Instant Pot Gumbo
Whip up easy and flavorful Instant Pot Gumbo to share with friends and family this season! Full of flavor, this twist on the classic Louisiana chicken and sausage entree is made easy using an electric pressure cooker with a quick cook time. Makes 8-10 servings.
Love Louisiana recipes and flavors? Be sure to check out Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, Crawfish Etouffee and Seafood Gumbo!
In case you haven’t read my dissertation on a proper Cajun gumbo, let me give you the Cliff’s Notes version: If you’re gonna call something a gumbo, it better be right.
While I’m no Louisiana girl, I married a Louisiana boy, and I spent a lot of time in the state… so my Opinions are, well, pretty set in stone at this point.
That means no blonde roux (or heaven forbid, NO roux at all.)
It should be noted that this is a Cajun gumbo, so it features the holy trinity… and you won’t find diced tomatoes. (Because Cajun gumbo doesn’t call for tomatoes. Creole gumbo recipes, however, do.) You won’t find okra here, either, as that’s not a staple in Cajun gumbo.
If you want to learn more about the history of gumbo, the different styles and types and other frequently asked questions, check out Gumbo 101.
There aren’t many shortcuts when it comes to making a gumbo… but I’ve found a way… and that way is in the electric pressure cooker.
Why we love this Instant Pot gumbo recipe:
So to start the year off strong, I wanted to share this magical easy gumbo recipe with y’all so that you can make this magic at home without working in the kitchen all day long.
Yes, it requires a substantial amount of chopping… but it doesn’t need nearly as much babysitting.
Also, it cooks faster, and it has my favorite gumbo shortcut, which my husband’s grandmother shared with us a long time ago: a jarred roux.
And if jarred roux is good enough for Mimi, it’s good enough for us.
(You can also use a homemade roux in this recipe, too! The time for the recipe does not include making your own roux, though.)
In all honesty, I wanted to see if I could make a dark roux in the Instant Pot since I know jarred roux isn’t easily found in most non-Louisiana stores, but I could never get the roux dark enough…
Again, if you’re gonna make a gumbo, it’s gotta be right.
Also, the jarred roux cuts down on our time significantly, so let’s lean into it.
More Louisiana recipes we love to share with our friends and family: Turkey Sausage Jambalaya | Ground Beef Meat Pies | Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake | Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice | Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice | Cajun Shrimp and Grits
Need mealtime inspiration? Check out my Dinner Recipe Index for more ideas!
What you need to make Pressure Cooker Gumbo
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- Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Liquid measuring cup
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need:
- Oil — I use avocado oil, but any unflavored oil (like vegetable, canola or refined coconut) works here.
- Chicken thighs — make sure they’re boneless and skinless for the quickest way to cook this gumbo.
- Andouille pork sausage — purchase fresh Andouille, if you can, but if you can’t, feel free to grab the smoked kind. I do not love andouille-style chicken sausage, but it certainly works here if that’s what you have.
- Trinity — this is a combination of green bell peppers, yellow onions and celery stalks. It’s the base of many Louisiana recipes, and there’s a lot of chopping involved.
- Garlic cloves
- Chicken stock — I like to use salt-free chicken broth, but use whatever you’ve got on hand. If it is salted, leave out the salt and give it a taste before adding extra, if needed.
- Dark roux — while you can make your own dark roux, we’re using the jarred kind with the excess oil strained out. Please note that it is a deep chocolate brown, not the color of peanut butter.
- Seasonings — this recipe calls for kosher salt (medium grain is my go-to) and salt-free Creole Seasoning (or your favorite Cajun seasoning because the two are very similar). If you’re using a creole seasoning with salt, like our Homemade Creole Seasoning, leave out the salt of the recipe, give it a taste and season to taste so that your broth isn’t oversalted.
- Garnishes — for a classic gumbo recipe, we’re going to use chopped green onions, parsley and gumbo file, which is ground sassafras leaves
Substitutions
- Can’t find fresh Andouille? Smoked Andouille sausage works, too! Just brown it along with the chicken, even though the smoked sausage is already cooked through. That’ll give it some extra flavor.
- Like it hot? Add some of your favorite hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper to kick it up.
- If you can’t find Andouille sausage at all, you can substitute fresh hot Italian sausage. You can also use mild Italian sausage if don’t like the heat.
- Not into chicken thighs? Chicken breasts are tasty, too.
How to make Chicken and Sausage Instant Pot Gumbo
Brown the meat and cook the veggies
First and foremost, plug in your Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker), and click the Saute setting. I like to set mine to 30 minutes so I’ve got more than enough time to do the cooking.
We’re going to brown the meat in the pan, then add the veggies to soak up their flavors before throwing the rest of the ingredients together.
Add oil to the pot. I used avocado oil, but you can use whatever type of oil you’d like. You can also use butter here, too!
Brown the chicken thighs and sausage. You might have to do this in batches. Look for good color on the outside—they don’t need to be cooked through.
Once they’re nice and brown, remove from the pan and place ‘em on a cutting board. Slice them, and set them aside for later.
When the meats are done, add the veggies. Cook ‘em in the leftover oil and meat juices until they’ve softened, about 5-10 minutes.
Make the gumbo base
Pour in the chicken stock, and add the roux.
Pro tip!
Make sure you’ve strained the excess oil from the jar, as you don’t want to add that to the gumbo pot.
To do this, I simply will pour the oil, which stands on top of the roux itself, into a bowl or a jar that I can easily discard when all is said and done.
Add the salt and Tony’s, then gently place the meats back in the Instant Pot, too.
Pressure cook the gumbo
Close the lid of the Instant Pot, and seal the valve so you can cook it on high pressure.
Set it for MANUAL HIGH PRESSURE for 25 minutes. Make sure that it’s on the highest pressure cooking setting, and press start.
Let that Instant Pot do it’s magical thing on this easy chicken and sausage gumbo.
Once the gumbo has finished cooking, let the pressure naturally release. Why? Because if you do the quick release, gumbo liquids will spray all over your kitchen, and it’s super messy. Please learn from my mistakes…
Once the pressure has naturally released, open the lid and shred the chicken.
Stir it back into the gumbo, and then serve over white rice with your favorite garnishes, like parsley, green onions and gumbo file!
Frequently Asked Questions
A roux is equal parts oil and flour. You could also use butter in place of the oil. For this recipe, you’ll need ¾ cup oil and ¾ cup flour.
Unfortunately, you cannot make the roux in your Instant Pot, as it won’t get dark enough. (Trust me, I’ve tried. Several times.)
If you want to make your own roux, check out my How to Make Gumbo Roux post.
You absolutely can! I’ve written a tutorial for a more classic gumbo recipe, and you can certainly use that to make this smaller batch gumbo. 🙂
Here are a few things you can do in advance:
Make the roux. You know, if you’re making your own. 😉
Chop all the veggies. We will sometimes do this 1-2 days before we make our gumbos. Store them in the fridge in a sealable food container. Make sure it’s sealed tight because those onions will stink up your fridge.
Chop the garnishes, too. Do this at the same time you’re prepping the veggies for the gumbo itself, and store separately.
Cook your rice. Warm rice is awesome, but it can certainly be reheated in the microwave easily.
A gumbo is a thick stew served over rice while a jambalaya is meat and veggies cooked with rice. While the two dishes have similar ingredients, their texture is very different.
A dark roux! It adds SO much flavor to the gumbo.
We always add a sprinkling to the tops of our gumbo bowls when the gumbo has been served. Don’t forget the green onions and parsley, too!
Erin’s easy entertaining tips and tricks
Gumbo is one of our favorite dishes to make while entertaining.
It can be made in advance and because it’s delicious and slightly different than a dish most of our friends have tried before.
Here are some ways to make it easy on yourself:
- Chop the veggies and garnishes in advance. If you’re not into all that chopping, purchase your veggies pre-chopped from the store. I know most groceries have them, and I know some offer frozen chopped veggies, too.
- You can cook the rice in advance, too, and simply reheat it whenever it’s time to eat your gumbo.
- Cook the gumbo a day before hosting guests. We’ve found that gumbo is best when it sits overnight! If you have enough time to make it a day in advance, you should.
Quick tips and tricks to the best gumbo:
- Use the best ingredients you can find! This means the meats, as well as the roux. They layer in the flavors!
- Let the pressure naturally release before opening the pot. DO NOT manually release the pressure. I cannot stress this enough!
- How to store gumbo: let the gumbo cool and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- How to reheat gumbo: pour it into a large Dutch oven and warm over low heat.
You might want to pair this Instant Pot Gumbo with a classic cornbread or even a no mayo potato salad.
While we serve ours with plain ‘ol white rice or brown rice, you might want to jazz yours up by making Brazilian White Rice. You could serve it over cauliflower rice, too, if that’s more your speed.
Here’s how you make it:
Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1 lb. Andouille pork sausage fresh (if possible)
- 1 green bell pepper diced (about 1 cup when diced)
- 3 yellow onions small, diced (about 3 cups when diced)
- 4 celery stalks diced (about 1 ½ cups when diced)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dark roux with the excess oil strained out
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Salt-Free Creole Seasoning
- Green onions diced, for garnish
- Parsley chopped, for garnish
- Gumbo file for garnish
Equipment
- Jarred roux
- Gumbo file
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Instructions
- Press the Saute setting on the Instant Pot, and add the oil to the pan while it warms. Set it for 30 minutes so you have enough time to cook the meat and veggies, even though this step might not need all 30 minutes.
- Add the meat to the pan, and brown. Don’t worry about them cooking through—you just want the meat to get good color on the outside. Depending on the size of your electric pressure cooker, you might have to do this in batches.
- Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan, and slice. Set aside.
- Add the veggies to the pan, and sauté for 5-10 minutes in the leftover oil and juices from the meat, cooking until soft.
- Pour in the chicken stock, and add the roux. Sprinkle in the spices, too, stirring until combined. Add the meats back into the pot, too.
- Close the Instant Pot’s lid, and seal the valve so it can cook on high pressure.
- Set the electric pressure cooker on manual high pressure for 25 minutes, on the highest setting.
- Once it has finished cooking, allow it to naturally release the pressure. (Please note that the quick release will spray gumbo juices all over your kitchen, so give your pressure cooker some time to naturally release. It’s cleaner that way.)
- Once the pressure has naturally released, shred the chicken.
- Serve the gumbo with white rice and garnishes, and enjoy!
Notes
- Substitutions: Can’t find fresh Andouille? Smoked works, too! If you can’t find Andouille sausage at all, you can substitute fresh hot Italian sausage. Not into chicken thighs? Chicken breasts are tasty, too.
- Chop the veggies and garnishes in advance. You can cook the rice in advance, too, and simply reheat it whenever it’s time to eat your gumbo.
- Cook your gumbo a day before hosting guests. We’ve found that gumbo is best when it sits overnight! If you have enough time to make it a day in advance, you absolutely should. To reheat the gumbo, pour it into a large Dutch oven and warm over low heat.
If I don't have an Instant Pot, can I make this gumbo in a regular pot?
You absolutely can! I’ve written a tutorial for a more classic gumbo recipe, and you can certainly use that to make this smaller batch gumbo.Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I made this gumbo a few days ago and my family absolutely loved it. We are from Louisiana and this is as authentic Cajun tasting as any I’ve had! My question is…have you made a seafood gumbo in the instant pot and if so, what is your recommended cooking time?
Dorlena, Your comment brightened my day! Thank you so so so much for leaving this on my site. It’s so encouraging to hear that others enjoy this recipe as much as my family did… and it’s an honor to hear that y’all think this is as authentic Cajun tasting as any you’ve ever had!
I actually have not made a seafood gumbo in the Instant Pot. Yet. That’s on my list of recipes to work on this winter. I know the cook time would be a lot less since we wouldn’t want to overcook the seafood, but I need to to some tinkering… and I’m sorry I don’t have the answer to your question. However, I will keep you in the loop as I work on it.
Thanks, again, and happy Friday to you!
This is an amazing recipe. I’ve made gumbo plenty of times but never with pork before. Lovely!
I am from about as far west as you can get from the south, but am learning to love Louisiana foods! This was delicious and my family loved it!
Love your gumbo history and education! Who knew! This looks delicious and I love that you can speed it up on the Instant Pot. Plus your tips to making it all go faster are fabulous!
Usually, Gumbo has so many ingredients so we loved this recipe, It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious!
This gumbo has the most perfect spice! We ALL loved it and it was the perfect meal after scooping that 2′ of snow we had on Monday!! Thanks!
Tasted delicious when I managed to get it to cook. I kept getting the BURN notice and I don’t know what could be burning. I scrapped the bottom well when I added the broth and then added the roux and mixed that in.
So glad you got it to cook finally, but I’m so sorry that you ran into BURN issues with the Instant Pot. I know that’s so frustrating. Happy to hear that you were able to make it work and scraped the bottom. Also, happy that the gumbo tasted delicious, too!
I have now made this TWICE in two weeks and my husband has devoured seconds and thirds both times. I use the Ninja Foodi and it works great. I use regular Tony Chacheres instead of salt-free and add in a little extra garlic powder, then top with Tony’s, Cajun Chef hot sauce and gumbo file to taste. It’s PERFECT. My kids even love it!
HOORAY for making this multiple times and your entire family enjoying it! I’m happy to hear this worked in your Ninja Foodi and that using regular Tony’s works, too. Here’s to all the gumbo this soup season!
Dumb question, but what is meant by strain out the oil? When I opened the jar of roux the oil was all on top. Do I just pour it off and use the dark stuff at the bottom? I love gumbo, and would like to try this
Hi Martha!
This isn’t a dumb question at all, and I’m going to add a note in the post about it to clarify.
Try to stir the oil back into your roux. (We’ve found that it always seems to have a lot of excess on the top of the jar.) Anything that simply won’t stir in (or would cause a mess if you tried) should be discarded.
If you give this a try, let me know what you think! And if you’ve got any more questions, let me know.
I have made this recipe several times now and my family and I absolutely love it! I recently decided to make a dry roux using Carb Quick browned in the microwave..minutes at a time and used it in your recipe to find out how it would work ..It was delicious! Worked like a charm! So I now will be making this change and found I could use white Basmati rice as a substitute for regular rice for lower calories and carbs. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
I am so happy to hear that you have made this recipe so many times with success, Karen! And I love that you were able to make it using a dry roux, too. This is great information and so wonderful to hear. I hope you and your family continue to enjoy this gumbo recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment because it made my afternoon!