Southern Chicken Gumbo Recipe

Why You’ll Love This this Southern Chicken Gumbo

This Southern Chicken Gumbo brings together tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and perfectly cooked rice in one soul-warming bowl that’ll make your kitchen smell like pure comfort.

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity – you literally throw everything into one pot, let it simmer away while you catch up on your favorite show, and somehow end up with a dish that tastes like you’ve been slaving over the stove all day.

With bacon drippings adding that essential Southern flavor and okra giving it that classic gumbo texture, this is the kind of meal that turns any regular Tuesday into something special.

Ingredients List

You’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients to create this comforting Southern classic that feeds a crowd.

• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 3 chicken breasts, deboned, cooked, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup long grain rice, uncooked
• 1 cup frozen okra
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce

A few ingredient considerations worth mentioning:

• The bacon drippings pack serious flavor but also add saturated fat – you could swap in olive oil if you’re watching that sort of thing
• Using pre-cooked chicken keeps this recipe simple, though rotisserie chicken works beautifully here
• Frozen okra is totally fine and often more convenient than fresh, plus it won’t get as slimy during cooking
• The sodium content runs a bit high between the broth, canned tomatoes, and added salt, so taste as you go and adjust accordingly

Step by Step Directions

This one-pot Southern gumbo comes together quickly with minimal prep work required.

• In a large soup pot, add all ingredients.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until all vegetables and rice are tender, approximately 20-25 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf before serving.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Serve hot in bowls.

For easier mixing of ingredients, consider using a professional stand mixer to combine your roux and other gumbo components before transferring to the soup pot.

Substitutions and Variations

• Make it heartier – Toss in some corn kernels, diced potatoes, or even lima beans to bulk it up when you’re feeding a crowd.
• Roux variation – For a more traditional approach, you can make a proper roux by cooking flour and oil together until golden before adding your vegetables, though this simple version skips that step entirely.
• Herb substitutions – Fresh thyme or oregano can replace the parsley, and a few dashes of Creole seasoning never hurt anyone’s gumbo game.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This gumbo is practically begging for some classic Southern sides that’ll make your dinner table feel like a proper feast.

• Cornbread – Whether you go for sweet or savory, a warm slice of cornbread is basically mandatory with gumbo, and honestly, who am I to argue with tradition.
• White rice – Sure, there’s already rice in the gumbo, but a scoop of plain white rice on the side lets you control the rice-to-everything-else ratio like the picky eater you probably are.
• Crusty French bread – Perfect for sopping up every last drop of that flavorful broth, because leaving good gumbo in the bowl should be considered a minor crime.
• Simple green salad – Something light and crisp cuts through all that rich, hearty goodness, plus it makes you feel slightly better about going back for thirds.
• Coleslaw – The cool, crunchy texture plays beautifully against the warm, tender gumbo, and the tangy dressing adds a nice bright note to balance things out.
• Fried green tomatoes – If you really want to lean into the Southern theme, these crispy little gems are like the perfect appetizer that nobody asked for but everybody secretly wanted.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

Getting this gumbo just right is all about timing and a few sneaky little shortcuts that’ll save you from rookie mistakes.

• Don’t skip the bacon drippings – I know, I know, you’re thinking you can substitute oil, but those drippings add a smoky depth that regular oil just can’t match, so raid your fridge for leftover bacon fat like the resourceful cook you’re becoming.
• Cook your chicken ahead of time – Poaching or roasting the breasts earlier in the day means less juggling when you’re trying to get everything into the pot, plus you can use that leftover chicken cooking liquid as part of your broth for extra flavor.
• Dice everything uniformly – This isn’t Instagram cooking, but keeping your celery, onion, and green pepper roughly the same size means they’ll cook evenly, which is the difference between perfect tender vegetables and some mushy, some still crunchy.
• Add the okra gradually – Frozen okra can get slimy fast if you’re not careful, so stir it in during the last 15 minutes of cooking to keep that nice texture without turning your gumbo into something, well, questionable.
• Taste and adjust as you go – That Worcestershire sauce and salt can vary wildly depending on your broth’s sodium content, so start with less and build up, because you can always add more but you can’t take it back.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes – After you kill the heat, give everything a chance to settle and meld together, which is basically like letting your gumbo take a little nap before serving.

Nutritional Facts

This hearty Southern comfort food delivers solid protein and essential nutrients while keeping portions reasonable for a satisfying meal.

• Calories per serving: Approximately 285-320 calories (based on 6 servings)
• Protein powerhouse: Each bowl provides about 25-28 grams of lean protein from the chicken breast, supporting muscle maintenance and keeping you fuller longer.
• Low in saturated fat: Despite the bacon drippings, the overall saturated fat content stays moderate at around 3-4 grams per serving since we’re only using 2 tablespoons total.
• Fiber content: The combination of vegetables, rice, and okra contributes roughly 3-4 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
• Sodium considerations: Contains approximately 800-900mg of sodium per serving, primarily from the chicken broth and canned tomatoes.
• Vitamin C boost: Green peppers and tomatoes provide about 25-30% of your daily vitamin C needs.
• Iron source: The combination of chicken and vegetables delivers around 10-12% of daily iron requirements.
• Carbohydrate content: Each serving contains about 18-22 grams of carbs, mainly from the rice and vegetables.
• Potassium rich: Tomatoes, celery, and chicken contribute significant potassium for heart health.
• Low cholesterol: Contains only about 65-75mg of cholesterol per serving, well within healthy limits.

Fun “Did You Know?”

While gumbo’s exact origins remain hotly debated among food historians, most agree it’s a beautiful fusion of West African, French, Spanish, and Native American culinary traditions that came together in Louisiana’s melting pot.

I find it fascinating that the word “gumbo” likely comes from “ki ngombo,” the West African term for okra.

The dish’s thickening method varies by region—some use okra, others prefer filé powder made from ground sassafras leaves.

Traditional Creole cooks never combine okra and filé in the same pot, considering it taboo.

Each family guards their secret roux-making technique passed down through generations.