Turkey Gumbo
4.8
(57)
Active Time
40 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Chris Shepherd, executive chef and owner of Underbelly in Houston, Texas, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. This Cajun and Creole classic is often served with rice, but Shepherd insists his version doesn't need the starchy side. Studded with turkey meat and andouille sausage, it's filling enough on its own. Making a solid roux is essential to gumbo, because the flour and fat mixture thickens and flavors the dish. For newbies, Shepherd recommends patience. Roux must be cooked slowly over low heat and it requires just about constant attention, so take your time and be prepared to stir.
For more on Shepherd, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
Preparation
Step 1
In a food processor, combine 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup chopped onion, and 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper. Process until smooth.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the canola oil with the olive oil and whisk to combine. Transfer to a heavy medium saucepan or Dutch oven, add the flour, and place over moderate heat. Cook the mixture, stirring slowly and constantly, until the roux is dark brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the puréed vegetables, and stir to combine. Cover and reserve.
Step 3
In a heavy large pot over moderate heat, warm the remaining 1/4 cup canola oil. Add the andouille sausage and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the red bell pepper, along with the remaining green bell pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just soft and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining celery and onions, along with the garlic, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 8 cups of chicken stock, along with the thyme, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the reserved roux, whisking as needed to dissolve the roux in the liquid.
Step 4
Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce the heat to low, season the gumbo with salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 15 minutes. (The gumbo should have the consistency of chowder. If it thickens too much as it simmers, add additional stock; if it's too thin, in a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons canola oil and gradually add this mixture to the gumbo, simmering the mixture for a few minutes between additions, until the desired consistency is reached.) Add the turkey meat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot. DO AHEAD: The gumbo can be prepared ahead and kept, covered in the refrigerator, up to 3 days, or frozen, in an airtight container, up to 3 months. To reheat: Warm the gumbo in a heavy pot over moderate heat, adding additional chicken stock as needed to adjust the consistency.
Leave a Review
Reviews (57)
Back to TopWe made the Collard and Turnip Greens version. Outstanding! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Lightly pulsing the veggies was new to me; yet it worked to make a delicious gumbo with a nice homogenous consistency.
Daniel de Caussin
Oxnard, CA
12/29/2021
I've made this recipe two times, and both times I've loved it. I made some changes the second time I made it, those being: I cut up six huge sausages and shredded two and a half turkey breasts to make this. I also added a huge bag of uncooked shrimp while the gumbo was simmering (as you can tell, my family loves meat). The first time I made this, it was way too spicy for us (although I think that's just us) so I halved the amount of hot sauce and just let my family add more to taste. Fresh thyme makes this so much better. Also, please don't misread the amount of flour in the roux like I did the first time and add only 1/3 cup instead of 1 & 1/3 cup and have your gumbo consistency like water. LOL. The only other things I changed were the seasonings, I added creole seasoning and a bit less cayenne pepper the second time around. This recipe is amazing! :))
Emmy S
Lake Orion, MI
12/6/2021
A wonderful experience. I used leftover Christmas turkey that I had bbq'd. I see some reviews saying this wasn't flavourful. Not sure what ingredients were used, but this recipe hits the spot. I added a Jalapeno to the roux. Andouille is not available in this neck of the woods, so I used dried smoked Polish sausage. Crystal hot sauce is not sold here anymore as well, so I used a store brand Louisiana hot sauce. Fresh herbs and spices are a must for any Cajun cooking. I am curious to add shrimp for next time.
CajunRoy
Scugog, Ontario
3/29/2021
Notes: wanting less meat, I used 2/3# sausage, 1# black beans, and 1 block tofu instead of turkey. Takeaways: tofu was a bad idea; would have preferred a flavor profile more like chili. Also, I think rice is not a bad idea for serving. It's not that the dish isn't filling, it's that it's nice to have a counterpoint to the richness.
forkknifespoon
Cambridge, MA
2/11/2021
Delicious! I followed the recipe quite closely except for the chicken (didn't have rotisseri so used pan friend chicken thighs). Tastes like restaurant gumbo. No joke! This dish will definitely become a staple in our house. I made the roux in a small dutch oven and it took less than 20 mins to reach a dark brown color. I would recommend buying a good quality sausage. I used the Giant brand which turned out to be mostly water and shrunk up too much. Next time, I might use bacon fat to make the roux.
neha
Washington, DC
5/18/2020
It was delicious! I used turkey stock I made from the turkey carcass and leftover pieces from thanksgiving, add Duck I shot, and followed the rest of the recipe by the book. Amazing!! Even the kids loved it! I think the rue needs longer than listed to cook. It need to be a dark chocolate color and after 30 minutes it was a brown color but not dark enough. Don’t stop stirring. Keep it up until it’s dark dark dark.
gpoinc7945
Houston, tx
12/6/2019
This is the best gumbo I have ever made. I followed the recipe and I added shrimp at the end with the turkey. I fry my turkey for Thanksgiving, so it tends to be more flavorful than baked turkey. The roux took 23 minutes on medium high heat (6 of 10) on my electric stove to turn dark brown. I stirred constantly the whole time, but it was worth it. The gumbo is spicy, but not hurt you spicy. I highly recommend this recipe if you have the patience to make the roux.
Frank M
Mobile, AL
12/4/2019
I make this at least a couple times a year. This is THE best recipe for left over turkey. Just be patient making the roux. It is so rich and flavorful. I follow the recipe and serve with rice. Can’t give up the starch! You can also freeze or make ahead. It is better the next day. If you live gumbo, you will I’ve this!
skrejci
Alamo, CA
11/26/2018
Fantastic. I made it with homemade turkey stock and the meat that came off the carcass when I made the stock, and I upped the sausage a bit because I didn't quite have 4 cups of turkey. Use a milder hot sauce or use less if you're serving kids -- I used standard-grade sauce and between that and the andouille it was a bit much for my seven-year-old, although it mellowed with time in the fridge. I also served this over rice even though the chef said not to. Will definitely make again!
Anonymous
The Racing Capital of the World
6/10/2018
Followed recipe exactly. Roux took closer to 30 min before we determined it to be “dark brown.” Delicious. Will make again but might cut the hot sauce and cayenne just a bit. Could definitely add shrimp or use in place of turkey.
lauren_kell
12/22/2017
Tasty way to using Thanksgiving left overs. Followed direction and ingredients exactly, did not find it bland as others have complained.
carter1932
Kentucky
12/21/2017
I have several gumbo recipes and this one definitely ranks high among them. I used all my thanksgiving turkey to make stock and put in the gumbo. I added a jalapeño for some extra kick. Really solid.
irishnola
Santa Barbara, CA
11/27/2017
I thought this was delicious. I used fat left over from roasting the turkey for the roux. I added two jalapeños, one in the puréed veggies, and one to the chopped peppers. Otherwise I made as written. Everyone loved it. We like spicy food and didn't find this to be too hot. I would definitely make it again and add shrimp as well.
fay
Glover, VT
11/26/2017
I liked this recipe but didn't love it. It was lacking some flavor for my taste (I agree with another reviewer that it was something like gravy). I got the roux nice and dark and followed everything else as directed. But when it got to the point of being "done", my taste buds weren't happy and I started frantically adding things like tomato paste, creole seasoning, a little fish sauce to boost it up. I will say my family loved it and suggested I was being too critical. But I know what I know and although I consider this a tasty soup/stew -- it wasn't very gumbo-ish to me.
lisash67
Kentucky
1/26/2017
for a true Cajun twist, use bacon grease in place of canola, and seasoned flour in place of reg flour. can use chicken thighs in place of turkey, and add 1/2 lb of tasso to meats
margeaux67
nOLA
1/7/2017
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