Quick Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
Delicious and simple to make dinners are the best! This Quick Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo comes together in about 30 minutes and is so tasty!
Any version of this recipe is pretty much my favorite thing to eat, no matter the time of year. Gumbo is such a versatile and customizable meal and I’ve made it on the grill, in the slow cooker and also this version, Quick Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo, in my dutch oven. While every version I’ve made has been so delicious, one of the things I like most about this one is how quick and simple it is to make! It comes together in under 30 minutes with the help of a few easy tricks making it a great weeknight meal or even for making up a batch for lunches for the week!
One of the things I love about soups, and gumbo specifically, is being able to pack it full of veggies as the base. Carrots, celery and onion are the standards and you can also add bell peppers too! And of course, I always throw in a few cloves of garlic, but that goes for pretty much any dish I make.
My one trick for getting the perfect chopped veggies for soup when you don’t want it chunky and you want it to cook fast? Using one of these Ninja Choppers. It makes it quick and easy to get my veggies finely chopped and then I can just toss them right in the pan. Just be careful and only chop them a few seconds, as they could end up mush!
Second trick to make this easy Quick Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo? Seasoning blends. That’s right. No need to combine 20 different spices here. Just grab some cajun seasoning like this one and that’s seriously all you need.
By layering everything up in the pot, it keeps it quick, easy and leaves you with only the one pan to clean up. Start by browning the chicken a bit, add the veggies, make the simple roux and toast up the seasoning at the same time, add the broth, then finally layer in the shrimp and let simmer! While all of that is happening, I make a batch of quick cook brown rice and 30 minutes from start to finish I have a dinner I know my family will eat (and my little one has no idea it’s chock full of veggies!). These are the kinds of dinners that make me feel pretty good about life!
Quick Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 small yellow sweet onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning blend
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 pound uncooked shrimp
- 1/2 cup whole grain instant brown rice
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium high heat
- Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and add to heated pan and allow to brown on once side for about 2-3 minutes
- Finely chop carrots, celery, onion and garlic and add to pan and saute until tender while you continue to let chicken cook as well, about 3-4 more minutes
- Stir in flour and cajun seasoning and let cook for 1-2 minutes
- Very slowly pour in broth while stirring to prevent any lumps
- Add shrimp and bring to a simmer for about 10 more minutes or until shrimp and chicken and fully cooked through
- While soup is simmering, follow package instructions to make instant brown rice
- Serve gumbo with a scoop of rice and garnished with fresh herbs, if desired
Nutrition
Smart Points per serving: 7
Freestyle Smart Points per serving: 7 (note: you could swap out the thighs for breasts to make it 5 points)
Who’s planning to wrap their hands around a warm bowl of comfort food like this Quick Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo on a chilly day?
And if you’re really craving some serious fall flavors, make sure you check out this chili recipe!
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Beer Chili
This is such a creative and fun recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us!
How well does this freeze? How long will it stay in the fridge? It’s just me who eats it.
I love how simple this is to make, can’t wait to try this!
lol!! carrots do not belong in gumbo.