shrimp, chicken, veggies, and more! This easy weeknight dinner is loaded with flavor and sure to delight the bellies of everyone!
There's no denying the delicious flavor of gumbo - so what are you waiting for? This simple gumbo recipe is about to be one of your new favorite meals.
The reason that gumbo is such a popular dish is that it legit has everything in it that you could possibly need! Protein? Check. Vegetables? Check. Fast and simple cooking directions? Absolutely!
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
Making a giant pot of gumbo is always a great idea. You can even slightly offer the flavor to make it spicy gumbo as well!
- It's a simple one-pot recipe loaded with amazing flavors
- It makes more than enough for leftovers
- You can alter the seasonings easily every time you make it
Recipe video
Recipe Ingredients
Olive oil - Coconut oil or avocado oil could be used as well.
Red bell pepper - Dice them into bite-sized pieces.
Onion - A sweet red onion is the perfect flavor enhancer.
Garlic - Minced garlic works the best, but garlic powder could be added as well.
Sausage - Choose your favorite flavor and brand of sausage.
Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe.
Flour - Used to help thicken the texture of the gumbo.
Chicken broth - Chicken stock or even bone broth would be a great option as well. So much flavor potential.
Diced tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes are a great addition, but diced canned tomatoes work also.
Diced celery - Great for adding fiber and texture.
Green chilies - If you can roast and chop up your own chilies, the flavor will be unreal!
Salt & Pepper - For flavor.
Creole seasoning - This is the main seasoning used in this dish.
Bay leaves - Only to add flavor, not to be eaten.
Shrimp - Jumbo shrimp is the best!
How to make Instant Pot Gumbo
Making this simple cajun gumbo recipe isn't hard to do at all. Just follow the simple steps below to get started!
Step One: Add the olive oil, red bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, and sausage pieces into the Instant Pot.
Step Two: Saute for 8 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Step Three: Take the sausage mixture out of the Instant Pot and have it sitting in a bowl.
Step Four: Add the butter into the empty Instant Pot and saute for 8 minutes. Stir the butter once melted, and then add the flour. Stir the mixture together.
Step Five: Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and chicken cubes into the mixture.
Step Six: Pour the sausage mixture into the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Step Seven: Add the salt, pepper, Creole seasoning, and bay leaves. Stir.
Step Eight: Put on the lid and high pressure for 25 minutes.
Step Nine: Once the time has passed, do a quick release and then remove the lid.
Step Ten: Add the shrimp and stir it in with the rest of the ingredients.
Step Eleven: Saute for 5 minutes and stir.
Serve and enjoy!
Variations
Change out the protein - You can leave out the shrimp, leave out the chicken, or go crazy and make it a vegetarian gumbo recipe if you'd like. You could also make this using Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef as well!
Add fun seasonings - Some people like their gumbo spicy, some like it mild, while others don't want a hint of heat at all. If you're sharing with others, add the spicy seasonings to your own bowl so everyone can enjoy as they want.
Cajun Seasoning - For extra taste, you can add 2 tablespoon homemade or store-bought Cajun seasoning as well.
How to serve
This Instant Pot Gumbo recipe is a meal on its own, but that doesn't mean that you can't whip up to sides to pair with it.
Some of my favorites are:
If you're eating low carb, you can also pair this with cauliflower rice as well.
Need more ideas? Check out What To Serve With Gumbo for 15 delicious side dishes.
Recipe Notes
- Many people think that you have to cook the chicken before adding it to the recipe, but that's not true. You will be adding the chicken raw.
- Jumbo shrimp works really well for this recipe. Just make sure that you buy shrimp that is deveined and prepped, and ready to go. It saves a ton of prep time that way.
Recipe FAQs
Gumbo is a thicker type of consistency than soups. With the chunks of veggies and meat, it adds a hearty texture with every spoonful.
This gumbo recipe actually doesn't have okra in it, but you could add it if you'd like. Okra is used more in other cultures as a gumbo ingredient as it works great in helping to thicken the gumbo.
Gumbo shouldn't be left out overnight. You do need to let it cool down before storing it, but then it needs to be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Instant Pot Shrimp Recipes
If you're a huge shrimp fan like I am, you're going to love these other recipes using shrimp! Add them to your meal planning radar.
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Instant Pot Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 13½ ounces sausage
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes
- ½ cup green chilies
- ½ cup cubed chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb shrimp
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, red bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, and sausage pieces into the Instant Pot.
- Saute for 8 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Take the sausage mixture out of the Instant Pot and have it sitting in a bowl.
- Add the butter into the empty Instant Pot and saute for 8 minutes. Stir the butter once melted, and then add the flour. Stir the mixture together.
- Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and chicken cubes into the mixture.
- Pour the sausage mixture into the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Add the salt, pepper, Creole seasoning, and bay leaves. Stir.
- Put on the lid and high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Once the time has passed, do a quick release and then remove the lid.
- Add the shrimp and stir it in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Saute for 5 minutes and stir.
- Serve and enjoy 🙂
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Many people think that you have to cook the chicken before adding it to the recipe, but that's not true. You will be adding the chicken raw.
- Jumbo shrimp works really well for this recipe. Just make sure that you buy shrimp that is deveined and prepped, and ready to go. It saves a ton of prep time that way.
This is not a true recipe for Gumbo, but a good stew recipe. First of all, Gumbo begins by making a roux that's equal parts oil and flour and cooked (stirring constantly) until the mixture turns the color of a penny. Secondly, the meaning of gumbo is "okra," and this recipe doesn't include okra. Thirdly, the traditional sausage for gumbo is Andouille.