Seafood Gumbo

Classic Cajun Seafood Gumbo is intensely rich, yet delicate, and perfect for a chilly day. Chock full of shrimp, crab and oysters, this gumbo recipe sings with flavors from the sea. It makes a big batch, too, so you can share it or freeze it for later. Makes 12 servings.

Love Louisiana recipes? Give Crawfish Etouffee and Ground Beef Meat Pies a try, too!

This Louisiana Seafood Gumbo recipe highlights the best seafood and strikes a beautiful balance of briny and full-bodied without being overwhelming. The broth itself is velvety, and when combined with the crab meat, oyster and shrimp, it’s something special.

My husband and I first quantified this recipe in 2021, just before the Snowpocalypse here in Texas. We made it for New Year’s Day this year with his entire family, and got a lot of help, thanks to their gumbo knowledge.

As my father-in-law said, “It tastes like good seafood gumbo.”

And you know what? That’s a big ole success for this Tennessee girl.

What is gumbo?

Gumbo is a thick soup that is traditionally filled with vegetables, like onion, green bell pepper and celery, as well as a protein. (Some gumbos call for chicken and sausage; others, like this one, seafood.)

It’s believed that gumbo was brought to our country by enslaved people, and today, different regions of the country have their own styles of gumbos. Which is why you’ll see gumbos ranging from an okra and tomato-filled Gullah Geechee to a seafood and tomato Creole one.

Some notes on gumbo variations and where this dish comes from:

There are lots of different types and styles of gumbos. Gumbo is a word that’s found in several West African dialects and means okra. I’ve also read that there’s a word in Native Choctaw similar to gumbo that means filé, which are the ground sassafras leaves commonly used as garnish in gumbo.

The gumbo recipe I’m sharing today is a Cajun gumbo, which gets its flavor from dark roux and highlights shrimp, crab and oysters, along with the “Cajun trinity” of vegetables: onion, green bell pepper and celery. We’re not using andouille sausage or another smoked sausage in this recipe.

It’s a sister of our Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, but this one highlights the flavors of the sea.

Other Louisiana recipes to try: Crawfish Pie | Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya | Cajun Shrimp and Grits | Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice | Instant Pot Gumbo

Tools you need to make this recipe

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• A large stockpot or Dutch oven (needs to fit 17 cups of liquid plus lots of seafood)
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Liquid measuring cup
• Wooden spoon
• Rice cooker (or a saucepan with a lid) to cook your rice in

Ingredients you need to make a Louisiana seafood gumbo, Cajun-style

Before we dive into the ingredient list, let me go ahead and point out that the quality of the seafood you use in this recipe matters. You want to use the highest quality available.

Also, please, please don’t make substitutes in this recipe unless otherwise specified. The gumbo simply won’t taste like how it’s intended to taste. If you come back to complain, I will say I told you so. 😉

• Unflavored oil—to sauté our veggies in! While this isn’t a necessary step, we like how it adds a little extra flavor.
• The Trinity—this is the base of many Cajun and Creole recipes. It includes chopped green bell pepper, onions (yellow or white) and celery and imparts a ton of flavors to our stock.
• Garlic—because is this ever a bad idea? No. No, it is not.
• Liquids—we’re using a combination of water and chicken stock or chicken broth. If you’re feeling fancy and can find it, seafood stock would also be excellent here in place of the chicken broth.
• Seasonings—Salt-Free Creole Seasoning, salt and pepper. We like to use a salt-free seasoning because most Creole and Cajun seasonings are super salty. (Fun fact: They’re basically the same thing, so you can use Cajun seasoning in this recipe in place of the Creole seasoning.)
• Dark roux (if you don’t plan on making your own) or roux ingredients—which include equal parts unflavored oil and all-purpose flour.
• Shrimp—we prefer wild caught Gulf shrimp in this recipe because the quality makes a difference. Make sure to peel ‘em before you throw them into the pot so they’re easy to enjoy!
• Crab—this recipe calls for both clawmeat and the claws themselves. The crab really adds delicate flavor to the gumbo and cannot be replaced with another ingredient. Depending on where you live, use the best local (or local-adjacent) crab that you can find.
• Oysters—and their brine! This adds the best umami, so please don’t toss this liquid out from the packaging. For this recipe, we’re using fresh shucked oysters. You can find them at many specialty stores and seafood markets.
• White rice or brown rice, for serving.
• Garnishes—green onions, fresh parsley and gumbo file, which are ground up sassafras leaves. It’s sometimes called file powder. Sprinkle these on top of your bowl of gumbo for extra flavor.

If you can’t find one of the seafoods, consider adding proportionate amounts of the other two. (So if you can’t find crab, add 3/4 lb. of both oyster and shrimp in addition to what the recipe calls for below.)

How to make Seafood Gumbo

Make your dark roux, if you’re making one, and set it aside. (You need 16 oz. or 2 cups of roux for this recipe, so use 1 cup oil and 1 cup flour.)

Mise en place. Chop the veggies. Peel your shrimp. Measure out your water and stock.

Saute the veggies. Heat the oil in your gumbo pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped veggies. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until softened.

Add the liquid. Pour in the water and the stock, and bring to a boil. (You can turn up the heat to high at this point, but it’s still going to take 15-20 minutes or so to bring this amount of liquid to a boil.)

Add the roux. When the liquid has reached a rolling boil, measure in the roux, stirring consistently to help the mixture break down into the boiling water.

Simmer for 30 minutes. At least. You can simmer it for longer if you so desire.

Before serving, add the seafood. Make sure that the water is boiling when the seafood is added.

• 20 minutes before serving, add the shrimp.
• 15 minutes before serving, add in the oyster and crab.

It is important to add the seafood at the end so that it doesn’t overcook and get tough!

Serve immediately with rice and your favorite garnishes.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips and Tricks

A Seafood Gumbo is considered a fancier gumbo since seafood typically costs more than what you’d normally find in a Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. (I’ve heard seafood gumbos referred to as “Christmas Gumbos” because they’re for special occasions.)

If you want to share your Seafood Gumbo with guests, you’re an excellent friend! 😉

We’ve been making gumbo for years for our annual New Year’s Day party, and I have a few tips and tricks to making the hosting and entertaining easier on yourself…

• Make your gumbo a day in advance… but leave out the seafood until the day of. Gumbo takes some time to set up and get going, but it takes time for the flavors to meld together. Put it together the day before your party, and store it in the fridge. Skim any excess fat from the top before reheating the morning of your party, then adding the seafood right before you serve it.
• Have the fixings to serve it with! Rice is a must, and so is gumbo file* (affiliate link)! Some folks enjoy potato salad with gumbo, while others add hardboiled eggs.
• Double the recipe for a crowd or half it for a smaller gathering. When halving this recipe, we always err on the side of more protein and round up to the nearest pound if necessary.

The key to any gathering that involves food is everyone having fun. That includes you, too, so don’t let this stress you out!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find seafood for gumbo

If you don’t live near an ocean, finding quality seafood might be challenging! Here are some tips and tricks of how to find these ingredients near you:

• Visit a high-end grocery store. If it’s got a fish counter, start there and also ask about their frozen selections, too.
• Find a specialty seafood shop. This has been my go-to since living in Dallas. If you give them a heads up, you can have them special order the ingredients you need, too.
• Special order it. There are online companies like Giuseppe’s Market at Samuel’s Seafood, Cajun Grocer and others that will ship fresh or frozen seafood to you.

Whatever you do, please do not purchase imitation crab or canned crab for this recipe. It doesn’t have the same flavor or mouth feel. And if you’re going to go all-out on a Seafood Gumbo, treat yourself to the real thing.