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This healthy Crockpot Gumbo is your favorite comfort food made better, packing 30 grams of protein and lots of fiber. Made in a slow cooker, Instant Pot or stovetop you'll love how tasty and cozy this yummy stew recipe tastes!
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Gumbo is a Creole version of an aromatic stew that’s thicker than a soup and generally made with sausage, rice, veggies, veggies, stock, shellfish and a thickener like a file powder.
This lightened up and healthy version of the recipe still has all the flavor of the traditional recipe, and is SO much better for you. Slow cooking allows the flavors to marry which is what makes it so delicious. It's the perfect cozy and filling on a cold day!
Looking for some healthier versions of your favorite recipes? Try my Chicken Tortilla Soup, Healthy Lasagna Soup, and Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip recipes too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Low fat: To make this version of the recipe with less fat than the traditional gumbo, I worked on a few tweaks, and now, it has just 12 grams of total fat with 3 grams coming from saturated fat. Plus, it’s low in calories too, sitting at just 362 calories per serving.
- High protein and fiber: A bowl of this healthy chicken gumbo packs in 5 grams of fiber and 30 grams of protein, which makes it super filling, and can help you meet your daily protein goals too.
- Quick and easy: There's nothing easier than tossing a bunch of ingredients for a recipe in a slow cooker and letting it do the work! This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you just want to put together a meal that’s mostly hands-off.
Healthy Chicken Gumbo Ingredients
- Meat: For this healthy gumbo recipe, I used a mix of chicken breast (chopped into cubes) and some sliced chicken sausages. You can also use turkey sausage or pork sausage depending on your preference.
- Veggies: We use white onion, celery and garlic for the first layers of savory flavor, canned tomatoes for some acidity, and some bell peppers and okra to bulk up the gumbo. If you don’t have canned whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes can work well too.
- Chicken stock: Use low sodium or no sodium stock to make it healthier. You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or vegetable stock. I do not recommend using beef stock or broth as it will alter the flavors too much.
- Jasmine rice: The best choice! You can use other varieties too, but Jasmine rice is the best, in my opinion.
- Herbs: I used a mix of dried sage, thyme, rosemary and parsley to add flavor to the gumbo.
- Seasonings: To season, I just used some salt and pepper.
- Gumbo file: This one’s a must. It helps add that distinct flavor and also helps thicken the gumbo. If you don’t have this, use cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken but you will be missing the flavors it provides.
- Olive oil: We're using this to saute the vegetables and cook the meat at the start of the recipe.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Seafood gumbo: Substitute the chicken breast with seafood like shrimp, scallops or cod to add a bit of different flavor to this easy gumbo recipe.
- Spice it up: For some extra flavor, consider adding some Cajun seasoning mix. It can be slightly spicy, so start with a little and add more if needed. I love making slow cooker Cajun gumbo! Cayenne pepper, Creole seasoning and Worcestershire sauce are some good options too for adding more flavor.
- Frozen vs fresh: Frozen okra is the best choice for this recipe, but if you don’t have it, use fresh okra instead. I recommend adding them with the other fresh vegetables.
How to Make Gumbo in a Crockpot
To make the slow cooker chicken gumbo, start by getting all your ingredients ready, and then follow the steps below.
Step 1: Add the essentials: Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker except the gumbo file and okra.
Step 2: Cover and cook: Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Stir in the gumbo file and okra and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the gumbo thickens. Serve warm with parsley to garnish!.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store your leftover chicken gumbo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Just make sure you allow it to cool down completely before you refrigerate it.
- Freezing: You can also freeze it for up to 6 months, and reheat it whenever you want to. Portion it out into individual freezer safe containers after the gumbo has cooled down completely, and then freeze.
- Reheating: To reheat the crockpot gumbo, transfer it to a saucepan and let it warm over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or reheat gumbo in a slow cooker by placing the gumbo in the pot then covering and setting to low for 3-4 hours. If your slow cooker has a warming feature, you can use that too. To reheat frozen gumbo, defrost the gumbo first by transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy a bowl of this comforting crockpot gumbo on its own, or pair it with some pumpkin cornbread or pumpkin cornbread muffins to soak up all that delicious sauce. Sometimes, I also team up my almond flour biscuits with a bowl of this.
- The addition of Jasmine rice in the gumbo makes it a complete, filling meal, but if you’re looking for a low calorie, low carb swap, try stirring in some homemade cauliflower rice at the end of cooking instead.
- Finish your meal up with a Southern favorite dessert, like this low calorie peach cobbler or gluten-free apple crisp.
Expert Tips
- Reheat it right: Your crockpot gumbo may thicken up a bit too much after being refrigerated or frozen. Add a splash of water or stock into it while reheating it to get it to the right consistency.
- Build flavor: To deepen the flavor, consider sauteeing the chicken and the sausages first until they are slightly brown, and then use them for the recipe. This step is great especially if you’re cooking in an Instant Pot or over the stovetop.
- Time it: Make sure you add the okra and the file powder towards the end. Okra doesn’t need too long to cook, and adding the file powder in too early will add a slightly different taste to the gumbo which is not what you would want!
- Make ahead: Making crockpot gumbo a day or two ahead of time and refrigerating it actually helps deepen its flavors. Try that out for yourself!
Crockpot Gumbo Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Simply add all ingredients for the gumbo to the Instant Pot except the gumbo file and okra. Cover and seal the pot then cook for 30 minutes and manually release the steam. Then, stir in the gumbo file and frozen okra and let the heat of the soup cook the okra for a few more minutes. Garnish and serve!
To make the gumbo on a stovetop, start by sauteing the Holy Trinity aka onion, bell peppers and celery in a pot over medium heat along with some garlic, olive oil and seasonings. Then, add the chicken, sausage, herbs, stock and tomatoes along with the Jasmine rice and let it come to a boil. Turn down the heat and let this cook with the lid on for about 25-30 minutes and add the gumbo file and okra towards the final 5-7 minutes of cooking. Finally, garnish and serve!
More Healthy Crockpot Dinners
If you tried this crockpot gumbo recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Easy Crockpot Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil only need if using the stove top method
- 1 pound Chicken Breast cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 28 ounces Whole Canned Tomatoes with juices
- 1 cup White Onion diced
- 2 tablespoons Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Rosemary dried
- 4 cups Chicken Stock low sodium
- 8 ounces Chicken Sausage sliced
- 2 cups Celery diced
- 2 Bell Peppers diced
- ½ cup Jasmine Rice
- 1 tablespoon Sage
- 1 teaspoon Thyme dried
- 2 cups Frozen Okra
- 1 tablespoon Gumbo File
- Dried Parsley for garnish
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a slow cooker except the gumbo file, frozen okra and dried parsley for garnish.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- Stir in the gumbo file and frozen okra then cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the gumbo thickens.
- Serve warm with hot sauce and dried parsley for garnish!
Instant Pot Chicken Gumbo Instructions
- Place all ingredients in an Instant Pot except the gumbo file, frozen okra and dried parsley for garnish.
- Cover and set the pot to sealing then steam cook for 30 minutes. Manually release the valve to let out the steam then carefully remove the cover.
- Stir in the gumbo file and frozen okra then cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the gumbo thickens.
- Serve warm with hot sauce and dried parsley for garnish!
Stovetop Chicken Gumbo Instructions
- Place a large pot over the stove on medium heat then add the olive oil, onion, garlic, celery, peppers with the salt and pepper.
- Sauce the vegetables 3-5 minutes then add the chicken breast, chicken sausage, whole canned tomatoes, stock, rice, rosemary, sage and thyme. Bring the pot to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the temperature to a low simmer and cover. Cook 25-30 minutes on a low simmer.
- Then add the gumbo file and frozen okra. Stir and let the ingredients thicken and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Serve warm with hot sauce and dried parsley for garnish!
Notes
- Serving size is 1/6th of the recipe or approximately 1 1/2 cups.
- Store the gumbo in the refrigerator for a day or two to allow the flavors to get better, and then serve it.
- Add a splash of water or stock to it while reheating it to get it to the right consistency.
- Make sure you add the gumbo file and the okra towards the end of the cooking time.
Nutrition
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