Instant Pot Gumbo is your go-to recipe for making the most New Orleans-y recipe you can cook up. Using your Instant Pot takes out a lot of time and work, but still leaves you with an awesome, pressure cooked bit of goodness. Learn how to make Instant Pot Gumbo with this awesome and simple recipe!
What is Instant Pot Gumbo?
Gumbo is best described as a cajun stew, often made with a variety of cajun meats. In this version, we use seasoned chicken and andouille sausage to bring a punch of flavor along with a variety of New Orleans style veggies, all served with rice. Delicious!
I travel around a fair amount for work, and there are some destinations I love to get to simply because of the food. Anywhere there's a Velvet Taco in Texas is a favorite. A trip to NYC means great pizza, among many other new and trendy things. But nothing may be as reliable as a trip to New Orleans, where gumbo is the star. From whole in the wall joints (like Tony's Seafood over in Baton Rouge) to fancier style service from Emeril's, a good cajun restaurant has to make good gumbo.
With this recipe for Instant Pot Gumbo, you too can create this cajun favorite at home.
Ready to jump in and make it? Jump to the Recipe
Why I love Instant Pot Gumbo
Gumbo, when made properly, really defines deep flavors. Layers of deliciousness are formed by deep, nutty roux. Meanwhile, seasoned meats and sauteed veggies to give this dish an awesome finish. It eats like a stew, making it perfect for colder nights, but also good just whenever. The subtle spice really leaves you satisfied.
When to make Instant Pot Gumbo
I love making this when I'm entertaining, as this scales great for a crowd. There's really minimal more work if you're making this for 4 people or for 40. Make a nice, big pot of it and serve it over rice to feed a crowd.
This does still take some time, so it's tough to pull off on a weeknight. Between the
Mike's Recipe Rundown
- Taste: Tons of deep, cajun flavor here. Cayenne and smoked paprika lend depth and a slow heat to this, while the veggies round of the bite with a bite of freshness.
- Texture: A hearty stew-like texture, served over rice so that really gives a full bite in the end.
- Difficulty - Medium: Good gumbo does takes some steps, and this one is no different. This is a dish that needs to be developed in flavors, not a plop and play Instant Pot (affiliate) creation. But the payoff is still a great meal that's ready in the fraction of the time of a normal gumbo. Delicious!
- Pros: A truly authentic cajun taste made with high quality ingredients to really develop a deep and satisfying flavor. It's also great to scale for a crowd when you're cooking in during cold months.
- Cons: This still takes some time to come together, which makes it non-weeknight friendly. This is best for Sunday dinners or entertaining.
- Would I make it again? Yes! This is one of the favorites around my house, especially when the temps drop a bit outside.
Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Tips and Tricks
- As I pointed out in my recipe for Cajun Shrimp and Grits, the Andouille Sausage at Whole Foods is totally worth the special trip. Most grocery stores only carry the processed, pre-cooked style, which eats like a hot dog. The meat counter at Whole Foods typically carries a nice, raw, super smoky link that really pushes your gumbo to the next level.
- The roux is the make-or-break step to any gumbo. I prefer to make mine in the oven, mixing my oil and flour together in a cast iron and baking it for a long time. It's pretty low maintenance and delivers a really good result. Don't get impatient on your roux, the deeper brown you can get it the better the flavor!
Let's Make Instant Pot Gumbo
Mise en place
Before we begin, let's get everything prepped with our mise en plas.
- Dice chicken thighs and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with cajun seasoning, salt and pepper on all sides. Place on a pan and into fridge.
- Dice onion and set aside.
- Chop bell peppers, celery and minced garlic. Add to a bowl together and set aside.
- I suggest cooking your sausage ahead of time and letting it cool. I make sous vide sausage the day before, then place it in the fridge overnight. Then, I slice it at a 45° angle and place it in a bowl and back in the fridge.
- Slice okra into thin strips and set aside.
- Dice green onion and place in fridge.
Oven Roux
Preheat oven to 375°. In a cast iron pan (affiliate), whisk together vegetable oil and flour. Place in oven and bake for 90 minutes, stirring with the whisk every 30 minutes. Roux should be a nice deep milk chocolate color when done.
Sear and Saute
Set Instant Pot (affiliate) to Saute->High. When display says "HOT", add 2 tbsp olive oil to bottom. Place up to chicken thighs pan, making sure not to overcrowd. You can cook them in batches if necessary Do not move chicken for 3 minutes, allowing chicken to brown slightly. Stir and cook 2 more minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove to a pan and set aside.
Add sliced andouille sausage to pot and cook for about 3 minute on each side, allowing it to brown slightly. Remove and set aside.
Next, add diced onion and cook for one minute. Pour in oven baked roux and stir together well. Next, add bell peppers, celery and chopped garlic. Cook while stirring for 4 minutes.
Spice and Cook
Add bay leaves and cajun seasoning and stir together well. Cook for one minute to toast the spices until fragrant. Deglaze with one cup of chicken stock, using your spatula to scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pot.
Now, add in your worcestershire sauce and remaining chicken stock, stick together well. Return andouille sausage to pot and stir in. Lay sliced okra over top of mix, then cover with chicken. Set Instant Pot to Manual->High Pressure for 7 minutes. Set the vent to "venting" and close and twist the lid, then set vent to "sealing".
Meanwhile, prepare cooked rice if you haven't done so yet. I made mine in a rice cooker set up on the counter alongside my Instant Pot.
Let's stay in touch. Follow me on Instagram and check out what we're up to on Pinterest. Support this site, follow the link and buy stuff on Amazon (affiliate).
Finishing touches
When timer goes off, allow gumbo to naturally release pressure fore 15 minutes (meaning don't touch it!). If the pressure knob is still up after 15 minutes, flip the valve to venting to release any remaining steam. Taste for salt and add if necessary.
Place about a ½ cup of cooked rice in the center of a large shallow bowl. Using a ladle, pourin the gumbo alongside the rice, as it will fill the rest of the bowl. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve immediately!
This recipe was inspired by a mix of Emeril's Gumbo Recipe and this recipe for pressure cooker gumbo.
What do I do with leftover Instant Pot Gumbo?
Like a lot of stews and such, this only gets better after sitting in the fridge for a day or so. Let any leftovers cool, the pour into an airtight container to keep in the fridge. Leftovers can be heated either on the stovetop or simply in the microwave.
Instant Pot Gumbo
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
Description
New Orleans Gumbo is a cajun-like stew. This version, made with chicken and sausage, is perfect for the Instant Pot (affiliate).
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 rib celery (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 qt chicken stock
- 1 lb raw andouille sausage
- 3 tbsp cajun seasoning (I used Tony Cachere's)
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 4 green onions (diced)
- 8 oz fresh okra (thinly sliced)
- 3 cups cooked rice
Instructions
Prep
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Season with cajun seasoning, salt and pepper on all sides. Place on a pan and into fridge. Dice onion and set aside. Chop bell peppers, celery and minced garlic. Add to a bowl together and set aside. Slice okra into thin strips and set aside. Dice green onion and place in fridge.
- I suggest cooking your sausage ahead of time and letting it cool. I make sous vide sausage the day before, then place it in the fridge overnight. Then, I slice it at a 45° angle and place it in a bowl and back in the fridge.
Oven Roux
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a cast iron pan, whisk together vegetable oil and flour. Place in oven and bake for 90 minutes, stirring with the whisk every 30 minutes. Roux should be a nice deep milk chocolate color when done.
Sear and Saute
- Set Instant Pot to Saute->High. When display says "HOT" add olive oil, then chicken thighs. Make sure not to overcrowd pan and cooked in batches if necessary. Cook for about 5 minutes, until chicken is no longer brown. Remove to a pan.
- Add sliced andouille sausage to pot and cook for about 3 minute on each side, allowing it to brown slightly. Remove and set aside. Next, add diced onion and cook for one minute. Pour in oven baked roux and stir together well. Add bell peppers, celery and chopped garlic. Cook while stirring for 4 minutes.
- Add bay leaves and cajun seasoning and stir together well. Cook for one minute then deglaze with one cup of chicken stock. Add in your worcestershire sauce and remaining chicken stock and together well. Return andouille sausage to pot and stir in. Lay sliced okra over top of mix, then cover with cooked chicken, pouring any pan drippings in as well.
- Set Instant Pot to Manual->High Pressure for 7 minutes. Set the vent to "venting" and close and twist the lid, then set vent to "sealing".
- When timer goes off, allow gumbo to naturally release pressure for a 15 minutes (meaning don't touch it!). If the pressure knob is still up after 15 minutes, flip the valve to venting to release any remaining steam. When pressure is released, carefully remove lid. Taste for salt and add if necessary. If mix is still soupy, let sit a few minutes to come together.
- To serve, place about a ½ cup of cooked rice in the center of a large shallow bowl. Ladle gumbo over top and garnish with chopped green onion. Serve immediately!
Equipment
Buy Now →- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Cajun, New Orleans
Keywords: Easy Gumbo, Cajun Food, New Orleans Gumbo